How to find info on a (Chinese?) micro controller?   - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: rwgast_lowlevellogicdesin
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 09, 2017, 01:52:43 am
content: I recently bought a piece of test gear from e-bay and there is no software or documentation for it. It is made in china most likely using the cheapest parts the manufacturer could source. It has an HDM340G USB serial/uart bridge, these are pretty common on clone arduinos and dev boards.The serial chip is connected to an STC 15L2k60S2 QFP44 micro controller which is suppose to set the registers and control an analog devices chip.Searching the web left me empty handed all i got was AliExpress pages selling these chips which listed them as a "Logic Chip" for automotive media? At the moment I just want to know the pinout and the core type, it would be helpful to get a full on datasheet and directions on programming it but im not crossing my fingers. I never know what to do when I need to research and maybe re program these chips that arent even listed at All Datasheet.

author: Rasz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 09, 2017, 04:05:05 am
content: http://www.stcmicro.com/datasheet/STC15F2K60S2-en.pdfhttp://www.stcmicro.com/rjxz.htmlthe thing with Chinese domestic companies is they toe the party line of limiting availability to foreigners in order to maintain advantage.basically its like STM32, but with 8051 core on steroidsQuote

author: rwgast_lowlevellogicdesin
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 09, 2017, 06:56:45 pm
content: Wow thanks a bunch, I searched around and found STC datasheets for a lot of there chips but not the 15 series. Something told me it was probably an 8051 core.How hard would it be to port firmware for a very similar device that uses an AtMega328(no Arduino layer). Im pretty familiar with AVR but I have never done anything with an 8051 core. Is it possible to dump the firmware off the STC chip? As a matter of fact I use a lot of cypress/arm stuff and need to use there USB FX line but have been putting it off due to its 8051 core. Im not sure what compilers, tools etc are needed.

author: coppice
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 09, 2017, 07:12:30 pm
content: Quote from: Rasz on March 09, 2017, 04:05:05 amMost Chinese silicon vendors would love to be more successful in export markets, but they struggle to create a global support network. When they can find a big opportunity in a particular location, and can justify setting up their own support arrangements, they go for it.

author: technix
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 11, 2017, 03:52:31 am
content: The CH340G (you called it HDM340G, it is really WCH CH340G) is a USB to Serial adapter chip. Works just like FT232 or PL2303 but a lot cheaper.STC15L2K60S2 is a 8051-compatible micro from STC. Depending on how the chip is wired, you may be able to get your own code into the MCU though. The ISP tool is free (as in beer.)You can buy a pin compatible IAP15L2K61S2 or IAP15W4K61S4 and swap out that STC15L2K61S2. Those two, also produced by STC, supports in-circuit programming and on-chip debugging.

author: rwgast_lowlevellogicdesin
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 11, 2017, 06:26:58 am
content: I feel like an idiot asking this, especially since ive been an open source user and supporter since the late 90s, but I have never understood free as in beer? That means the tool is free but closed source?Why would it depend on how the chip is wired? Its pin pitch is relatively big, big enough to solder jumpers on and lift others off the pads. I dont know much about these chips it sounds like you do, is there a bigger issue rewriting it?I still have a major problem If I were to rewrite the chip or even replace it with a more friendly one, let me show a picture of the boardI am pretty sure those two chips in the back are digital RF attenuators wired in parallel. I can use the front panel controls to set the ADF chips frequency and set an attenuation level from -50db to 10db so a set of attenuators makes sense. I know the ADF chip has some internal way to set the power output(but I dont think it has 60db of dynamic range, it could....) so if thats how attenuation is controled then I have NO idea what those chips are!So the problem is if I dump the existing firmware and start from scratch I better know what those mystery chips are and how to set there registers! The best way to figure that out is to be able to dump the firmware... even if I could do that I have no idea how to decipher all that hex to figure out what the hell those two chips do.If your not going to supply fn software with your product at least leave chip labels in tact so other people can!