Solder new firmware chip - Pioneer UHD Drives
Solder new firmware chip - Pioneer UHD Drives
Is it possible to replace the firmware chip on a pioneer drive using a pre-flashed Libre-compatible version IC?
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georgesgiralt
- Posts: 54
- Joined: Thu Jun 04, 2020 12:40 pm
Re: Solder new firmware chip - Pioneer UHD Drives
Hi !
Having repaired some electronic boards with SMD chips, I guess this wold prove nearly impossible.
First, you have to have the Pioneer drive to flash the chip on.
Of course, you need to find and buy the proper chip new. (good luck with that)
Then you have to solder/install the chip in order to flash it, provided the drive function without firmware on the chip....
Flash it then install it on the offending drive... (this is the tricky part, as you have to de-solder the "wrong" chip without destroying anything and then solder the new one without damaging it...)
If you can't flash the chip on a pioneer drive, you will need the development board for this chip which wil/could cost a lot of money if only it is available.
So theoretically this is possible but not feasible for an amateur. IMHO.
Having repaired some electronic boards with SMD chips, I guess this wold prove nearly impossible.
First, you have to have the Pioneer drive to flash the chip on.
Of course, you need to find and buy the proper chip new. (good luck with that)
Then you have to solder/install the chip in order to flash it, provided the drive function without firmware on the chip....
Flash it then install it on the offending drive... (this is the tricky part, as you have to de-solder the "wrong" chip without destroying anything and then solder the new one without damaging it...)
If you can't flash the chip on a pioneer drive, you will need the development board for this chip which wil/could cost a lot of money if only it is available.
So theoretically this is possible but not feasible for an amateur. IMHO.
Re: Solder new firmware chip - Pioneer UHD Drives
I believe it could be easier than you think. Removing a bios/firmware SMD is quickly and easily accomplished with some flux and a basic hot air station. Programming said chip with an external USB chip programmer is also quick and relatively cheap. I think the major hurdle is the procedure and code to program the chip. Someone more techy than me has prob already tried this to some degree. What will the community do when Pioneer w/ old FW supply dries out? It doesn't make sense for a one-off procedure, but for people who have soldering/programming tools at their disposal, it may be an option.
I've watched YouTube videos of HDD repair that require swapping the firmware/bios chip to a donor board, so I thought this might be an option for Pioneer UHD drives.
I've watched YouTube videos of HDD repair that require swapping the firmware/bios chip to a donor board, so I thought this might be an option for Pioneer UHD drives.
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georgesgiralt
- Posts: 54
- Joined: Thu Jun 04, 2020 12:40 pm
Re: Solder new firmware chip - Pioneer UHD Drives
I agree with you to some extent.
When you swap a chip from a failed drive to a donor board, you have the old chip and the new board. And the chip is a flash memory perfectly identifiable and well known. So you can read the data from one chip, save it and program it into the new one. *
But the situation here is very different.
I think the drive electronic is made of ONE chip (a SOC using smartphone terminology) made to spec by a great chip maker.
So you have no idea of what and how to program the memory inside it.
And if you have this idea, you will not have the hardware to do so except if working for the founder of the chip or Pioneer.
This afternoon I've opened a dead DVD player to check. There is one big chip inside, the laser led and a couple of trimmers to adjust some voltage, the SATA port and a couple of voltage regulators plus a bunch of resistors and capacitors. Period.
And of course, one can flash a firmware on this device... Using a software delivered by the maker of the drive...
I do not claim it is not possible, I suspect we do not have the information nor the hardware to do so. And that no one can put it's hands on new chips or specs.... Except Pioneer or the maker of the chip.
* : Some time ago, I returned to service a laptop with a failed BIOS chip. I easily found the 32Mb flash chip (Mouser, Farnell sell them), was able to find the BIOS binary file and flash it using an external hardware device able to program such chips. Then I soldered back the memory in place and the laptop accepted to start. As I had found a very outdated BIOS, we where able to flash the current BIOS into the memory using the laptop maker procedure and file... So I know it is technically possible. Provided you have the data, the hardware and the knowledge. That combination is difficult to gather.
When you swap a chip from a failed drive to a donor board, you have the old chip and the new board. And the chip is a flash memory perfectly identifiable and well known. So you can read the data from one chip, save it and program it into the new one. *
But the situation here is very different.
I think the drive electronic is made of ONE chip (a SOC using smartphone terminology) made to spec by a great chip maker.
So you have no idea of what and how to program the memory inside it.
And if you have this idea, you will not have the hardware to do so except if working for the founder of the chip or Pioneer.
This afternoon I've opened a dead DVD player to check. There is one big chip inside, the laser led and a couple of trimmers to adjust some voltage, the SATA port and a couple of voltage regulators plus a bunch of resistors and capacitors. Period.
And of course, one can flash a firmware on this device... Using a software delivered by the maker of the drive...
I do not claim it is not possible, I suspect we do not have the information nor the hardware to do so. And that no one can put it's hands on new chips or specs.... Except Pioneer or the maker of the chip.
* : Some time ago, I returned to service a laptop with a failed BIOS chip. I easily found the 32Mb flash chip (Mouser, Farnell sell them), was able to find the BIOS binary file and flash it using an external hardware device able to program such chips. Then I soldered back the memory in place and the laptop accepted to start. As I had found a very outdated BIOS, we where able to flash the current BIOS into the memory using the laptop maker procedure and file... So I know it is technically possible. Provided you have the data, the hardware and the knowledge. That combination is difficult to gather.