Lenovo Yoga 6 (13ALC6) keyboard not recognized

[FZG]

Lenovo Yoga 6 13ALC6
Model: 82ND
Board: LA-K211P
Schematic: https://www.badcaps.net/forum/docume...ic#post3482405

Hi guys!
I recently bought a Lenovo convertible Laptop (Yoga 6 13ALC6) in faulty condition. It originally had a corrupted BIOS but I was able to resolve this by flashing a clean bin. Now the laptop works fine except for one thing, the keyboard. It does not work in Windows but it works in BIOS setup. The keyboard itself is probably not at fault, every single key works fine in BIOS but as soon as Windows (11, 24H2, fresh install) boots up, all functionality of the keyboard is lost. This also happens in Windows safe mode and it even happens in a Linux live environment. So it´s probably not driver-related.

For a while I thought the device might be stuck in tablet mode but that´s probably not the case. The touchpad is working, the rotation lock icon in the action center is greyed out and a registry entry called "ConvertibleSlateMode" is automatically set to "1" (meaning the device is not recognized as a convertible but as regular laptop). Changing this value doesn´t do anything and creating another entry called "ConvertibilityEnabled" (which is supposed to force one mode or the other) won´t help either.

I am sort of stuck and confused here and ran out of ideas. If anyone has an idea on how to proceed, please share it!

Thanks.

[Ponto da Manutenção]

Serial number and firmware backup?

The (KB9022) is programmable...

[FZG]

Serial number: MP20T9TY

I used the clean bin found in this thread: https://www.badcaps.net/forum/troubl...17#post1751017

After flashing that bin with a programmer, I then downloaded the latest bios file from Lenovo and updated it the regular way.

I´m not quite sure what you mean by the KBC being programmable? I didn´t change that.

By the way, I just realized there is one key working in Windows: the "del" key. Weird.

[Ponto da Manutenção]

Main features:
Manufacturer: ENE Technology
Model: KB9022QD
Type: Super I/O / Embedded Controller
Encapsulation: LQFP-128

Programming and recording:
The chip usually comes virgin, without recording, which means that it needs to be programmed with specific firmware of the motherboard where it will be installed.

Programming can be done with recorders such as SVOD4.

You should observe some details before.
Signals and voltages;

KB_MUTLI_KEY....
KB_RST#..............
ESPI_ALERT#......

Here are the files needed to do it...

[FZG]

Wow, thanks for the resources. Unfortunately I don´t have access to an SVOD or similar programmer. Also I´m not convinced the EC is at fault. Why is everything fine in bios/uefi setup and then the EC stops recognizing the keyboard after OS loads? I don´t quite understand that. By the way, when I updated to the latest bios "the regular way", the EC firmware was updated as well.

[Ponto da Manutenção]

you didn't answer?

Signals and voltages:

KB_MUTLI_KEY....
KB_RST#..............
ESPI_ALERT#......

I also know that some devices update the EC Firmware automatically when starting the main Firmware update.

The only component on your board that fully controls the keyboard is the (KB9022QD).

If you don't have a firmware problem...then you only have an internal defect in the (KB9022QD).

[FZG]

Let me first say, you were absolutely right, it is indeed a problem with the EC firmware.

I bought a pre-programmed new EC chip and installed it and the keyboard started working again. Great, but then I managed to screw it up again: I saw that the EC firmware on the new chip was not on the latest version and also mismatched the bios version, so I updated bios and EC via the Lenovo installer. And guess what happened, I am back to where I was before. Keyboard does not work anymore except in bios setup.

Then I did some research and found out that it is possible to flash ENE chips (KB90xx series) with a CH341A programmer. Not the best way, but possible. So I wired everything up and re-programmed the EC with the firmware you provided (GLC3B115_EC.rar). Unfortunately, this gives the same result. No keyboard functionality when in OS.

Now here is where it gets really strange: the working firmware that was pre-programmed on the EC I bought was reported in bios as "H6EC21WW(V1.09)". But it seems like this belongs to a different machine, even though it worked fine. When I extract and flash the EC firmware from the corresponding bios update for my machine (H6CN21WW) it gets reported as "H6EC21WW(V1.14)". I don´t understand where this V1.09 (working) is coming from and the seller of the EC chip does not want to tell me.

Something is wrong here and I am even more confused than before... Maybe you have an idea?

[peste]

Let me first say, you were absolutely right, it is indeed a problem with the EC firmware.

I bought a pre-programmed new EC chip and installed it and the keyboard started working again. Great, but then I managed to screw it up again: I saw that the EC firmware on the new chip was not on the latest version and also mismatched the bios version, so I updated bios and EC via the Lenovo installer. And guess what happened, I am back to where I was before. Keyboard does not work anymore except in bios setup.

Then I did some research and found out that it is possible to flash ENE chips (KB90xx series) with a CH341A programmer. Not the best way, but possible. So I wired everything up and re-programmed the EC with the firmware you provided (GLC3B115_EC.rar). Unfortunately, this gives the same result. No keyboard functionality when in OS.

Now here is where it gets really strange: the working firmware that was pre-programmed on the EC I bought was reported in bios as "H6EC21WW(V1.09)". But it seems like this belongs to a different machine, even though it worked fine. When I extract and flash the EC firmware from the corresponding bios update for my machine (H6CN21WW) it gets reported as "H6EC21WW(V1.14)". I don´t understand where this V1.09 (working) is coming from and the seller of the EC chip does not want to tell me.

Something is wrong here and I am even more confused than before... Maybe you have an idea?

post S/N, full name and model, motherboard model, TYPE,etc.
post the original contents of the bios chip..(main)...

[FZG]

Model Name: Yoga 6 13ALC6
S/N: MP20T9TY
MTM: 82ND000EGE
Board: GLC3A LA-K211P

The original faulty main bios dump is attached. Symptoms were power-on without picture, static power consumption. Version was "H6CN10WW".

[peste]

Model Name: Yoga 6 13ALC6
S/N: MP20T9TY
MTM: 82ND000EGE
Board: GLC3A LA-K211P

The original faulty main bios dump is attached. Symptoms were power-on without picture, static power consumption. Version was "H6CN10WW".

bios extracted from Lenovo website update for Yoga 6-13ALC6 Laptop (ideapad) - Type 82ND

[FZG]

Well yes, I flashed this several times and it is the main bios version I am running now. But the problem is with the EC firmware.

[m1ch43lzm]

The earliest BIOS version I could find "hidden" at Lenovo website is H6CN18WW, older versions appear to be no longer available
Extracted both BIOS and EC, this is clean BIOS H6CN18WW + your serial/MTM/win key
DMI: 5BC000h-5BCFFFh
Win key: EAA000h-EAA03Fh

[FZG]

@m1ch43lzm Thanks for your effort! I tried all previous versions down to H6CN18WW already, the effect is the same with all of them.

But I was able to get it fixed in the meantime by trying something else. I found out there is a similar laptop using the LA-K211P board and that is the Yoga 6-13ARE05. Looking up bios updates for this model I saw that the latest version is FFCN21WW and the update notes mention renaming the EC firmware to V109A. This seemed close enough to what was pre-programmed on the EC-chip I had bought, so I extracted the EC firmware belonging to the 13ARE05 and flashed it. And it is working! Bios setup is again reporting EC-version as "H6EC21WW(V1.09)".

Now what remains is the question why this is working and the actual update for the 13ALC6 is not. I can only imagine two possibilities: Either the previous owner had the board swapped at some point and the board is actually from a 13ARE05. The other possibility is Lenovo is hosting the wrong update files on their website. If you use the Lenovo update file for the 13ALC6 it actually says this is built for C640-13ALC. I don´t know if this is just another naming convention for the same laptop or if it is actually for a slightly different model.

[FZG]

I still need to get the S/N, MTM and UUID programmed back into the machine (currently just says INVALID in bios setup). I guess I need to use the Lenovo maintenance utility for this, correct?

[m1ch43lzm]

The 13ARE05 has a Renoir CPU (Ryzen 4000 series), 13ALC6 has Lucienne CPU (Ryzen 5000 series), the main BIOS is incompatible even if the board number is exactly the same
May be a screw up by Lenovo with the wrong EC firmware for the 13ALC6

The BIOS I made has your serial/MTM and Win key, if you want to make your own I posted the offsets you should copy from your original dump with a hex editor to the virgin BIOS, you'll notice the model, MTM, serial is in plain text

[FZG]

Ah, very interesting getting to know more about the meaning of the model codes. The laptop has an R5-5500 CPU so it actually should be 13ALC6. Quite a strange situation with the EC firmware, indeed. I read one or two other posts in different forums mentioning the same problem with this laptop (KB only working in bios) but I would´ve imagined this to be a more widespread problem if Lenovo hosts faulty updates.

Regarding serial numbers and stuff, I re-flashed the main bios containing all the correct DMI data but in bios setup I still get "INVALID" for product name, MTM and S/N. I read that this might be resolved by using a tool called "Lenovo maintenance utility". I already found a version of this tool and created a bootable USB stick but I never used the tool before and I need to find out how it is supposed to work.

[peste]

Ah, very interesting getting to know more about the meaning of the model codes. The laptop has an R5-5500 CPU so it actually should be 13ALC6. Quite a strange situation with the EC firmware, indeed. I read one or two other posts in different forums mentioning the same problem with this laptop (KB only working in bios) but I would´ve imagined this to be a more widespread problem if Lenovo hosts faulty updates.

Regarding serial numbers and stuff, I re-flashed the main bios containing all the correct DMI data but in bios setup I still get "INVALID" for product name, MTM and S/N. I read that this might be resolved by using a tool called "Lenovo maintenance utility". I already found a version of this tool and created a bootable USB stick but I never used the tool before and I need to find out how it is supposed to work.

the bios from post # 10,12...is virgin, use the HxD program (it's free on the internet), enter both bios into the program (your laptop and the virgin one),
select that interval mentioned in both bios, copy the interval in your bios and pass it to the virgin bios (copy - paste)....and that's it...

[FZG]

That´s how I did it and how it usually works. But I still get INVALID in bios setup screen. Is some of the DMI supposed to go into the EC firmware as well? I read a document from SVOD project regarding programming of the KB9022, where they mention the "maintenance utility" or editing the EC dump as a solution...

[peste]

That´s how I did it and how it usually works. But I still get INVALID in bios setup screen. Is some of the DMI supposed to go into the EC firmware as well? I read a document from SVOD project regarding programming of the KB9022, where they mention the "maintenance utility" or editing the EC dump as a solution...

try this..

5BC000 - 5BFFFF

[FZG]

This is what I flashed onto the main bios chip. DMI will not show up in bios setup screen.