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16
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Hardware and U-Boot firmware / Hardware / Re: GuruPlug Server Plus Heat Problems
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on: November 10, 2010, 09:17:41 AM
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After months of waiting for Global Scale to release a solution to the overheat problems, and seeing the crappy and noisy solution using the mini-fan, I finally decided to mod my unit to solve the problem. I have found a small heatsing that fits perfectly inside the GP case (once the power supply is removed) and has a little fan. The fan is rated 12V, and I'm running it with 5V, so it turns slowly and makes almost no air flow, but I think it should be enough and due to the slow speed, it doesn't do any noticeable noise.
I removed the power source, attached a jack connector in the opposite side of the ports, opened a window in the lower side of the box, placed the heatsink using some paste and attached a 5V/5A power source. I left this setup running for more than 24h, with a external 2,5" USB harddisk attached, one GB Ethernet port medium CPU load and low network traffic, and it's running flawlessly. The sink gets a little hot, but nothing to worry about. The case also gets a bit warm. Before I did the mod, the unit case became really hot (Eternet ports were uncomfortable to touch) and constantly rebooted even with only one 100 Mbps port and low CPU load.
I hope it continues working when I raise the CPU load and network traffic, and also when summer returns...
It's really a shame to have to loose time and money doing these kind of things GlobalScale shoud have solved before launching a defective product...
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17
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Hardware and U-Boot firmware / Hardware / Re: GuruPlug Server Plus Heat Problems
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on: August 23, 2010, 12:54:39 AM
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I hope this "Professional Upgrade Kit" solves all the heat problems, and I also hope this kit is shipped soon. I had a hard time compiling a custom Angstrom distribution for my plug, and it's really painful to find my plug reboots when it has some little CPU load. I've been really patient, but my patience has a limit. Maybe I should have bought a beagleboard  . |
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18
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Hardware and U-Boot firmware / U-Boot stuff / Is it possible to change CPU speed in U-Boot?
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on: July 05, 2010, 11:26:35 AM
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I have browsed U-Boot sources and it looks like it's not setting CPU speed. Is it possible to add support to change CPU speed in U-Boot? I'd like to use it for underclocking my GuruPlug...
I have browsed the 88F6281 Hardware Specifications and pages 67, 67 and 68 detail how to select the CPU, L2 and DDR speed using hardware pullups/pulldowns. Unfortunately, I can't find documentation detailing the PLL block and if it can be changed on the fly by modifying some registers. If anybody knows something about this, please help me.
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19
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Hardware and U-Boot firmware / Hardware / Re: GuruPlug Server Plus Heat Problems
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on: July 05, 2010, 10:57:31 AM
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I've been pretty busy and I didn't have time to play with my guruplug until now. I compiled an Angstrom distribution, and fired it. It looks like when the plug is idle, it gets really hot but doesn't reboot, but when I launch any program "that does something interesting" (for example aMule), then the plug starts rebooting . I'm only using an ethernet port (100 Mbps) and a USB high powered 2,5" external HDD. No WiFi, no Bluetooth, no 2nd Ethernet port, no Gigabit. It's very annoying they are selling this defective product. I don't want to HW mod my GP, and I don't want to add fans. Does anybody know if finally GlobalScale is going to replace these defective GPs with redesigned (and hopefully working) ones? When? Other option that may work for me is underclocking the CPU/RAM by software, but I don't really know if it can be done. The CPU has a PLL, but I don't know if it can be changed. I browsed U-Boot sources and it looks like CPU speed isn't set anywhere... |
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23
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Linux Stuff / Kernel / Underclocking: cpufreq driver for sheeva/guruplug... possible?
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on: June 14, 2010, 07:14:00 AM
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I was wondering if the CPU in the plugs has an internal PLL that can be changed on the fly. It would make possible to code a cpufreq driver to save power and avoid overheats when CPU load isn't high.
Is it possible to make this kind of driver for the plugs? Is anybody working on it? I have read in page 61 and 67 of the 88F6281 hardware specifications that the chip has a PLL, but I don't know if it can be changed on the fly, and if there are other supported combinations rather than the ones listed in page 61.
Also, is there other way to underclock the CPU using only software? Maybe changing some settings in the kernel?
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25
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Linux Stuff / Kernel / Re: Cannot tftp-boot custom kernel, but only factory default kernel
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on: June 10, 2010, 11:57:15 AM
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I'm out of luck. I almost followed flipflip instructions but the kernel continues hanging in the same point. This is my environment: bootcmd=${x_bootcmd_usb}; ${x_bootcmd_kernel}; setenv bootargs ${x_bootargs} ${x
_bootargs_root}; bootm 0x6400000;
bootdelay=3
baudrate=115200
x_bootcmd_usb=usb start
x_bootcmd_kernel=nand read.e 0x6400000 0x100000 0x400000
x_bootargs=console=ttyS0,115200
x_bootargs_root=ubi.mtd=2 root=ubi0:rootfs rootfstype=ubifs
ethaddr=02:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX
ethact=egiga0
eth1addr=02:50:43:df:7a:ca
serverip=192.168.1.10
ipaddr=192.168.1.23
mainlineLinux=yes
arcNumber=2659
stdin=serial
stdout=serial
stderr=serial
Environment size: 498/131068 bytes I followed the steps to build U-Boot and flash it here, and my compiled U-Boot it's working. Then I almost followed the steps here to build the kernel. Downloaded the kernel, patched it and then executed: make guruplug_defconfig
make menuconfig
make uImage I didn't exec the "make-kpkg kernel_image kernel_headers", because make-kpkg isn't installed in my system. Is this step necessary? I suppose it's only to create .deb packages, right? Also I think there's an errata in the instructions, I think the line "make guruplug_config" should be "make guruplug_ defconfig". The kernel was built, but it doesn't boot . Could it be the cross-compiler? Where can I download the same version you're using? (I'm using the one automatically built by OpenEmbedded). What else can be? Edit: There must be something wrong with my plug or with the process I follow. I have updated U-Boot with downloaded flipflip's version: tftp 0x6400000 u-boot.kwb
nand erase 0x00000000 0x0100000
nand write 0x6400000 0x0000000 0x80000
reset Then restored my environment and tested downloaded flipflip's kernel: tftp 0x6400000 uImage
bootm 0x6400000 And the kernel continues hanging U-Boot 2010.03-01266-g42f7128-dirty (Mai 12 2010 - 13:28:48)
Marvell-GuruPlug (-: flipflip's version 20100512 :-)
SoC: Kirkwood 88F6281_A0
DRAM: 512 MB
NAND: 512 MiB
In: serial
Out: serial
Err: serial
Net: egiga0, egiga1
88E1121 Initialized on egiga0
88E1121 Initialized on egiga1
Hit any key to stop autoboot: 0
GuruPlug>> printenv
bootcmd=${x_bootcmd_usb}; ${x_bootcmd_kernel}; setenv bootargs ${x_bootargs} ${x
_bootargs_root}; bootm 0x6400000;
bootdelay=3
baudrate=115200
x_bootcmd_usb=usb start
x_bootcmd_kernel=nand read.e 0x6400000 0x100000 0x400000
x_bootargs=console=ttyS0,115200
x_bootargs_root=ubi.mtd=2 root=ubi0:rootfs rootfstype=ubifs
ethaddr=02:50:43:e3:83:15
ethact=egiga0
eth1addr=02:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX
serverip=192.168.1.10
ipaddr=192.168.1.23
mainlineLinux=yes
arcNumber=2659
stdin=serial
stdout=serial
stderr=serial
Environment size: 498/131068 bytes
GuruPlug>> tftp 0x6400000 uImage
Using egiga0 device
TFTP from server 192.168.1.10; our IP address is 192.168.1.23
Filename 'uImage'.
Load address: 0x6400000
Loading: #################################################################
#################################################################
#############################################
done
Bytes transferred = 2561944 (271798 hex)
GuruPlug>> bootm
## Booting kernel from Legacy Image at 06400000 ...
Image Name: Linux-2.6.33.3flipflip
Image Type: ARM Linux Kernel Image (uncompressed)
Data Size: 2561880 Bytes = 2.4 MB
Load Address: 00008000
Entry Point: 00008000
Verifying Checksum ... OK
Loading Kernel Image ... OK
OK
Starting kernel ...
Uncompressing Linux... done, booting the kernel.
I'm starting to hate the day I bought my plug . I should have bought a Beagleboard... |
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28
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Hardware and U-Boot firmware / Hardware / Re: GuruPlug Server Plus Heat Problems
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on: June 09, 2010, 07:58:56 AM
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I have recently received my preordered guruplug and didn't have too much time to play with it, but reading this post turns me depressed. I noticed it gets really hot, but didn't know it was this serious. As I will not need the full CPU power of this plug, I would like to know if it's possible to underclock the CPU (maybe to 600 or 700 MHz) and memory, preferably by software. With this underclock, maybe it could get a lot warmer and it would be perfect for people like me, that don't need too much CPU power. Also I noticed cpufreq isn't supported by the supplied kernel. Is this because of hardware constraints? Is it possible to code a cpufreq driver? Unless you always have the plug at full load, it would also help a lot using cpufreq's ondemand scaling governor, and can also save some power consumption. A bit offtopic: Besides the heating issue, I have hit another problem in my guruplug. I followed the wiki directions to compile the kernel, and I got it to compile, but no matter what I try, it never boots. It hangs after "Uncompressing Linux... Now booting the kernel" Anyone with this problem |
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