GL502VMK keyboard not working after liquid spill

[questore]

Hi Everyone.

This nice ASUS GL502VMK 2.1 Board come to me after a liquid damage.
They replaced the keyboard but still only the power button works. NO damage can be seen around the IT controller.
Windows showing 2 keyboard devices after all software installation. (HID and ps2 compatible keyboard)
Anyone had this fault before? What do you suggest?

[questore]

I have ordered a vertyanov programmer because I have read another forum that this motherboard tends to forget keyboard firmware on any error.
Until it arrives how can I know that the IC is not dead and need to order another?

[questore]

Brought a vertyanov EC programmer and reflashed EC from this forum:
https://www.badcaps.net/forum/troubl...m-solved/page2
first tryed FW_NK0003000B (56K)
but tryed then all 4 of them

flashed a CLEAN ME BIOS.

Also tryed to flash post #9 from here:
https://www.badcaps.net/forum/troubl...15#post1538753
of course only 56k but same result.

Still... no keyboard working.

Anyone has idea what to do?

[mon2]

No personal experience with this but in reading the threads, have you attempted to use a blank EC flash device? Then the main bios will reflash the blank EC device upon first boot.

[questore]

No personal experience with this but in reading the threads, have you attempted to use a blank EC flash device? Then the main bios will reflash the blank EC device upon first boot.

Im a bit confused, what blank ec device means for you.
For details: After flashing clean me bios and booting up i have shut down the device and rewrited the 56kb ec.

[mon2]

The EC has a local flash (bios).

Then there is a main flash bios chip (higher density).

Do not write anything inside the EC bios. Only erase the EC bios. When you do this, the main bios will inject the firmware inside the black EC bios. I think you are manually writing EC firmware with your tool? Do not do this.

[questore]

The EC has a local flash (bios).

Then there is a main flash bios chip (higher density).

Do not write anything inside the EC bios. Only erase the EC bios. When you do this, the main bios will inject the firmware inside the black EC bios. I think you are manually writing EC firmware with your tool? Do not do this.

Yes I rewrite ec bios. How do i erase it?

[mon2]

Your tool should offer a checkbox or setting to just erase the EC bios. Do not program after erasing the bios. Another idea is to fill the buffer with 'FF' = blank byte values. Then program the EC bios with only 'FF'. These are only ideas as personally do not own this tool..yet.

[questore]

Your tool should offer a checkbox or setting to just erase the EC bios. Do not program after erasing the bios. Another idea is to fill the buffer with 'FF' = blank byte values. Then program the EC bios with only 'FF'. These are only ideas as personally do not own this tool..yet.

Unfortunatelly it only has read and write buttons, but FF filling is crossed my mind but i did not know if its an option. I try it tomorrow and post the result.

[mon2]

You can download a free hex editor that will allow you to create .hex or .bin files where you can populate with 'FF' (hex).

I recall using HxD for Windows which was / is excellent.

Suggest to use the tool you have to READ out the contents and create a backup to experiment with. From this READ action, you will know the full length of the flash inside the EC. Then proceed to read / edit inside of the HxD tool and fill it with 'FF'. Save it and then write it back to the EC.

https://mh-nexus.de/en/hxd/

[mcplslg123]

I beleive only kbd controller 56kb can be flashed from keyboard connector with programmer like SVOD etc and not EC.

A blank and new EC gets self programmed on 1st boot on this platform.

[questore]

I beleive only kbd controller 56kb can be flashed from keyboard connector with programmer like SVOD etc and not EC.

A blank and new EC gets self programmed on 1st boot on this platform.

OK but why the keyboard is not working at all?

I could flash the EC itself if I order a 15Pin 0.5mm cable for JDEBUG2 connector and flash it (pre-config on vertyanov is named "GL502VS")
should I move on that way?

(Sideinfo: Keyboard is also tested with vertyanov and it works fine)

[mcplslg123]

I dont think EC programming is an issue here. Yes EC could be programmed with DEBUG connector but i was talking about KBD connector as lot many people try to program the EC from KBD connector and waste there time.

No liquid spill/corrossion in kbd connector area? traces all intact?

[questore]

I dont think EC programming is an issue here. Yes EC could be programmed with DEBUG connector but i was talking about KBD connector as lot many people try to program the EC from KBD connector and waste there time.

No liquid spill/corrossion in kbd connector area? traces all intact?

All area seems fine, no corrosion. Maybe a residue under the chip that keeps it from communicating with the EC?

[questore]

On this forum someone solved the issue and carefully looking at the posts i realized that he has been flashed the EC itself and after that he flash the KB 56K.
So I have ordered a 15pin cable.
Be back with result

[questore]

Another bad news for me
Cable arrived but EC is not respoding when try to communicate it on DEBUG2 port.
Checked cable connections with multimeter abouth 10 times.
How can an EC not respond when the laptop starts fine? Could it be some liquid residue under the IT chip?
Should I reheat it with some flux?
What do you suggest?

[questore]

None of the pins are shorted to ground and all 15 pins have 3.3V on charger plugged in.

[mcplslg123]

Never tried programming the EC with DEBUG port on this platform-so no idea what;s wrong here. If you have much doubt about EC firmware, you can replace it with a new one but i'm not very sure it will fix it.

[questore]

Never tried programming the EC with DEBUG port on this platform-so no idea what;s wrong here. If you have much doubt about EC firmware, you can replace it with a new one but i'm not very sure it will fix it.

Could there be that the problem is the cable length?
All of my working cable is 250mm length and this one is aftermarket 400mm. I have read that these are very sensitive signals.
Another thing that is strange to me that on the keyboard connector every KSI have 3.3V and every KSO have 0V. On this one all KSI and KSO have 3.3v is that normal?

[questore]

If nobody has an idea why EC is not responding when try to program it, i order a new EC chip