TP-Link Archer C50V3 USB MOD

Always unplug the mains while working on your hardware!

Some modifications may require advanced soldering. If you have never done this before you may consider practising on something else.
I am not responsible for any damage to you or your gear.
You try the following at your own risk! If you do so....
:wink:

Since the ArcherC50V3 has a MT7628AN Chipset it should be possible to add a single USB port/ or a HUB chip to it.
I analysed the mainboard, was quite easy with the MT7628AN Datasheet we can find in the internet. In good practice the engineers terminated the unused ports with 15k resistors to ground.

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So there is no need to pin/pad solder a 0,2mm wire directly. We simply can desolder the resistors, solder a usbport, with a 0,5mm wire, XD , and start compiling our own openwrt image with the ports enabled. Some of you might know that this router is powered by +9 volts, mine is +8.96Volts and that this MT7628 uses 3.3volt only setup. After i calculated the needed power for a 4 Port USB hub and attached 500mA devices i decides to add a 7805 regulator + capacitor from my component wastebin to the mod.
I've done so and it works like a charm.

SolderedPads_small

Because there is no good support for the rtl8188ety 3.3v wifi module in openwrt (rtl8188eu). I was unable to use it directly without the 7805 as third wifi device.

8188ety

Hope this helpes someone! You'll find the modded dts files in my GIT :
GITHUP openwrt repo with mptcp and archerc50v3 USB mod

feel free to ask questions or correct me if im wrong
greetings elias

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Don't desolder 15k resistorts
https://www.beyondlogic.org/usbnutshell/usb2.shtml

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Good Point! Ill ad them on my breakout board lo lessern stress to the pads ...

I have an Archer C50 V4, I researched the website of the processor manufacturer and saw that the MediaTek MT7628A supports USB and studying the router board I saw that it is practically the same as V3. I want to make the USB Mod for V4, Any tips? and how to change the firmware to support USB?

Please tell me if I'm wrong. That's what I understood and want to do with my Archer C50 V4

I did what you said and I installed
block-mount e2fsprogs kmod-fs-ext4 kmod-usb-storage kmod-usb2 kmod-usb3
but the mount point can't see my usb flash driver .. what I have to do pls ?

can you see the flash drive being detected in dmesg, when you insert it ?

and a stupid question, but is the flash drive ext4 formatted ?

Did you manage to make USB mod for Archer C50 v4?
Can you please share the schematic and patch?