when we into the openwrt's world,always not enought space to use,first 4m is very less,so i mod it to 8m,a lot guy like i mod,so i basicly make a lot of them,it's just kind bored for me,but now i found a new chip(it's 2 new chip),it's 16Mbyte(128mbit) with sop8-208mil!so i mod it for wr703,it's work,but without wifi,so i fix the art partition,now seems everything work just fine:)

the all picture can found in my site:
http://see.sl088.com/wiki/WR703N_16M_Flash

the 16m look like:

how it mod:

it worked!

but without the wifi

fix the firmware

(Last edited by slboat on 5 Jan 2013, 18:21)

Hi slboat,

I did flash and ram upgrade too on my 3020 , here's some pictures of my router:

U-Boot 1.1.4 (Nov 23 2012 - 14:43:55)

AP121 (ar9330) U-boot

DRAM:  64 MB
led turning on for 1s...
id read 0x100000ff
flash size 16777216, sector count = 256
Flash: 16 MB
Using default environment

In:    serial
Out:   serial
Err:   serial
Net:   ag7240_enet_initialize...
blah blah blah ...
blah blah blah ...
blah blah blah ...
No valid address in Flash. Using fixed address
No valid address in Flash. Using fixed address
: cfg1 0x5 cfg2 0x7114
eth0: 00:03:7f:09:0b:ad
ag7240_phy_setup 
eth0 up
: cfg1 0xf cfg2 0x7214
eth1: 00:03:7f:09:0b:ad
athrs26_reg_init_lan
ATHRS26: resetting s26
ATHRS26: s26 reset done
ag7240_phy_setup 
eth1 up
eth0, eth1
Autobooting in 3 seconds
## Booting image at 9f020000 ...
   Uncompressing Kernel Image ... OK

Starting kernel ...

Thank you for your help

Hi guys can you explain how to move the art partition and expand the filesystem to fill the larger flash chip?
I wish to upgrade my TP-link WDR4300 from 8MB of flash to 64MB so I can install owncloud on it (Don't reallly like extroot).
Also where can I get a cheap reliable external flash programmer preferably on ebay or other reliable sources that uses paypal.
Thanks

(Last edited by alphasparc on 6 Jan 2013, 02:03)

This is slboat store:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/181054715232

Art partition for 16MB Flash :

16MB total size in hex = 1000000

64kb art partition size in hex = 10000

Art partition hex address = 1000000 - 10000 = FF0000

Art partition for 64MB Flash :

64MB total size in hex = 4000000

64kb art partition size in hex = 10000

Art partition hex address = 4000000 - 10000 = 3FF0000

I bought from slboat CH341A flash programmer , it's cheap not so fast but enough for me to playing around even if my uboot broken , no worry anymore.

Of course you need to modify u-boot environment to 64MB  this is critical if you work with uboot command.

For openwrt firmware I can confirm you, openwrt will automatically detect the flash size IF your flash ID is on his list , so you don't need to compile openwrt with certain template size.

But you can compile openwrt with 64MB template and put all your packages in it as much as flash chip can handle it.
Nice when you issuing the command "fistboot", you don't need to install a bunch of your packages list.

(Last edited by xopal on 6 Jan 2013, 16:57)

Are >16MB (>128Mbit) devices really supported by the kernel (they are not supported by u-boot for sure), and if so, by which kernel?  They use extended command set; traditional 24bit addresses top at 16MB. Are they available in SOP-8??

Confirmed with AA / trunk

Yes you can choose SOP-8 or SOP-16 some routers equipped with dual foot prints for flash chip.

Does the programmer slboat sells do 16 pin flash programming?

Yes it does, but my adaptor unlike on his pictures , mine was simple adaptor and yes it's cheap.

Do you know if there is anyway we can solder in a socket instead of the SMT Flash so we can make it removable like the BIOS chip in a motherboard?

I don't find any smd socket like that.

This pictures shows self made simple programmer , it turn your router into simple flash programmer.

you can get "tweezers" for want of a better word that can grip the pins in place and connect to programmers. They are not cheap.
These are NOT what I am thinking of, but they would do:
http://hackaday.com/2009/07/02/how-to-b … obe-cable/

I make it dualboot rom with very cheap tools less than $1

[spoiler="cheap rom programmer"][/spoiler]
[spoiler="cheap rom programmer"][/spoiler]
[spoiler="cheap rom programmer"][/spoiler]
[spoiler="cheap rom programmer"][/spoiler]
[spoiler="cheap rom programmer"][/spoiler]
[spoiler="cheap rom programmer"][/spoiler]
[spoiler="cheap rom programmer"][/spoiler]

i create a little tool to automatic flash but i haven't write full instruction yet
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl … 1hKTlWtBoY[/youtube]
http://openwrt.agromapia.com/software/oWRHeX.exe

there some few problem ,so i recompile the uboot,now seems work nice to me

here is how i mod the uboot source
http://see.sl088.com/wiki/WR703_Uboot_% … 8%E6%9C%AC

it's cool but is really hard to found that kind socket

i found one pretty socket,but it's for soic8 ,that's damn it:(
http://see.sl088.com/wiki/DIP8%E8%BD%ACSOP8

and it cant fit in the wr703 box,so xopal's way may see nice:)

and a friend of my do this trick so a big route box

Nice !!!

I put a Sparkfun FTDI 3.3v USB to Serial inside...

I used the thin enamel coated wire for the usb D+ and D- and 0.25mm wire wrap wire (Kynar) for the other connections

Hello.
Sorry for my incompetence, i'm new in OpenWRT,  WR703 and router flashing.
Do i'm thinking right?:
- if i need to install some optware and to store some files on WR703 device, but do not want to use USB Flash - slboat's 16M modded WR703 router is good for me?
- will i be able to install some optware to WR703 device's Flash or i will be need to unsolder Flash and write new image via programmer somehow?
- If there will be new (future) versions of OpenWRT for WR703 - will i be needed to unsolder Flash and did that art partition trick to install new version with each every upgrade?

ujin--unless you have a need for extra flash (above 4mb on the WR703N), you don't need to follow slboat's path.   If you do need more, other devices might suit you better.  From your questions, I'd say you are very unfamiliar with what openwrt does.  Yes, you can install (some) programs on stock openwrt devices like the WR703N, and yes, you can flash newer versions without unsoldering anything. 

Your questions don't specifically relate to slboat's mod.  I think you would do better to start a new general thread and ask about what devices would be suitable for the programs you want to run.

Ok, some things becomes more clear.
But my main question - will i need to unsolder Flash chip on modded unit (16M unit or 8M unit) and did art partition trick with every future reflash or it need to be did once?

You only need to write art partition once.

That can be done in a number of ways:
(i) desolder the flash and use flash programmer;
(ii) re-compile the kernel, removing write protection of art partition, and write it from within OpenWRT (see e.g. https://forum.openwrt.org/viewtopic.php … 69#p179169);
(iii) re-compile u-boot to recognize the bigger flash (see e.g. https://forum.openwrt.org/viewtopic.php … 08#p176708), and write art from u-boot, using serial console and TFTP (this is somewhat risky, as if you mess up with uboot, you will need to de-solder and reprogram the chip.

What is the 16MB flash chip youre using?

Winbond

25Q128FVSG

slboat store

Hi xopal and alphasparc,

Good evening.

What 64MB flash chip did you use/recommend for the TPL WDR4300?
Where can I buy it? On the "slboat" shop?

Finally I have one doubt; is it possible to upgrade 4300 (128MB "2*64" RAM) to something like 256 or more? Probably not, right?
I searched for the CPU specs, but couldn't find one, so I'm still not sure if the CPU supports more than 64MB RAM per bank...

Thanks in advance,
Best Regards,

fjorger.

Hi all,
I changed flash to 16MB in TL-WR741ND. Everything works fine, except wifi.
Before resoldering i dumped ART partition via OpenWrt and then flashed it via U-Boot to the new flash.
But wifi does not work(

Could someone help me?

root@OpenWrt:/# cat /proc/mtd
dev:    size   erasesize  name
mtd0: 00020000 00010000 "u-boot"
mtd1: 000f0000 00010000 "kernel"
mtd2: 00ee0000 00010000 "rootfs"
mtd3: 00010000 00010000 "art"
mtd4: 00fd0000 00010000 "firmware"

root@OpenWrt:/# dmesg | grep 0x00
[    0.000000]   Normal   0x00000000 -> 0x00004000
[    0.000000]     0: 0x00000000 -> 0x00004000
[    0.680000] 0x000000000000-0x000000020000 : "u-boot"
[    0.690000] 0x000000020000-0x000000110000 : "kernel"
[    0.690000] 0x000000110000-0x000000ff0000 : "rootfs"
[    0.710000] 0x000000ff0000-0x000001000000 : "art"
[    0.710000] 0x000000020000-0x000000ff0000 : "firmware"

root@OpenWrt:/# ifconfig wlan0
wlan0     Link encap:Ethernet  HWaddr FF:FF:FF:FF:FF:FF
          BROADCAST MULTICAST  MTU:1500  Metric:1
          RX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
          TX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
          collisions:0 txqueuelen:32
          RX bytes:0 (0.0 B)  TX bytes:0 (0.0 B)

ART dump: https://www.dropbox.com/s/64hen5r4nm4jqr8/art.backup
Full dump of old flash(via programator): https://www.dropbox.com/s/9egv5048apgmd … dump_WR741

I have fixed it. Just changed mac from u-boot.

Log from uboot:

uboot> printmac
Current MAC address stored in flash at offset 0x9F01FC00: FF:FF:FF:FF:FF:FF

uboot> setmac F8:1A:67:00:00:00
Executing: erase 0x9F010000 +0x10000; cp.b 0x80080000 0x9F010000 0x10000