@vincentfox: please test the failsafe mode of this image: http://openwrt.inf.fh-brs.de/~nbd/wrtsl/
it should work with all lan ports now...

Nope. LAN2-4 fine, LAN1 nothing.

Sorry, had a typo in the script, please try again

Yeah I was just looking at /etc/preinit.

Test complete, LAN1 through LAN4 all show failsafe message as they should.

Good job!

But I just realized, aren't you in Germany and should be getting some sleep?

(Last edited by vincentfox on 8 Mar 2006, 07:30)

Looks all good now, back to evil USB experiments.

So, are we now moving to nmb firmware vice the Kaloz firmware for the WRTSL54GS?  My issue is that I need the usb serial pl2303 driver.

Will this firmware allow me to do ipkg installs for the kmod-usb-serial and kmod-usb-serial-pl2303 packages?

My project is
   * Hardware
      * WRTSL54GS
      * BU-303 GPS Receiver
   * Software
      * OpenWRT (Client mode - Wireless is "WAN"; WAN is "OLD")
      * gpsd (already ipkg)
      * microperl (because I like perl)
      * custom GPS logger script using (perl module GPS::gpsd - where should std install be?)
      * custom GPS reported script using (perl and wget? - How to integrate with ifup and wl?)

I've got everything roughly together except the wifi open AP roaming and the pl2303 driver!  All will be GPL2 or Perl license.  I would like to figure out ipkg too.

Has anyone found a 12VDC cigarette lighter plug/pigtail for these boxes?

Mike (mrdvt92)

I don't know what "we" are doing, I just bounce along with whatever works best at the moment.

All changes have been foled into the SVN so it gets into RC5.

I've been using nbd March 8 seems to work pretty good resolves all the LAN issues.

I really don't know anything about this PL2303 package, where did you find that? Is the source posted?

You may want to download the buildroot or SDK packages and roll your own to be sure. The docs are good and it's a lot like building a Linux kernel. With the full buildroot, just run "make menuconfig" and choose your options.  I think I will run a build just to generate a squashfs with a base package set that includes what I want. I like squashfs for safety, but I do not need PPPOE modules, etc.  You would probably want the SDK though I think if all you want is generating a few packages. The two tar files in nbd directory are the ones he used I think, or you could use SVN to pull your own.

Today my cellular cable is not working, but I think I might have damaged it accidentally

As for 12V power, I have used a cheap Radio-Shack adapter that goes from 12V-lighter-plug to M-connector seems to work fine. I don't know if the voltage regulator inside the WRT units is rated for the "dirty" power present in automotive electrical systems though. I know from prior studies that it can handle a very wide voltage range, but I don't know how it would handle the constant variance of this input source. Generally I used my adapter to power from a 12V jumper-pack unit for on-site usage where no power was present, I have not done sustained in-car usage with engine running. I will check with my brother who is an electronics whiz but I suspect it would be fine for quite a long while, maybe add a fuse inline for safety.

What's your project about?

(Last edited by vincentfox on 8 Mar 2006, 19:03)

I'll try it soon then

If you search google for kmod-usb-serial-pl2303 you'll find bunches of pages.  But, the BU-303 GPS uses this chip internally.  All this currently works great on my linux laptop.  I'm just porting to cheaper hardware.

Good idea.  I'll pop a big capacitor in there for now.  Not sure at what voltage it will drop out. 

Mostly, hobby... Maybe, personal vehicle tracking... I'd love to be able to sell something like it to the forces in Iraq...  I actually found hardware that I'd really like to use at tropos.com  (Mobile router: 1Watt out, -100 dBm Rx).  Most likely they're using Linux too.  Future would be to set up a MANET and then get one in every vehicle in IRAQ.  If I can get the price down to a few hundred a pop everyone would buy one and then you can just sell the services on top.

I am really slow today. Cable works fine.  I had forgotten to load kmod-usb-ohci. I had left this out of the MobileAPHowTo as well, edited it.

Back to hacking. Got 4 devices hanging off a powered hub now, the weight of the accessories has exceeded that of the SL.

(Last edited by vincentfox on 8 Mar 2006, 21:55)

I think the older WRT units would operate all the way down to 7 volts. I know I saw a report on that somewhere.  I don't think a voltage sag is a big deal. SL is likely the same.

I know the linksys routers get kudo's for their power supplies, but I didn't want to
risk smoking my router.

So I purchased a 300w inverter for $39. Works well, but should really be unplugged when starting the vehicle.

I also purchased a rechargeable $49 battery (that has an inverter too).

I bought them both at Target in the US.

The battery is by a company called 'Vector', model no. VEC 1042MG. It's labeled as a rechargeable AC/DC travelers power station.

Here's the web address http://www.vectormfg.com.

After an 8 hour charge, I've been testing it on my WRTSL54GS. So far it's been running for 6 hours...

I used a 12v DC cigarette plug rather than the linksys power brick plugged into the DC/AC plug because I didn't want the built in fan running.

I've also got a usb hub on the router and usb flash stick in the hub.

... and I've been serving mp3's on the flash stick with mt-daap (http://downloads.openwrt.org/people/nic … mipsel.ipk) to a rhythmbox port (http://tuxrecife.blogspot.com/2005/09/r … maemo.html) on my Nokia 770.

Boy am I happy wireless driver now!

I can't say for sure, but I suspect that the PL2303 got rolled into kmod-usb-serial in 2005. I notice that in my unit after installing kmod-usb-serial there's a file /lib/modules/2.4.30/pl2303.o.   However when I plug in my BU-353 GPS unit which I would assume uses the same serial device, I get this error logged:

Dec 31 16:04:30 (none) kern.err kernel: hub.c: Cannot enable port 1 of hub 1, disabling port.
Dec 31 16:04:30 (none) kern.err kernel: hub.c: Maybe the USB cable is bad?

Not sure what is up with that.

I'm in over my head with GPS on Linux. I hooked up an old EarthMate HyPerformance unit that I used to use on my laptop, it had the Delorme-supplied USB-serial converter. At least that gets recognized by the kernel, even see a /dev/usb/tts/0, but not sure how to read data from it. Installed gpsd from Nico's directory, ran gpsd -N -D 4 -f /dev/usb/tts/0 and it just sits there. I think maybe it's picking the wrong baud rate but I can't figure out where you set that.

Here's one for you:

http://nthill.free.fr/openwrt/ipkg/test … mipsel.ipk

There's quite a bit of stuff between these two repositories:

http://nthill.free.fr/openwrt/ipkg/testing/
http://openwrt.alphacore.net/

@rpaul, at least the french one has old packages, not useful.

@mrdvt92, try insmod pl2303 before inserting the device see if that helps.

I plugged the BU-353 into a Linux laptop running 2.6 kernel and had better luck there. So at least it appears my device is not defective.

(Last edited by vincentfox on 9 Mar 2006, 03:22)

I had no problems reflashing the WRTSL54GS with OpenWrt and all seems well, except...

I added a RS232 level converter using what reasonably appears to be the usual Linksys port, hoping to add a little interfacing functionality. But in initial testing, it appears that the router becomes unresponsive the moment I use the one of the serial ports (/dev/tts/1). Only cycling power gives me access again.

So, what's the deal? Is this another set of peripheral registers that got moved in the transition to the WRTSL54GS? Has anyone else seen this oddness?

Nico has a version too but I get the same error for both .

I get this error, beacuse (I assume) I'm running Kaloz WRTSL54GS kernel. 

#ipkg install http://nthill.free.fr/openwrt/ipkg/test … mipsel.ipk
ERROR: Cannot satisfy the following dependencies for kmod-usb-serial:
         kernel-2.4.30-brcm (2)

Can I just force it?  Or are the two kernels really different?

`uname -a` returns "Linux sl 2.4.30 #1 Sun Feb 5 16:03:27 CET 2006 mips unknown"

---
Update - I forced the pl2303 install but did not get anything in lsusb.  The modules appear to load correctly.  Note: usb-storage works correctly.

(Last edited by mrdvt92 on 9 Mar 2006, 05:38)

After installing new image from nbd, I go to the directory and see

/proc/switch/eth0/vlan# more 0/ports
0       1       2       3       5u

/proc/switch/eth0/vlan# more 1/ports
4       5t

So could it be

(CPU)      5
Internet   4

5 is always the CPU port...

Are you sure you are wired into tty0 or tty1? One of them will be the console you see during bootup so you can't use that one I think. There was a thread about it if you search.

But I was using /dev/tts/1 which isn't the console. Interestingly, this post describes the same problem on a different vendor's router last year, but no resolution evident.

I was just thinking it's an IRQ or an undocumented-register-address-change issue, but I was hoping someone would have seen it already.

Try to adjust the IRQ with setserial for the second port. Also, post the pinout for the serial port here or in the wiki.

Copying a post from broadbandreports.com Linksys forum, by user bbarrett:

----------------------------------------------------
think there is JTAG on the board in some fashion. "JTAG" is silkscreened next to a group of resistors in at least two locations on the bottom side of the board. But I do not see a header for it anywhere. Perhaps there isn't a connector, because it's accessible only via a bed-of-nails test fixture.

JP4 appears to be a serial port (CMOS 3.3V signaling, no RS-232 line driver). Pin 1 is 3.3V, and Pin 5 is Ground. Pin 2 has 115.2kbps output, so it is RxD. Pin 3 appears to be TxD (there is a visible trace connected to it). Pin 4 seems to be unused, but might have a function I'm unaware of. I've not had the time to make a 232 driver board and see what's on the port--I just probed with a scope and multimeter. But I'm sure it's the CFE bootloader.

JP3 also has 3.3V at pin 1, Ground at pin 5, and traces connected to pins 2 and 3. There is no visible output on pin 2. Nonetheless, I suspect it's a 2nd serial port.

By the way, did anyone notice that the board will support two antennae? And that LED10 is not populated--a spare GPIO for 1-Wire or other hacking...

Okay so far I've tried 3 different USB GPS units and been unsuccesful at getting any of them usable.

GlobalSat BU-353 (PL2303 usb-serial onboard)
new Delorme Earthmate LT-20 (Cypress usb-serial onboard)
Old Delorme Earthmate "HyPerformance" unit with USB-serial converter kit from Delorme.

(Last edited by vincentfox on 9 Mar 2006, 18:21)

I can add BU-303 to the pile.  What are your symptoms?  My issues is that lsusb doesn't ever list the pl2303.  Even further if I reboot with my usb-storage in; it mounts; can bring it in an out and it still works just fine.  However, if I put the pl2303 in then try the usb-storage again it doesn't work?  Interesting?!