CH341a SPI / I²C programmer

[megaraider]

Re: CH341a SPI / I²C programmer

@rycy
This official remark from ASUS (here) to ensure you update BIOS two times (using the exact same BIOS version) manually is odd, leading me to speculate that CMOS holds garbage data and therefore either a manual CMOS data clear or a second BIOS update ought to be done.

Anyhow, download the latest BIOS version from the ASUS site here;
Remove the first 0x800 bytes from the Z170-P-D3-ASUS-2604.CAP file and save it as 2604.bin;
Launch CH341A programmer soft:

erase the chip; blank check;

load the 2604.bin file;

program the chip, and finally, verify it.

If the above goes well insert the chip into the motherboard and make sure you perform a CMOS data clear upon first system power on.

[rycy]

Re: CH341a SPI / I²C programmer

tried with the same result. One of the backup EEProm chips has lost one of the legs. I'm giving up. At the very last attempt I tried even with hot swaping hoping to fool asus flash tool, no sucess but nothing damaged.

BTW how to navigate dlcdnet.asus.com for new bios? Their regular site does not show 2604.

[pfrcom]

Re: CH341a SPI / I²C programmer

BTW how to navigate dlcdnet.asus.com for new bios? Their regular site does not show 2604.

Australian site does - https://www.asus.com/au/Motherboards...Desk_Download/ = 2604 link location

[max2306]

Where did you get de 1.34 software? I looked at the site and my chineese is very bad.

[Spork Schivago]

Re: CH341a SPI / I²C programmer

Where did you get de 1.34 software? I looked at the site and my chineese is very bad.

If you need the latest version (1.34), I can upload the freeware version.

I have the paid version, it's extremely cheap and you get free updates for life.

Inside the paid version, there's an exe called ch341afree.exe

Not sure what other files I'd need to attach. Probably not key.dat I'd think....

Just fired up the free one, and the About lists it as 1.4. The registered one lists as 1.34. The free one is about half the size as the paid one.

The free one seems to not have Fill, Swap, Auto, Abort, and doesn't appear to have the Chip Search.

Also, the paid one appears to have the Main Memory in a tab, like maybe it supports tabs, whereas the free one doesn't.

For example, maybe with the paid one, I can open two bin files, and view them at the same time. However, I cannot seem to find away to open new tabs. Perhaps this is the start of a new feature for the next version?

Paid one also has a drop-down menu, which the free version appears to be missing. Let me know.

[Spork Schivago]

Re: CH341a SPI / I²C programmer

So, I got tired of downloading the CH341A programming software from the Chinese developer's website and having it flagged as a virus. I was excluding the signature and file, but finally, I decided to submit to Norton.

I submitted the newest version 1.34, version 1.31, and some Chinese software called Mcgs.

So the Mcgs stuff they cleared, and that was close to 200MB. Version 1.34 for cleared. They already updated the defs to clear them. But then with v1.31, I just got the message, they cannot clear it for whatever reason. They didn't go into why, but Norton detects part of it as a PasswordRevealer.

Just thought you'd guys want to know. If you want to know what file is being detected as the password revealer, let me know. It's not the actual programming software, but one of the files in the drivers directory.

[dskall]

Re: CH341a SPI / I²C programmer

I have version 1.13. Try to download ver. 1.31 gives me virus alert

[Spork Schivago]

Re: CH341a SPI / I²C programmer

They cleared the newest one, 1.34. But 1.31 they won't clear they said, so it looks like there really is something in 1.31. I can tell you what file exactly gets flagged in 1.31. I did not submit to them 1.13, because I don't have it, and cannot tell if Norton flags it or not.

[Spork Schivago]

Re: CH341a SPI / I²C programmer

I might have been mistaken. It's in the CH341PCB folder, in the Serial folder, in the accesspv.exe file.

I think this isn't part of the CH341 Programmer, but some schematic thing I downloaded from the company who make the actual CH341 chips, and provide Linux and Windows Serial / Parallel drivers....

I just had it in that directory, so I think I messed up with the submission. Unless someone else can verify that v1.31 comes with accesspv.exe

If I remember, parts of the documents (like the schematics) are password protected, and I think that program has something to do with it. Probably why Norton couldn't clear it, because they couldn't remove the password to see what was hidden in the document. It's an office 97 document.

[dskall]

Re: CH341a SPI / I²C programmer

Does the program itself get updated. Or is it just it just the database?

[Spork Schivago]

Re: CH341a SPI / I²C programmer

Both. There's a change log on his website, I can give you the link. I use Google translate. There's various bug fixes for the program itself that are fixed (certain ICs not being written correctly or erased correctly or not verifying correctly, something like that) and new ICs being added to the database.

[mockingbird]

Re: CH341a SPI / I²C programmer

I just had a case where the CH341A software failed but Flashrom succeeded.

I had to git clone the unstable flashrom and then compile it (the aptitude package is old).

The chip is a W25Q128FWSQ on an Asus Prime B350M-A. Would not boot fresh out of the box with a a Ryzen 2200G. With the latest BIOS it works fine.

SPI header on the board is fine pitch. Had to fashion my own cable.

[Spork Schivago]

Re: CH341a SPI / I²C programmer

I just had a case where the CH341A software failed but Flashrom succeeded.

I had to git clone the unstable flashrom and then compile it (the aptitude package is old).

The chip is a W25Q128FWSQ on an Asus Prime B350M-A. Would not boot fresh out of the box with a a Ryzen 2200G. With the latest BIOS it works fine.

SPI header on the board is fine pitch. Had to fashion my own cable.

Could you share a pic of your cable there? I've had SPI headers like that and couldn't find the proper wires to connect. Little tiny pins, right? Tiny and short?

[mockingbird]

Re: CH341a SPI / I²C programmer

Could you share a pic of your cable there? I've had SPI headers like that and couldn't find the proper wires to connect. Little tiny pins, right? Tiny and short?

Remember those old SB Live front panel connectors in Dell machines? I took one and cut it in half. I stripped the wires on each end and then smoothed the connectors so that they could sit flush with eachother, each connector for one row.

I then worked out the pinout and stuffed the individual wires in my CH341A's zif socket.

[Spork Schivago]

Re: CH341a SPI / I²C programmer

Remember those old SB Live front panel connectors in Dell machines? I took one and cut it in half. I stripped the wires on each end and then smoothed the connectors so that they could sit flush with eachother, each connector for one row.

I then worked out the pinout and stuffed the individual wires in my CH341A's zif socket.

Still wouldn't mind seeing a pic of that beast. Wish I could find a cable like that or some way to make one, like you did. Just cleaned out all my old cables though. Figures, haven't needed them in 10 years, but the day I get rid of them, the very next day, I need them.

[stj]

Re: CH341a SPI / I²C programmer

if it's the same pin spacing as usb headers then it's dupont connectors.
https://www.banggood.com/search/dupont-kit.html

[mockingbird]

Re: CH341a SPI / I²C programmer

Still wouldn't mind seeing a pic of that beast. Wish I could find a cable like that or some way to make one, like you did. Just cleaned out all my old cables though. Figures, haven't needed them in 10 years, but the day I get rid of them, the very next day, I need them.

What you want is this:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/253103766593

2mm to 2.54mm jumpers. The 2mm end is coupled two a piece, but that ain't a big deal.

[Spork Schivago]

Re: CH341a SPI / I²C programmer

What you want is this:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/253103766593

2mm to 2.54mm jumpers. The 2mm end is coupled two a piece, but that ain't a big deal.

That looks like it might be what I'm looking for. But for the 2mm end, is it for really short pins? Not just close together ones, but really short? Because the boards I've seen with the SPI header, they have really short pins, about half of what I'd consider a normal pin....

[mockingbird]

Re: CH341a SPI / I²C programmer

That's a good point... Indeed, the SB Live connector is a much shorter connector. But I think you should be ok since the crimp end of the Dupont connector probably goes all the way down to the pin hole.

[Spork Schivago]

Re: CH341a SPI / I²C programmer

if it's the same pin spacing as usb headers then it's dupont connectors.
https://www.banggood.com/search/dupont-kit.html

The dupont connectors appear to be what I already have and are just too tall and wide to fit these little buggers.

They work with other normal pins, about the length of the male dupont connector, but they don't do so well with these little guys.

Man, they're short, really short, the pins I mean.