indetifying the embedded controler (EC) chip on lenovo yoga 11s

[maigaliam]

HI every one!

i made a big mistake flashing wrong EC firmware,
here is what i get in the picture1
ec become 66EC42WW instead of 77EC18WW

now i want to replace the EC chip because i have the same motherboard from a laptop where processor is dead.

the problem is that i dont know wich one is the EC chip. please see pictures of chips in the motherboard (VIUU4)

i didn’t find the schematic anywhere and lenovo don’t want to help!

thanks

[Exec360]

I couldn’t seem to find anything on the motherboard relating to the EC. Posting more pictures and a birds-eye view of the motherboard would help.

IF there aren’t 2 SPI chips (bulky form factor, PCB might say “SPI25” or similar, 8-pin with 4 LONG pins on each side) on the motherboard that have separate firmware, you can’t flash the EC through SPI programming like you can flash a BIOS using SPI programmer and SOIC8 clips, however, the process is similar.

Check out this link:
http://www.nuvoton.com/hq/support/faq/2f…bb/?__locale=en
The description shows an EC flashing interface through USB UART (which works for flashing most types of firmware).

USB UART Programmer (note, I am not affiliated with Amazon, I just found a cheap and reliable one):
https://www.amazon.com/UART-Module-Seria…/dp/B006JKNWLE/
Have 6 wires handy (look up “5 pin cable connectors”) and hook them up to each of the motherboard ports accordingly (see below). You are going to have to solder to your motherboard.

Tutorials:
http://www.de7ec7ed.com/2013/05/embedded…rt-samsung.html
http://www.instructables.com/id/Mod-a-US…02-to-program-/
https://learn.sparkfun.com/tutorials/cp2…ok-up-guide/all
(you will need different to install drivers and have a valid EC file to flash)

I have not tried using USB UART, and I have heard mixed results, so I can’t guarantee it will be successful.

The EC usually has a square shape to it and 4 corners of 5-10 pins sticking out of it, it’s around the size of 6 SPI/BIOS chips. They can usually be found in the middle of the motherboard or near the BIOS chip.

Google “EC vendors” or “EC manufacturers”, look for a chip that says “Nuvoton” or “ITE” or has an EC manufacturer brand name (Winbond has been producing more SPI/BIOS chips in mainstream laptops today than ECs). Write down the numbers on the chip if you can find any, if you don’t see anything, it might just be a generic motherboard component – keep looking on the motherboard for something, you should get a serial number, model number, or part number.

Have you also tried looking up the service manual? Clevo’s service manuals usually have precise motherboard schematics, and Dell’s also give you a hint as to what is on the motherboard, but the amount of detail is vague.

You could also just replace your motherboard, that’s why flashing the EC has a high risk than flashing the BIOS – there’s no software failsafe (meaning if the EC firmware is broken, it won’t have its own safeguards and therefore be bricked).

[CodeRush]

Judging by a document in attached archive, EC FW is stored on a small SPI chip separate from BIOS one. No need to replace it, just reprogram, as @Exec360 suggested.

release_ec1.zip (4.12 MB)

[Fernando]

@Exec360 :
Thanks for having tried to help the thread opener, but have you realized, that maigaliam posted his problem already 4 months ago?
To make sure, that he get knowledge about your help, you should better have addressed your post directly to him.

[Peto_Pedro]

Hello guys I need help reflashing EC firmware chip gigadevice gd25q512 chip I have firmware downloaded but ch341a not detecting it via clip cable …
I have sucesfully flashed BIOS chip with ch341a but need EC firmware too