it isn't bricked ...
I have a pretty good idea of what is happening and have to build an appropriate image to restore it so the older u-boot loader is installed on the NAND chip (the new u-boot loader is what is faulty --- and I don't know why it is being used if it is known to be problematic [what advantages does it provide? if any])
i have lots on my plate right now so this is a low priority item that I will eventually provide a solution for
The vendor u-boot code "works" but is horrible. Upstream u-boot also "works" and is cleaner to work with for packaging. Your Hub has a hardware problem. If you fix that (in hardware) the upstream u-boot works fine.
Define "hardware problem" and elucidate upon "If you fix that (in hardware) the upstream u-boot works fine."
With the eMMC module removed, certain images still won't boot (and this is why I thought the unit was bricked)
GXBB:BL1:08dafd:0a8993;FEAT:EDFD718C;POC:3;RCY:0;EMMC:800;NAND:81;SD:0;READ:0;CHK:F3;USB:8;LOOP:1; repeating output
LibreELEC-WeTek_Hub.arm-9.2.8.10
LibreELEC-WeTek_Hub.arm-9.0.2
then with use of the upstream uboot, the hub stops booting due to receiving an interrupt (the artifacting seen with UART)
LibreELEC-AMLGX.arm-11.0.3-wetek-hub.img
LibreELEC-AMLGX.arm-12.0-nightly-20230819-8e18456-wetek-hub.img
So now to find a bootable image of LibreElec that completely boots the Hub without stopping
what benefits are gained with the upsteam uboot code?
well this is good news
I just tried the latest LE 12 nightly release LibreELEC-AMLGX.arm-12.0-nightly-20230819-8e18456-wetek-hub.img
and it does boot from microSD card
I just still stops during the initial boot (UART prompt: hit any key to stop auto boot).
If I can an older image of LE the the older uboot code OR figure out how to downgrade the uboot code I'll be in business!
The rational for booting from microSD is to be able to write to eMMc (flash it); one cannot do the flash to eMMc when booting from the eMMC.
This (booting from microSD) allows the end user to change the written data on the eMMc.
With the current state of the uboot loader (upstream) both my Wetek Play 2 and Wetek hub bypass the microSD card and directly boot from emmc thus disallowing the end user from ultimately flashing the eMMc (you have shown that the images are just missing some 'software' else they would boot); this demonstrates that it is indeed possible to boot from microSD, then ultimately reflash the eMMc to something different.
Right now as it sits, the eMMc programming on both my Wetek Play 2 and Wetek Hub are not changeable (at least from the different versions that I have tested ... if someone could point me to one that does indeed work then 
)
Thank you for your assistance chewitt - I hope that you're not frustrated with this ... you have helped out a lot and it is greatly appreciated.
The Wetek's are solid little performers even in 2023; it would be nice to get them working again.
Fair enough ...
I think if I could have an LE image that can 1)booted from microSD card & 2)written to emmc then I would be extremely happy.
LE 11.0.3 that was flashed to my Wetek Play 2 emmc does not allow for booting from the microSD card using LE 11.0.3 official release (seems to be a similar issue to the Wetek Hub - which you magically got to boot again with the special bootloader).
The Wetek Play 2 was running LE I think around v7 or something quite old; when I took the LE11.0.3 image and flashed it to microsd, it still worked from booting from microSD card. I *thought* all was well with LE11.0.3 so I flashed the emmc and now it only boots from emmc.
I know that with your work with my Wetek Hub that it can boot from microSD and hopefully you can work your magic to my problems with the Wetek Play 2.
OK ... took the restore image WeTek_Play_2_Restore.zip and followed the instructions and the unit refuses to boot from the microsd card.
1) no reset button pressed
2) reset button pressed for 3, then 5, then 7 seconds
3) reset button and front power button pressed for 3, then 5, then 7 seconds
unit just boots directly into LE 11.0.3
^ What does that mean? Did you unsolder the eMMC chip from the PCB?
Yes ... I have microsoldering skills
BootcardMaker writes u-boot.bin to sector 0 of the SD card, so the bootloader should start even without the eMMC module.
If this doesn't work either, then maybe you didn't follow the instructions correctly, or the SD card (or possibly the slot) is also faulty.
I followed the instructions as stated and the unit did not boot from the microsd card.
^ What does that mean? Did you unsolder the eMMC chip from the PCB?
BootcardMaker writes u-boot.bin to sector 0 of the SD card, so the bootloader should start even without the eMMC module.
If this doesn't work either, then maybe you didn't follow the instructions correctly, or the SD card (or possibly the slot) is also faulty.
I was thinking that there could be the remote possibility of this occurring, even though it was working prior to the flash, but if you read the thread regarding my Wetek Play 2 not being bootable via microSD card either after being flashed with LE 11.0.3
I don't have the UART 2.5mm plug for the Wetek Play 2 but I'm pretty confident that I would just get the same output as the Wetek Hub.
You can prove the device boots (and is not bricked) from SD card by writing https://chewitt.libreelec.tv/testing/LibreE…etek-hub.img.gz to a spare card. It will likely get stuck at the same point during u-boot, but you will see the initial boot stage spew text on the UART console.
Confirm it does? .. and I have an idea.
WWWWHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!?
It booted from the microSD card!
GXBB:BL1:08dafd:0a8993;FEAT:EDFD718C;POC:3;RCY:0;EMMC:800;NAND:81;SD:0;READ:0;CHK:0;
no sdio debug board detected
TE: 329094
BL2 Built : 09:01:42, Oct 11 2016.
gxb g88b04d6 - haixiang.bao@droid05
set vcck to 1100 mv
set vddee to 1000 mv
Board ID = 1
CPU clk: 1536MHz
DDR chl: Rank0+1 same @ 912MHz
DDR0: 1024MB(auto)-2T-13
DataBus test pass!
AddrBus test pass!
Load fip header from SD, src: 0x0000c000, des: 0x01400000, size: 0x00004000
New fip structure!
Load bl30 from SD, src: 0x00010000, des: 0x01000000, size: 0x0000d460
Sending bl30......................................................OK.
Run bl30...
Load bl31 from SD, src: 0x00020000, des: 0x101000[0, size: 0x00018190
Image: gxb_v1.1.3135-18177fc 2016-06-24 11:00:09 yun.cai@droid06]
OPS=0x13
43 40 9f e0 a5 56 b9 1f 31 54 6 bf [0.424213 Inits done]
secure task start!
high task start!
low task start!
Load bl33 from SD, src: 0x0003c000, des: 0x01000000, size: 0x0008fae0
NOTICE: BL3-1: v1.0(debug):bc3419d
NOTICE: BL3-1: Built : 14:16:22, Aug 15 2016
INFO: BL3-1: Initializing runtime services
WARNING: No OPTEE provided by BL2 boot loader
ERROR: Error initializing runtime service opteed_fast
INFO: BL3-1: Preparing for EL3 exit to normal world
INFO: BL3-1: Next image address = 0x1000000
INFO: BL3-1: Next image spsr = 0x3c9
<debug_uart>
U-Boot 2023.04 (Jul 29 2023 - 08:49:34 +0000) wetek-hub
Model: WeTek Hub
SoC: Amlogic Meson GXBB (S905) Revision 1f:c (13:1)
DRAM: 1 GiB
Core: 160 devices, 25 uclasses, devicetree: separate
MMC: mmc@70000: 2, mmc@72000: 0, mmc@74000: 1
Loading Environment from nowhere... OK
In: serial
Out: serial
Err: serial
[BL31]: tee size: 0
[BL31]: tee size: 0
Net: Could not get PHY for ethernet@c9410000: addr -1
No ethernet found.
Hit any key to stop autoboot: 0
<INTERRUPT>well that again didn't work
UART's output has not changed even with the microSD card properly created
perfectly working until the flash with LE 11.0.3
now I have a broken Wetek Hub
b) I forget the commands, but it's possible to enter the u-boot console, select the emmc device:partition and then erase a block range on the device to remove u-boot. Once that's done the boot-rom will fail to find u-boot on eMMC and boot the LE board image from an SD card (from where you can dd the factory image).
OK --- did that and it still doesn't want to boot from USB or SD card
Here is the UART output (just loops & no u-boot)
=> GXBB:BL1:08dafd:0a8993;FEAT:EDFD718C;POC:3;RCY:0;EMMC:0;READ:0;CHK:F3;SD:800;USB:8;LOOP:1;EMMC:0;READ:0;CHK:F3;SD:800;USB:8;GXBB:BL1:08dafd:0a8993;FEAT:EDFD718C;POC:3;RCY:0;EMMC:0;READ:0;CHK:F3;SD:0;READ:0;CHK:F3;USB:8;LOOP:1;EMMC:0;READ:0;CHK:F3;SD:0;READ:0;CHK:F3;USB:8;LOOP:2;EMMC:0;READ:0;CHK:F3;SD:0;READ:0;CHK:F3;USB:8;LOOP:3;EMMC:0;READ:0;CHK:F3;SD:0;READ:0;CHK:F3;USB:8;LOOP:4;EMMC:0;READ:0;CHK:F3;SD:0;READ:0;CHK:F3;USB:8;LOOP:5;EMMC:0;READ:0;CHK:F3;SD:0;READ:0;CHK:F3;USB:8;LOOP:6;EMMC:0;READ:0;CHK:F3;SD:0;READ:0;CHK:F3;USB:8;LOOP:7;EMMC:0;READ:0;CHK:F3;SD:0;READ:0;CHK:F3;USB:8;LOOP:8;EMMC:0;READ:0;CHK:F3;SD:0;READ:0;CHK:F3;USB:8;LOOP:9;EMMC:0;READ:0;CHK:F3;SD:0;READ:0;CHK:F3;USB:8;LOOP:A;EMMC:0;READ:0;CHK:F3;SD:0;READ:0;CHK:F3;USB:8;LOOP:B;EMMC:0;READ:0;CHK:F3;SD:0;READ:0;CHK:F3;USB:8;LOOP:C;EMMC:0;READ:0;CHK:F3;SD:0;READ:0;CHK:F3;USB:8;LOOP:D;EMMC:0;READ:0;CHK:F3;SD:0;READ:0;CHK:F3;USB:8;LOOP:E;EMMC:0;READ:0;CHK:F3;SD:0;READ:0;CHK:F3;USB:8;LOOP:F;EMMC:0;READ:0;CHK:F3;SD:0;READ:0;CHK:F3;USB:8;LOOP:10;EMMC:0;READ:0;CHK:F3;SD:0;READ:0;CHK:F3;USB:8;LOOP:11;EMMC:0;READ:0;CHK:F3;SD:0;READ:0;CHK:F3;USB:8;▒GXBB:BL1:08dafd:0a8993;FEAT:EDFD718C;POC:3;RCY:0;EMMC:0;READ:0;CHK:F3;SD:800;USB:8;LOOP:1;EMMC:0;READ:0;CHK:F3;SD:800;USB:8;LOOP:2;EMMC:0;READ:0;CHK:F3;SD:800;USB:8;LOOP:3;EMMC:0;READ:0;CHK:F3;SD:800;USB:8;LOOP:4;EMMC:0;READ:0;CHK:F3;SD:800;USB:8;LOOP:5;EMMC:0;READ:0;CHK:F3;SD:800;USB:8;LOOP:6;EMMC:0;READ:0;CHK:F3;SD:800;USB:8;LOOP:7;EMMC:0;READ:0;CHK:F3;SD:800;USB:8;LOOP:8;EMMC:0;READ:0;CHK:F3;SD:800;USB:8;LOOP:9;EMMC:0;READ:0;CHK:F3;SD:800;USB:8;LOOP:A;EMMC:0;READ:0;CHK:F3;SD:800;USB:8;LOOP:B;EMMC:0;READ:0;CHK:F3;SD:800;USB:8;Ok - this proves my hypothesis.
I removed the emmc module and the same boot loop output is received.
Whatever the flash of LE 11.0.3 did to the emmc went beyond the emmc; this hub is bricked.
I read your post multiple times, yet I don't identify a viable solution being stated (unless I am missing something).
1) uboot upsteam (which is now used in LE 11.0.3) no longer has the toothpick option? that it was only in earlier vendor releases of uboot?
if so then, I can't use the toothpick method being on LE 11.0.3
2) we already established that the hub for some reason has inexplicable artifacting with UART; I have access to a viable uboot UART prompt (albeit with artifacts, but with some coaxing I was able to extend the partition size of /storage); if there were some instructions to TFTP an image or some other means of forcing uboot to boot from a custom image then I could go this route (USB storage at uboot is not identified by the uboot system)
3) the hub uses BGA chips so there are no access points superficially to short pins
So with these in mind, how does one recover the Wetek Hub?
One other thing, you mention regarding fixing dry soldering joints to fix the UART ... then with a viable UART how did you restore the board?
My only option at this time appears to be through UART at the uboot prompt ... how do I proceed to restore from this point (unless I am missing something)?
Many thanks!
Thanks chewitt!
How do I boot from a sd card when the unit refuses to boot from a sd card?
(toothpick method doesn't work, power button on unit no longer puts system in recovery mode)
All I have is access to u-boot (via boot interrupt), then I can 'boot' it - it goes to emmc to boot bypassing any toothpick/power button.
and strangely enough the u-boot doesn't recognize any USB storage device (it sees the hub and that is all)
1) Audio pass-through - broken (not passing through audio; no audio)
2) CEC recognized but not passing commands such as volume up/down **
3) H.265 small/large steps forward or back causes the video playback to freeze and have a 100% logo in the center *
4) H.264 small/large steps forward or back occasionally causes the video playback to freeze as per above
5) Fresh emmc installation did not resize the /storage partition; had to manually expand the partition (see thread 'Pooched Wetek Play 2 ... now what')
6) With emmc installation, no longer the option to toothpick or powerbutton recover the unit nor to boot from external sd card ... how does one downgrade to v9 LTS???
* turning off hardware acceleration fixes the problem with scrubbing, however there are now +++ dropped frames due to software decoding
It is rare that the video playback recovers, but if it does then there are +++ compression/playback artifacts
** tried a different AV receiver and CEC worked
toothpick method and booting from sd card refuse to work
there are no nand traces to short either
Thanks chewitt!
How do I boot from a box image on a sd card when the unit refuses to boot from a sd card?
(assuming that I need to install a properly configured 'box' image on a sd card and then boot from it --- or do I have this wrong?)
I was just looking through available commands and found that 'parted' and "resize2fs" are installed on the image.
The emmc storage is 8GB and I am working to non-destructively enlarge it.
This still won't allow me to downgrade previously to v11 but should allow for the device to work and install addons.
the bigger issue at hand is that both the power button and the reset button are non-functional with the flash of 11.0.3; kinda of important items to have working for unbricking/unpooching devices
this is getting comical
(parted) resize 2 100%
resize 2 100%
Error: The resize command has been removed in parted 3.0my error in the syntax, but nonetheless is gets more amusing ... I'm working through parted (used the graphical gparted tons)
parted
select /dev/mmcblk1
resizepart 2 100%
finally 
edit: at 'parted", enter
print all
to get device names
resize2fs /dev/mmcblk1p2
and now storage is 6.3GB in size 
edit: exit parted (I think is was ctrl-c), then type
df -h
to get device name to resize (the device associated with /storage)
Here is the space allocation; /storage only has 3.5M available and that is too small for an .img file