Author Topic: swapping flash chips, ordering spares  (Read 2622 times)

pocock

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 280
  • Karma: +31/-0
    • View Profile
swapping flash chips, ordering spares
« on: September 06, 2020, 03:43:52 am »

I looked at the wiki pages Updating Firmware and Debricking the BMC

The latter suggests "Remove the BMC SPI flash chip and reflash it with a flash programmer"

Rather than reflashing the existing chip, it may be safer to keep one additional flash chip on site.  Any new images can be flashed to the spare flash chip, it is swapped into the socket and if it doesn't work, the old chip is swapped back in.

Can anybody clarify the exact type of chip to order?  Are both flash chips identical or different part numbers?

Has anybody seen any useful video that shows the correct way to remove the chip?

I have a CH341A flash programmer, what type of cable or adapter is needed to insert the flash chip, or does it fit directly into one of these programmers?
Debian Developer
https://danielpocock.com

FlyingBlackbird

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 102
  • Karma: +3/-0
    • View Profile
Re: swapping flash chips, ordering spares
« Reply #1 on: September 07, 2020, 01:50:36 pm »
Before my RMA of the blackbird planar I wanted to change the flash chips too and searched the web a lot. Here are my findings (without any guarantees ;-)

Flash Socket Type is: G6179T011-003H (2 x 8 pin layout)

Flash chip types are

1. BMC Firmware ROM (J7500 on the planar): MX25L25635FMI-10G
   Data Sheet: https://media.digikey.com/pdf/Data%20Sheets/Macronix/MX25L25635F.pdf
   2,7 - 3,6 Volts !!!!
   256 MB
   16-SOIC

2. Boot Flash ROM/PNOR Flash ROM (J7501): MT25QL512ABB8ESF-0SIT (on my chip I can read: 7RAI5 RWI87 258 => FBGA Code RW187 is the same chip!)
   Datasheet: https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/micron-technology-inc/MT25QL512ABB8ESF-0SIT-TR/557-1987-1-ND/9673968
   512 MB
   2,7 - 3,6 V -> 3 V is safe
   16-SOIC

=> you can order the chips here (eg.)
   https://www.digikey.de

HIH

PS: See the attached pic of my (RMA'ed) planar
« Last Edit: September 07, 2020, 01:55:51 pm by FlyingBlackbird »

FlyingBlackbird

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 102
  • Karma: +3/-0
    • View Profile
Re: swapping flash chips, ordering spares
« Reply #2 on: September 07, 2020, 01:52:48 pm »

Has anybody seen any useful video that shows the correct way to remove the chip?

I have found a video here but never tried it:

How to remove a SPI flash chip ("BIOS") from the motherboard:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEcvVWcdXk0

If you look at my pic in the prev post you can see that the planar uses sockets for the chips which support easily replace them...
« Last Edit: September 07, 2020, 01:57:26 pm by FlyingBlackbird »