Tutorial to flash SPI chips with Parallel(LPT1) port

[mohsin0012]

I recently got my hands on a Ambit 256 which has a SPI flash and I wanted to flash it but didn't have access to USBJTAGNT, so I looked around to see what other options do I have, after doing a research i came up with this great piece of software called SPIPGM.

This software works with majority of SPI chips, including BIOS, modems like ambit 256, SB5101/n/u and many more


  spipgm.zip (Size: 131.98 KB / Downloads: 458)

COMMANDS FOR SPIPGM

SPIPGM is a dos based application so first

Go to run and type cmd

type cd.. until you are at c:

now locate the spipgm folder (for example, C:\spipgm)

Identify the chip by using

spipgmw -i

if it doesn't detect the chip, check your connection.

Unlock the flash

spipgmw -u

Erase the whole flash

spipgmw -e

Make backup of the whole flash

spipgmw -d c:\xxx.bin

Write the bin file to the flash

spipgmw -p c:\xxxxxxx.bin (give the correct address to your bin file)

Verify the newly flashed bin with the bin file to make sure the write was successful

spipgmw- v c:\xxxxxxx.bin

Verification is important, when you are dumping a flash or writing a new bin to the chip. Also make sure to erase the flash before writing new bin to it.

You only need 4 resistor and a parallel port connector and a good soldering skills. You will have to lift the chip off the board in order to make this work. I haven't tried flashing it with the chip on board. Here is the schematic.

   

Just make sure to use thin and small wires, otherwise data will keep getting corrupt. Try to get some old IDE cable, they are easy to solder and perfect for this hack.

Always use a capacitor. 5v 10uf or any capacitor with 5v ratings.

Always make sure that the connection is according to the schematic.

To get the 3.3v I simply stripped the orange wire from my pc power supply. If you have a multimeter, you can check if you have the right voltage.

I guess that's pretty much it. ENjoy!!

[jack600i]

Can this method flash SB6121? theoretical?

I flash SB5101 through PJTAG before, not sure on SB6121.

[drewmerc]

it'll work yes but really not worth the time and effort, a cheap spi flasher is only a few bucks on ebay and read/writes in minutes not hours

[mohsin0012]

Yes, it's cheap. It took me two minutes to flash 2MB on MX SPI flash. It's not working as a JTAG but as a SPI flashes, so it's really fast!

[Bruiser]

So there are some cheap USB flashers on ebay as Drewmerc says.
How do I know the one I am looking at there will work?
Some of the sellers link software called AVR Studio from ATMEL.
http://www.atmel.com/Images/avrstudio4setup.exe

eBay item number:
261059205249
$12.99 free shipping from Hong Kong.

The same seller
eBay item number:
261068485925
$14.40 free shipping from Hong Kong. Has two cables instead of one.

Will either of those work for this purpose, which in my case is to put forceware on an SB6121?

This one has a case, but not sure if this will work
eBay item number:
360766454442

If I search for spi flash programmer on ebay I get different results, nothing that looks like the product from USBJTAG.

So what should I order? This is certainly confusing.
I have only used parallel JTAG for SB5101s and the like.

There is also a USB programmer called Blackcat, which I used software labeled Blackcat years ago with a parallel JTAG. This ebay seller
eBay item number:
271428435482

Says SPI flasher, will this work for me? Better, same or different than the ones above?

Thanks in advance.

[Bruiser]

Come to think of it, I do already have a USB SPI programmer, very similar (same chips) as this one:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/AVR-USB-JTAG-emu...1068485925

It is installed and in device manager it is a
Prolific USB to Serial Comm Port

I installed the avrstudio from Atmel, but it says it's not able to find the board, (I have no flash chip connected to flash at this time).

So what should I do? This parallel flashing post is really great, but I haven't found anything like that to go by with the USB Jtag SPI flasher I have on hand.

[dvrocks7]

I got a new SB5101u and also have a blackcat usb jtag. Anybody can help me how to flash it with haxorware.

[jamin]

Hi, which windows did you have used....

[GeneralTiger]

A complete system chip consists of two parts, hardware and software, which are used to control the hardware part of the controller, microprocessor or digital signal processor core as well as external devices and interfaces. The design process of the system chip is mainly the design of its hardware and software.
Since the integration of system chips has reached millions of gates, engineers must adopt reusable design ideas whenever possible. Most of the SoCs use pre-defined semiconductor intellectual property cores (IP cores, including soft cores, hard cores, and solid cores) to achieve rapid design in a reusable design.
Allicdata can find something similar:  https://www.allicdata.com/list.html?category_id=2149