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replace onboard ethernet chip?

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    #1

    replace onboard ethernet chip?

    This is a odd question, and im sure nobody has tried this, so i guess im looking for opinions rather then answers so here goes...

    Would it be possible to swap the onboard ethernet chip with another "similar" ethernet chip.What i mean by similar is that it is same physical chip but different manufacture. Both chips have same voltage,i/o pinouts, footprint..ect..ect.

    So i am thinking that either it will work, and OS would detect and drivers would need to be installed, or i am also thinking that because its onboard that theres code inside bios that needs to be added/replaced. If thats the case its out of my knowledge. I know theres tools to edit bios but i dont know what to look for.

    before anyone asks, theres no practical reason for this experiment, its just curiosity, and soldering practice.
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    #2
    Re: replace onboard ethernet chip?

    Which chip in particular is this? Ethernet controllers usually don't get second-sourced often. The only one I can think of is the National 8390.

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      #3
      Re: replace onboard ethernet chip?

      Never tried doing this so the following is just some speculation.

      Yes the bios or a PROM is going to store the identification data so you'd have to hack the bios or reprogram (or solder on a new chip if a write-once type) the PROM for it. However if it is the same pins and footprint, just how different is it? Maybe a spinoff under a different brand that would work even if identified incorrectly, providing the right driver were supplied.

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        #4
        Re: replace onboard ethernet chip?

        is it bga?

        you could always just FORCE a different driver in windows, i've done that before with other devices
        Last edited by Uranium-235; 01-08-2012, 06:25 PM.
        Cap Datasheet Depot: http://www.paullinebarger.net/DS/
        ^If you have datasheets not listed PM me

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          #5
          Re: replace onboard ethernet chip?

          Sorry that i wasnt specific on the chip(s) in question.

          The onboard chip is Davicom DM9102F. The chip im trying to swap it with is Realtek RTL8139D. They both are of the same IC and footprint so desoldering and swapping would be no problem. Going by there data sheets there shouldnt be any issue with voltages, so i would think that the motherboard should still boot, but im not sure if the bios would need editing, or if the OS would detect it.(kind of like a pci ethernet card) I dunno maybe the bios needs editing, i just dont know what code in the bios would contain the ethernet information.

          The bios is Award. I can open the bios in a tool called awdbedit and can see things like bios logo, ROM files,..ect..ect
          Originally posted by Uranium-235 View Post
          is it bga?
          128 pin QFP/LQFP
          Easy Peasy with Chip Quik.
          Last edited by mahkeymike; 01-08-2012, 07:29 PM.

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            #6
            Re: replace onboard ethernet chip?

            Originally posted by mahkeymike View Post
            128 pin QFP/LQFP
            Easy Peasy with Chip Quik.
            I just bought a hot air reflow station. I'll never use chipquick again.
            Man, dunno how I lived without one of these...
            36 Monitors, 3 TVs, 4 Laptops, 1 motherboard, 1 Printer, 1 iMac, 2 hard drive docks and one IP Phone repaired so far....

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              #7
              Re: replace onboard ethernet chip?

              Originally posted by mahkeymike View Post
              Sorry that i wasnt specific on the chip(s) in question.

              The onboard chip is Davicom DM9102F. The chip im trying to swap it with is Realtek RTL8139D. They both are of the same IC and footprint so desoldering and swapping would be no problem. Going by there data sheets there shouldnt be any issue with voltages, so i would think that the motherboard should still boot, but im not sure if the bios would need editing, or if the OS would detect it.(kind of like a pci ethernet card) I dunno maybe the bios needs editing, i just dont know what code in the bios would contain the ethernet information.

              The bios is Award. I can open the bios in a tool called awdbedit and can see things like bios logo, ROM files,..ect..ect
              I don't think you need to mod the BIOS.
              .
              My guess is the OS will find the chip the same way it would find it if it were on an add-in card.
              .
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                #8
                Re: replace onboard ethernet chip?

                ^ Maybe, but the OS finds the add-on card ID because of the programming of the (separate chip) prom on the card. The question is do network controllers now have programmable memory in them. If not, it won't work w/o replicating the memory contents to whatever degree it's needed.

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                  #9
                  Re: replace onboard ethernet chip?

                  look around for a tiny 8pin SOP IC in the area around the ethernet chip.
                  Chances are there's one, which would be an EEPROM of some kind. Same thing should be on the donor-IC-card or board or whatever it is.

                  If it doesn't work out of the box, you might wanna try swapping those around.

                  edit: just curious.. Why do you want to swap ICs in the first place? Is the original obviously damaged or something?

                  Comment

                    #10
                    Re: replace onboard ethernet chip?

                    Originally posted by Scenic View Post
                    look around for a tiny 8pin SOP IC in the area around the ethernet chip.
                    Chances are there's one, which would be an EEPROM of some kind. Same thing should be on the donor-IC-card or board or whatever it is.

                    If it doesn't work out of the box, you might wanna try swapping those around.

                    edit: just curious.. Why do you want to swap ICs in the first place? Is the original obviously damaged or something?
                    Thanks. I would never even thought of looking for another chip to swap aswell. It looks like the one to be replaced is an ATMEL AT93C46 and the donor is HOLTEK HT93LC46. Both are 3-wire serial EEPROMS. I might aswell swap them both if i decide to do it.
                    To answer your question, no the original isnt damaged.Like i said in my original post, theres no practical reason. Its basicly curiousity, and a training experiment. I came across a similar repair awhile back and the idea stuck with me so i wanted to see if it was possible.
                    Anyway, heres a snap of what im working with.
                    Last edited by mahkeymike; 01-09-2012, 06:39 AM.

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                      #11
                      Re: replace onboard ethernet chip?

                      RTL8139D and DM9102F?

                      The DM9102 is only available in 128QFP, and the RTL8139D in 100QFP. The pinouts are nowhere near the same.

                      The RTL8139C is in 128QFP, but again totally different pinouts. (Pin 1 is PCLK on the '9102 but VDD on the '8139C.)

                      No way they will ever interchange. You'll likely cause damage. Even at the software level they're incompatible.

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                        #12
                        Re: replace onboard ethernet chip?

                        attached the pic to this post. All I can see in your post is a "NO HOTLINKING" placeholder lol
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