Joined: 21 Jan 2017 Posts: 1783 Location: Illinois Moderator
Posted: Tue Feb 11, 2020 18:22 Post subject: Archer A7v5 header pins and board-putty possible?
OK, So I've been messing around with a $25 ebay Archer A7v5 and can't seem to get tftp mode to work on it once dd-wrt is installed. BS fixed the gpio mapping of the reset button so that now works, but holding down reset doesn't seem to yield the router going into tftp mode so I can push a file...
My next thought was to hook up my trusty USB TTL device and putty into the sucker... well, no header pins...as anticipated, but it also appears some resistors, and maybe a capacitor, are missing off the board too to facilitate a connection...FML....
Anyone with more experience on other deivices care to chime in about the resistors? I have a molex header coming to solder on...that will be the easy part... I need help figuring out where RX, TX, and Gnd are too...
I am trying to figure out this P.o.S. in order to document better an a7v5 wiki on here.... TP-Link sure makes it hard to turn a $25 router into a decent piece of hardware...LOL
I have dd-wrt running on it fine right now, but there's no way to de-brick this thing AFAIK....
I appreciate any pointers. _________________ FORUM RULES
Joined: 08 May 2018 Posts: 14246 Location: Texas, USA
Posted: Tue Feb 11, 2020 19:26 Post subject:
If scrounging the internet for the values of those items doesn't yield anything, only thing I could suggest is finding a device with identical hardware to see if it has those pieces populated and in place and finding out what their values are. I don't think that is something that would be cross-platform, i.e. Broadcom to Ralink to MediaTek to Qualcomm, but there is always that possibility, too. I presume there is not anything on the underside directly connected in any way to those header pin holes. _________________ "Life is but a fleeting moment, a vapor that vanishes quickly; All is vanity"
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Linux User #377467 counter.li.org / linuxcounter.net
Joined: 21 Jan 2017 Posts: 1783 Location: Illinois Moderator
Posted: Tue Feb 11, 2020 19:50 Post subject:
Yeah, there's nothing on the underside except for two via's from the opposite side of the board for the header pins. I haven't yet traced back to where they go, though I assume to the CPU and common ground.
BS is suggesting I try wireshark first....
Anyone know of a youtube video of how to use wireshark to reveal bootloader info? Googling around I don't quickly find the exact thing I am looking for...sorry, being lazy too... _________________ FORUM RULES
Joined: 08 May 2018 Posts: 14246 Location: Texas, USA
Posted: Tue Feb 11, 2020 20:16 Post subject:
The two pins of importance to distinguish are the VCC and ground. Ground will have continuity to any ground on the board and the power adapter jack negative terminal. VCC will read 3.3V (usually, and hopefully not 5V?) when read from the correct pin to ground.
