Reading/writing M28W320FCB memory - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / projects

author: andtfoot
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 05, 2014, 06:41:52 am
content: For a while I've been attempting to repair a Crestron control system (used in home theatre and commercial A/V systems).The main suspect I'm looking at is the flash memory that stores the program and (I think) some of the firmware. I'm hoping to try and extract what is on the current chip, and then writing to a new chip.First of all, am I barking up the wrong tree here? Is it possible for a flash chip to have gone bad in such a way that you can read but not write to it?The original chip is an ST M28W320CB.The closest I can find and have bought is aMicron/ST M28W320FCB.I'm now lost trying to figure out how to read and write to the chip. I've attempted using both myTop3000 programmerand a Progskeet with no success so far.I'm struggling to find a programmer that's less than several thousand dollars that actually lists this chip anywhere.I have spotted a couple which I think may do it, but don't specifically list the chip, such as theeeTools ChipMaxII or TopMaxII.Another option would be to try and make something, but I wouldn't know where to start.Any ideas anyone?

author: andtfoot
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 05, 2014, 10:07:11 am
content: Quote from: andtfoot on January 05, 2014, 06:41:52 amI've just downloaded to software for the ChipMaxII programmer and it appears to support the ST M28W320FCB chip (I also didn't spot the full device list spreadsheet before...), so that looks a goer. I can't tell the difference between it and the TopMaxII, so I'll just get the cheaper one I guess.

author: exp1
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 05, 2014, 12:37:35 pm
content: I've used the Chipmax II at my previous job (electronic maintenance for a tile factory, lots of custom control systems crafted in the 80's) and it's a jewel, It has never let me down. Very fast, supports pretty much every device that can be programmed and it just works.Btw, if you want, tell us a bit more about the architecture of that system, what's the processor? how does it seem to be laid out? could you post some pictures of it torn down?

author: andtfoot
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 08, 2014, 12:52:01 pm
content: Well I just went nuts with some impulse buys... A Fluke 87V and ChipMaxII from Emona, and a DE-5000 from the Japanese eBay store.Quote from: exp1 on January 05, 2014, 12:37:35 pmThe specific unit I have is aCrestron QM-RMCwhich is a 2-series system (they are now up to 3-series.The 2-series systems use a Freescale ColdFire processor (in this case aMCF5272).Here is a crappy scan of the interesting side of the board:andhere is the full size (but still crappy) version.If you want me to read any specific chips, let me know.In terms of programming the control systems, it uses a propriety graphical system that is based on joining signals between modules/blocks; like this:Oh, look at that... I stuffed the spelling of "Hello World!"...There is also the option of dropping in line-by-line blobs of code (kind of similar to C, I think?)Recently they introduced integration into C#, but I haven't looked at that yet.