Gateworks Ventana 5410 - boot from USB

For Developers
1

I am trying to get a working image for these boards. I inherited 400 of them from a failed project, and would like to be able to use OpenWRT on them.

These are first run from Gateworks and they do not have the remote upgrade ability, so the only way to update is to jtag them with a newer release that has remote update. Pretty tedious for 400 units. I am aware, and have tried to create a USB Flash image but it boots to a point and then crashes. Typically, now it tells me that the size is too big, which I don't understand because they have tons of ram and flash.

Can someone detail the process to create a USB Flash. It is supposed to only require a uImage and an appropriate dtb. If I can get this going then I can boot from Flash and copy an updated image to the Nand flash. They will make a very powerful Wifi unit that will be affordable.

Any help would be most appreciated.

2

Did you look here?

USB Flash....drive???

Why is there a need to build images, when this device is supported???

3

See http://trac.gateworks.com/wiki/ventana if it contains something useful.
If not, ask the Gateworks guys directly. I found them quite responsive (although not related to specific device questions, but rather documentation in general).

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4

Thanks Wayne. Those images do the same when put onto a USB Flash in a /boot directory. The kernel begins to boot and then stops.

The reason I want to build an image is to be able to install a mSata in one of the mini PCIe slots. It makes a very nice NAS.

As I indicated, this all works great, but the OpenWRT load on these early units does not have the ability to be updated, thus I must jtag them. I can do that and have done that, but with 400 of them it becomes a very tedious task. If I could boot to USB Flash, which happens before the builtin nand flash, then I could easily do an update of the nand from the usb flash.

Gateworks details the USB Flash and I have done that, but, as indicated it does not finish booting. I have been unable to find a uImage or create one that does boot. I was hoping there was someone here who had done it. No biggie, and it looks to be a bunch of jtag sessions.

Thanks for the info.

Lonnie

5

Hey Lonnie,

I'm about to go through the JTAG process on a few Ventana GW5200's, and was wondering what your process was like while working with them (Gateworks products) in the past. Did you use the Gateworks wiki information to flash your boards? Also, did you use the Gateworks JTAG programmer, or utilize a 3rd party?

6

Hi Rob,

http://trac.gateworks.com/wiki/jtag_instructions#CreatingjtagableimagesforVentana

I used their jag and followed the instructions, more than a few times.

The jtag is expensive but it is pretty near impossible to brick a board and be unable to recover it, making the jtag cheaper in the long run.

My current issue is that I am stuck at the Lede17 because none of the more recent releases implement a sysupgrade and reboot. Instead of rebooting it halts, which is pretty unusable.

I would be willing to offer a bounty of a GW-5410 with 4 NX200 cards to the person who can fix that issue. I really like the new 19.07 as the GUI is much improved. Whoever is in charge of that must not sleep very much. Kudos.

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