Posted: Sun Sep 06, 2009 22:05 Post subject: [UNSOLVED!]How do you unbrick when JTAG doesn't work?
I have a wrt54g-RG (same hardware as a TM). I was working on getting the CFE and wholeflash off of it using a buffered wiggler jtag. Yesterday, I used a standard jtag to get the wholeflash (thankfully) as I could not get the wiggler working properly.
This router has stock firmware on it.
So, today I notice that I have one flashing power light, and at the other end, the five lights (LAN and ?) are all on solid. Typical brick.
So I pull out my jtag and try to jtag it. Unrecognized CPU error. (This is the same router that tjtag recognized just yesterday.). I have tested the cable and it is working. Tried pinging and get "Destination Host Unreachable" pinging 192.168.0.1 from 192.168.0.7.
I resoldered all of the connections. Tried all my jtag cables. No luck.
I tried serial and there is no output to the serial console, suggesting that the CFE is bad. I'm going to try the recovery mode tricks, but this one has me stifled.
I cannot jtag it. Any ideas on this one? _________________ SIG:
I'm trying to teach you to fish, not give you a fish. If you just want a fish, wait for a fisherman who hands them out. I'm more of a fishing instructor.
LOM: "If you show that you have not bothered to read the forum announcements or to follow the advices in them then the level of help available for you will drop substantially, also known as Murrkf's law.."
Last edited by Murrkf on Fri Sep 25, 2009 3:50; edited 4 times in total
It's not quite "next" but it's close. First I'm going to try recovery mode methods, then I'm going to pull the header and if that doesn't work, at THAT point unless someone comes up with something brilliant (you didn't BTW ) I'd consider pin shorting.
EDIT: Okay...I've tried all the recovery tricks. I pulled the header and resoldered in pins so I could see from both sides. The instant I plug it in, the lan lights are lit and the power blinks quickly.
I'm at a loss here. _________________ SIG:
I'm trying to teach you to fish, not give you a fish. If you just want a fish, wait for a fisherman who hands them out. I'm more of a fishing instructor.
LOM: "If you show that you have not bothered to read the forum announcements or to follow the advices in them then the level of help available for you will drop substantially, also known as Murrkf's law.."
Joined: 22 Jun 2008 Posts: 2440 Location: Am now Dark_Shadow
Posted: Mon Sep 07, 2009 3:30 Post subject:
Murrkf wrote:
DHC_DarkShadow wrote:
You try shorting pins?
It's not quite "next" but it's close. First I'm going to try recovery mode methods, then I'm going to pull the header and if that doesn't work, at THAT point unless someone comes up with something brilliant (you didn't BTW ) I'd consider pin shorting.
EDIT: Okay...I've tried all the recovery tricks. I pulled the header and resoldered in pins so I could see from both sides. The instant I plug it in, the lan lights are lit and the power blinks quickly.
I'm at a loss here.
Oh I didn't claim it was brilliant, was just joking BTW.I think pin shorting is very bad.
Does the Probeonly work now that you's resoldered? _________________ The New Me
Joined: 07 Jun 2006 Posts: 2087 Location: Odessa, Ukraine
Posted: Mon Sep 07, 2009 4:14 Post subject:
Pin shorting will do nothing if the CFE is bad or corrupt, it is acting like is has a currupt or missing CFE. it will also do this if there is a bad setting in nvram, like a wrong overclock...
But why you could jtag it one day and not the next seems strange, can or have you tried a different power supply ?
I have had other routers act the same way...I just sit it to the side for a day, and then try it again later...sometimes, for whatever reason they get hot..and will not do anything.
Strange, 5352's are normally very easy to unbrick _________________ Want JTAG support - Donate a router
or Donate with PayPal !
I have multiple routers with the same type of power supply, and I have tried several.
I can't get a probeonly response. I haven't really done anything with the router other than try to get the wiggler working. I had the pins in wrong. I might have reflowed the solder on the header joints between when it was working and when it stopped. However, I have redone them again and it still doesn't work.
I haven't flashed anything to the router, either firmware or anything with jtag. I haven't erased anything either. Last thing I did that worked was backup the wholeflash for a second time.
I haven't tried plugging it in and then -probeonly right away. _________________ SIG:
I'm trying to teach you to fish, not give you a fish. If you just want a fish, wait for a fisherman who hands them out. I'm more of a fishing instructor.
LOM: "If you show that you have not bothered to read the forum announcements or to follow the advices in them then the level of help available for you will drop substantially, also known as Murrkf's law.."
Joined: 07 Jun 2006 Posts: 2087 Location: Odessa, Ukraine
Posted: Mon Sep 07, 2009 4:32 Post subject:
If you do, use -probeonly /noemw
with this router, also add /wiggler if thats what your using
NOTE: I have had a few routers get stuck like this, strange and I do not know what it is, but what I did was to probe it with /nodma instead of the correct switch, knowing it would fail....and then probe againn with the correct switches...this brought it out of its braindead state, some I have had to do multiple times....
And I know you already know this, it's not normal behaviour after a backup _________________ Want JTAG support - Donate a router
or Donate with PayPal !
CPU Chip ID: 11111111111111111111111111111111 (FFFFFFFF)
*** Unknown or NO CPU Chip ID Detected ***
*** Possible Causes:
1) Device is not Connected.
2) Device is not Powered On.
3) Improper JTAG Cable.
4) Unrecognized CPU Chip ID. _________________ SIG:
I'm trying to teach you to fish, not give you a fish. If you just want a fish, wait for a fisherman who hands them out. I'm more of a fishing instructor.
LOM: "If you show that you have not bothered to read the forum announcements or to follow the advices in them then the level of help available for you will drop substantially, also known as Murrkf's law.."
Posted: Mon Sep 07, 2009 5:13 Post subject: Re: How do you unbrick when JTAG doesn't work?
Murrkf wrote:
Tried pinging and get "Destination Host Unreachable" pinging 192.168.0.1 from 192.168.0.7.
Could it be that the routers ip address has changed?
Maybe try pinging some different ip address using a different subnet. _________________ WRT54G-TM (Gateway) std-nokaid-build 14929
WRT54G-TM (Repeater) mini-nokaid-build 13525
WRT54G v4 (Client Bridge) mini-nokaid-build 13525
Murrkf, I have WRT54G-TM that acts similarly but mine I've noticed after it gets hot, it (CPU) stops being recognized by tjtag. After I allow it to fully cool down it works again. Sadly, I see no issues with the capacitors and I'm not sure what else to do with it. Maybe it's a faulty CPU for me at this point. _________________
ASUS AC3200
Linksys WRT32X
Linksys WRT3200 ACM
That's on the list. Thanks. I read most of the 54 pages on jtag. I saw that works for some.
@LOM- I always load giveIO, properly. I actually made sure that everything was working, by sucessfully doing a probeonly on another router, then switched the cable onto this router, plugged it into the same cable, and...got the undetected CPU. Thanks
The only hope that I can see is that I can somehow smarten the router up, as tornado indicated (which I tried a couple of times) or that I will find that somehow something is wrong in the header connection, although I have resoldered the pins in...using loose pins so I could see both sides. I will also remove all the solder and inspect everything, and then try again.
@68Firebird-Pinging was a blind hope, just to see whether there was any response at any time. I did nothing to this router....didn't configure it at all, nor had a I attempted to load firmware on, as I was going to test tornados utility on it. But, when all the lights are on in a router, no one is home. Thanks anyway.
I might also try the freezer trick....just for giggles. _________________ SIG:
I'm trying to teach you to fish, not give you a fish. If you just want a fish, wait for a fisherman who hands them out. I'm more of a fishing instructor.
LOM: "If you show that you have not bothered to read the forum announcements or to follow the advices in them then the level of help available for you will drop substantially, also known as Murrkf's law.."
@LOM- I always load giveIO, properly. I actually made sure that everything was working, by sucessfully doing a probeonly on another router, then switched the cable onto this router, plugged it into the same cable, and...got the undetected CPU. Thanks
And that you withheld but is telling us now..
That basically points to the jtag pins, your soldering of them, or a totally fried router. _________________ Kernel panic: Aiee, killing interrupt handler!
I have spent many hours on this. I have done lots! I agree with your final assessment...something faulty in the router, or something faulty in that header.
I was trying to get my wiggler working at the time, and tried various connections. Wiggler is powered so it can do more damage, I would think, then a passive jtag. However, the router is behaving exactly like it is bricked.
@Mordak- Sorry I missed your post. I did see in my research that you seemed to have a similar issue. Didn't know it works after a cooldown. Perhaps the freezer trick is not so off the wall... _________________ SIG:
I'm trying to teach you to fish, not give you a fish. If you just want a fish, wait for a fisherman who hands them out. I'm more of a fishing instructor.
LOM: "If you show that you have not bothered to read the forum announcements or to follow the advices in them then the level of help available for you will drop substantially, also known as Murrkf's law.."
