initializing SDRAM Fail on Pine A64+ with 2GB RAM

[cnxsoft]

I've flashed Android 5.1.1 image (March dd image) to a micro SD card, and after spending some time to find a power supply + USB cable combination that would actually boot the board, I get the red LED always on with the following log looping in the serial console:

Code:

HELLO! BOOT0 is starting!
boot0 commit : 2fe7b0a9fb512fae2996ec1a2ba89d535e1f3c4d

boot0 version : 4.0.0
set pll start
set pll end
rtc[0] value = 0x00000000
rtc[1] value = 0x00000000
rtc[2] value = 0x00000000
rtc[3] value = 0x00000000
rtc[4] value = 0x00000000
rtc[5] value = 0x00000000
DRAM driver version: V1.1
rsb_send_initseq: rsb clk 400Khz -> 3Mhz
PMU: AXP81X
ddr voltage = 1500 mv
DRAM Type = 3 (2:DDR2,3:DDR3,6:LPDDR2,7:LPDDR3)
DRAM clk = 672 MHz
DRAM zq value: 003b3bdd
DRAM error status 0
DRAM init error!
initializing SDRAM Fail.

It looks like some hardware issue with the RAM on the board. Is there a way to set lower DRAM frequency to see if that fixes it?

[tkaiser]

Is there a way to set lower DRAM frequency to see if that fixes it?

A successful DRAM initialization should read "DRAM zq value: 003b3bbb" instead. And since this happens even before u-boot is loaded I would suspect you're not able to adjust any values here.

Did you try to power the board through the pins on the Euler connector? And use the serial console from the EXP header pins (since then they can't backpower the board which leads to all sorts of strange behaviour and might be related to the problem you're running into)

[cnxsoft]

Did you try to power the board through the pins on the Euler connector? And use the serial console from the EXP header pins (since then they can't backpower the board which leads to all sorts of strange behaviour and might be related to the problem you're running into)

The debug board is only connected to the Euler connector via GND, TX and RX, the board is powered via the micro USB port.
There's also jumper for DC5V/BAT (J1 is schematics I think) that was set to BAT by default. So I've tried changing it to DC5V, or removing it, but the result is the same.

I've also made sure to disconnect all devices with only power and serial, but no luck.

Maybe I just have a faulty board.

[tkaiser]

Did you try to power the board through the pins on the Euler connector? And use the serial console from the EXP header pins (since then they can't backpower the board which leads to all sorts of strange behaviour and might be related to the problem you're running into)

The debug board is only connected to the Euler connector via GND, TX and RX, the board is powered via the micro USB port.
There's also jumper for DC5V/BAT

Ok, so you've a 2GB board. The jumper is to provide USB peripherals either with power from DC-IN or through the PMU.

I asked you to do it differently.

Use jumper wires and connect 5V/GND to pins 4/6 on the Euler connector. And use not the Euler connector for serial console but the EXP connector next to it. If you look into their Wiki you will neither find Euler nor EXP since they call the connectors Eular and Ext instead (for reasons absolutely unknown to me): http://wiki.pine64.org/index.php/Main_Pa...nformation

[fire219]

I have this exact problem with my 1GB board. I emailed their support, and they said they're sending me a new board and will investigate the issue.

[cnxsoft]

Ok, so you've a 2GB board. The jumper is to provide USB peripherals either with power from DC-IN or through the PMU.

I asked you to do it differently.

Use jumper wires and connect 5V/GND to pins 4/6 on the Euler connector. And use not the Euler connector for serial console but the EXP connector next to it. If you look into their Wiki you will neither find Euler nor EXP since they call the connectors Eular and Ext instead (for reasons absolutely unknown to me): http://wiki.pine64.org/index.php/Main_Pa...nformation

Thanks, and sorry, I was not thinking clearly at the time. I had also connected my debug board to the EXP, not the larger Euler connector... Anyway, if the board can't boot through micro USB, and would somehow have to power it through the header pins, something is not right here. I use that same power adapter for MiQi board... So I've just contacted them to report the issue, as fire219 did.