PogoPlug E02 uboot, cannot stop autoboot

Hi everyone!

My PogoPlug E02 won't boot after I flashed it to the latest U-Boot referenced in the PogoPlug E02 Arch Linux installation instructions.

I get the following from my PogoPlug's serial output when I boot it:

U-Boot 2014.04.R3-1 (May 26 2014 - 19:45:55) Arch Linux ARM
Pogo E02

SoC:   Kirkwood 88F6281_A0
DRAM:  256 MiB
WARNING: Caches not enabled
NAND:  128 MiB
In:    serial
Out:   serial
Err:   serial
Net:   egiga0
Hit any key to stop autoboot:  0
PogoE02>
PogoE02>
PogoE02>
PogoE02> U-Boot 2014.3>>>> U-Boot 2014.3>>>> U-Boot 2014.3>>>> U-Boot 2014.3>>>> U-Boot 2014.3>>>> U-Boot 2014.3>>>> U-Boot 2014.3>>>> U-Boot 2014.3>>>> U-Boot 2014.3>>>> U-Boot 2014.3>>>> U-Boot 2014.3>>>> U-Boot 2014.3>>>> U-Boot 2014.3>>>> U-Boot 2014.3>>>> U-Boot 2014.3>>>> U-Boot 2014.3>>>> U-Boot 2014.3>>>> U-Boot 2014.3>>>> U-Boot 2014.3>>>> U-Boot 2014.3>>>> U-Boot 2014.3>>>> U-Boot 2014.3>>>> U-Boot 2014.3>>>> U-Boot 2014.3>>>> U-Boot 2014.3>>>> U-Boot 2014.3>>>> U-Boot 2014.3>>>> U-Boot 2014.3>>>> U-Boot 2014.3>>>> U-Boot 2014.3>>>> U-Boot 2014.3>>>> U-Boot 2014.3>>>> U-Boot 2014.3>>>> U-Boot 2014.3>>>> U-Boot 2014.3>>>> U-Boot 2014.3>>>> U-Boot 2014.3>>>> U-Boot 2014.3>>>> U-Boot 2014.3>>>> U-Boot 2014.3>>>> U-Boot 2014.3>>>> U-Boot 2014.3>>>> U-Boot 2014.3>>>> U-Boot 2014.3>>>> U-Boot 2014.3>>>> U-Boot 2014.3>>>> U-Boot 2014.3>>>> U-Boot 2014.3>>>> U-Boot 2014.3>>>> U-Boot 2014.3>>>> U-Boot 2014.3>>>> U-Boot 2014.3>>>> U-Boot 2014.3>>>> U-Boot 2014.3>>>> U-Boot 2014.3>>>> U-Boot 2014.3>>>> U-Boot 2014.3>>>

I cannot get to the PogoE02> prompt when I hit a key just after U-Boot starts up- my PogoPlug just prints the "U-Boot 2014.3>>>>", PuTTY "beeps" and I can't type "printenv" or anything else at the PogoE02> prompt. PuTTY just beeps the ASCII "bell" when I hit a key.

I get the output above with or without the USB stick I installed Arch Linux to inserted into a USB port on my PogoPlug.

Is there anything I can do to keep it from printing "U-Boot 2014.3>>>>" and actually be able to type commands at the PogoE02> prompt?

I get the above output with or without the USB drive I installed Arch Linux to plugged into a USB port on my PogoPlug.;

I remember getting errors when I was installing Arch Linux to the USB stick but U-Boot flashed OK (I don't remember seeing any errors).

Thanks in advance for any help you can provide!

slyphoxj,

It might be a problem with your serial connections. Have you get it working before, or is this the first try on the Pogo E02? You should recheck your serial connections (GND-GND, crossing TXD-RXD, baud-rate, parity…. etc).

If after you've verified the connections are OK, and it still gives this problem, then let it boot, don't interrupt it. Then capture the entire boot log (copy/paste), and post here. Hopefully the problem with booting is fixable without serial console (then you can worry about making serial console work aftterward).

-bodhi
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Forum Wiki
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I have verified that serial ports settings are 115200 / 8 / N / 1 with no flow control.

I am using this cable: EBay listing of the cable I am using I cut off the black connectors on the end and wired the black, white and green wires directly to the little metal connectors inside a white 4 pin plug from a CD-ROM audio cable I had laying around since this plug fits perfectly into the serial connector on the PogoPlug E02 motherboard. The black wire is connected to the GND pin, the white wire is connected to the RXD pin and the green wire to the TXD pin.

I get the same output even if I do not try to interrupt the autoboot.

My PogoPlug does not boot and does not connect to my home LAN. It does not show up on my router's LAN page so I can get its IP address). When I apply power with it hooked up to my router, I get a tiny green light on the motherboard. The front LED doesn't light up at all. The tiny green light on the motherboard lights up when I do not have the serial connected.

It appears you are wired wrong. Swap the RX and TX.

slyphoxj,

1. Make sure GND is well connected. This problem might be GND. Usually it shows a different behavior when the RXD and TXD are not connected correctly. But according to the eBay info, Green is TXD, so it should be connected to RXD on the plug header. But you'll never know, with cheap serial converter on eBay, you should be prepared to just trying to swap the TXD and RXD wire till it is correct. Sometime the marking is wrong!

2. The serial modules you find on EBay are either PL2303 or CP2102. This serial module type PL2303 pinout is a "true" pinout so so we always have to cross TXD and RXD lines when connecting to the plug. RXD-TXD, TXD-RXD.

3. Beware that serial modules on EBay sometime does not work reliably. It is a well known fact that most of the time they work, but sometime you got a lemon!

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

I got it going! It was due to flaky connection on the metal pins inside the white connector plug and the wrong wire order. The correct wire order is black/green/white going from left to right.

I'm now able to get into the PogoE02 prompt and was able to reset the environment variables and get farther than I had been.

Thanks all for your replies!