Why is it that yesterday, when I didn't need them, I came across at least 3 usb > 3.3v serial adapters... now that I need ONE to debug this I cant find any.....

Prop plug to the rescue!

U-Boot 2017.09-armbian (Nov 22 2017 - 16:47:31 +0100) Allwinner Technology

CPU:   Allwinner H3 (SUN8I 1680)
Model: Xunlong Orange Pi One
DRAM:  512 MiB
MMC:   SUNXI SD/MMC: 0
*** Warning - bad CRC, using default environment

In:    serial
Out:   vidconsole
Err:   vidconsole
Net:   phy interface0
eth0: ethernet@1c30000
230454 bytes read in 195 ms (1.1 MiB/s)
starting USB...
USB0:   USB EHCI 1.00
USB1:   USB OHCI 1.0
scanning bus 0 for devices... 1 USB Device(s) found
scanning bus 1 for devices... 2 USB Device(s) found
       scanning usb for storage devices... 0 Storage Device(s) found
Autoboot in 1 seconds, press  to stop
=>

U-Boot SPL 2017.09-armbian (Nov 22 2017 - 16:47:31)
DRAM: 512 MiB
Trying to boot from MMC1


U-Boot 2017.09-armbian (Nov 22 2017 - 16:47:31 +0100) Allwinner Technology

CPU:   Allwinner H3 (SUN8I 1680)
Model: Xunlong Orange Pi One
DRAM:  512 MiB
▒
U-Boot SPL 2017.09-armbian (Nov 22 2017 - 16:47:31)
DRAM: 512 MiB
Trying to boot from MMC1


U-Boot 2017.09-armbian (Nov 22 2017 - 16:47:31 +0100) Allwinner Technology

CPU:   Allwinner H3 (SUN8I 1680)
Model: Xunlong Orange Pi One
DRAM:  512 MiB
MMC:   SUNXI SD/MMC: 0
*** Warning - bad CRC, using default environment

In:    serial
Out:   vidconsole
Err:   vidconsole
Net:   phy interface0
eth0: ethernet@1c30000
230454 bytes read in 194 ms (1.1 MiB/s)
starting USB...
USB0:   USB EHCI 1.00
USB1:   USB OHCI 1.0
scanning bus 0 for devices... 1 USB Device(s) found
scanning bus 1 for devices... 2 USB Device(s) found
       scanning usb for storage devices... 0 Storage Device(s) found
Autoboot in 1 seconds, press  to stop
switch to partitions #0, OK
mmc0 is current device
Scanning mmc 0:1...
Found U-Boot script /boot/boot.scr
3708 bytes read in 198 ms (17.6 KiB/s)
## Executing script at 43100000
U-boot loaded from SD
Boot script loaded from mmc
115 bytes read in 150 ms (0 Bytes/s)
3812646 bytes read in 447 ms (8.1 MiB/s)
4751880 bytes read in 509 ms (8.9 MiB/s)
Found legacy kernel configuration
34704 bytes read in 494 ms (68.4 KiB/s)
## Loading init Ramdisk from Legacy Image at 43300000 ...
   Image Name:   uInitrd
   Image Type:   ARM Linux RAMDisk Image (gzip compressed)
   Data Size:    3812582 Bytes = 3.6 MiB
   Load Address: 00000000
   Entry Point:  00000000
   Verifying Checksum ... OK

Starting kernel ...

[sun8i_fixup]: From boot, get meminfo:
        Start:  0x40000000
        Size:   512MB
ion_carveout reserve: 160m@0 256m@0 130m@1 200m@1
ion_reserve_select: ion chipid  [0x2c00081!
ion_reserve_common: ion reserve: [0x56000000, 0x60000000]!
Loading, please wait...
      Begin: Loading essential drivers ... done.
Begin: Running /scripts/init-premount ... done.
Begin: Mounting root file system ... Begin: Running /scripts/local-top ... done.
Begin: Running /scripts/local-premount ... Scanning for Btrfs filesystems
 done.
 Begin: Will now check root file system ... fsck from util-linux 2.25.2
[/sbin/fsck.ext4 (1) -- /dev/mmcblk0p1] fsck.ext4 -a -C0 /dev/mmcblk0p1
/dev/mmcblk0p1: clean, 34994/72720 files, 199522/290816 blocks
 done.
done.
Begin: Running /scripts/local-bottom ... done.
Begin: Running /scripts/init-bottom ...   done.

Welcome to Debian GNU/Linux 8 (jessie)!

          Expecting device dev-ttyS0.device...
[  OK  ] Reached target Remote File Systems (Pre).
[  OK  ] Reached target Encrypted Volumes.
[  OK  ] Reached target Paths.
[  OK  ] Set up automount Arbitrary Executable File Formats F...utomount Point.
[  OK  ] Reached target Swap.
[  OK  ] Created slice Root Slice.
[  OK  ] Listening on /dev/initctl Compatibility Named Pipe.
[  OK  ] Listening on Delayed Shutdown Socket.
[  OK  ] Listening on Journal Socket (/dev/log).
[  OK  ] Created slice User and Session Slice.
[  OK  ] Listening on udev Control Socket.
[  OK  ] Listening on udev Kernel Socket.
[  OK  ] Listening on Journal Socket.
[  OK  ] Created slice System Slice.
         Starting Increase datagram queue length...
         Starting Restore / save the current clock...
          Starting Nameserver information manager...
          Mounting POSIX Message Queue File System...
         Mounting Debug File System...
          Starting udev Coldplug all Devices...
         Starting Create list of required static device nodes...rrent kernel...
[  OK  ] Created slice system-serial\x2dgetty.slice.
         Starting Load Kernel Modules...
▒[  OK  ] Reached target Slices.
[  OK  ] Mounted Debug File System.
[  OK  ] Mounted POSIX Message Queue File System.
[  OK  ] Started Increase datagram queue length.
[  OK  ] Started Restore / save the current clock.
▒[  OK  ] Started Create list of required static device nodes ...current kernel.
[  OK  ] Started Load Kernel Modules.
[  OK  ] Started Nameserver information manager.
[  OK  ] Started udev Coldplug all Devices.
         Starting Apply Kernel Variables...
         Mounting FUSE Control File System...
         Starting Create Static Device Nodes in /dev...
[  OK  ] Listening on Syslog Socket.
[  OK  ] Mounted FUSE Control File System.
▒[  OK  ] Started Apply Kernel Variables.
[  OK  ] Started Create Static Device Nodes in /dev.
         Starting udev Kernel Device Manager...
▒[  OK  ] Started udev Kernel Device Manager.
         Starting Copy rules generated while the root was ro...
         Starting LSB: Tune IDE hard disks...
         Starting LSB: Set preliminary keymap...
[  OK  ] Started Copy rules generated while the root was ro.

U-Boot SPL 2017.09-armbian (Nov 22 2017 - 16:47:31)
DRAM: 512 MiB
Trying to boot from MMC1


U-Boot 2017.09-armbian (Nov 22 2017 - 16:47:31 +0100) Allwinner Technology

CPU:   Allwinner H3 (SUN8I 1680)
Model: Xunlong Orange Pi One
DRAM:  512 MiB
MMC:   SUNXI SD/MMC: 0
*** Warning - bad CRC, using default environment

In:    serial
Out:   vidconsole
Err:   vidconsole
Net:   phy interface0
eth0: ethernet@1c30000
230454 bytes read in 194 ms (1.1 MiB/s)
starting USB...
USB0:   USB EHCI 1.00
USB1:   USB OHCI 1.0
scanning bus 0 for devices... 1 USB Device(s) found
scanning bus 1 for devices... 2 USB Device(s) found
       scanning usb for storage devices... 0 Storage Device(s) found
Autoboot in 1 seconds, press  to stop
=>

Well, that took about 10 seconds to discover the power supply I had for it was sagging to 4,4v during boot and the SBC reset.... 1 new power supply later and.....

Debian GNU/Linux 8 orangepione ttyS0

orangepione login:

Thank you baby jesus