Kindle3 serial line

ichinomoto · 08-29-2010, 01:25 PM

serial line is here.

Trancerate to English..

Please tell me, how can I get root account?

Dibblah · 08-31-2010, 02:40 PM

Interesting. The connector means that the serial port is for the first time accessible externally, with no hacking of the Kindle required.

The PCB has to be around 1mm thick or slightly thinner, which means you need to sand down a normal board before it fits. The track spacing is 1.5mm with 1mm width tracks.

Unfortunately, the serial port is 1.8v, which is lower than my DKU-5 Nokia cable goes. I do see good (continuity) connections using this method to the Kindle, though.

Above is a picture of the serial connector - it connects as follows:

Cheers,

Allan.

markatlnk · 08-31-2010, 04:24 PM

Level translation is not that big of a problem, what does it take to make it talk through that. Do I just get a command prompt??????

Dibblah · 08-31-2010, 06:45 PM

Sucess. I have a u-boot prompt (not locked down) with a FET level converter.

Cheers,

Allan.

markatlnk · 08-31-2010, 07:50 PM

What did you end up with on the width of the connector, from the pic, looks like 5.5mm. Also what baud rate is it using. I'm not new to Linux, just new to the arm versions.

Dibblah · 09-01-2010, 08:59 AM

6mm or so. 115200, N, 8, 1. Beware, it is a 1.8v port - If you apply 3.3v to it, you may well damage it.

Cheers,

Allan.

Dibblah · 09-01-2010, 09:02 AM

Unfortunately, I can see no sign that uboot passes through the bootargs. Which means we can't just tag on init=/bin/sh.

You can also get to recovery mode (not just uboot) straight from the serial port by pressing a key at the right time.

Cheers,

Allan.

blkhawk · 09-01-2010, 05:34 PM

Hi,
I just got my kindle today and since I am general interested in modifying the firmware of devices i posses I will be etching myself a proper serial plug from PCB material - since i could just as well etch a whole bunch of them i wanted to ask if there is interest here for them?

Cost including postage would be less than 5 EUR - I am looking in gold/nickel plating too

Adding an level converter could also be done but would raise costs.

MFG

-blkhawk

markatlnk · 09-01-2010, 10:32 PM

I would be interested, adding a FT232 USB chip on there would allow direct connection to most computers, it would significantly bump cost, but might be able to sell quite a few. If you do just the adapter, would that include postage to USA?

Mark

blkhawk · 09-02-2010, 12:14 AM

Cost as as well as manufacturing complexity. And cost for postage - I had planned to send the adapter glued to a postcard but an adapter with active components would be so expensive that I would feel uncomfortable about the risk losing a few and having to send replacements out.

I could make a version that you have to populate with a FT232r, a smd mini-usb plug , a 1.8v source and two capacitors.

-blkhawk

markatlnk · 09-02-2010, 12:46 AM

That would be great, just sell the board without parts. If someone just wants the 4 wires, they could just tack the wires on. For those that want full USB connection could put all the parts on. Standard FR4 is 0.062 is too thick, so the next standard size down is 0.031 I think so that will cost a bit more also.

Dibblah · 09-02-2010, 03:44 AM

I have just measured the current board I'm using properly - The PCB is 0.90mm.

I would seriously suggest that anyone considering a proper run of boards first makes a prototype to ensure that my measurements are OK.

Cheers,

Allan.

blkhawk · 09-02-2010, 08:04 AM

Well I would etch the board myself - so far i haven't seen enough interest for it to make more than one for myself or invest the time to build a prototype with USB. Quite frankly i have more usb to serial adapters than i can use.

Tiersten · 09-02-2010, 12:10 PM

I'd want 2 or 3. I'm in the UK.

filerand · 09-02-2010, 02:37 PM

For anyone who wants USB, something like the USB FTDI cable at AdaFruit would work quite well: http://www.adafruit.com/index.php?ma...products_id=70

(This particular cable is 3.3v, so I don't know whether it would work at 1.8v, though my experience has been that it works at various voltages.)

08-29-2010, 01:25 PM	#1
ichinomoto Junior Member Posts: 2 Karma: 10 Join Date: Dec 2009 Device: kindle2i, kindle DXi, kindle 3G+Wi-Fi	Kindle3 serial line serial line is here. Trancerate to English.. Please tell me, how can I get root account? Last edited by ichinomoto; 08-29-2010 at 01:30 PM.

08-31-2010, 02:40 PM	#2
Dibblah Member Posts: 15 Karma: 26592 Join Date: Aug 2010 Device: Kindle 3	Interesting. The connector means that the serial port is for the first time accessible externally, with no hacking of the Kindle required. The PCB has to be around 1mm thick or slightly thinner, which means you need to sand down a normal board before it fits. The track spacing is 1.5mm with 1mm width tracks. Unfortunately, the serial port is 1.8v, which is lower than my DKU-5 Nokia cable goes. I do see good (continuity) connections using this method to the Kindle, though. Above is a picture of the serial connector - it connects as follows: Cheers, Allan. Last edited by Dibblah; 08-31-2010 at 02:42 PM.

09-01-2010, 05:34 PM	#8
blkhawk Bit Wrangler Posts: 31 Karma: 93324 Join Date: Sep 2010 Device: Oasis	Etched Serial adapter Hi, I just got my kindle today and since I am general interested in modifying the firmware of devices i posses I will be etching myself a proper serial plug from PCB material - since i could just as well etch a whole bunch of them i wanted to ask if there is interest here for them? Cost including postage would be less than 5 EUR - I am looking in gold/nickel plating too Adding an level converter could also be done but would raise costs. MFG -blkhawk

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08-31-2010, 04:24 PM	#3
markatlnk Member Posts: 12 Karma: 10 Join Date: Aug 2010 Device: kindle 3	Level translation is not that big of a problem, what does it take to make it talk through that. Do I just get a command prompt??????

08-31-2010, 06:45 PM	#4
Dibblah Member Posts: 15 Karma: 26592 Join Date: Aug 2010 Device: Kindle 3	Sucess. I have a u-boot prompt (not locked down) with a FET level converter. Cheers, Allan.

08-31-2010, 07:50 PM	#5
markatlnk Member Posts: 12 Karma: 10 Join Date: Aug 2010 Device: kindle 3	What did you end up with on the width of the connector, from the pic, looks like 5.5mm. Also what baud rate is it using. I'm not new to Linux, just new to the arm versions.

09-01-2010, 08:59 AM	#6
Dibblah Member Posts: 15 Karma: 26592 Join Date: Aug 2010 Device: Kindle 3	6mm or so. 115200, N, 8, 1. Beware, it is a 1.8v port - If you apply 3.3v to it, you may well damage it. Cheers, Allan.

09-01-2010, 09:02 AM	#7
Dibblah Member Posts: 15 Karma: 26592 Join Date: Aug 2010 Device: Kindle 3	Unfortunately, I can see no sign that uboot passes through the bootargs. Which means we can't just tag on init=/bin/sh. You can also get to recovery mode (not just uboot) straight from the serial port by pressing a key at the right time. Cheers, Allan.

09-01-2010, 10:32 PM	#9
markatlnk Member Posts: 12 Karma: 10 Join Date: Aug 2010 Device: kindle 3	I would be interested, adding a FT232 USB chip on there would allow direct connection to most computers, it would significantly bump cost, but might be able to sell quite a few. If you do just the adapter, would that include postage to USA? Mark

09-02-2010, 12:14 AM	#10
blkhawk Bit Wrangler Posts: 31 Karma: 93324 Join Date: Sep 2010 Device: Oasis	Cost as as well as manufacturing complexity. And cost for postage - I had planned to send the adapter glued to a postcard but an adapter with active components would be so expensive that I would feel uncomfortable about the risk losing a few and having to send replacements out. I could make a version that you have to populate with a FT232r, a smd mini-usb plug , a 1.8v source and two capacitors. -blkhawk

09-02-2010, 12:46 AM	#11
markatlnk Member Posts: 12 Karma: 10 Join Date: Aug 2010 Device: kindle 3	That would be great, just sell the board without parts. If someone just wants the 4 wires, they could just tack the wires on. For those that want full USB connection could put all the parts on. Standard FR4 is 0.062 is too thick, so the next standard size down is 0.031 I think so that will cost a bit more also.

09-02-2010, 03:44 AM	#12
Dibblah Member Posts: 15 Karma: 26592 Join Date: Aug 2010 Device: Kindle 3	I have just measured the current board I'm using properly - The PCB is 0.90mm. I would seriously suggest that anyone considering a proper run of boards first makes a prototype to ensure that my measurements are OK. Cheers, Allan.

09-02-2010, 08:04 AM	#13
blkhawk Bit Wrangler Posts: 31 Karma: 93324 Join Date: Sep 2010 Device: Oasis	Well I would etch the board myself - so far i haven't seen enough interest for it to make more than one for myself or invest the time to build a prototype with USB. Quite frankly i have more usb to serial adapters than i can use.

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09-02-2010, 12:10 PM	#14
Tiersten Guru Posts: 987 Karma: 8641 Join Date: Sep 2010 Device: Kindle 3G+WiFi	I'd want 2 or 3. I'm in the UK.

09-02-2010, 02:37 PM	#15
filerand Junior Member Posts: 2 Karma: 10 Join Date: Sep 2010 Device: Kindle, Sony PRS-500	For anyone who wants USB, something like the USB FTDI cable at AdaFruit would work quite well: http://www.adafruit.com/index.php?ma...products_id=70 (This particular cable is 3.3v, so I don't know whether it would work at 1.8v, though my experience has been that it works at various voltages.)