[flashrom] Flash special target

[Stefan Tauner]

On Sat, 25 Jan 2014 21:15:43 +0700
Michael Matz <mike at gsshm.com> wrote:

> Dear team,
> may you can help me for to fix some problem.
> I'm working in a company and we repair and produce for a well known 
> costumer.
> Normally we upload the test firmware (Linux) to the device by Ethernet, 
> with  an encrypted Windows machine controlled from the customer.
> The tester show only not useful error, like DUT load stub.
> I work in the department for recover and repair ( Customer return ). 
> Unfortunately the company is not willing to pay for professional tools.
> So may colleges (asian) they scrap the units, but my boss (Asian) complain.
> Now too the situation, I have a few units with firmware (Linux) and 
> fortunately the have had a problem with the Ethernet so the tester is 
> not able to delete the flash.
> I can use it for to debug the unit with the Bus pirate at UART mode.
> So I want to read this flash rom's and reprogramme the others to debug them.
> 
> It is not clear the MCU is complete working or not, may some pins have a 
> micro crack.
> How ever I have no SPI port on it, I have an JTAG an a Serial port.
> The flash it is a 1 to 4 MB TQFP with 48 pin. Exchanging the chip was 
> already working for me, but as you know it is difficult and dangerous to 
> solder on a 6 layer PCB.
> Of course I have all information about the chips, schematic and layout.
> I believe, I can use the serial port with bit-bang. But I have had no 
> success (I read it one time on a other schematic).
> I'm the only one in the company use and have experience with Linux.
> So, if you have some time and willing to help, it will be great. As pay 
> back I can give you the information with what parallel flash it is 
> working (ICP).
> The only things, are not allowed for me is: to tell the customer name, 
> share schematics, his product or firmware or CPU they use.
> But I can say it is a MIPS based MCU.
> Thank you in advance for any answer or help you can give to me.

Hi Mike,

first of all we need to know which flash chip is used. If it is nand
flash then flashrom will be of no help and other communities might be a
better place to approach (e.g. communities focusing on wifi routers,
setop boxes or smartphones).

-- 
Kind regards/Mit freundlichen Grüßen, Stefan Tauner