PogoPlug serial troubleshooting

First, big thanks to all of the work and information put out there by the community. I've really enjoyed being able to learn and hack on my PogoPlug with just reading everything out there.

I was recently decided it was time to upgrade my old ArchLinux install to Debian. Based on what I was reading, the easiest path forward from where I was at was to update the uBoot and use the latest kernel and rootfs from here:

http://forum.doozan.com/read.php?2,16044

I prepped a new USB drive and went about updating the uBoot according these instructions: http://forum.doozan.com/read.php?3,16017. Before I started I tried connecting my serial cable, but I realized I had bought the wrong wiring harness. I decided to proceed anyway, and now realize that may have been foolish as the device didn't come back up.

I had purchased the USB to Serial bodhi recommended here: http://www.ebay.com/itm/USB-2-0-to-TTL-UART-6PIN-Module-Serial-Converter-CP2102-STC-PRGMR-Free-cable-/170895253016?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item27ca269e18 and it seems to be recognized by Windows. I'm using Windows 10. I just received a new Soundblaster wiring harness to connect the adapter and flipped the TX\RX to align based on the qnology blog post. When I open up PuTTy and put in the settings, I'm not getting any output when the device boots. I'm rather new to this so there may be something obvious I'm doing wrong.

Are there any recommended ways of troubleshooting that the serial adapter is functioning properly? I open PuTTy and follow the recommend settings then open the serial connection. I then power on the PogoPlug. It appears to be booting at some level as the lights come on and flash and the USB drive even flashes for a bit, but there is no output sent to the screen. Is there a certain order of operations I need to follow? Or did I brick my device to the point the serial console isn't outputing information.

Any help or recommended next steps would be appreciated. Looking to from my mistakes.

-Beavel

beavel Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> First, big thanks to all of the work and informati
> on put out there by the community. I've really enj
> oyed being able to learn and hack on my PogoPlug w
> ith just reading everything out there.
>
> I was recently decided it was time to upgrade my o
> ld ArchLinux install to Debian. Based on what I wa
> s reading, the easiest path forward from where I w
> as at was to update the uBoot and use the latest k
> ernel and rootfs from here:
>
> http://forum.doozan.com/read.php?2,16044
>
> I prepped a new USB drive and went about updating
> the uBoot according these instructions: http://for
> um.doozan.com/read.php?3,16017. Before I started I
> tried connecting my serial cable, but I realized I
> had bought the wrong wiring harness. I decided to
> proceed anyway, and now realize that may have been
> foolish as the device didn't come back up.
>
> I had purchased the USB to Serial bodhi recommende
> d here: http://www.ebay.com/itm/USB-2-0-to-TTL-UAR
> T-6PIN-Module-Serial-Converter-CP2102-STC-PRGMR-Fr
> ee-cable-/170895253016?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=
> item27ca269e18 and it seems to be recognized by Wi
> ndows. I'm using Windows 10. I just received a new
> Soundblaster wiring harness to connect the adapter
> and flipped the TX\RX to align based on the qnolog
> y blog post. When I open up PuTTy and put in the s
> ettings, I'm not getting any output when the devic
> e boots. I'm rather new to this so there may be so
> mething obvious I'm doing wrong.
>
> Are there any recommended ways of troubleshooting
> that the serial adapter is functioning properly? I
> open PuTTy and follow the recommend settings then
> open the serial connection. I then power on the Po
> goPlug. It appears to be booting at some level as
> the lights come on and flash and the USB drive eve
> n flashes for a bit, but there is no output sent t
> o the screen. Is there a certain order of operatio
> ns I need to follow? Or did I brick my device to t
> he point the serial console isn't outputing inform
> ation.
>
> Any help or recommended next steps would be apprec
> iated. Looking to from my mistakes.
>
> -Beavel


Beavel,

Let me response to your post and then move this thread to u-boot subforum later.

When you use the CP2102 serial module converter, the TX/RX should not be flipped. It is a direct connect: TX-TX and RX-RX. Try this and see if you get output and able to interrupt serial console.

And just want to make sure, you have the Pogoplug Pro V3 Oxnas version? not the Pogoplug E02 which is a Kirkwood and the installation you've done will not work for Kirkwood.

-bodhi
===========================
Forum Wiki
bodhi's corner (buy bodhi a beer)

Bodhi,

Thanks for the quick response! I flipped the pins back and the serial console came up right away. I probably didn't read something as I didn't even think about the difference in USB to TTL might be wired different.

I'll have to dig more into why its not booting after work. And, I can confirm that it is the OXNAS v3. It is the classic. For the rootfs published, I need to switch the dtb file correct? Was there anything else that I needed to do?

From a quick inspection this morning, it got up to booting the kernel and then it stopped.

Thanks again,

-Beavel

beavel,

>
> Thanks for the quick response! I flipped the pins
> back and the serial console came up right away. I
> probably didn't read something as I didn't even th
> ink about the difference in USB to TTL might be wi
> red different.

I wrote about the differentce between the PL and CP brand of the serial module converter somewhere but probably not in the Wiki thread.

>
> I'll have to dig more into why its not booting aft
> er work. And, I can confirm that it is the OXNAS v
> 3. It is the classic. For the rootfs published, I
> need to switch the dtb file correct? Was there any
> thing else that I needed to do?

Use the right DTB is all you need to do.

>
> From a quick inspection this morning, it got up to
> booting the kernel and then it stopped.
>

Power up, interrupt serial console and

printenv
boot

And please post the entire serial console log (from u-boot banner to the point where it stucks).

-bodhi
===========================
Forum Wiki
bodhi's corner (buy bodhi a beer)

Thanks bodhi for the confirmation! I've been too busy to get back to this till now, but have my pogoplug booting again after switching out the dtb file. I tried switching things quickly that morning. I only used 'setenv' to set the things I thought needed to change, but didn't run 'saveenv' before power cycling (Didn't know the boot command until I saw your post. And/or didn't looking in the rush.) After setting and saving, everything has been working as expected.

Now to refresh myself on setting up a linux box...

Thanks again,
-Beavel