Tools / technique for boards with eMMC repair?

[megaraider]

Re: Tools / technique for boards with eMMC repair?

I am not sure if you did read this thread: https://www.badcaps.net/forum/showthread.php?t=74150
I can read and write from and to it without taking it off the board.

I hadn't read that thread earlier.
Then it's done: you've proved it to be possible in both ways

[CapLeaker]

Re: Tools / technique for boards with eMMC repair?

Next step will be to read (and write if needed) without removing the eMMC from the board (ISP)...

I am not sure if you did read this thread: https://www.badcaps.net/forum/showthread.php?t=74150

As long as the EMMC itself is good, I can read and write from and to it without taking it off the board. That is, IF one knows where to hook up the wires to. I have already proofed that in that thread above.

[megaraider]

Re: Tools / technique for boards with eMMC repair?

It is possible to flash the EMMC with the programmer off the board and then solder the flashed EMMC to the board. I proved that. No problems.

Next step will be to read (and write if needed) without removing the eMMC from the board (ISP)...

[CapLeaker]

Re: Tools / technique for boards with eMMC repair?

It is possible to flash the EMMC with the programmer off the board and then solder the flashed EMMC to the board. I proved that. No problems.

[CapLeaker]

Re: Tools / technique for boards with eMMC repair?

This vid is interesting, how he flashed the eMMC on board.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ff4S9Z2phIE

[CapLeaker]

Re: Tools / technique for boards with eMMC repair?

There are bigger eMMC's than that, which you can buy at mouser, digi etc. I took it out of my android box.

[capwizard]

Re: Tools / technique for boards with eMMC repair?

Excuse me. I have a question. Where can I find such a big one 128Gb emmc ?

[CapLeaker]

Re: Tools / technique for boards with eMMC repair?

I did manage to take out two fbga153 eMMC's. One is junk (4GB) I can't read nothing off of it. The software just sez, that the eMMC is bad. It won't recognize squat, everything is zeroed out, no matter what I try for settings. That was my first one.
The second one was a 128GB one and I was able to copy, erase and program it. That's as far as I got with the eMMC's. Soon I supposed to get another candidate with a bad or corrupt eMMC. But for that, I have a second working box. So the plan is to take a working one, clone it to the 128GB (a little step up from 8GB) and put it on to the broken box that won't boot.

The reason that I am not so sure on how things are going to work out is, because copy all info from the other box, incl. the MAC, PW, etc. So I am not sure if that is going to work as I'd like to.

[capwizard]

Re: Tools / technique for boards with eMMC repair?

CapWizard VS CapLeaker


RT809H-EMMC-Nand-FLASH
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QnbM7tJj_Y8

RT809H With EMMC Read
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DudjyIcumBo

samsung ua40f5500ar 50f550ar emmc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ym1JwFKCvTE

tp.r68 ps66a qt572hp v3.1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqkqhTce6f4

i bought A RT809H and emmc adapter then i forgot about it.

The tendency is Emmc will replace Nand flash in 8k TV.

[megaraider]

Re: Tools / technique for boards with eMMC repair?

I wonder if one just replaces the eMMC and stick a factory firmware into the USB slot and it will go from there or preload the eMMC?

Far from being a dead recovery.
The eMMC not only holds the firmware, among other things, but also the boot CPU code.
Without the boot CPU code the CPU won't even boot. Therefore it cannot perform a crisis recovery.

And, btw, writing the firmware contents into the eMMC won't work either!

If the eMMC is dead then the easiest solution is to get your hands on a full working eMMC dump.
Load it and program the new eMMC (full dumb clone).

[CapLeaker]

Re: Tools / technique for boards with eMMC repair?

I kind of figured that the manufacturers would disable the JTAG port somehow. It just would have been too convenient to download or upload something.
I've seen this SD card reader trick before. Probably it will work all right to UL and DL stuff to and from the eMMC. However, I found this being used as a data recovery measure, not as actually upload new firmware. There isn't a clear step by step guide around what to do or not to do swapping eMMCs. Sure there are vids on youtube, but I haven't seen one that shows how everything is done.

Let's say the eMMC is dead. So one whacks a new eMMC in there. Question is: Should one load it before or after the swap. I remember when things were bricked I put my serial cable to it or flashed chips with a JTAG on a parallel port if there was no RS232 back in the days. Fast forward 20 years later and we are in a total different territory in flash chips.
I wonder if one just replaces the eMMC and stick a factory firmware into the USB slot and it will go from there or preload the eMMC?

[megaraider]

Re: Tools / technique for boards with eMMC repair?

any pictures to go with this?

There are some main boards (for example Vizio's) with an eMMC. They also feature a nice UART and JTAG hookup. Anyone ever tried to gain access or flash that eMMC through that provided JTAG port?

The JTAG port is connected to the main processor. Therefore to gain access to the flash thru the JTAG port you must first obtain access to the main processor using the JTAG port.
The greatest problem being that’s usually confidential stuff (or must crawl the released code, if any, and figure out how to properly initialize it to successfully hook its JTAG port).
It’s making things harder than they could and should be!


It’s easy to find some nice pictures for an eMMC153/169-SD Adapter FBGA153 BGA169 to a SD Adapter (e.g.: link)


To make things even easier you can hook wires from the circuit board to an empty SD card, see images attached.
[Connect VCC and VCCQ to the correct voltage levels]
.
Notes:
1. In 1 bit mode & SPI mode -» pin 1 (DAT3/CS) is not used.
2. Since SD readers operate at 3.3V, if VCCQ is tied up in circuit to 1.8V then use a low voltage adapter to convert 3.3v signals into 1.8v logic level.
3. Most often the CPU may attempt to communicate with the eMMC while your’re reading / writing it. Here’s where the JTAG port comes handy to quickly identify the RST line and hold the CPU it in reset mode.

[CapLeaker]

Re: Tools / technique for boards with eMMC repair?

There are some main boards (for example Vizio's) with an eMMC. They also feature a nice UART and JTAG hookup. Anyone ever tried to gain access or flash that eMMC through that provided JTAG port?

[CapLeaker]

Re: Tools / technique for boards with eMMC repair?

This is normally how I read / write to them when the need arises. I check the specs to verify the voltage and just hook it to an SD slot on a PC.

I made an adapter cable that works well. I used a MicroSD to SD card adapter, but instead of putting a MicroSD card in there, that's where I soldered my wires. That way, I can just stick the card into a computer's SD card reader and access the chip directly. It works well, albeit a little slow (I only use one of the data lines I believe). Been a while since I had to use it so my memory is a bit foggy on it.

any pictures to go with this?

[Spork Schivago]

Re: Tools / technique for boards with eMMC repair?

As long as you know the layout and have access to pads somewhere on the circuit board it's always the best solution because you'll avoid all the mess.
Plus 99% it doesn't have to be replaced, you're just doing it for fun or to perform a firmware corruption recover / downgrade or patch
Don't worry about the clock frequency, just wire connect to an empty SD card holder and insert it to a computer SD card reader/writer or a SD to USB adapter reader/writer. It contents will be ready to full access. If you need a 'low level' access use WinHex or any other alike tool.

This is normally how I read / write to them when the need arises. I check the specs to verify the voltage and just hook it to an SD slot on a PC.

I made an adapter cable that works well. I used a MicroSD to SD card adapter, but instead of putting a MicroSD card in there, that's where I soldered my wires. That way, I can just stick the card into a computer's SD card reader and access the chip directly. It works well, albeit a little slow (I only use one of the data lines I believe). Been a while since I had to use it so my memory is a bit foggy on it.

[CapLeaker]

Re: Tools / technique for boards with eMMC repair?

That "dud" eMMC can be read and written on with both voltages. I've played around with these voltages, but the chip won't respond at all to any setting. There has to be something wrong with it.

[megaraider]

Re: Tools / technique for boards with eMMC repair?

slow down,
some eMMC are 1.8v and SD's are 3.3v

Yes, thanks for pointing that out!
While not trying do be overall generic, most market manufacturers allow the e-MMC interface to work with 1.7V～1.95V and 2.7V～3.6V.
Nevertheless checking before proceeding never hurts, while the way around might!

[stj]

Re: Tools / technique for boards with eMMC repair?

As long as you know the layout and have access to pads somewhere on the circuit board it's always the best solution because you'll avoid all the mess.
Plus 99% it doesn't have to be replaced, you're just doing it for fun or to perform a firmware corruption recover / downgrade or patch
Don't worry about the clock frequency, just wire connect to an empty SD card holder and insert it to a computer SD card reader/writer or a SD to USB adapter reader/writer. It contents will be ready to full access. If you need a 'low level' access use WinHex or any other alike tool.

slow down,
some eMMC are 1.8v and SD's are 3.3v

[CapLeaker]

Re: Tools / technique for boards with eMMC repair?

the first eMMC I took it a dud. Took another eMMC, known working one out of an old android box and put it into the socket and that one works.

[megaraider]

Re: Tools / technique for boards with eMMC repair?

Well, I think I am better off to leave the IC installed and just go with wires direct to the programmer. Anyone know fast the CLK signal is? I measured something like 48MHz?

As long as you know the layout and have access to pads somewhere on the circuit board it's always the best solution because you'll avoid all the mess.
Plus 99% it doesn't have to be replaced, you're just doing it for fun or to perform a firmware corruption recover / downgrade or patch
Don't worry about the clock frequency, just wire connect to an empty SD card holder and insert it to a computer SD card reader/writer or a SD to USB adapter reader/writer. It contents will be ready to full access. If you need a 'low level' access use WinHex or any other alike tool.