[Solved] WRT3200ACM wont accept firmware

Hi, I just got my WRT3200ACM but it wont accept any firmware apart from the latest Linksys one.

Cant install older linksys firmware, LEDE, OpenWrt, DD-WRT nothing works.

It installs reboots then the power light stays constant and the LAN port light flashes and that's it.

I flashed LEDE to both banks using Serial and monitored the boot which can be seen here:

https://pastebin.com/nh0brf8c

Anyone know a workaround, I can flash back to the latest linksys firmware and it works fine :confused:

Thanks

See here, but this:

[    1.014830] nand: Unknown W29N02GV

is interesting. wikidevi indicates Spansion, that would indicate Winbond, so maybe there has been a change.

I do not have a serial connected, but would be interesting for someone with a working device to post what is seen on that unit.

LEDE works on my WRT3200ACM

[ 1.041188] nand: device found, Manufacturer ID: 0x01, Chip ID: 0xda
[ 1.047576] nand: AMD/Spansion S34ML02G2
[ 1.051518] nand: 256 MiB, SLC, erase size: 128 KiB, page size: 2048, OOB size: 128

Silent hardware upgrade like the Archers C7s got?

I have the same exact same symptoms, don't have a serial cable though, router bought just last week.

To the above point regarding the C7V2, iirc it was ~2-3 months from units manufactured with the changed flash device, and a kernel push that supported the device; check the changelog

I just noticed that official Linksys firmware release notes say that support for Winbond has been added with a recent fimware, so there has likely indeed been a change:
http://downloads.linksys.com/downloads/releasenotes/WRT3200ACM_Customer_Release_Notes_1.0.6.186168.txt

Firmware version: 1.0.6.184351
Release date: October 27, 2017

  • Integrated WLAN driver v9.1.1.4 and FW v9.3.1.2
  • Added support for Winbond and MXIC flash

The most recent firmware is 1.0.6.186168 and that has apparently fixed the problems that people had with 1.0.6.184351. Linksys forum has threads about downgrade problems. for example https://community.linksys.com/t5/Wireless-Routers/WRT3200ACM-1-0-6-184351-Firmware-and-Wireless-Lockups-5ghz-radio/td-p/1237411

(note also http://community.linksys.com/t5/Wireless-Routers/WRT3200ACM-and-WRT32X-Firmware-update-available-1-11-2018/td-p/1260723

The download page used to have downgrade instructions to 1.0.6.181063 still last week, but apparently 1.0.6.186168 is seen as good enough, so that those have been removed.

The similar problem that @MacKlappstuhl describes in [Solved] WRT3200ACM - Unable to flash LEDE successfully is likely related. His bootlog contained the same item.

I messed up my kernel and the recovery uboot I don't think is compatible with this Winbond chip.

When I flash it with kwboot it gets to 100% then gets stuck in a loop of outputting this:

U-Boot 2013.01 (Apr 08 2016 - 15:47:50) Marvell version: 2015_T1.QA.0p16

Boot version : v0.0.4

Board: RD-NAS-88F6820-DDR3
SoC:   MV88F6820 Rev A0
       running 2 CPUs
CPU:   ARM Cortex A9 MPCore (Rev 1) LE
       CPU 0
       CPU    @ 1866 [MHz]
       L2     @ 933 [MHz]
       TClock @ 200 [MHz]
       DDR3    @ 933 [MHz]
       DDR3 32 Bit Width,FastPath Memory Access, DLB Enabled, ECC Disabled
DRAM:  512 MiB
NAND:  mvNfcInit() failed.
0 MiB
MMC:   mv_sdh: 0
raise: Signal # 8 caught
DEVINFO offset == 0x7e0000
*** Warning - readdevinfo() failed, using default devinfo

raise: Signal # 8 caught
U-ENV offset == 0x200000
*** Warning - readenv() failed, using default environment

raise: Signal # 8 caught
S-ENV offset == 0x220000
*** Warning - readsenv() failed, using default senv



#### auto_recovery ####
[u_env] get auto_recovery == yes
[u_env] get auto_recovery == yes
[u_env] get boot_part == 1
[u_env] get boot_part_ready == 3
auto_recovery enabled:1, boot_part:1, boot_part_ready:3 

raise: Signal # 8 caught
S-ENV offset == 0x220000
[boot_count_read] block:0x220000, size:128KB, records:64 

Hopefully someone can send me the kernel from the latest WRT3200ACM which is Boot version : v1.0.0 not v0.0.4.

Either that I return it...

This commit might be of interest. It was just committed to master:
https://github.com/openwrt/openwrt/commit/02050f7e7d5b41f80b138a2d5953e596fd8e0e6a

Nice find. Would this commit fix the issue of it not booting the firmware. Or is there more to it?

Might explain this

I'll try another build with this patch and see how it goes. I never had serial connected so i wouldn't have spotted this change if it applies to WRT32X as well.

There is likely more to it:
There was already something similar in ipq806x and the common parts were removed from ipq806x with https://git.openwrt.org/?p=openwrt/openwrt.git;a=commit;h=4d649ba949752f8e2fe4a4ff0c79ae3ab3124f48

But that modified ipq806x patch shows that the original patch from @chunkeey includes also specs for W25N01GV.

https://git.openwrt.org/?p=openwrt/openwrt.git;a=blob;f=target/linux/ipq806x/patches-4.9/104-mtd-nand-add-Winbond-manufacturer-and-chip.patch;hb=HEAD

I guess that mvebu would also need similar specs for W29N02GV for mtd to fully work ok. (but of course, modified to match the specs of W29N02GV)

I think that in general these flash chip support patches should be in the generic patches, not per target.

I saw that but was not convinced that was the right bit, and seems you feel same from exchange and posts. I seems this would just find its way into a kernel push, rather than having to be backported. But if things are there in 4.11k, it would be easy enough for those with the issue to try out a 4.14k image.

I could try it out as well but have a corrupted bootloader :confused:

So, I assume no respite from the exchange in the other thread? Was just looking through the wiki page for the wrtpac devices and I see no mention of advising people to back-up mtd bits. Until this recent event that has not proven to be an issue(except for the early days on the mamba), but still..., and then of course there is the questionable advice to flash the same thing to both partitions.

Well I've opened an issue with ValCher1961 on GitHub

https://github.com/ValCher1961/McDebian_WRT3200ACM/issues/1

So will see if that goes anywhere.

The reason my boot loader is corrupt is because I rolled back to the previous WRT3200ACM boot loader to see if this would solve the firmware issue. I didn't know about the Winbond change at this point :confused:. So didn't think it would have been that big a of a deal.

As for flashing both partitions with the firmware I don't see any harm as you still have access to the boot loader to make any further changes.

Also not really sure how one goes about backing up the mtd data as that would have been useful.

My new WRT3200ACM was manufactured on 2017/12/26. I have compiled OpenWRT 4.9.77 from source code – not working. The official images do not work either. I see comments that in the new kernel 4.14, there should be support for the new flash chip.

  • How do I compile OpenWRT with the new kernel or how do I integrate the required patches to compile and test?
  • Can I compile a RAM image, then upload and boot it? How? If yes, then I will be able to extract the u-boot that @GaZaai needs.
  • If anyone has ideas to test, we can experiment on my device. Serial logs will be provided as a feedback.

With the image I compiled, OpenWRT flashes successfully, then it fails to boot three times in a row and I'm back to factory. I have attached to the UART header, here are some logs:

2018-02-06 WRT3200ACM OpenWRT 4.9.77 flash and boot
https://pastebin.com/p7xg22RA

2018-02-06 WRT3200ACM sysinfo.cgi
https://pastebin.com/AaGUezSN

BTW when I open the case, the front part slides easily so attaching to the UART was easy, but I can't disassemble the back of the case. I bought this device for software development and I might want to solder a jTAG header one day. How do I open that?

@gvalkov

The u-boot images were given to us two weeks ago :slight_smile:
Found here: https://github.com/ValCher1961/McDebian_WRT3200ACM/tree/master/recovery-uboot

Dear all,

I just received my brand new wrt3200acm today, and it is impossible to install openwrt on it, probably this flash problem.

I have opened a bug in the tracker : (https://bugs.lede-project.org/index.php?do=details&task_id=1392).

Issue has been resolved, commit has not been pushed to master yet.

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