Unable to read from a SOP8 ROM chip, even though it is supported.

Hi, please forgive me if this is the wrong category where to write about this, I thought it was the best suited.

I have a CH341A programmer, along with a clamp/clip for SOP8. The ROMs I’m trying to read from are in external SATA to USB enclosures, and I have two parts: an MXIC 25L5121E and a PUYA P25D40H. The PUYA one seems to be less supported although I have had success reading a couple (P25Q40H and P25D21H) using flashrom generic read. The MXIC 25L5121E is however supported by the regular tools, CH341A Programmer (1.34 is the one I’m using), AsProgrammer 1.4 or even Flashrom I believe.

However, I’m unable to dump its contents. When the clip is correctly attached and the programmer connected to a machine the LED that usually indicates activity in the hard drive of the enclosure, or power state, blinks. Trying to dump at this stage leads to all 0s and trying to ID the chip all FFs.

If it happened to the PUYA one alone I’d attribute it as not being a supported chip, but both? Even when one of them seems to be? Makes me think I’m missing something, or there’s some sort of anti dump protection embedded in those enclosures.

Because of the location the chips are in, it’s not possible for me to desolder them with the skill I currently have, they’re near micro resistors that would be desoldered as well without possibility for me to re-solder.

Any ideas? Much appreciated.

Chip may need removed from those boards, or power connected/on (dangerous/iffy) sounds like it’s trying to power them up through the chip/clip and not enough power

Maybe @hanson can advise a programmer software/version to read/write to this chip, I see he was dealing with this chip before, unless he done it all without flash programmer