Hardware Modifications
(Warning: many large photos to come on! If you have a slow internet connection, please be patient.)
To modify the router board, to add the serial port and the JTAG debug port, you will need a selection of tools:
- medium Philips head screw-driver.
- a decent soldering iron, with a reasonably fine tip.
- fine solder, or solder paste.
- surface-mount-soldering flux (the type that comes in a syringe).
- fine tweezers.
- desoldering braid and (optionally) desoldering pump.
- (optionally) some form of magnifier.
and several extra parts:
- a 7-pin long piece of dual in line header strip, for the JTAG port.
- 5 surface-mount 0805 or 0603-size 0.1 uF capacitors (get a few spares, they are easy to lose or break).
- a 9-pin male D connector for the serial port (same connector as the serial port on your PC).
- a MAX211 (http://www.maxim-ic.com/quick_view2.cfm/qv_pk/1369) serial transceiver IC in a SSOP28 package. These can be quite hard to find; you can order them online from the larger internet electronics outlets like Digikey (http://www.digikey.com), or direct from Maxim IC (http://www.maxim-ic.com).
- (optionally) a zero-ohm resistor in a surface mount 0603 or 0805 package.
If you have difficulty modifying the board, or don't think you want to try, contact Bluewater - we are able to sell you a modified board along with a JTAG debug adapter, and a CD containing relevant tools, documentation and source code.
Before you start, read all the instructions, get the needed parts, and if necessary practice your soldering skills on something you can afford to break.
Important: we recently became aware of a second revision of the circuit board, with a few minor changes, primarily in the power supply section. To determine if you have a revision two board, please check this page.
Contents
Onward to HW Mods: Step One.