lowlytech wrote:

can I buy a EEPROM programmer and read the good chip to a file and then write that to a new flash chip? Is it possible they have a read lock or something that would prevent this?

Yes and no.

That's a standard 512Kbit flash chip, you can read and write it w/o special tools, all you need is any PCI/AGP card or motherboard with PLCC32 socket that accepts 29x family flash chips (27x are generally EPROMs with different pinout) + program called "Uniflash".

The TL866CS programmer can do what you want - just get with it a cheap DIP32->PLCC32 adapter socket.
It would help to state your country in case anyone can help you with that - but consider getting the programmer as it is handy to have.

If you can find an Intel, 3COM or Realtek NIC with PLCC32 socket you can use Flashrom to program the old chip or a new chip.

Thanks for the replies guys. Interesting I didn't think of being able to use a NIC to program a chip. I found a motherboard that has the PCLL32 socket for it's BIOS in my immediate parts, but if I pull the existing ROM how would I run a program to read the good chip to a file? I will go up to the attic and see if I can find a NIC. I am located in SE Oklahoma

Well I hit a wall pretty quickly. Only card I could find was an AGP ATI Rage with that socket, however I don't have a single AGP motherboard to install it in. Only have one PII, and one PIII board and they both have integrated AGP video with only PCI slots. Guess I will start looking into programmers.

So will this have everything I need to read the good chip and then burn it back to a blank EEPROM? Just checking before I order it.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/USB-MiniPro-TL866CS- … 8QAAOSww9xZJm~b

Also a quick ebay check for w29EE512-p doesn't come up with any good choices other than a 10 pack from china. What replacement chip could I use preferably in the USA.

Edit.. Forgot the link..

Does this look like a good chip that would be compatible to the winbond W29EE512-P?

https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Gr ... 2fOGPwo%3d

lowlytech wrote:

Does this look like a good chip that would be compatible to the winbond W29EE512-P?

https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Gr ... 2fOGPwo%3d

Yes.

lowlytech wrote:

Thanks for the replies guys. Interesting I didn't think of being able to use a NIC to program a chip. I found a motherboard that has the PCLL32 socket for it's BIOS in my immediate parts, but if I pull the existing ROM how would I run a program to read the good chip to a file? I will go up to the attic and see if I can find a NIC. I am located in SE Oklahoma

Hot swap. It's a little risky but I had never failed one.
I would pry the BIOS chip out, gently put it on top of the socket, not insert it fully into the socket - just make sure the pins on the both sides make contact. Boot the board to DOS, pry the BIOS chip out, insert the chip with corrupted data or a new chip into the socket, and do the flash.

lazibayer wrote:

lowlytech wrote:

Thanks for the replies guys. Interesting I didn't think of being able to use a NIC to program a chip. I found a motherboard that has the PCLL32 socket for it's BIOS in my immediate parts, but if I pull the existing ROM how would I run a program to read the good chip to a file? I will go up to the attic and see if I can find a NIC. I am located in SE Oklahoma

Hot swap. It's a little risky but I had never failed one.
I would pry the BIOS chip out, gently put it on top of the socket, not insert it fully into the socket - just make sure the pins on the both sides make contact. Boot the board to DOS, pry the BIOS chip out, insert the chip with corrupted data or a new chip into the socket, and do the flash.

He'd first have to read the good chip's contents though.

Have an update. I opened up my older file server I used before switching to freenas last year as a last resort, and low and behold it had an intel nic with the PCLL32 socket. It also looks like my old server has a leaking CR2032 battery which is a first time I have ever seen that 😐 I got xunbuntu loaded up and got the 1.00 flashrom installed and it seemed to read my good flash chip without issue. However the file size is 65536 and nowhere near 512K. I assume flash is just like any other storage medium, you can have bigger than your file your trying to write? Just incase I read the chip twice, 2nd time with verbose enabled to make sure there were no issues and it did detect the chip as winbond W29E512.

After I got the flash file read, I shut down the system and for giggles thought I would put in the flash chip from the CF reader that has been giving me trouble. Flashrom would only give the error that No EEPROM/flash device found. I reseated the chip several times and just kept getting this same error. Guess it is safe to assume this chip is just bad somehow?

One last question for lazibayer or someone that is more familiar with flashrom. In a previous post I have a GLS29EE512 that I am going to order, however this specific flash type isn't listed on flashrom's supported chips. In the datasheet is seems like this chip use to be called an SST, but not anymore. Will this give me problems or do I need to find a different Flash chip to order to be able to write this file back?

Thanks again for all the input and suggestions, I never knew this flashrom program even existed.

hah leaking CR2032 batteries are a thing - I was surprised as well and I opened this thread some time ago: Have you opened your SC-55 to check the battery inside? , apparently several other people had leaking CR2032 batteries...

lowlytech wrote:

Have an update. I opened up my older file server I used before switching to freenas last year as a last resort, and low and beh […]
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Have an update. I opened up my older file server I used before switching to freenas last year as a last resort, and low and behold it had an intel nic with the PCLL32 socket. It also looks like my old server has a leaking CR2032 battery which is a first time I have ever seen that 😐 I got xunbuntu loaded up and got the 1.00 flashrom installed and it seemed to read my good flash chip without issue. However the file size is 65536 and nowhere near 512K. I assume flash is just like any other storage medium, you can have bigger than your file your trying to write? Just incase I read the chip twice, 2nd time with verbose enabled to make sure there were no issues and it did detect the chip as winbond W29E512.

After I got the flash file read, I shut down the system and for giggles thought I would put in the flash chip from the CF reader that has been giving me trouble. Flashrom would only give the error that No EEPROM/flash device found. I reseated the chip several times and just kept getting this same error. Guess it is safe to assume this chip is just bad somehow?

One last question for lazibayer or someone that is more familiar with flashrom. In a previous post I have a GLS29EE512 that I am going to order, however this specific flash type isn't listed on flashrom's supported chips. In the datasheet is seems like this chip use to be called an SST, but not anymore. Will this give me problems or do I need to find a different Flash chip to order to be able to write this file back?

Thanks again for all the input and suggestions, I never knew this flashrom program even existed.

The number "512" in the chip's model is measured in kilobits, so 512 kilobit = 65536 byte, no problem here.
Sounds like your bad chip is just ... too bad to be reformed. 🤣
I just checked the datasheets of GLS and SST chips and they both have the same chip id: BF5D, so it's quite possible that Flashrom will take the GLS chip as if it's an SST one.
Also you can try to reach the authors of Flashrom; they have been quite responsive and helpful to me over the years.

Quick update. I found a source for atmel 64x8 chips that were on the supported chip list of flashrom. I was able to write this new chip and it is working great so far in my aztecmonster. Have had it on for about 6 hours and done about 2 dozen power cycles and it has worked every time. Thanks so much for all the help, and lazibayer, thank you for making me aware of flashrom.

lowlytech wrote:

Quick update. I found a source for atmel 64x8 chips that were on the supported chip list of flashrom. I was able to write this new chip and it is working great so far in my aztecmonster. Have had it on for about 6 hours and done about 2 dozen power cycles and it has worked every time. Thanks so much for all the help, and lazibayer, thank you for making me aware of flashrom.

Glad to hear that it worked out for you! 😁