Re: [flashrom] Marvell 9120 SATA Controller/Macronix MX25L4005 EEPROM on ASUS P7P55D-E LX

[Richard R. Blum]

Flashrom Support:

OK I decided I want to flash a MX25L4005A soldered in a ASUS P7P55D-E LX motherboard.

Could you recommend an EEPROM programmer and probes/clamp to use with flashrom that I 
can purchase in the USA for this purpose?

Thanks.

Richard Blum

On 26 May 2012 at 0:50, Stefan Tauner wrote:

please always reply to the mailing list.
some stuff about in-system programming that might be partially
relevant to you: http://flashrom.org/ISP

a special flashrom version for the chip is not needed at all, you seem
to be way too focused on that. normally flashrom will detect that chip
by itself. if not then the communication does not work reliable. there
is also an option to look for a specific chip only instead of all
compatible chips (-c MX25L4005).

Begin forwarded message:

Date: Fri, 25 May 2012 18:19:27 -0400
From: "Richard R. Blum" 
To: Stefan Tauner 
Subject: Re: [flashrom] Marvell 9120 SATA Controller/Macronix
MX25L4005 EEPROM on ASUS P7p55D-E LX

Stefan Tauner:

Thanks for your reply.

I bricked the onboard Marvell 9120 SATA controller by flashing the
sata controller itself using the marvell flash tool with firmware for
another controller model (stupidly).  When I try to force a flash I
now get a "Adapter Not Found" message.  I'm sure the sata controller
firmware is on a Macronix MX25L4005 EEPROM located adjacent to the
Marvell onboard sata controller according to information for the
Marvell 9120 SATA controller and from reading about the experience of
others with similar problems and hardware.  Flashing the mainboard
bios has no effect.  Besides, the Macronix MX25L4005 has 512k memory
and the mainboard bios files are 2048k.

I'm considering using a buspirate and flashrom to flash the MX25L4005.
I'll probably try to flash the MX25L4005 while it is still soldered
onto the mainboard but not powered by the mainboard, and supply power
to the MX25L4005 separately from the board, although I have read where
others have had to either lift their MX25L4005 vcc leg from it's
mainboard or remove the MX25L4005 entirely for a successful flash.

I believe I have a good full copy of the firmware that I overwrote, I
just need to purchase a buspirate and set of probes or a clamp and use
the correctly compiled flashrom.  At this point having a version of
flashrom complied to specifically flash a MX25L4005 would be a great
help along with any other advice you might have for me.

R. Blum

On 25 May 2012 at 21:26, Stefan Tauner wrote:

On Thu, 24 May 2012 16:02:47 -0400
"Richard R. Blum"  wrote:
> Dear Flashrom Support:
>
> I recently bricked the Marvell 9120 SATA Controller on an ASUS
> P7P55D-E LX mainboard.

oh. onboard sata chip.
obviously i was the one confused, sorry.

how did you brick it?
if the firmware is stored in the normal flash as flashrom sees it
(which is likely), flashing the normal mainboard updates should fix
it. what about the flashing tools from asus... did you try recovering
with them? -- Kind regards/Mit freundlichen Grüßen, Stefan Tauner