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Topic: DIR-825 Extra USB Port?

The content of this topic has been archived between 8 Aug 2014 and 13 Sep 2014. There are no obvious gaps in this topic, but there may still be some posts missing at the end.

I opened my dir-825 and found out that there is extra usb port. even I never soldered in my life, I want to try. so I cut one usb line and soldered the line with extra port. but when I connect the line to external usb harddisk(with no power), the power turns into the hdd but system cannot catch the usb port differences. Maybe I made a mistake when I soldered so the hole was broken or is not connected. For those who want to try himself, I am putting few links that I looked.

First, the picture of the router(on right down, there is one unpluged usb port)
http://fs.textcube.com/blog/4/47730/attach/XfapcJiKbO.jpg

Second, Usb cable schematics.
http://pinouts.ru/SerialPortsCables/usb_cable_pinout.shtml

If you success the plug-in, please post it here!

(Last edited by nikescar on 21 Apr 2010, 15:15)

I think that the usb filter caps / resistors are not soldered. Try tracing the D+ and D- USB lines on the PCB. I think there is some sort of a small chip that is soldered for the first USB port, but not for the second. If thats the case you can try to get one of that chip (probably not easy), but i think that they are much harder to solder ;-)

nikescar wrote:

Maybe I made a mistake when I soldered so the hole was broken or is not connected.

Definitely not WHEN you soldered, but BEFORE!

You didn't use your eyes. Take a look at the bottom of the board, compare the two usb solder foots and where the data routes are connected to.

Right, there is a small 4 pin component soldered to the data routes of the default active port.

This is just a coil, you can savely short-circuit it with a solder bridge.

Thats it. Your second USB Port will work afterwards.

I can upload pictures if someone is interest.

Just to warn you:
1. I am talking about a B-version of DIR-825
2. I didn't check the whole circuit because i just wanted to add a Bluetooth device into my router which isn't powered by an external source. As far as i know USB ports are ESD-protected by fuse diodes. I just have no idea if they are placed and connected. And i don't have any idea why Dlink placed that coil in serial between the two data lines. I just can asure that a bluetooth device connected directly to the additional USB port works whitout any problem after adding two solder bridge short circuits between the 4 solder footprints on the USB data routes.
3. I am in no way responsible for what you do.

Oh, and please remember to use your eyes everywhere in your live first. But be warned that if the object is a women you better use your brain.

1am3r wrote:

I think that the usb filter caps / resistors are not soldered.

I don't know much about USB but as far as i know USB data lines are normally just protcted by fuse diodes, i have never seen a design where resistors or capacitors where used.

Why do you think at resistors and capacitors in combination with USB data lines?

Why do you think did Dlink place that coil into D+ and D- in the Dir-825?

devnullfast wrote:

Right, there is a small 4 pin component soldered to the data routes of the default active port.

This is just a coil, you can savely short-circuit it with a solder bridge.

I don't understand how to make a solder bridge. Could you kindly upload the image?


devnullfast wrote:

1. I am talking about a B-version of DIR-825

Yes, I am using B1 version. FYI, according to openwrt wiki di-825 info page, it seems there are B1 and B2.

devnullfast wrote:

Oh, and please remember to use your eyes everywhere in your live first. But be warned that if the object is a women you better use your brain.

I totally agree! wink

Hi!

Can you make photos from the board of DIR-825 B1? From top and bottom side, when possible. In wiki I have readed, that rev. B1 and B2 have 64MB RAM. But on photos from rev. B1 I can see only one RAM chip, what is 256Mbit=32MB.

Thanks,

vargalex

devnullfast wrote:
nikescar wrote:

Maybe I made a mistake when I soldered so the hole was broken or is not connected.

Definitely not WHEN you soldered, but BEFORE!

You didn't use your eyes. Take a look at the bottom of the board, compare the two usb solder foots and where the data routes are connected to.

Right, there is a small 4 pin component soldered to the data routes of the default active port.

This is just a coil, you can savely short-circuit it with a solder bridge.

Thats it. Your second USB Port will work afterwards.

I can upload pictures if someone is interest.

Just to warn you:
1. I am talking about a B-version of DIR-825
2. I didn't check the whole circuit because i just wanted to add a Bluetooth device into my router which isn't powered by an external source. As far as i know USB ports are ESD-protected by fuse diodes. I just have no idea if they are placed and connected. And i don't have any idea why Dlink placed that coil in serial between the two data lines. I just can asure that a bluetooth device connected directly to the additional USB port works whitout any problem after adding two solder bridge short circuits between the 4 solder footprints on the USB data routes.
3. I am in no way responsible for what you do.

Oh, and please remember to use your eyes everywhere in your live first. But be warned that if the object is a women you better use your brain.

(Last edited by vargalex on 23 Apr 2010, 13:56)

On the general topic of DIR-825 hardware hacking, I have a DIR-825 and a Nokia-Clone CA-42 cable; I have already cut open the cable and found the 3 wires (tx, tx, ground). Do anyone here knows how thos/where these wires need to be  hooked/connected/soldered to the DIR-825 board in order to get the serial console to work? Thanks in advance.

durval wrote:

On the general topic of DIR-825 hardware hacking, I have a DIR-825 and a Nokia-Clone CA-42 cable; I have already cut open the cable and found the 3 wires (tx, tx, ground). Do anyone here knows how thos/where these wires need to be  hooked/connected/soldered to the DIR-825 board in order to get the serial console to work? Thanks in advance.

why do you want to pinout? you don't have to do when you install openwrt or ddwrt. anyway, I will test it and upload it, tomorrow.

nikescar wrote:

I don't understand how to make a solder bridge. Could you kindly upload the image?

I think that it's not a good idea to upload pictures if you don't even know what a solder bridge is.

Just open up your router and look at the small component soldered beside the active usb port, where the routes of the two middle usb pins end.

This component has 4 solder points, called a footprint. You can find the same footprint beside the second, default inactive usb port.

You have to solder two bridges (something that connects to wires/points electrically together) between each two of them, one for each USB pin:

     USB-pins         solder                    solder
                           points                    points

D+   O----------------[  <---bridge----->  ]---------- to cpu
D-    O----------------[  <---bridge----->  ]---------- to cpu


You have to apply them whitout connecting D+ and D- lines electrically together, what in fact requires some basically soldering skills.

Do you still wanna do it?

Please don't misunderstand me, i would love to receive a broken router for further researches, but it doesn't have to bee yours wink

vargalex wrote:

Hi!

Can you make photos from the board of DIR-825 B1? From top and bottom side, when possible. In wiki I have readed, that rev. B1 and B2 have 64MB RAM. But on photos from rev. B1 I can see only one RAM chip, what is 256Mbit=32MB.

There is one 32MB chip on top and one on bottom of the pcb. They do have 64MB RAM.

A12 Line is connected between the two chips and a capacitor near the CPU, i belive it's routed to the cpu.
CS is also connected between the two chips.
A13 Line isn't connected/routed so max. possible Ram Upgrade would bee 128MB or, with a second CS (hack) 256MB.

durval wrote:

On the general topic of DIR-825 hardware hacking, I have a DIR-825 and a Nokia-Clone CA-42 cable; I have already cut open the cable and found the 3 wires (tx, tx, ground). Do anyone here knows how thos/where these wires need to be  hooked/connected/soldered to the DIR-825 board in order to get the serial console to work? Thanks in advance.

Pinout is

PIN1-->3.3V 
PIN2-->RX 
PIN3-->TX 
PIN4-->GND

as described in

https://forum.openwrt.org/viewtopic.php?pid=92695

where you asced the same question (whitout reading the thread?):

Hi,



vincentfox wrote:
[...]I cut open a Nokia-clone CA-42 I got of EBay and found it to be Nokia DKU-5-B.  I cut the cables short less than 18 inches and installed PL2303 drivers and boom it WORKED.   Maybe this would work if I shortened the FTDI cable also but I didn't want to cut it.

I have a DIR-825 and a Nokia-Clone CA-42 cable; I have already cut open the cable and found the 3 wires (tx, tx, ground). Where do you hooked/connected/soldered those wires inside the DIR-825 to get the serial console to work?

Thanks in advance for the info.

Cheers,
--
   Durval

In the same thread you can find Informations about the console functionality in DIR-825 which is limited by default (DLink/u-boot).

Hi!

Thanks for your reply. Than in this pdf are wrong images: http://www.dd-wrt.com/phpBB2/download.php?id=10913.

What is the copy speed from an USB HDD over samba/ftp?

Thanks,

vargalex

devnullfast wrote:
vargalex wrote:

Hi!

Can you make photos from the board of DIR-825 B1? From top and bottom side, when possible. In wiki I have readed, that rev. B1 and B2 have 64MB RAM. But on photos from rev. B1 I can see only one RAM chip, what is 256Mbit=32MB.

There is one 32MB chip on top and one on bottom of the pcb. They do have 64MB RAM.

A12 Line is connected between the two chips and a capacitor near the CPU, i belive it's routed to the cpu.
CS is also connected between the two chips.
A13 Line isn't connected/routed so max. possible Ram Upgrade would bee 128MB or, with a second CS (hack) 256MB.

nikescar wrote:

why do you want to pinout? you don't have to do when you install openwrt or ddwrt.

I plan on some heavy experimenting with this WAP, and I understand a serial port can be used to debrick out of all but the most stubborn problems.

nikescar wrote:

anyway, I will test it and upload it, tomorrow.

Thanks!

Cheers,
--
   Durval

devnullfast wrote:

Pinout is

PIN1-->3.3V 
PIN2-->RX 
PIN3-->TX 
PIN4-->GND

as described in

Thank you very much!

devnullfast wrote:

https://forum.openwrt.org/viewtopic.php?pid=92695

where you asced the same question (whitout reading the thread?):

Ooops.... sorry about that. In fact I read all the thread, but must have skipped over that involuntarily.

devnullfast wrote:

In the same thread you can find Informations about the console functionality in DIR-825 which is limited by default (DLink/u-boot).

Thanks for the pointer. Will go look at it right now.

Cheers,
--
   Durval

devnullfast wrote:
1am3r wrote:

I think that the usb filter caps / resistors are not soldered.

I don't know much about USB but as far as i know USB data lines are normally just protcted by fuse diodes, i have never seen a design where resistors or capacitors where used.

Why do you think at resistors and capacitors in combination with USB data lines?

Why do you think did Dlink place that coil into D+ and D- in the Dir-825?

I had that on a eval board. There it was some kind of a low-pass filter. Don't know why they used it on that board, probably depends on the implementation in the chip ;-)

For the coils, i've seen that in a docking station but don't know why they didn't use diodes.

Hi!

Have you the EU, or NA version? Or are these the same?

Thanks,

Vargalex

devnullfast wrote:
vargalex wrote:

Hi!

Can you make photos from the board of DIR-825 B1? From top and bottom side, when possible. In wiki I have readed, that rev. B1 and B2 have 64MB RAM. But on photos from rev. B1 I can see only one RAM chip, what is 256Mbit=32MB.

There is one 32MB chip on top and one on bottom of the pcb. They do have 64MB RAM.

A12 Line is connected between the two chips and a capacitor near the CPU, i belive it's routed to the cpu.
CS is also connected between the two chips.
A13 Line isn't connected/routed so max. possible Ram Upgrade would bee 128MB or, with a second CS (hack) 256MB.

I have EU Version of DIR-825, but no idea if they are the same.

1am3r wrote:

I had that on a eval board. There it was some kind of a low-pass filter. Don't know why they used it on that board, probably depends on the implementation in the chip ;-)

For the coils, i've seen that in a docking station but don't know why they didn't use diodes.

I had to sleep over this two nights before realizing that i only programmed usb host circuits but never designed them electrically.... That is why i am thinking at protecting diodes in conjunction with usb devices....


my fault, sorry

Whatever the two coils are, it is save to bridge them.

My Dir-825 is still working with the bluetooth device attached directly to the bridged D+ and D- lines...

vargalex wrote:

Than in this pdf are wrong images: http://www.dd-wrt.com/phpBB2/download.php?id=10913.

What is the copy speed from an USB HDD over samba/ftp?

You are linking to a location with limited public acces outside this forum so the informations you get there may bee wrong.

I am suffering from a Samba-Vista Problem (try google, lot of openwrt users have samba access problems with windows) and didn't test ftp until now because directorie tries in Windows explorer opened faster over gygabit network and samba on dir-825 than they did when i attached the high-spees usb-2 drive diretly to my vista system --> samba problem.

vargalex wrote:

Hi!

Have you the EU, or NA version? Or are these the same?

Thanks,

Vargalex

Do you live in North America?

Could you send me some Apple Ipads to Switzerland if i pay those to your bank account before?

Hi!

No, I live in Hungary. That was only a question, before I bought my DIR-825. When I good think, the NA and EU versions differs only by WiFi channel.
So, I have tested the ftp speed (with vsftpd): the read speed is very good. With my Samsung S2 160GB the read speed was 21 MB/s average.

vargalex

devnullfast wrote:
vargalex wrote:

Hi!

Have you the EU, or NA version? Or are these the same?

Thanks,

Vargalex

Do you live in North America?

Could you send me some Apple Ipads to Switzerland if i pay those to your bank account before?

Good day 2all.

I'm going to solder in second USB into one of the DIR-825 I own and it would be very helpful if somebody post here some photos with second USB port soldered in. I'm most interested in looking at the correct place where the line bridges should be soldered. While I'm pretty sure that I had traced the lines right, it wouldn't hurt to double check anyway :-).

You can always pm me.

picture? where is my picture?