Difference between revisions of "Flameman/dht-walnut"

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For more interesting projects done by Flameman, be sure to check out his [[Flameman#master_index|project index]]
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Stay away from "'''stelios-k'''" on eBay. Attached is the photo of what we got from that guy, and you can judge for yourself.
  
= DHT-Walnut-Flameman =
+
I am the team leader of a small group of friends, we only had two working DHT-Walnut boards shared among five person, so we tried to buy other boards. Unfortunately we got contacted by a dude who asked 35 euro for shipping from Greece. Mr.Stelios-K privately reached one of my friends on a person-to-person marketplace of a forum where my friend had opened a "want to buy" topic several weeks earlier, and offered some boards in exchange for money and our free software support to his boards on eBay. Which was somehow "wow" to hear, we are all students and hobbyists with limited budget, but then '''he shipped boards in soft-cardboard''', with the result that '''two arrived heavily damaged''' and we haven't yet found a way to repair, one board was "ok", while the fourth '''one was lightly damaged''' but has been recently repaired and it's now working.
  
== Note ==
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[[File:Parcel-walnuts.jpg]]
 +
(To skimps out on properly packing was not a good idea, ain't it?)
  
This project is deprecated, RIP. Jtag software is also deprecated, vendor removed the support for amcc44x.
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* board#0  board#1
 +
* board#2  board#3
 +
Status of each board in the picture
  
== Introduction ==
+
'''board#0'''
 +
* defect: broken DIMM connector with two pins bent, scratches on the PCB
 +
* status: faulty
 +
* repairable: dunno, probably no
  
The Target-goal of this page is
+
'''board#1'''
* install gentoo-ppc32 into harddisk
+
* defect: no defects
* make the board able to boot from it
+
* status: working
* describe how to build a jtag cable (to debug and recover from "Brickage")
 
* describe  something useful with you can do with the board
 
* describe other Operating System available for the board
 
  
 +
'''board#2'''
 +
* defect: scratches on the PCB, RJ45 crushed
 +
* status: faulty
 +
* repairable: yes -> it's back to working condition
  
logical steps about installing gentoo
+
'''board#3'''
* add the JTAG connector at J10 (you could skip it, it is suggested)
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* defect: broken DIMM connector with one pin bent, scratches on the PCB
* build the JTAG cable (you could skip it, it is suggested))
+
* status: faulty
* replace the bootloader with ppcboot 1.1.6/U-boot 1.1.4
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* repairable: dunno, probably no
* make partitions on the Hard Disk
 
* populate them
 
* set the bootloader environment to boot from the Hard Disk
 
  
=== People you could contact if you need help ===
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We spent a lot of time to repair the board#2. It looked apparently fine, but the networking was not properly working, it randomly manifested weird and unexplained disconnections, inspecting the PCB we found the plastic of the RJ45 connector cracked so the cable didn't make good and reliable contact.
  
Please let me know of any success or issues you encounter. carlojpisani@gmail.com
+
Once we replace the RJ45 connector things started properly moving. We spent time on the firmware, the problem was on the hardware, there is still a discussion in a forum about these weird issues.  
  
=== New projects, 2017-2019, at DTB ===
+
The other two boards are more unfortunate, they have damages on the ram connector, and this make some contact between the stick and the controller completely unreliable, so these boards randomly crash and 90% of time the don't even pass the bootstrap. We still have to figure out how to hot-air-de-solder and replace a big DIMM connector without damaging the PCB.
  
See [http://www.downthebunker.com here]
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'''What makes this story really annoying is''' not only he asked 40 euro to ship a soft cardboard(1) and didn't spent enough time to properly package boards, but '''he also refused to partially refund, pay for a repair, or to fix the problem in some way'''.  
  
=== Overview ===
+
Now, 40 euro for a soft cardboard ground shipped is frankly too overpriced since I can ship up to 6Kg solid parcel via UPS-2nd class for 18 Euro within Europe's zones 1-4, with a delivery time of 4 working days!
  
The board consists of:
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Mybe Greece has expensive shipping services, I don't know, but if something goes wrong, you have to fix it.
  
* '''CPU''' PowerPC 405GP running at 266mhz
+
To be honest, I have just looked at eBay, and the last two comments he received are positive
* '''RAM''' PC133 SDRAM slot, currently, only supports single sidded DIMMs
+
* Prompt shipping and very well packed, DHT-Walnut powerpc dev board - ppc405 (#264945488526)
* '''LAN''' On-chip 405GP ethernet, board doesn't have an ethernet MAC address (the monitor/bootloader is able to fix it)
+
* Crazy Fast! Extremely recommended! Quality seller! A pleasure doing biz with you, DHT-Walnut powerpc dev board - ppc405 (#264490849811)
* '''UART''' DCE serial port, speeds up to 230k, only tested to 115200bps
 
* '''PCI''' two pci slots, keyed for 5V only cards
 
* '''IDE''' Promise Technologies PDC20265 IDE
 
* '''ROM''' 512k of boot flash, AMD 29LV040B (amd29lv040b.pdf), soldered on the PCB, if you like to use a socket you have to consider the bootloader will check for the flash manufactor ID, so or you replace the 29LV040B with an other socked-29LV040B, or you have to modify the bootloader
 
* '''POWER''' the board need to be 12v dc powered 2A max, it is able to feed the hard disk
 
* '''System PCB '''6.00" x 7.5" board size
 
* '''RTC''' the real time clock chip is missing
 
* '''RAM''' 32M PC133 SDRAM DIMM, the board has issues with more than 128M: if you inspect the pcb, you will see that the DIMM connector has same pin missing, this is the reason why you can't use DIMM bigger than 128M
 
* '''PCI IEEE-1394 card''' supported by OHCI driver
 
* '''PCI additional ethernet board''' needed cause the on board ethernet is implemented by the IBM-ppc-405GP, for example netbsd is not able to drive it, so in case you need an additional board, the one provided with DHT is good enough
 
* '''FIRMWARE''' PPCBoot v.1.1.2 in flash (it has issues with environment, it need to be replaced with a gooder one)
 
  
=== Images of the board ===
+
So, maybe these guys were lucky, maybe we were unlucky, maybe being on eBay forces him to expend more energy working on properly packaging, may be he learned the gold lesson that it's never a good idea to less time, care, money, and material on something than is necessary in an attempt to economize.
  
[[Image:dht-walnut-ppc405-board.jpg]]
+
I don't know, but if you want and advice: don't accept private deal with that kind of person unless you are ready to handle the worst case, and if you really want to buy, buy on eBay, so if you will receive garbage from Stelios-k and he will refuse to provide a solution then he will be reported to the community with a well deserved negative feedback, as well as a report to eBay who will kick him out after several bad reports like this.
  
see more detailed photo  [[dht-walnut-ppc405-top]]
+
'''We still need to find more boards so each person in our small group can develop alone: we currently have three working boards, we are looking for two/three other boards, if you have one for sale, please contact us!'''
  
= JTAG =
+
downthebunker dot team at gmail dot com
  
The BEST solution is to equip your lab with the bdi2000. This hardware is expensive a lot, 'cause it is not a simple download cable, it's a professional debugger
+
You will receive our eternal gratitude!
 
 
For this dht-walnut project it has been used "OCD Commander is macraigor's free debugger software", that i'm going to illustrate
 
 
 
[[Flameman/dht-walnut/jtag]]
 
 
 
= NetBSD =
 
* [http://www.netbsd.org/Ports/evbppc/ Netbsd] has a port for "IBM PowerPC 405GP based Walnut evaluation board", this is not the DHT-Walnut, this is another way to call the AMCC-Walnut (yes just to be confusing). Ok, it is not for DHT-Walnut, but this port could be (easily / hardly) adapted to the DHT-Walnut with some work
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
.
 
 
 
= Project: do something useful with the board =
 
 
 
== development ==
 
 
 
thinking new things ... but it should be compatible with "free time constraints" =P
 
 
 
See also [[Flameman/dht-walnut/develop]]
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
== if you need pci-riser ==
 
 
 
PCI Riser Card 5V 32-bit 2 Slot passive Edge connector X1 of the riser card is inserted in a free 5 V 32-bit slot on the PC motherboard. Slot X2 is then connected and ready for use. The second PCI slot X3 receives its special signals for bus arbitration and interrupt control via the cable from card X4, which is inserted in any other slot on the PCI motherboards. The assembly does not contain any active components. This means that the board is suitable for operation with V(I/O) = 5 V as well as V(I/O) = 3.3 V. The coding of connectors X2 and X3 with this variant is for V(I/O) = 5 V.
 
 
 
[[Category:DHT-Walnut]]
 
[[Category:PowerPC]]
 

Revision as of 05:07, 4 March 2021

Stay away from "stelios-k" on eBay. Attached is the photo of what we got from that guy, and you can judge for yourself.

I am the team leader of a small group of friends, we only had two working DHT-Walnut boards shared among five person, so we tried to buy other boards. Unfortunately we got contacted by a dude who asked 35 euro for shipping from Greece. Mr.Stelios-K privately reached one of my friends on a person-to-person marketplace of a forum where my friend had opened a "want to buy" topic several weeks earlier, and offered some boards in exchange for money and our free software support to his boards on eBay. Which was somehow "wow" to hear, we are all students and hobbyists with limited budget, but then he shipped boards in soft-cardboard, with the result that two arrived heavily damaged and we haven't yet found a way to repair, one board was "ok", while the fourth one was lightly damaged but has been recently repaired and it's now working.

Parcel-walnuts.jpg (To skimps out on properly packing was not a good idea, ain't it?)

  • board#0 board#1
  • board#2 board#3

Status of each board in the picture

board#0

  • defect: broken DIMM connector with two pins bent, scratches on the PCB
  • status: faulty
  • repairable: dunno, probably no

board#1

  • defect: no defects
  • status: working

board#2

  • defect: scratches on the PCB, RJ45 crushed
  • status: faulty
  • repairable: yes -> it's back to working condition

board#3

  • defect: broken DIMM connector with one pin bent, scratches on the PCB
  • status: faulty
  • repairable: dunno, probably no

We spent a lot of time to repair the board#2. It looked apparently fine, but the networking was not properly working, it randomly manifested weird and unexplained disconnections, inspecting the PCB we found the plastic of the RJ45 connector cracked so the cable didn't make good and reliable contact.

Once we replace the RJ45 connector things started properly moving. We spent time on the firmware, the problem was on the hardware, there is still a discussion in a forum about these weird issues.

The other two boards are more unfortunate, they have damages on the ram connector, and this make some contact between the stick and the controller completely unreliable, so these boards randomly crash and 90% of time the don't even pass the bootstrap. We still have to figure out how to hot-air-de-solder and replace a big DIMM connector without damaging the PCB.

What makes this story really annoying is not only he asked 40 euro to ship a soft cardboard(1) and didn't spent enough time to properly package boards, but he also refused to partially refund, pay for a repair, or to fix the problem in some way.

Now, 40 euro for a soft cardboard ground shipped is frankly too overpriced since I can ship up to 6Kg solid parcel via UPS-2nd class for 18 Euro within Europe's zones 1-4, with a delivery time of 4 working days!

Mybe Greece has expensive shipping services, I don't know, but if something goes wrong, you have to fix it.

To be honest, I have just looked at eBay, and the last two comments he received are positive

  • Prompt shipping and very well packed, DHT-Walnut powerpc dev board - ppc405 (#264945488526)
  • Crazy Fast! Extremely recommended! Quality seller! A pleasure doing biz with you, DHT-Walnut powerpc dev board - ppc405 (#264490849811)

So, maybe these guys were lucky, maybe we were unlucky, maybe being on eBay forces him to expend more energy working on properly packaging, may be he learned the gold lesson that it's never a good idea to less time, care, money, and material on something than is necessary in an attempt to economize.

I don't know, but if you want and advice: don't accept private deal with that kind of person unless you are ready to handle the worst case, and if you really want to buy, buy on eBay, so if you will receive garbage from Stelios-k and he will refuse to provide a solution then he will be reported to the community with a well deserved negative feedback, as well as a report to eBay who will kick him out after several bad reports like this.

We still need to find more boards so each person in our small group can develop alone: we currently have three working boards, we are looking for two/three other boards, if you have one for sale, please contact us!

downthebunker dot team at gmail dot com

You will receive our eternal gratitude!