Kindle Paperwhite Died - Can't figure problem

[Yorker]

Originally Posted by knc1

Yes, No, Maybe.
Some adapters also require a reference voltage.
Photograph what you have so we can see what you have set up.
Written descriptions are just not going to cut it, in this case.

Unfortunately with all the messing around and the tiny tiny solder pads i now believe the middle pad to be gone i can't get a reading from it anymore

https://i.imgur.com/p8NQTd8.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/khZx4F7.jpg

It's too tiny to even photograph and looks much better in real life

Any other options to fix the device?

[dhdurgee]

I don't know if this is true of your particular board, but many of these have another set of pads on the other side of the board. Check elsewhere to be sure.

Dave

[knc1]

Originally Posted by Yorker

Unfortunately with all the messing around and the tiny tiny solder pads i now believe the middle pad to be gone i can't get a reading from it anymore

https://i.imgur.com/p8NQTd8.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/khZx4F7.jpg

It's too tiny to even photograph and looks much better in real life

Any other options to fix the device?

Other side of the board has accessible pads, see above post.


But FIRST:
Read the first post(s) of the "serial port" thread - - -
Read the links of that post to ways to make the connections without using hot solder.
You evidently do not have the tools needed to make hot solder connections.

# 17 0 71

[Yorker]

Originally Posted by dhdurgee

I don't know if this is true of your particular board, but many of these have another set of pads on the other side of the board. Check elsewhere to be sure.

Dave

Thanks that totally worked

Originally Posted by knc1

Other side of the board has accessible pads, see above post.


But FIRST:
Read the first post(s) of the "serial port" thread - - -
Read the links of that post to ways to make the connections without using hot solder.
You evidently do not have the tools needed to make hot solder connections.

# 17 0 71

Yes i'm aware lacking tools and skills for this (super tiny!) unfortunately i couldn't find any other way to make it stick, this time on the other side i was much more careful and i guess my skills have improved a bit since i also did other soldering in the last 24h so this one was done without any damage, obviously not professional \ missing tools so it's a bad solder joint but it holds well and i checked the voltages at some point i got 1.7 out of both connectors at other points it's 0 or something else like only one is 1.7 and the other i 0.
I still can't get anything to work tho and i'm getting very strange reading of voltage
on linux i get 0.9 on Rx and 3.0 on Tx while on windows i get 2.1 and 3.1 on the same and like i mentioned before sometimes i get them as 0.3 and 2.4
Also on Linux i can see the adapters detected as usb devices but i never get a ttyUSB device. the only tty device i get from dmsg is ttyS0 still missing the other one and the device to make it work (not sure if i'ts a driver issue), on windows i can see the adapters on the device manger but i get nothing on putty.

i was following this guide
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=267541
and for linux
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...90&postcount=1

i tried 2 different adapters
This one is the one recommended
https://ibb.co/Hpd2VP9
i got it set up with the 3v jumper
https://ibb.co/hspqWfk
i doesn't have a direct usb connector so i'm using an additional cable for this but i can't get it to even recognize Rx or Tx and i tried GND from both sides

The other one i had is this one
https://ibb.co/5xPkt0t
https://ibb.co/7Rkq4Vc

It does have a direct USB connection but i never get a led on for TX just RX and GND
although there's voltage in Tx

This is how i have it setup\hooked
https://ibb.co/QPhK0BP

I also tried to add the battery although my reading suggested it's not needed as long as there a micro usb cable giving voltage to the board
https://ibb.co/BNLhzWh

BTW couldn't find the "serial port" thread not sure which one you meant

[knc1]

See:
https://ibb.co/QPhK0BP
Remove LEDs from the board.
The very low voltage of the Kindle's serial port disrupts the current used to drive the LEDs.


You can find that information in Geekmaster's post on building a 5v (or 3.3v) converter to 1.8v


Use "prefix" set to "tools", click "show threads", then find there (second thread on list):
"Serial jailbreaking your fw ..."
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=267541

[Yorker]

Originally Posted by knc1

See:
https://ibb.co/QPhK0BP
Remove LEDs from the board.
The very low voltage of the Kindle's serial port disrupts the current used to drive the LEDs.


You can find that information in Geekmaster's post on building a 5v (or 3.3v) converter to 1.8v


Use "prefix" set to "tools", click "show threads", then find there (second thread on list):
"Serial jailbreaking your fw ..."
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=267541

Thanks for helping me out with the forum searching
It's actually the same thread i mentioned in my previous post and the Geekmaster one is this i think
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=162775

So here is the situation now
Still doesn't work after removing the leds (they are so tiny that i think i lost their pads too) but i did check the voltage is continuing to the cap's and the usb, not sure if it made any difference but it was still unrecognized and the Tx was 3.1 while Rx was 0.020-30
Also didn't work on either linux or windows, the ttyS0 i saw and mentioned earlier on linux is actually there all the time even without anything connected to the machine so i guess it's not related to my serial attempts which means it only picks up USB devices and no serial interfaces :\
https://ibb.co/pvzjxsp

I forgot to mention but i also got a USB TTL Cable so i tried that, was nothing on linux and on Win same situation 3.1 and close to 0 volts on either end.
https://ibb.co/xDWYGMb
https://ibb.co/t3j711C

No idea what is happening or what to do next at this point

I also double checked all connections and my solder points i'm either missing something or my kindle is misbehaving

[Yorker]

Any other ideas?

[Yorker]

Didn't manage to progress without any further info

[Yorker]

Originally Posted by knc1

knc1

Originally Posted by WaseemAlkurdi

WaseemAlkurdi

Originally Posted by dhdurgee

dhdurgee

Can anyone comment please?

[NiLuJe]

No comment means what it says on the tin.

If they had anything to add, they'd have done so already.

I'm generally not a fan of bumping one's own thread, especially in such a recurrent and... iffy manner.