[coreboot] External flashing PCI-e RAID card firmware

[Alberto Bursi]

On 15/02/2018 02:56, Taiidan at gmx.com wrote:
> I am contemplating the purchase of an ASUS PIKE for my KGPE-D16 and I 
> was wondering if anyone here knows if it is possible to externally 
> re-flash them.
>
> I notice a SOIC-8 chip on the front of the card and I imagine the 
> firmware is there, does it entail simply hooking up a test clip and 
> using flashrom as one would with a motherboard?
>
> ....20% chance the manufacturers utility performs some type of secret 
> sauce that is required for it to function.
>

the sas controllers require multiple flashes at different positions,  
and afaik only the manufacturer's utility knows where.

I don't think it is doing anything particularly exotic, and it works 
from FreeDOS, so you can just follow the tutorials and then use the 
external flasher to see what is being done to the flash chip so you know 
where it writes stuff, and maybe write down some info about this in a 
wiki for future readers.

But then again what's the point, you're (cross)flashing a proprietary 
firmware anyway, just use the tools provided by manufacturer.