Serial connection on TD-W8970 and strange characters on putty

Installing and Using OpenWrt
1

Hi everybody. I followed this guide

solded TX+RX+Ground with a usb prolific cable. Now i have this on putty when I try to start serial connection (speed 115200, 8, 1):


R▒▒k▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒E▒_y▒▒▒▒Su[▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ysq▒▒▒▒▒y▒▒▒▒Su[▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ysq▒▒▒▒▒y▒▒▒▒▒!#-#1▒[5▒▒▒▒7▒▒ww[▒-
           5▒3▒=▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒=▒333333▒▒▒▒▒▒z▒▒J▒
                                              J▒=;!!-#1▒▒▒▒▒▒▒y▒ޯUۅ!▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒g}cW▒!▒!▒=!;!!▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒돝▒▒▒i-{▒Q▒▒]▒▒▒=▒▒▒▒▒-▒#!▒9#▒75-95▒▒▒֛▒i-{▒Q▒▒]▒▒▒=▒▒▒▒▒-▒#!▒9#▒75-95▒▒▒U#9!%-#1▒▒▒▒▒y▒u▒▒-#1▒)5'▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒I▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒E▒g-#▒5▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒;-'7;;-'75-!#▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒a5#Qg-#=qyy▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒sY5▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒yuYW▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒I▒▒E▒5#=;'57▒▒▒I▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒E▒y_U▒▒--!#▒-▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒em_Y▒▒▒i9▒▒▒▒R▒▒▒▒▒▒▒E▒em_Y▒▒%▒▒▒7-=;'-#1▒-#-▒▒▒R▒▒▒▒▒▒▒E▒K!#5▒#15▒▒▒▒I▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒E▒▒▒c!'▒▒▒I%5%▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒333333E▒▒▒I▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒E▒e!=;'5▒
#!75▒#15▒▒▒I▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒E▒▒▒#!75▒▒▒▒▒▒I%5%▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒333333E▒▒▒I▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒E▒▒'-#5-=9/5▒▒▒){▒▒Sm_W▒▒▒▒=▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒333333E▒▒▒R▒▒▒▒▒▒▒E▒_
▒▒Sm_W▒▒9=9/5▒='-=5▒▒'-#5-
5▒▒▒R▒▒▒▒▒▒▒E▒{-'▒▒▒      5▒▒▒▒;
5▒▒▒▒H▒▒▒▒▒▒▒E▒Q▒u'▒1-575▒9=9/5▒/=/▒=;'5▒5#▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒!5▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒;5▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒;
▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒I▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒E▒[5=7;=9)▒u'▒1-5
▒▒▒▒▒▒i▒▒▒▒▒▒i▒==-'=;'5▒▒▒▒▒▒i▒)5'▒9!75▒▒▒▒▒i▒==▒▒▒▒▒i▒==▒▒▒▒▒i▒-#-▒▒▒▒▒i▒;▒▒▒▒▒▒i▒57▒▒▒▒I▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒E▒c[Am[]Y▒▒▒▒▒▒▒R▒▒▒▒▒▒▒E▒y_U▒y'!9)▒▒▒▒▒eo

Do you have any idea about what's wrong?

2

Could be a ground-loop issue. If you are using a laptop try disconnecting it from power (ie. run it on battery) while connected to the serial console.
I've flashed a number of those TL-W8970 (v1) with OpenWrt using serial console, usually I didn't even solder it but just had another person hold the pins on the pad and it worked great every time.

3

Unfortunatly doesn't work. Tried to disconnect ac adapter, tried loop on tx/rx and serial to usb adapter works (got echo reply), tried to loop tx/rx directly on the router and It works, tried to connect adapter to another laptop and got always the same output, tried to solder another time some dirty pin, tried another router ac adapter, nothing of this worked.

4

I had this happen the first time I did a serial recovery on an Archer C7 v2.

I used pieces of paper clip for pins, and didn't solder.

Turns out I had Tx to Rx and Rx to Tx instead of Tx to Tx and Rx to Rx.

1 Like
5

I connectedTX-RX and RX-TX following this picture: http://win.adrirobot.it/elettronica/usb_to_rs232/immagini/rs232_pin.jpg

6

As I mentioned, Tx to Tx and Rx to Rx worked for me.

7

I'm gonna try. Thanks

8

Doesn't work :frowning: Now I can't see anything unless I press some key

9

Turn the power off on the router, then turn it on.

Make sure you're on the same COM port in PuTTY as the UART converter.

10

Yes, same COM, turned off then on. Connecting instead RX/TX and TX/RX i can see device output flows into the putty screen, but with senseless characters

11

Start at 9600, 8, 1, None, None and increase the port speed incrementally.

12

Thank for help!!!

Anyway tried 1200, 2400, 4800, 9600, 19200, 38400, 57600, 115200, 8, 1, None, None. No works

13

I'd recheck the pinning.

1 Like
14

Resoldered:

15

The DB9 plug kinda hints to be "normal" RS-232, ie. you are risking to burn the SoC because of the way to high voltage level of this adapter if my assumption based on the plug type is true. That also explains why it obviously cannot work well.

You need a 3.3V TTL level serial adapter.

Serial parameters are 115200 baud, 8 data bits, no parity, 1 stop bit. Disable both hardware (RTS and CTS signals don't exist) and software (as in XON/XOFF) flow control.

3 Likes
16

You mean something like this?

17

Yes, that should should work.

1 Like
18

Thanks, I will let you know!

19

You probably want to for Prolific, Silicon Labs or FTDI over WinChipHead-hardware though....

20

Finally usb converter has arrived. Now I'm able to get console via putty:

ROM VER: 1.1.4
CFG 05

ROM VER: 1.1.4
CFG 05

DDR autotuning Rev 0.3d
DDR size from 0xa0000000 - 0xa3ffffff
DDR check ok... start booting...



U-Boot 2010.06-LANTIQ-v-2.0.40-svn3131 (Apr 08 2013 - 11:13:09)

CLOCK CPU 500M RAM 250M
DRAM:  64 MiB
Using default environment

In:    serial
Out:   serial
Err:   serial
Net:   Internal phy(GE) firmware version: 0x841d
vr9 Switch8192 KiB W25Q64 at 0:3 is now current device


Type "run flash_nfs" to mount root filesystem over NFS

Hit any key to stop autoboot:  0
8192 KiB W25Q64 at 0:3 is now current device
8192 KiB W25Q64 at 0:3 is now current device
        Uncompressing ...
Starting kernel ...

[    0.000000] Linux version 3.18.20 (buildbot@builder1) (gcc version 4.8.3 (Ope                                                                             nWrt/Linaro GCC 4.8-2014.04 r46450) ) #1 Fri Sep 4 17:13:39 CEST 2015
[    0.000000] SoC: VR9 rev 1.2
[    0.000000] bootconsole [early0] enabled
[    0.000000] CPU0 revision is: 00019556 (MIPS 34Kc)
[    0.000000] MIPS: machine is TDW8970 - TP-LINK TD-W8970
[    0.000000] Determined physical RAM map:
[    0.000000]  memory: 04000000 @ 00000000 (usable)
[    0.000000] Initrd not found or empty - disabling initrd
[    0.000000] Zone ranges:
[    0.000000]   Normal   [mem 0x00000000-0x03ffffff]
[    0.000000] Movable zone start for each node
[    0.000000] Early memory node ranges
[    0.000000]   node   0: [mem 0x00000000-0x03ffffff]
[    0.000000] Initmem setup node 0 [mem 0x00000000-0x03ffffff]
[    0.000000] Primary instruction cache 32kB, VIPT, 4-way, linesize 32 bytes.
[    0.000000] Primary data cache 32kB, 4-way, VIPT, cache aliases, linesize 32                                                                              bytes
[    0.000000] Built 1 zonelists in Zone order, mobility grouping on.  Total pag                                                                             es: 16256
[    0.000000] Kernel command line: console=ttyLTQ0,115200 init=/etc/preinit
[    0.000000] PID hash table entries: 256 (order: -2, 1024 bytes)
[    0.000000] Dentry cache hash table entries: 8192 (order: 3, 32768 bytes)
[    0.000000] Inode-cache hash table entries: 4096 (order: 2, 16384 bytes)
[    0.000000] Writing ErrCtl register=00024090
[    0.000000] Readback ErrCtl register=00024090
[    0.000000] Memory: 60004K/65536K available (3492K kernel code, 151K rwdata,                                                                              816K rodata, 192K init, 206K bss, 5532K reserved)
[    0.000000] NR_IRQS:256
[    0.000000] CPU Clock: 500MHz
[    0.000000] Calibrating delay loop... 332.54 BogoMIPS (lpj=665088)
[    0.032000] pid_max: default: 32768 minimum: 301
[    0.036000] Mount-cache hash table entries: 1024 (order: 0, 4096 bytes)
[    0.040000] Mountpoint-cache hash table entries: 1024 (order: 0, 4096 bytes)
[    0.044000] pinctrl core: initialized pinctrl subsystem
[    0.048000] NET: Registered protocol family 16
[    0.056000] pinctrl-xway 1e100b10.pinmux: Init done
[    0.060000] dma-xway 1e104100.dma: Init done - hw rev: 7, ports: 7, channels:                                                                              28
[    0.164000] dcdc-xrx200 1f106a00.dcdc: Core Voltage : 1016 mV
[    0.276000] ath9k,eeprom ath9k_eep: failed to load eeprom address
[    0.288000] usbcore: registered new interface driver usbfs
[    0.292000] usbcore: registered new interface driver hub
[    0.296000] usbcore: registered new device driver usb
[    0.300000] PCI host bridge to bus 0000:00
[    0.304000] pci_bus 0000:00: root bus resource [mem 0x1c000000-0x1cffffff]
[    0.308000] pci_bus 0000:00: root bus resource [io  0x1d800000-0x1d8fffff]
[    0.312000] pci_bus 0000:00: No busn resource found for root bus, will use [b                                                                             us 00-ff]
[    0.316000] ifx_pcie_rc_class_early_fixup: fixed pcie host bridge to pci-pci                                                                              bridge
[    0.328000] pci 0000:00:00.0: BAR 8: assigned [mem 0x1c000000-0x1c0fffff]
[    0.332000] pci 0000:00:00.0: BAR 9: assigned [mem 0x1c100000-0x1c1fffff pref                                                                             ]
[    0.336000] pci 0000:01:00.0: BAR 0: assigned [mem 0x1c000000-0x1c01ffff 64bi                                                                             t]
[    0.340000] pci 0000:01:00.0: BAR 6: assigned [mem 0x1c100000-0x1c10ffff pref                                                                             ]
[    0.344000] pci 0000:00:00.0: PCI bridge to [bus 01]
[    0.348000] pci 0000:00:00.0:   bridge window [mem 0x1c000000-0x1c0fffff]
[    0.352000] pci 0000:00:00.0:   bridge window [mem 0x1c100000-0x1c1fffff pref                                                                             ]
[    0.356000] ifx_pcie_bios_map_irq port 0 dev 0000:00:00.0 slot 0 pin 1
[    0.360000] ifx_pcie_bios_map_irq dev 0000:00:00.0 irq 144 assigned
[    0.364000] ifx_pcie_bios_map_irq port 0 dev 0000:01:00.0 slot 0 pin 1
[    0.368000] ifx_pcie_bios_map_irq dev 0000:01:00.0 irq 144 assigned
[    0.372000] Switched to clocksource MIPS
[    0.376000] NET: Registered protocol family 2
[    0.380000] TCP established hash table entries: 1024 (order: 0, 4096 bytes)
[    0.388000] TCP bind hash table entries: 1024 (order: 0, 4096 bytes)
[    0.396000] TCP: Hash tables configured (established 1024 bind 1024)
[    0.400000] TCP: reno registered
[    0.404000] UDP hash table entries: 256 (order: 0, 4096 bytes)
[    0.408000] UDP-Lite hash table entries: 256 (order: 0, 4096 bytes)
[    0.416000] NET: Registered protocol family 1
[    0.420000] gptu: totally 6 16-bit timers/counters
[    0.424000] gptu: misc_register on minor 63
[    0.432000] gptu: succeeded to request irq 126
[    0.436000] gptu: succeeded to request irq 127
[    0.440000] gptu: succeeded to request irq 128
[    0.444000] gptu: succeeded to request irq 129
[    0.448000] gptu: succeeded to request irq 130
[    0.452000] gptu: succeeded to request irq 131
[    0.456000] phy-xrx200 gphy-xrx200: requesting lantiq/vr9_phy11g_a2x.bin
[    0.464000] phy-xrx200 gphy-xrx200: booting GPHY0 firmware at 3940000
[    0.472000] phy-xrx200 gphy-xrx200: booting GPHY1 firmware at 3940000
[    0.580000] futex hash table entries: 256 (order: -1, 3072 bytes)
[    0.600000] squashfs: version 4.0 (2009/01/31) Phillip Lougher
[    0.604000] jffs2: version 2.2 (NAND) (SUMMARY) (LZMA) (RTIME) (CMODE_PRIORIT                                                                             Y) (c) 2001-2006 Red Hat, Inc.
[    0.624000] msgmni has been set to 117
[    0.628000] io scheduler noop registered
[    0.632000] io scheduler deadline registered (default)
[    0.640000] 1e100c00.serial: ttyLTQ0 at MMIO 0x1e100c00 (irq = 112, base_baud                                                                              = 0) is a lantiq,asc
[    0.648000] console [ttyLTQ0] enabled
[    0.648000] console [ttyLTQ0] enabled
[    0.656000] bootconsole [early0] disabled
[    0.656000] bootconsole [early0] disabled
[    0.668000] m25p80 spi32766.0: found s25fl064k, expected en25q64
[    0.672000] m25p80 spi32766.0: s25fl064k (8192 Kbytes)
[    0.680000] 5 ofpart partitions found on MTD device spi32766.0
[    0.684000] Creating 5 MTD partitions on "spi32766.0":
[    0.688000] 0x000000000000-0x000000020000 : "u-boot"
[    0.696000] 0x000000020000-0x0000006c0000 : "firmware"
[    0.704000] 0x000000191800-0x0000006c0000 : "rootfs"
[    0.708000] mtd: device 2 (rootfs) set to be root filesystem
[    0.716000] 1 squashfs-split partitions found on MTD device rootfs
[    0.720000] 0x000000400000-0x0000006c0000 : "rootfs_data"
[    1.568000] 0x0000006c0000-0x0000007c0000 : "dsl_fw"
[    1.572000] 0x0000007c0000-0x0000007d0000 : "config"
[    1.576000] 0x0000007d0000-0x000000800000 : "boardconfig"
[    1.684000] libphy: lantiq,xrx200-mdio: probed
[    1.760000] eth0: attached PHY [Lantiq XWAY PEF7071] (phy_addr=0:00, irq=-1)
[    1.828000] eth0: attached PHY [Lantiq XWAY PEF7071] (phy_addr=0:05, irq=-1)
[    1.896000] eth0: attached PHY [Lantiq XWAY VR9 GPHY 11G v1.4] (phy_addr=0:11                                                                             , irq=-1)
[    1.964000] eth0: attached PHY [Lantiq XWAY VR9 GPHY 11G v1.4] (phy_addr=0:13                                                                             , irq=-1)
[    1.972000] wdt 1f8803f0.watchdog: Init done
[    1.976000] TCP: cubic registered
[    1.976000] NET: Registered protocol family 17
[    1.980000] bridge: automatic filtering via arp/ip/ip6tables has been depreca                                                                             ted. Update your scripts to load br_netfilter if you need this.
[    1.996000] Bridge firewalling registered
[    1.996000] 8021q: 802.1Q VLAN Support v1.8
[    2.076000] ath9k,eeprom ath9k_eep: using led pin 0.
[    2.080000] ath9k,eeprom ath9k_eep: loaded ath9k eeprom
[    2.088000] UBIFS error (pid 1): ubifs_mount: cannot open "ubi0:rootfs", erro                                                                             r -19
[    2.132000] squashfs: SQUASHFS error: unable to read id index table
[    2.140000] List of all partitions:
[    2.140000] 1f00             128 mtdblock0  (driver?)
[    2.148000] 1f01            6784 mtdblock1  (driver?)
[    2.152000] 1f02            5306 mtdblock2  (driver?)
[    2.156000] 1f03            2816 mtdblock3  (driver?)
[    2.160000] 1f04            1024 mtdblock4  (driver?)
[    2.168000] 1f05              64 mtdblock5  (driver?)
[    2.172000] 1f06             192 mtdblock6  (driver?)
[    2.176000] No filesystem could mount root, tried:  squashfs
[    2.184000] Kernel panic - not syncing: VFS: Unable to mount root fs on unkno                                                                             wn-block(31,2)
[    2.184000] ---[ end Kernel panic - not syncing: VFS: Unable to mount root fs                                                                              on unknown-block(31,2)
[   33.080000] random: nonblocking pool is initialized

Can you suggest me a guide to recovery and upload openwrt succesfully? Thanks!