NM-C511 not posting after BIOS update

[m1ch43lzm]

Jesus what have I found. Check this guys:
After i have found a loose pin on the new SIO soldering I have checked again and now 1.0v risen to 1.3V.
Laptop starts with error code 1-3 ( 0002h: Internal bus error )
at least it reacts to power button press now. I can even turn it off by pressing long on the button.
Rechecked every pin for loose connection and bridges but found nothing else wrong.
After this I desoldered the BIOS chip and thats when it hit me. It was a 3v BIOS chip on the 1.8V rail.
So i have made a phone call on the repair shop that made a BIOS update and they confirmed that they removed the BIOS to program.
It was a rookie mistake of me not checking BIOS type. Original should be 25Q64FWSIG and this is a 25Q64FVSIG
Conclusion is that they soldered back a wrong BIOS (no matter what reason) that is why the laptop was not coming on the first place.
Checked and EC_ALW_ON is not even there. So 1.3v is coming from somwhere else.

...
Also what I have noticed that when I plug any charger the BIOS pin 8 has 1.8V even when the laptop is off.
...

You did have 1.8V before, something changed here

Do you mean EC_APU_ALWEN? Pin 34 of UE1, also available at RE66

If the 1.8VALW works, then the LV5028 should create APUALW_PWRGD, this block diagram is slightly wrong as 0.9VS is enabled from SUSP# (not EC_APU_ALWGD), according to page 41

There's an interesting note on page 41 "EC Push,no pull high,not support 1.8V SPI mirror code", maybe it means that the EC cannot program itself from BIOS when empty?
"EC Push,no pull high" probably means that there's no pull-up resistor (actually, there's a pull-down RE66) and the EC "pushes" 3.3v to enable the 1.8VALW
I'm trying to make sense of the notes left by the Lenovo engineers on the schematics....,


It could be the result of the EC not being programmed

All Ryzen desktops/laptops use 1.8V SPI flash, on Intel it depends on the design whether they use 1.8V or 3.3V SPI flash

Question: Should I try to resolder the previos SIO and solder a 1.8V BIOS or do you think that 1.8v beeng low is another problem?

Worth a try, find a W25Q64FW from a donor

Unless feeding 3V to the 1.8VALW line from your programmer damaged something (as you likely selected W25Q64FV, a 3.3v flash),

[questore]

You did have 1.8V before, something changed here

Yes Before EC replacement 1.8v was present

Do you mean EC_APU_ALWEN? Pin 34 of UE1, also available at RE66

Yes I mean that, it does not present that is why 1.8v not turning on.

There's an interesting note on page 41 "EC Push,no pull high,not support 1.8V SPI mirror code", maybe it means that the EC cannot program itself from BIOS when empty?
"EC Push,no pull high" probably means that there's no pull-up resistor (actually, there's a pull-down RE66) and the EC "pushes" 3.3v to enable the 1.8VALW
I'm trying to make sense of the notes left by the Lenovo engineers on the schematics....,


It could be the result of the EC not being programmed

This is where i got also confused because i was thinking maybe 1.3v is there because a pull-up resistor, and it is nedded for EC self programming, but this BIOS chip needs 1.65v at least to read, so no idea whats going on.

Unless feeding 3V to the 1.8VALW line from your programmer damaged something (as you likely selected W25Q64FV, a 3.3v flash),

[/QUOTE]

I usually being very careful. (These laptops comes from repair shops that tryed to repair the item.)
I always use the voltage that the board uses on BIOS pin #8. And that is why it strange that i was able to write the 3v BIOS with 1.8v and verification was OK.

Thanks for long explination, I have ordered some 1.8v chips and see what happens.
MORE INFO: 1 amber 3 white led could indicate a BIOS problem according to Lenovo so...fingers crossed.

[questore]

Yes Before EC replacement 1.8v was present




Yes I mean that, it does not present that is why 1.8v not turning on.


This is where i got also confused because i was thinking maybe 1.3v is there because a pull-up resistor, and it is nedded for EC self programming, but this BIOS chip needs 1.65v at least to read, so no idea whats going on.

I usually being very careful. (These laptops comes from repair shops that tryed to repair the item.)
I always use the voltage that the board uses on BIOS pin #8. And that is why it strange that i was able to write the 3v BIOS with 1.8v and verification was OK.

Thanks for long explination, I have ordered some 1.8v chips and see what happens.

MORE INFOS: 1 amber 3 white led could indicate a BIOS problem according to Lenovo so...fingers crossed.[/QUOTE]
Expert says that until i dont have 3VS i wont be able to program the EC with Vertyanov, and since SUSP# (3VS_EN) is missing here (3VALW and 5VALW Powergood signals present)
I dont know it anything will help or the new EC is faulty.

[questore]

I have managed to write the EC (it was not empty but full of code)
After reprogrammming with correct EC firmware now the 3VS and 1.8VALW is good ,
I'm still waiting for 1.8V BIOS to be continue..