Serial Port connector - what are people using to make it work?

I've decided to open up one of my spare Pogoplug E02s and wire up its serial port so that I can see what's going on if one of my in-service Pogoplug's loads decides it doesn't want to boot anymore. (So far, I've been lucky.) It seems straight-forward enough, but I can't seem to find a socket which will fit the 4-pin connector on the E02's motherboard. I'm working from the following website:

http://www.hack247.co.uk/blogpost/pogo-plug-pink-serial-connection/

Several folks have thrown cables at me, but none of them are a match. I can order the socket from Digikey, but it doesn't come with contacts, which are as important to me as the socket. (If I had the contacts, I'd just poke them on the posts of the existing connector, socket or no socket.) What has everyone else done to get the serial console working? To date, I haven't found one of the CD-ROM audio cables purported to work. (Silly me, I just junked a bunch of old towers.)

restamp,

I use this JST header, come with 4 wires attached.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Micro-Mini-JST-2-0-PH-4-Pin-Connector-w-Wire-x-10-Sets-/171042546645?

and this serial module converter:
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

-bodhi
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/10/2013 02:28AM by bodhi.

Ordered. Thanks, bodhi! Actually, from the looks of things I might have been able to avoid the JST header altogether and just plug the wires that come with the USB-to-TTL-serial widget directly onto the Pogoplug header.

Should I connect the +3V line or not?

Thanks again.

Hi restamp,

The 3V+ should not be connected (the serial module converter uses power from USB).

About the direct connection, I had the same thought, but I've found that the connectors on the wires were too big for the Pogo serial pins! I thought there must be a smaller connector out there that we can crimp on the 3 wires so that the header is not necessary, but so far I could not find it.

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The parts you pointed me to arrived last week and the serial console on my test Pogo is working great. Thanks again, bodhi. One question: What is the "RST" pin on the USB-to-TTL interface? I've heard of "RTS" -- Request to Send -- but not RST. Some sort of Reset? I've left it disconnected, but inquiring minds...

Restamp,

Glad you got it working to your satisfacory! I don't know what RST pin does either, I never tried it. I think it is the RESET signal for the controller chip.

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Hello,

I know this post is a little late for the OP, but for anyone else interested in adding a Serial Connection to their Pogoplug V2, you can try this method:

http://blog.qnology.com/2013/10/pogoplug-e02-v2-serial-connection.html

I used a CD-ROM Audio Cable with a "Sound Blaster plug" on one end and a MPC-2 plug on the other. No soldier and fairly simple.

gray

grayman4hire Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Hello,
>
> I know this post is a little late for the OP, but
> for anyone else interested in adding a Serial
> Connection to their Pogoplug V2, you can try this
> method:
>
> http://blog.qnology.com/2013/10/pogoplug-e02-v2-se
> rial-connection.html
>
> I used a CD-ROM Audio Cable with a "Sound Blaster
> plug" on one end and a MPC-2 plug on the other. No
> soldier and fairly simple.
>
> gray

Gray,

Thanks for the exellent info! I particularly like the CD-ROM audio cable with the female connector that can plug into the module converter. This should also work on the GoFlex Home that has factory serial header, too (same size as Pogo V2). I'll gotta try this.

-bodhi
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Not sure about the GoFlex Home. From my quick googling, doesn't look like the header pin matches the white connector side. If you get the more standard CD-ROM Audio cable, with black ends (MPC-2) on both ends, it looks like it will work.

The most versatile cable would be this one, which has both a MPC-2 connector and a SoundBlaster Connector on one end - http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0012GFR0O/

I just got my hands on a Pogoplug V3 (oxnas) and can confirm the serial connection matches the Pogoplug V2. So the tutorial can be used for both V2 and V3 Pogoplugs. I'll be updating the tutorial with a picture of the V3 serial connection shortly.

I am needing to get me a serial cable for my nsa325. I found this after digging around. Would this work for me?

Generic Micro Sata Cables - USB 2.0 to TTL Uart 6Pin Module Serial Converter CP2102

~SOL

That should work. But cost a lot more than one without the cover on eBay. They all come from China so it will take the same amount of time to get to where you are!

-bodhi
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I already have several USB-to-serial adapters like the following laying around for consoling into Cisco and other network devices:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0007OWNYA/

Any reason I couldn't just wire up a female DB9 to the pins on the Pogo's board, cut a hole in the Pogo's front, mount the female DB9 to that hole, and console in with the USB-to-serial adapter?

Disregard my previous question, I just realized that wouldn't make my life that much easier after all.

gray,

> Not sure about the GoFlex Home. From my quick
> googling, doesn't look like the header pin matches
> the white connector side.

The CD ROM audio cable white connector does fit the GoFlex Home header perfectly. If you happen to have a GoFlex Home with the header installed (some does not).

-bodhi
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This is the goflex.. Would I attach the serial cable to the black 12 pin port by the battery?

http://i.imgur.com/JO4WxNY.jpg

Yes, from the battery looking outward, the top left 3 pins are GND, TX, RX. And there are 10 pins (not 12).

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This is my solution for serial connections, this one is an E02, I de-soldered the header and fit 3.5mm PCB mount female sockets, they fit perfectly and I just glue them to the plastic/usb port.

I also use CP2102 for most things :)

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-byLMEurJhXM/VELoLItWScI/AAAAAAAAK1E/KS2G2BCPTHE/w1598-h899-no/2014-10-18.jpg
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-feqZ5LwYRE4/VEgdZnO8w3I/AAAAAAAALMk/zoBkzEyjx9c/w1598-h899-no/2014-10-18.jpg
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-FAw8vBWr8sM/VEgfb4iVBvI/AAAAAAAALOA/RxnBKpOStqM/w568-h1009-no/20141022_221940.jpg



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 10/22/2014 04:21PM by rustyspoons.

So http://blog.qnology.com/2013/10/pogoplug-e02-v2-serial-connection.html details nicely how to connect to the internal serial console from an external USB.

Is the E02 board using 3.3V or 5V on the internal serial port, and how about the (3.3V or 5V?) GPIO that bodhi kindly ported the LIRC driver for http://forum.doozan.com/read.php?2,20686,21164#msg-21164 ?

Does anyone use an old cellphone cable to interface the internal (5V TTL?) serial port (when not needed for debugging) with the full-voltage (+/- 12V RS232) serial port of e.g. external VFDs (cashier's displays) ?

TEN,

> Is the E02 board using 3.3V or 5V on the internal
> serial port,

3.3V

> and how about the (3.3V or 5V?) GPIO
> that bodhi kindly ported the LIRC driver for
> http://forum.doozan.com/read.php?2,20686,21164#msg

Are you looking for the pin number for the Pogo E02?

-bodhi
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bodhi Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> TEN,
>
> > Is the E02 board using 3.3V or 5V on the
> internal
> > serial port,
>
> 3.3V

Thanks, will have to see if some of my old Siemens or Nokia cables handle this too or rather 5V only.

> > and how about the (3.3V or 5V?) GPIO
> > that bodhi kindly ported the LIRC driver for
> >
> http://forum.doozan.com/read.php?2,20686,21164#msg
>
> Are you looking for the pin number for the Pogo E02?

To get RF modules actually, but it seems most Chinese transceivers (usually advertised for Pi or Arduino) are 5V TTL only, so not as easy to use inside the E02.

Of course I'd be interested if you already have details on a GPIO header and its firmware mappings.

TEN,

> Of course I'd be interested if you already have
> details on a GPIO header and its firmware
> mappings.

The Pogo E02 definition in the kernel patch only deals with a few pins of interests for us. However, the complete description should be in the hardware spec:
http://www.marvell.com/embedded-processors/kirkwood/assets/HW_88F6281_OpenSource.pdf

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/16/2015 05:56PM by bodhi.

TEN Wrote:

Quote

Does anyone use an old cellphone cable to interface the internal ([s]5[/s]3.3V TTL[s]?[/s]) serial port (when not needed for debugging) with the full-voltage (+/- 12V RS232) serial port of e.g. external VFDs (cashier's displays) ?

A "Serial RS-232 Interface" post on http://openpogo.tumblr.com/ reports success on full-voltage RS232 with an unspecified homebrew, later replaced by "a Nokia CA-42 USB serial cable, ... probably a clone".



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/17/2015 01:29AM by TEN.

bodhi Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> TEN,
>
> > Of course I'd be interested if you already have
> > details on a GPIO header and its firmware
> > mappings.
>
> The Pogo E02 definition in the kernel patch only
> deals with a few pins of interests for us.
> However, the complete description should be in the
> hardware spec:
> http://www.marvell.com/embedded-processors/kirkwoo
> d/assets/HW_88F6281_OpenSource.pdf

An interesting load of unexposed features: I²S, S/P-DIF, secondary Gbit Ethernet, secondary 16550 serial, SD & 2 SATAs, RTC, even MPEG TS I/O, to name a few, and 50 interrupt-settable GPIO pins to put Pis to shame. ;)

But does anything already show which GPIOs and other pins of interest actually end up on accessible pin or at least solder headers?

The frontplate's backside on http://oneitguy.com/blog/adding-serial-port-pogoplug-v2-e02-gray looks even like it's been prepared for 3.5mm analog audio I/O below the USB...

TEN,

> An interesting load of unexposed features: I²S,
> S/P-DIF, secondary Gbit Ethernet, secondary 16550
> serial, SD & 2 SATAs, RTC, even MPEG TS I/O, to
> name a few, and 50 interrupt-settable GPIO pins to
> put Pis to shame. ;)

:) the SoC really has most everything. Cost cutting and product tier placement to generate profit that hide all the good stuff from low cost plugs!

>
> But does anything already show which GPIOs and
> other pins of interest actually end up on
> accessible pin or at least solder headers?

I've known cases where people actually added available features: ebbix at Arch site added 2nd SATA to the Pogoplug V4, our own ingmar_k added more NAND to a Kirkwood plug (don't remember which one, I have to search my boomarks). At one point a false alarm in dmesg on the Pogo Mobile that caused us to think it has a Wifi interface. So you actually have to look at the board to see if hardware hacking is feasible for any of the hidden features.

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/17/2015 02:02AM by bodhi.

Quote
bodhi

Quote
TEN
An interesting load of unexposed features: I²S, S/P-DIF, secondary Gbit Ethernet, secondary 16550 serial, SD & 2 SATAs, RTC, even MPEG TS I/O, to name a few, and 50 interrupt-settable GPIO pins to put Pis to shame. ;)

:) the SoC really has most everything. Cost cutting and product tier placement to generate profit that hide all the good stuff from low cost plugs!

Quote
TEN
But does anything already show which GPIOs and other pins of interest actually end up on accessible pin or at least solder headers?

you actually have to look at the board to see if hardware hacking is feasible for any of the hidden features.

Yes, but as there is no easy way to reliably rewire the "belly" of a BGA, any documentation (e.g. markings on detailed photograph) on where signals have been found accessibly available for tapping is much appreciated, since I've only found something similar for a later model: http://wiki.openwrt.org/toh/cloudengines/pogo-v4

RF & IR transceivers on GPIO for instance should only require a few dollars worth in components but save hundreds (as well as a lot of time and hair) if suitable pads or pin headers - and circuits working at 3.3V such as http://www.telecontrolli.com/it/downloads-2/category/10-ask-superheterodyne.html?download=19:rrq4-3 & http://www.ti.com/product/cc1101 - can be found (even without much space and equipment for searching).



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 04/18/2015 05:59AM by TEN.

My CP2102 USB to UART Bridge Controller (and a spare) arrived today and I was wondering what drivers are good? I still have to work out the cable part so time isn't of the essence.

=========
-= Cloud 9 =-

Joey,

You don't need to install driver, it already supports in the kernel. Install picocom to connect later:

apt-get install picocom

-bodhi
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I'll make sure picocom is installed in the Pogoplugs right away (thanks for that), but from the other side where the USB plug resides, my Windows 7 x64 didn't recognize mine in Device Manager. As this model hardware is different than Gray's the drivers are different:

CP2102 USB to UART Bridge Controller

http://www.silabs.com/products/mcu/Pages/USBtoUARTBridgeVCPDrivers.aspx

Win7x64 worked in mine and it's nice they have drivers for WinCE 5 and 6 too, Mac, Linux and many Windows. I still don't have proper wires hooked-up but that shouldn't take long at all.

=========
-= Cloud 9 =-



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/20/2015 07:48PM by JoeyPogoPlugE02.

JoeyPogoPlugE02 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I'll do that in the Pogoplugs right away, but from
> the other side if I'm using Windows to communicate
> with Pogoplug I'm pretty sure we need a driver. I
> plugged in mine and it didn't' register in Device
> Manager. As this model hardware is different than
> Gray's these are probably the correct ones (I'll
> check right now):
>
> http://www.silabs.com/products/mcu/Pages/USBtoUART
> BridgeVCPDrivers.aspx

I don't recall needing to download driver at all on Win 7? I think a generic Win 7 one would suffice. Did you look at COM ports?

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/20/2015 07:40PM by bodhi.

You could have a lucky streak I don't - both my Windows 7 x86 and x64 have the exclamation mark and says "has a problem". Installing Windows driver, then Port works.
So I can say for sure in my case the drivers at the link work if that happens to someone else. I still need to get the proper wires for this, but in today's thanks I'm glad you and Leggo and Gray got me to get one. I know these are also used when the router you love most gets accidentally bricked.

Hindsight: I'd have gotten them with metal caps and wires too. That seller at ebay (China) was a week faster than I expected.

=========
-= Cloud 9 =-



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/20/2015 09:08PM by JoeyPogoPlugE02.