Researching Lenovo IdeaPad 300-15ISK for Possible Future Support with FlashROM, and Later, CoreBoot
The title pretty much sums it up, however here are the details. I have managed to get a hold of my laptop's schematics due to them being leaked.I am currently working with someone over at Bios-Mods to modify the firmware ("unlocking it").Interestingly, this laptop (which I had already updated it's firmware), has no WiFi whitelist, and I had bought brand-new, about a month after it came out. The EC controller, an ITE IT8586E-LQFP, is connected via the LCP bus, and the touchpad, internal keyboard, and the NCT7718W thermal sensor are all connected to it, according to the schematics.I forget whether I have the same exact chip (though I believe it to be so) on my laptop, as 99% of the details match my laptop. The schematics refer to 2 SPI chips, an 8MB W25Q64FVSSIQ_SO8 on UC3 as the main SPI chip, and an 4MB W25Q32FVSSIQ_SO8 on UC6 as backup.I have only one SPI chip, an 8MB W25Q64FVS1011532 on UC3, with the UC6 solder point existing, so I could theoretically solder a backup SPI chip.A TPM chip, the Z32H320TC, also sits on the LCP bus, with a direct connection to the chipset, unlike the touchpad, internal keyboard and the thermal sensor, according to the schematics.I forget whether I have this TPM chip, but once again, I believe that it is so. The IdeaPad 300-15's motherboard is codenamed "Paris". It also (optionally) comes with an AMD dGPU, without direct connection to any graphical output.My specific model only has no dGPU. Can anyone help me with my research? I'm still not very experienced with the actual work regarding electronics, most of my experience is with researching them.If there is any more information required from the schematics, I'll gladly share them, and if anyone wants the schematics, I can send them over.
On 25.11.18 01:30, moriel5 via flashrom wrote:
The schematics refer to 2 SPI chips, an 8MB W25Q64FVSSIQ_SO8 on UC3 as the main SPI chip, and an 4MB W25Q32FVSSIQ_SO8 on UC6 as backup.I have only one SPI chip, an 8MB W25Q64FVS1011532 on UC3, with the UC6 solder point existing, so I could theoretically solder a backup SPI chip.
It's probably not that easy. You'd need a way to switch between the chips. But there may still be use for these pads, see below.
The IdeaPad 300-15's motherboard is codenamed "Paris".
Didn't find anything by that name, but found some "BMWQ1/Q2" that matches your description and is sometimes mentioned along the IdeaPad 300.
Can anyone help me with my research? I'm still not very experienced with the actual work regarding electronics, most of my experience is with researching them.If there is any more information required from the schematics, I'll gladly share them,
What I found were only highly compressed, low resolution pictures of the schematics with hard to read net names. But it seems the 8MiB flash is shared between the Skylake SoC and the EC. In the most discouraged way: they are both directly connected as SPI master. Alas, this is sometimes done because there is money to save.
If my assessment is correct, flashing this board with an external flash programmer will be a most delicate procedure. There are some options, though:
1. Desolder the flash chip, put an isolation circuit between the chip and the board. 2. If the CS# line of UC6 is only connected to the SoC but not the EC, you could put an isolation circuit plus extra flash chip there. 3. Same "If", but with the chip on the board and an isolation circuit between the flash and the programmer. Might make it easier if you want to close the laptop's case. In this case the CS# line of UC3 should control the isolation, so the EC could always take over the bus and talk to its flash. 4. Rather discouraged: Ignore the EC and add yet another master to the SPI bus (i.e. connect the programmer directly). Usually you are lucky and nothing breaks. But in rare cases you can confuse the EC and cause permanent damage.
To sum it up: If you don't have isolation between the mainboard and the programmer, the EC will be awake during flashing and you'll have to take care somehow (or take the risk).
and if anyone wants the schematics, I can send them over.
I wouldn't mind.
Nico
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moriel5 -
Nico Huber