Pocket Reform RK3588 installation manual (issues?)

Hi all

I have just recieved my RK3588 processor module for the Pocket. While installing, I have stumbled upon a few questions:

  • The step-by-step instructions in the manual (https://mntre.com/documentation/pocket-reform-rcore-rk3588-manual.pdf) mentions to install the module on the motherboard (step 2) and to then connect the cable (step 3). These steps are in the wrong order, right?
  • Step 4 requires to disconnect the Molex antenna. The antenna is connected (soldered) to the headphone board. This needs to be desoldered, correct?
  • Step 4 also mentions where to place the secondary antenna. Where does the primary go? The picture suggests that this would do where the Molex is. Just stick it over where the “old” antenna was desoldered?

A few irritating bits are:

  • In my package, there where two Wi-Fi cards. Is this by mistake?
  • Rather than a second Wi-Fi card I would have been happy to have a screw and a washer to install the M2 card. Maybe thats just me, but I do not have these things on stock at home.

I am happy to provide some suggestions on how to improve the doc as soon as I have my RK3588 running…

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Thanks for the feedback! One quick note: the Molex antenna is not soldered on. It is a flexible PCB that is stuck to the headphone PCB with (light) adhesive. You can just peel that off.

I’ll get back about the other issues later.

Wow, step 2 and 3 are totally swapped indeed. Not sure how that happened, but I’ll fix it now, thanks for pointing it out!

About the two Wi-Fi cards: where was the second one? Did you get 2x little AsiaRF cardboard boxes or were there 2 cards in one AsiaRF box?

About the primary antenna: it goes where you removed the Molex antenna (peeled it off).

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Hey @minute! Sweet, thanks for the quick response.

(I add some more feedback here. Keep in mind that I am not really a hardware person; I am here for the spirit of open source, but I am more of a software guy. Just so you know where to put my feedback)

Peeling off the Molex antenna worked like a charm. That might be worth mentioning in the manual to reduce the amount of stupid questions.

  1. If your bundle includes an M.2 SSD and/or M.2 Wi-Fi card, install them in their respective slots. Replace the Molex antenna (it can be peeled of like a sticker) with the included one, and place the secondary antenna as shown on the picture.

For the screw and washer: I am not sure if that was just missing in my case. However than would probably be worth including as I now have to buy a whole batch to get one of each.

And finally: The second Wi-Fi Card was in the little box (just a single box). I assume that was just “forwarded” by MNT. Sadly there are only one batch of antennas, but If anyone is interested I am happy to give that away.

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I also got 2x antennas and am also missing an extra screw + washer :frowning:

Luckily I also had an nvm ssd (which I’m not using yet :D) so stole the screw/washer from that will reinstall ssd when I buy another screw/washer

A note: ensuring that the secondary antenna cable wouldn’t get stuck in between the thermal pad and the panel was a bit fiddly, would be curious as to where/how people tucked it

Apart from this super happy with the RK3588 upgrade! Upon first boot nothing happened (nothing showed up on screen) so got a bit scared, another restart did boot the system

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2x antennas is correct. Do you mean you also got 2x WiFi cards?

Edit: also, with the latest kernel update that I did on friday, the “sometimes stuck at boot with no display” should hopefully go away.

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sorry indeed I did mean 2x wifi cards

Edit: also, with the latest kernel update that I did on friday, the “sometimes stuck at boot with no display” should hopefully go away.

Nice!!!

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Turns out that bizarrely, AsiaRF sent us 2 cards in each box that should have had only one, so we sent double cards to around 19 people and we lost around $250, but yeah. If you don’t need the extra cards, we’re happy to get them back in a padded letter, or you can share them and send to other users in need here.

Our postal address:

MNT Research GmbH
Fehlerstr. 8
12161 Berlin
Germany

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@minute will send it back to you once back from holidays, is there a risk that you’d have to pay customs on it, not sure how this works? (I live in the UK and had to pay customs to receive it)

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Hello, I just ordered another WiFi but please DO NOT sent the cart to me - the order R601681350. I already got 2 of them and want to keep the second one, too. So I want to pay for it this way. Is it OK?

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I guess to make sure that MNT takes note of this you would have to either explicitly ping @minute and/or write an email to support@mntre.com

This is what I did. Already have a support ticket. :slight_smile: Many thanks!

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The installation guide is unclear as to where to put the secondary antenna in my opinion. I attached it to the back of the system as I think that’s what it’s showing, but this may be a cause of the slow wifi speeds I am experiencing (1-2 megabytes per second, versus the 20-ish of other devices on the same network.) Network manager lists a connection speed of 585-620 mbps, so… maybe it’s the drivers not taking full advantage of that? Reminds me of issues I had on a laptop with the proprietary broadcom-wl driver.

I also got 2 wifi cards - both where in the plastic foil in the single AsiaRF cardboard box. (Ill send one back when I get to it)

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