[SOLVED] apu2 internal TTL com port

xbipin

it seems the apu2 bios works on com1 only but i was told i could redirect pfsense console to internal com2, any idea what to change where inorder to get the pfsense console output to this internal com2 port?

jahonix

@xbipin:

do we need to tell pfsense to redirect to that or something?

Jepp, it uses the first ser port if not told to change that.

On an AUP2 look at /var/log/dmesg.boot and you'll find
uart0: <16550 or compatible> at port 0x3f8-0x3ff irq 4 flags 0x10 on isa0
uart0: console (115200,n,8,1)

But I don't see a uart1 for the other port there … and cannot find where to change the port in pfSense's GUI at all. Sorry, I don't remember how we wanted to use that port back in 2012 or so. Getting old...
But I still have a dozent or so Max232 level converters laying around for that purpose. Never used.

doktornotor

This is not possible without recompiling the boot blocks and other weirdo messing, just waste of time IMNSHO.

https://www.freebsd.org/doc/handbook/serialconsole-setup.html

xbipin

well i see uart1 on my board

uart0: <16550 or compatible> port 0x3f8-0x3ff irq 4 flags 0x10 on acpi0
uart0: console (115200,n,8,1)
orm0: <isa option="" rom=""> at iomem 0xef000-0xeffff on isa0
apuled0: <apu2> at iomem 0xfed81610-0xfed8161b,0xfed81664-0xfed81667 on isa0
ppc0: cannot reserve I/O port range
uart1: <16550 or compatible> at port 0x2f8 irq 3 on isa0</apu2></isa>

doktornotor

That's not the problem. The problem is that COM1 is hardcoded in the boot blocks. Changing it on the fly is not possible. See the linked howto.

jimp

You can install using the ADI image to get a serial console on COM2 but I'm not sure what other side effects you might have with that image on non-ADI hardware.

xbipin

Thanks for the info, btw I found one method to get serial console on com2 so I'll get time to test it on Saturday and report back if it works, the other reason I want this to work is for a remote site where they only have a USB to ttl adapter which can connect to com2 and traffic shaping is crashing their system so need to get a crash dump because the system isn't saving it and keeps rebooting

stephenw10

I have found that nothing more is required than adding to /boot/loader.conf.local

comconsole_port="0x2F8"

You may not get the full boot output from that but you should get the console/menu.

Steve

xbipin

Exactly the same stuff I read in a Reddit post and wanted to try, don't want the boot output, just want the console menu and afterwards

xbipin

@stephenw10:

I have found that nothing more is required than adding to /boot/loader.conf.local
comconsole_port="0x2F8"
You may not get the full boot output from that but you should get the console/menu.

Steve

i tried this and it works but i have another issue which i was coordinating with pcengine guys and came to the conclusion that when we redirect serial console to com2 header on apu2 using the above in loader.conf.local then console stops and the com1 and it get silent so thats fine but then the com2 starts giving the console along with a constant stream of garbage which never stops, at first i was told my usb to uart adapter might be faulty so tried a different chipset one and its same and also tried on 2 apu2 boards and it same so any idea why is pfsense or freebsd doing this?

stephenw10

What is it actually sending to the port?

Steve

jimp

"garbage" makes me think it's sending at a different serial speed, whatever it is. Doesn't sound like anything that pfSense or FreeBSD would be doing though.

xbipin

from time to time i see valid serial output but then it comes along with lot of garbage characters non stop, i tried the default baud rate of 115200 as well as all possible baud rates and its same except on other baud rates its total garbage, atleast on 115200 i see some of the pfsense output but the garbage is so much that it comes in bits and pieces.

stephenw10

A bad connection or interference on the cable can appear like that. Is the cable particularly long?

Steve

xbipin

no its hardly 15cm and plus its happening on my adapter and apu2 as well as a different one in a client location.

stephenw10

Do you see that even when the console has not been switched to it?

Steve

xbipin

yes but only when i press enter then all the garbage starts non stop, on a fresh boot when i connect doesnt display anything.

stephenw10

Hmm, sure sounds like something else is using the port. Just because the output is not ASCII does not mean it's garbage though, it may be some other format.

Are you sure you haven't configured anything else on that port? Do you see that output even if pfSense it not booted?

Try looking at the raw serial output rather than using a terminal emulator. That will rely on the port settings being correct.

Steve

xbipin

when pfsense is not booted its blank coz the apu2 sends its bios menu only to the com1 which is the serial port, i have nothing else configured just a basic pfsense firewall with mostly everything default.

i dont understand what do u mean by "Try looking at the raw serial output rather than using a terminal emulator. That will rely on the port settings being correct."

stephenw10

Ok, and hitting enter at that point does not start a stream of unreadable characters?

That implies it's something being loaded by pfSense rather than debug output from the CPU or whatever.

Are you sure you don't have say lcdproc or nut loaded?

You are looking at the serial output with a terminal emulator that tries to interpret the data as characters or instructions to move the cursor etc but not all serial data is that.

Try running on the connected device, for example:

cat /dev/(your usb serial port) > /tmp/serial_output

Then open that file in a hex editor. Since you can;t set the port speed it replies on whatever the port settings are already set to which must be correct to see meaningful data.

Moving this to hardware since it's not 2.4 related.

Steve