Garbled input text on serial terminal

[Nitin Sakhuja]

Hi Everyone,

 

I just go my hands on the BealeBoard but I am having strange issues with the serial terminal. I am using the right cables and also getting thre U Boot messages and BeagleBoard prompt. The following though is not understood...

 

1. I am using a Windows PC (and making sure all the right settings and flow-control NONE) but the native windows utility Hyperterm is unable to show any output on the shell... Though Tera-Term shows the boot procedure fine and the Beagle prompt too...

 

2. I am unable to get a serial connection running (even with TeraTerm) if I use the RS232 port on the PC. Though the specified port is available, no output is received... Only through a USB to SERIAL adapter (and only TeraTerm) do I get the boot messages. 

 

3. This is the BIGGEST problem though : The messages coming from BB to PC are fine, but whatever I type, most of it gets garbled (junk) on the terminal. I am unable to type setenv & boot command to boot the Kernel from MMC because of this. In fact almost nothing can be done as 80-100 % of the text gets as Junk on the terminal. Is this a Bad Serial Terminal on the board ? I have tried replacing cables, adapters, etc. Should I go for an RMA ?

 

Please help...

 

-Nitin 

 

[John Beetem]

There is useful information on the BeagleBoard community FAQ:
http://elinux.org/BeagleBoardFAQ.

In your case one possibility that comes to mind is a bad (broken or
mis-wired) ground connection. Check the cables and connectors
carefully with an ohmmeter, and try the loop-back test (unplug cable
from BeagleBoard and loop serial pin 2 to pin 3 at end of cable with a
paper clip) to see if the characters you type echo back to your
terminal emulator.

John