[LinuxBIOS] No known linux compatable BIOS programmer ?

[Adam Talbot]

I am using a top2005 USB based programmer. http://www.mcumall.com I have 
done over 100 flash's and had no problems with Linux bios and this 
programmer.
-Adam

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Peter Stuge" <stuge-linuxbios at cdy.org>
To: <LinuxBIOS at openbios.org>
Sent: Saturday, August 13, 2005 5:30 AM
Subject: Re: [LinuxBIOS] No known linux compatable BIOS programmer ?


> On Fri, Aug 12, 2005 at 06:24:45PM -0700, Jeff Carr wrote:
>> What about programming the chips in socket from within Linux; yes
>> risky, but this does work right?
>
> Yes, indeed. Many use this as primary means of testing.
>
>
>> The reason I ask is because that means that we do know *HOW* to
>> program them, we just don't have an external device to do it.
>
> Right. But the programming sequence for flash memory is always in the
> data sheet, and manufacturers have those on their web sites.
>
>
>> I guess this is just another project to start with a bunch of
>> people that know how to program fpga's.
>
> Perhaps not even an FPGA is needed, I've made an EPROM toy out of a
> USB PIC microcontroller and two 12-bit counters. Really simple. Not
> too quick though, took a good few minutes to read the 256kb EPROM,
> but that's probably because the USB microcontroller only does low
> speed USB (8kbps) while it's newer sibling does full speed at 12Mbps.
>
> The problem with making a universal programmer is that the device
> pinout and voltage changes too often, and a production programmer
> should program and verify at several different voltages. The pin
> drivers need to be programmable and fast and preferably indifferent
> of voltage, which isn't a very common combination. But sure, it would
> be possible to make a small series of a rather limited programmer
> (256kbyte to 4mbyte devices, only standardized pinout) for, say $200
> retail, but then you might as well pay twice as much and get the
> "real" deal..
>
>
>> BTW: you might be able to speed up the programming of the chip if
>> you do it in burst mode. Lots of NOR flash chips support this. Are
>> PC bios chips usually NOR or NAND or something else all together?
>> The code I saw for the M-Systems chip in my machine looked like it
>> was doing the classic NOR state machine triggers (write 0xAAA,
>> 0x555, etc).
>
> 0xAA and 0x55 are part of a command sequence standardized by JEDEC
> and used for just about all flash memory and even some EEPROMS. :)
>
>
>> So I'm guessing they are more like NOR than NAND. NAND would suck
>> anyway because it's not very reliable. Using NAND would be insanely
>> stupid! (IMHO)
>
> My guess is that NAND is more common, at least in PCs.
>
>
> //Peter
>
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