K3 Kindle keyboard won't boot. Sometimes starts, but freezes

[Fibogreg]

Hello,

I have bought broken Kindle Keyboard. Main problem is that it is not booting. It starts sometimes, but stucks with green light. Kubrick did not helped. Connected through serial port shows :

U-Boot 1.3.0-rc3-lab126 (Apr 16 2011 - 20:15:23)

CPU: Freescale i.MX35 at 532 MHz
Board: MX35 Luigi [ POR]
WDOG_WCR = 0xff31
WDOG_WMCR = 0x0
Board Id: SP1B000000000000
S/N: i deleted in this post
DRAM: 256 MB
Using default environment

In: serial
Out: serial
Err: serial
No ethernet found.
i.MX35 CPU board version 2.0
Net: No ethernet found.
Hit any key to stop autoboot: 0
## Booting image at 87f40400 ...
Image Name: Linux-2.6.26-rt-lab126
Image Type: ARM Linux Kernel Image (uncompressed)
Data Size: 2167548 Bytes = 2.1 MB
Load Address: 80008000
Entry Point: 80008000
Verifying Checksum ... OK
Loading Kernel Image ... OK

Starting kernel ...

Uncompressing Linux............................................. .................................................. ........................... done, booting the kernel.
boot: C def:bcut:batterycut=1,version=s172597:
2.6.26-rt-lab126 #5 Sat Sep 1 14:28:26 PDT 2012 armv6l
INFO:Using default keypad setting. (not passing "kb_rev" to module)
INFO:Loaded module /lib/modules/mxc_keyb.ko (22508 bytes)
Press [ENTER] for recovery menu... 0 /INFO:Partition table verified for /dev/mmcblk0
INFO:Checking for updates... (auto-pilot mode)
/dev/mmcblk0p4:
CHS=4/16/100167 size=3282272256 bytes
flag type first last lba first lba size
Partition p1:
0x00 0x0b 16 <large> 16 6410672
CHS: 0/1/1 - <large>
Partition p2:
Partition p3:
Partition p4:
INFO:Setup loop device /dev/loop0 for /dev/mmcblk0p4 + 8192
INFO:No update*.bin found; no update needed.
INFO:no updates found.
BOOTING DEFAULT.
argc == 9
argv[0]: "kinit"
argv[1]: "console=ttymxc0,115200"
argv[2]: "mem=256M"
argv[3]: "panic=10"
argv[4]: "root=/dev/mmcblk0p1"
argv[5]: "ro"
argv[6]: "ip=none"
argv[7]: "quiet"
argv[8]: "lpj=2555904"
Running ipconfig
argc == 4
argv[0]: "IP-Config"
argv[1]: "-i"
argv[2]: "Linux kinit"
argv[3]: "ip=none"
IP-Config: no devices to configure
kinit: do_mounts
kinit: name_to_dev_t(/dev/mmcblk0p1) = dev(179,1)
kinit: root_dev = dev(179,1)
kinit: /dev/root appears to be a ext3 filesystem
kinit: trying to mount /dev/root on /root with type ext3
kinit: Mounted root (ext3 filesystem) readonly.
Checking for init: /sbin/init
Checking for init: /bin/init
Checking for init: /etc/init
Checking for init: /sbin/init.sysvinit

INIT: version 2.86 booting

system: I rcS:def:starting /etc/rcS.d/S02kdb
system: I S02kdb:def:Setting boot device to mmcblk0
kdb set: 'system/driver/filesystem/DEV_ROOT'
system: I rcS:def:starting /etc/rcS.d/S03udev
system: I S03udev:def:setting up virtual fs for hotplug event handling
system: I S03udev:def:starting the hotplug events dispatcher
system: I S03udev:def:synthesizing initial hotplug events
lipc-send-event[380]: E lipc:con::Connection error(Failed to connect to socket /var/run/dbus/system_bus_socket: No such file or directory)

lipc-send-event[380]: C def:dbusi::Failed to init dbus

lipc-send-event[380]: E defpen::Failed to open LIPC

lipc-send-event[380]: E def:fail:source=com.lab126.hal, event=usbPlugIn:Sending event failed

lipc-send-event[476]: E lipc:con::Connection error(Failed to connect to socket /var/run/dbus/system_bus_socket: No such file or directory)

lipc-send-event[476]: C def:dbusi::Failed to init dbus

lipc-send-event[476]: E defpen::Failed to open LIPC

lipc-send-event[476]: E def:fail:source=com.lab126.hal, event=audioHS:Sending event failed

system: I rcS:def:starting /etc/rcS.d/S04rootfsresize
system: I S04rootfsresize:def:No rootfs on /dev/mmcblk0p1 resizing needed
system: I rcS:def:starting /etc/rcS.d/S10filesystems
system: I rcS:def:starting /etc/rcS.d/S10hostname
system: I rcS:def:starting /etc/rcS.d/S10network
system: I S10hostname:def:setting device hostname
system: I S10filesystems:def:mounting filesystems
system: I S10network:def:initializing network configuration
system: I S10network:def:Installed Firewall
system: I rcS:def:starting /etc/rcS.d/S11chpriority
system: I rcS:def:starting /etc/rcS.d/S11video
Unknown HZ value! (91) Assume 100.
system: W S11chpriority:def:Cannot set priority for IRQ-7
system: I S11video:def:initializing eInk HAL for system use
system: I S11video:def:eink_debug=0
system: I S11video:def:Controller set to broads
Unable to handle kernel NULL pointer dereference at virtual address 000000b4
pgd = cf9c0000
[000000b4] *pgd=8f9cc031, *pte=00000000, *ppte=00000000
Internal error: Oops: 17 [#1]
last sysfs file: /sys/devices/platform/mxc_ipu/eink_controller_type
Modules linked in: eink_fb_hal_broads(+) eink_fb_hal [last unloaded: mxc_keyb]
CPU: 0 Not tainted (2.6.26-rt-lab126 #5)
PC is at __request_resource+0xc/0x78
LR is at __request_region+0x60/0x9c
pc : [<c00d4000>] lr : [<c00d46d4>] psr: a0000193
sp : cfab1ff4 ip : 00000000 fp : fffffffc
r10: 40137000 r9 : 00000000 r8 : bef87c88
r7 : 00000000 r6 : ffffffff r5 : c03ba98c r4 : cfaaa798
r3 : 80000000 r2 : 00000000 r1 : 000000b4 r0 : e1530004
Flags: NzCv IRQs off FIQs on Mode SVC_32 ISA ARM Segment <4>start_kernel(): bug: interrupts were enabled *very* early, fiđß-é°LâaßMâ**áts were enabled *very* early, fiđß-é°LâaßMâ**áPro@*á<1>Unable to handle kernel NULL pointer dereference at virtual address 00000021
pgd = 00000000
Unable to handle kernel NULL pointer dereference at virtual address 00000000
pgd = 00000000
Unable to handle kernel NULL pointer dereference at virtual address 00000000
pgd = 00000000
Unable to handle kernel NULL pointer dereference at virtual addreä 00000000
pgd = 00000000
Unable to handle kernel NULL pointer dereference at virtual address 00000000
pgd = 00000000
Unable to handle kernel NULL pointer dereference at virtual address 00000000
pgd = 00000000
Unable to handle kernel NULL pointer dereference at virtual address 00000000
pgd = 00000000
Unable to handle kerneđ*ŕ-ĺointer dereference a<0> 1ărtual address 0000000d
pgd = 00000000
Unable to handle kernel NULL pointer dereference at virtual address 00000000
pgd = 00000000

What may be the issue? Mostly it didnt even starts u-boot. If it starts green ligt lit for long time and nothing more happen. Checked with two batteries.

[greentea]

I had 3 pieces of this model doing this, replacing battery helped every time.

[eddie.t.h]

Check this thread https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=337013

[Fibogreg]

Thank you for your help. It turned out reflow of main chips was needed. Now works like charm

[batman52]

Originally Posted by Fibogreg

Thank you for your help. It turned out reflow of main chips was needed. Now works like charm

I supposed my K3 got the same virus...
A partial confirmation is that K3 can be get back to life for several minutes by warming with a hair dryer, much like in this video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZsLUCW42O0

I have also replaced the battery with no apparent improvement.

Is there any tutorial on how to properly do a reflow without killing any other vital parts ?

[batman52]

Originally Posted by batman52

I supposed my K3 got the same virus...
A partial confirmation is that K3 can be get back to life for several minutes by warming with a hair dryer, much like in this video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZsLUCW42O0

I have also replaced the battery with no apparent improvement.

Is there any tutorial on how to properly do a reflow without killing any other vital parts ?

It turns out I tried to reflow in a conventional oven, and it worked!
Here the process:

• unmounted everything, and keep only the main board

• pre-heated the oven at 100oC

better if you have a temperature controller to check (but I did not, so I was really cautios and staring all the time at the temperature control of the oven). Instead I put a small bit of tin on a spoon, that I was observing to check if the melting point of tin was attained.

• put the main board in the oven and set a target temperature of 220oC

[INDENT] I was expecting to wait until seeing the tin to melt, but I started seeing something moving below the audio codec (look on the teardowns the wolfson chip), therefore I got scared...

• then I turned off the oven and opened the door (beware it's hot!), and waited for the whole thing to cool down.

• remount everything, and test!

It's been few weeks since then, and my kindle runs just fine so far: in retrospective it's been relatively easy, but I admit I found the courage to go to such a dramatic approach just because I had already bought a replacement device.