Unable to create flash backup

[hophi0815]

Hi all,

first of all. I’m raw recuit to flashing, cmd, python etc. (never did such things before)

I managed so far to DIY the sd card via cable to the socket of the box for easier access and now I wanted to try to use Tonycloud instead of this procedure of fetching sd card, insert it in card reader, using teddybench, and so on and so on…

I was able to install CC3200 tool (was difficult to me because… look above )
After that I found chukf’s guide (appreciate it a lot) and copied the cc3200tool commands in order to backup the original firmware but then I run into this error messages

C:\Users\phili\cc3200tool\Backup_Firmware>cc3200tool -p COM3 --reset dtr read_all_files ExtractedFromBox/
2024-12-16 20:13:33,789 – Connecting to target…
2024-12-16 20:13:36,099 – timed out while waiting for ack
2024-12-16 20:13:38,313 – timed out while waiting for ack
2024-12-16 20:13:40,519 – timed out while waiting for ack
2024-12-16 20:13:42,734 – timed out while waiting for ack
2024-12-16 20:13:44,937 – timed out while waiting for ack
2024-12-16 20:13:44,938 – Could not connect to target: Did not get ACK on break condition

• I use this this UART adapter for connecting to the toniebox via 0.30mm copper wire with jumper cables.
• I measured the voltage and my multimeter is measuring 3,2V. Is this not sufficient?
• I measured from every pin of UART to PCB to detect any shorts but there weren’t any
• PCB is connected to power supply without battery pack

Hopefully I wrote enough information for somebody to identify what I’m doing wrong

Cheers
Hophi

[chuckf]

@hophi0815

I measured the voltage and my multimeter is measuring 3,2V. Is this not sufficient?

Wouldn’t worry about that.

@hophi0815

I measured from every pin of UART to PCB to detect any shorts but there weren’t any

Are you measuring from the red part to your UART?

From what you described, everything seems correct. Are you running windows 10 or 11? Do you see an exclamation mark next to your device in device manager under ports, i.e. is the correct driver installed?

a) try a different USB port
b) make sure you really connected the correct pins to the correct contants on the PCB
c) instead of using --reset dtr you could briefly connect RTS to GND before each command

@hophi0815

I use this this UART adapter for connecting to the toniebox via 0.30mm copper wire with jumper cables.

Looks like the one I use myself. I read some time ago that there are fake FT232s out there, I wouldn’t immediatly think this is the culprit, just wanted to mention it.

[hophi0815]

@chuckf

Are you measuring from the red part to your UART?

yes

@chuckf

Are you running windows 10 or 11?

My machine is on win10

@chuckf

Do you see an exclamation mark next to your device in device manager under ports, i.e. is the correct driver installed?

I think not. Snip below of the UART

is this the correct driver installed?
I didn’t install it manually but in my opinion this should be the newest version 2.12.36.4 that I found on FTDI homepage

I tried today to bridge SPO2 with VCC of the Toniebox as written in WIKI chapter 4.3.
Unfortunately without success.

[chuckf]

@hophi0815

I tried today to bridge SPO2 with VCC of the Toniebox as written in WIKI chapter 4.3.

You didn’t before? Or did you manually supply 3.3 V to SOP2?

Can you post a picture / sketch of your cabling?

Did you try manually connecting rst and gnd?

[hophi0815]

I stick to your CC3200 newbie guide and even picked the same colors for my jumper cables

and I tried without VCC of UART and bridging VCC with SOP2 of PCB

everytime same timeout error

C:\Users\phili\cc3200tool\Backup_Firmware>cc3200tool -p COM3 --reset dtr read_all_files ExtractedFromBox/
2024-12-18 17:10:56,414 – Connecting to target…
2024-12-18 17:10:58,730 – timed out while waiting for ack
2024-12-18 17:11:00,933 – timed out while waiting for ack
2024-12-18 17:11:03,134 – timed out while waiting for ack
2024-12-18 17:11:05,348 – timed out while waiting for ack
2024-12-18 17:11:07,562 – timed out while waiting for ack
2024-12-18 17:11:07,562 – Could not connect to target: Did not get ACK on break condition

should I try to hot glue the copper cables?

Just to be sure. My procedure is:

1. Connecting UART via USB-C to my PC
2. Connecting power supply
3. Execute cc3200tool command in CMD

Is this the correct order in general?

[chuckf]

@hophi0815

should I try to hot glue the copper cables?

Yes.

Also maybe your wires are too long. See if you can shorten them, especially the part where you wraped them around your jumper cables.

@chuckf

Did you try manually connecting rst and gnd?

You never answered if you tried that.

@hophi0815

Is this the correct order in general?

Yes.

[hophi0815]

@chuckf

Also maybe your wires are too long. See if you can shorten them, especially the part where you wraped them around your jumper cables.

I shortened the cables as much as possible. Still no success
I didn’t hot glued the cables yet.

I didn’t connect the speakers to the PCB since now. After connecting the UART to my PC it wasn’t playing the “welcome sound”. So I assume this is the correct behaviour.
BUT the LED on top of PCB first starts flashing and after that it glows permanently but I have a feeling that it’s flickering until I plug in power supply. Is this normal? Or indicator that my wiring is still wrong.

@chuckf

I read some time ago that there are fake FT232s out there, I wouldn’t immediatly think this is the culprit, just wanted to mention it.

Maybe it is a fake after all?

Side note:
I have another Toniebox at home but with the second one it isn’t working either.

@chuckf

Did you try manually connecting rst and gnd?

Actually what do you mean by that? If my UART isn’t a fake one I have DTR on that

Slowly but surely I think I’m kinda too dumb to hack my box