OpenWrt Forum Archive

Topic: Bad serial cable?

The content of this topic has been archived on 14 Apr 2018. There are no obvious gaps in this topic, but there may still be some posts missing at the end.

Post #1
Phineas
3 Aug 2009, 03:50

Hi all.

I have a Netgear WGT634U, was running a recent Kamikaze image for the first time, and then rebooted... it's now bricked due to wrong NVRAM settings.
But the real issue is that I can't seem to get an interactive CFE prompt by serial cable, but instead get a prompt like this:
CFE> FE> FE> FE> FE> FE> FE> FE> FE>
...
(actually there are 75 "FE>" prompts following the one "CFE>" prompt)
I can't seem to get my keyboard input (ctrl-c or otherwise) to have any effect... and no keystrokes are echoed.

I originally set up OpenWRT with the "screwdriverless" installation, and after the issue cropped up, ordered an FTDI serial cable.
I've connected gnd-gnd, rx-tx, tx-rx, and have alternately powered the router via the vcc pin of the serial connection or from the regular power connector.  For the console, I'm using Hyperterminal for windows, with ANSI terminal, 115200 8-N-1, software flow control.

The only other reference I have seen to this issue was in this forum, for the post with subject
"Netgear WGT634U CFE not booting properly?", posted by carlosmag on 2007-10-01 15:39:58.
There were no responses.

So... any ideas now... two years later?  Thanks!


Here is my full output from the serial console:

CFE version 1.0.34 for BCM95365R (32bit,SP,LE)
Build Date: Tue Feb 24 03:21:41 CST 2004 (root@jackylinux)
Copyright (C) 2000,2001,2002 Broadcom Corporation.

Add MAC client version(DNI).
Initializing Arena.
Initializing Devices.
et0: chipattach: NVRAM_GET(et0phyaddr) not found
et0: chipattach error
et0: etc_attach failed
Could not attach bcm4710 ethernet: -2
CPU type 0x29007: 200MHz
Total memory: 0x2000000 bytes (32MB)

Total memory used by CFE:  0x81BB1280 - 0x82000000 (4517248)
Initialized Data:          0x81BB1280 - 0x81BB3E90 (11280)
BSS Area:                  0x81BB3E90 - 0x81BB45D0 (1856)
Local Heap:                0x81BB45D0 - 0x81FB45D0 (4194304)
Stack Area:                0x81FB45D0 - 0x81FB65D0 (8192)
Text (code) segment:       0x81FB65E0 - 0x81FFFFB0 (301520)
Boot area (physical):      0x01B70000 - 0x01BB0000
Relocation Factor:         I:E23B65E0 - D:01BB0280

CFE> FE> FE> FE> FE> FE> FE> FE> FE> FE> FE> FE> FE> FE> FE> FE> FE> FE> FE> FE>
 FE> FE> FE> FE> FE> FE> FE> FE> FE> FE> FE> FE> FE> FE> FE> FE> FE> FE> FE> FE>
 FE> FE> FE> FE> FE> FE> FE> FE> FE> FE> FE> FE> FE> FE> FE> FE> FE> FE> FE> FE>
 FE> FE> FE> FE> FE> FE> FE> FE> FE> FE> FE> FE> FE> FE> FE> FE>
Post #2
Phineas
5 Aug 2009, 22:54

Solved!

Bad serial cable, indeed.  It's not the fault of the factory, though; it was the little floppy power connector I used to get the serial port header out of the router's case.  And maybe scotch tape and rubber bands aren't so great as insulators.

The discussion might have continued from here.