ott wrote on 2025-06-13, 15:41:

songoffall wrote on 2025-01-12, 07:20:

I'll do some investigating and try things out on my own card, and document the process here.

Any updates?
I want to backup EEPROM of Audigy 2ZS card using CH341A clip, but not sure about success.

I restored my 2zs. I desoldered the chip, flashed it on the T48 programmer. The firmware (worked) for 2zs is on the retroweb website

ott wrote on 2025-06-13, 15:41:

songoffall wrote on 2025-01-12, 07:20:

I'll do some investigating and try things out on my own card, and document the process here.

Any updates?
I want to backup EEPROM of Audigy 2ZS card using CH341A clip, but not sure about success.

Apparently my card's EEPROM was doing just fine, which is both a good thing and a bad thing - I really wanted to play around with flashing it. The real problem was - apparently you need the driver CD for your exact card model (mine being the original Audigy 2 SB0240). Took me a while to get the original driver CD.

I think it's understandable, my unwillingness to risk harming a working card by taking off a working EEPROM chip. But once I get my hands on a dead one with erased EEPROM, I'll see what comes out of it.

songoffall wrote on 2025-01-11, 10:10:

ROM files, part 1

download/file.php?id=232817
Audigy 2 value SB0400
&
Audidgy 4 SB0610

jmarsh wrote on 2025-01-11, 17:51:

myne wrote on 2025-01-11, 17:36:

It's an Soic8. At face value I don't see why a standard ch341a clip wouldn't work

(ie no need to desolder)

Just because it's the same pin layout, doesn't mean the pin functions match (they don't). You would need a custom intermediate board between the programmer and the clip to remap them.

I had no issues at all with an SB32 (ct3670), which had the same issue. The nasty thing is, that I had to desolder the chip, because the programmer was not able to power half of the card with 5V. But after resoldering, the card worked like a charm.

After reading that thread however, I have a bad feelingy that I will have to do it again some day. I have to check, which chip they used.

ElTentakel wrote on 2025-12-17, 17:01:

jmarsh wrote on 2025-01-11, 17:51:

myne wrote on 2025-01-11, 17:36:

It's an Soic8. At face value I don't see why a standard ch341a clip wouldn't work

(ie no need to desolder)

Just because it's the same pin layout, doesn't mean the pin functions match (they don't). You would need a custom intermediate board between the programmer and the clip to remap them.

I had no issues at all with an SB32 (ct3670), which had the same issue. The nasty thing is, that I had to desolder the chip, because the programmer was not able to power half of the card with 5V. But after resoldering, the card worked like a charm.

After reading that thread however, I have a bad feelingy that I will have to do it again some day. I have to check, which chip they used.

Some 24 chips and all 93 support write protect pin& functionality
With the x-fi its working like a charm
For x-fi just need to replace one resistor 😀

I have one of those Audigy 2 zs Dell verion cards - if I reflash the eeprom with retail version does this mean the Creative drivers will install without all the workarounds usually required for the Dell cards on Windows 98?

shevalier wrote on 2025-12-17, 18:32:

Some 24 chips and all 93 support write protect pin& functionality With the x-fi its working like a charm For x-fi just need to […]
Show full quote

ElTentakel wrote on 2025-12-17, 17:01:

jmarsh wrote on 2025-01-11, 17:51:

Just because it's the same pin layout, doesn't mean the pin functions match (they don't). You would need a custom intermediate board between the programmer and the clip to remap them.

I had no issues at all with an SB32 (ct3670), which had the same issue. The nasty thing is, that I had to desolder the chip, because the programmer was not able to power half of the card with 5V. But after resoldering, the card worked like a charm.

After reading that thread however, I have a bad feelingy that I will have to do it again some day. I have to check, which chip they used.

Some 24 chips and all 93 support write protect pin& functionality
With the x-fi its working like a charm
For x-fi just need to replace one resistor 😀

That may sound wise, but they're 30yo chips.
They might be naturally degrading by now.
If they are, then you've just made it far more annoying to fix.

myne wrote on 2025-12-28, 23:45:

That may sound wise, but they're 30yo chips. They might be naturally degrading by now. If they are, then you've just made it f […]
Show full quote

shevalier wrote on 2025-12-17, 18:32:

Some 24 chips and all 93 support write protect pin& functionality With the x-fi its working like a charm For x-fi just need to […]
Show full quote

ElTentakel wrote on 2025-12-17, 17:01:

I had no issues at all with an SB32 (ct3670), which had the same issue. The nasty thing is, that I had to desolder the chip, because the programmer was not able to power half of the card with 5V. But after resoldering, the card worked like a charm.

After reading that thread however, I have a bad feelingy that I will have to do it again some day. I have to check, which chip they used.

Some 24 chips and all 93 support write protect pin& functionality
With the x-fi its working like a charm
For x-fi just need to replace one resistor 😀

That may sound wise, but they're 30yo chips.
They might be naturally degrading by now.
If they are, then you've just made it far more annoying to fix.

I'm sure the mod is easy to revert if needed. The most important thing is this way he would KNOW the actual cause if it gets corrupted again.

myne wrote on 2025-12-28, 23:45:

That may sound wise, but they're 30yo chips. They might be naturally degrading by now. If they are, then you've just made it f […]
Show full quote

shevalier wrote on 2025-12-17, 18:32:

Some 24 chips and all 93 support write protect pin& functionality With the x-fi its working like a charm For x-fi just need to […]
Show full quote

ElTentakel wrote on 2025-12-17, 17:01:

I had no issues at all with an SB32 (ct3670), which had the same issue. The nasty thing is, that I had to desolder the chip, because the programmer was not able to power half of the card with 5V. But after resoldering, the card worked like a charm.

After reading that thread however, I have a bad feelingy that I will have to do it again some day. I have to check, which chip they used.

Some 24 chips and all 93 support write protect pin& functionality
With the x-fi its working like a charm
For x-fi just need to replace one resistor 😀

That may sound wise, but they're 30yo chips.
They might be naturally degrading by now.
If they are, then you've just made it far more annoying to fix.

EEPROM erasure in sound cards is a known bug, but no one knows why it happens.
All audio cards on C-media chipsets (i.e. all from Asus) are susceptible to this bug.
There is even a utility that restores EEPROM for them.
There was no such utility for Creative cards, there is none now, and there will be none in the future.
So it is impossible to rewrite EEPROM on a sound card without desoldering it.
This does not complicate anything.

maxtherabbit wrote on Yesterday, 01:05:

myne wrote on 2025-12-28, 23:45:

That may sound wise, but they're 30yo chips. They might be naturally degrading by now. If they are, then you've just made it f […]
Show full quote

shevalier wrote on 2025-12-17, 18:32:

Some 24 chips and all 93 support write protect pin& functionality
With the x-fi its working like a charm
For x-fi just need to replace one resistor 😀

That may sound wise, but they're 30yo chips.
They might be naturally degrading by now.
If they are, then you've just made it far more annoying to fix.

I'm sure the mod is easy to revert if needed. The most important thing is this way he would KNOW the actual cause if it gets corrupted again.

The PCI-e X-Fi has a jumper next to the EEPROM, which, when installed, would allow you to write to the EEPROM.
However, the configuration resistor on the write protect is set to the "disable" position , i.e. parallel to this jumper.
This is what needs to be moved.
Apparently, Creative planned to update the EEPROM using drivers, and in order to avoid problems with users, decided to allow rewriting by default.
Sound cards do not write anything to the EEPROM during operation, and there will never be any other drivers.

If a utility for on-board recording appears and the need arises, well, you'll have to install the jumper.

I don't remember whats a jumper in Audigy do.
Think just need to set it to write-protect enable.
I remember that Audigy uses EEPROM from CSI, where the ‘Write Protect’ output is marked in the datasheet as N(ot)C(onnect).
In other words, this particular IC from this manufacturer does not have the specified function.

So, are we effectively saying VCC is always >4.5v?

shevalier wrote on Yesterday, 07:18:

There was no such utility for Creative cards, there is none now, and there will be none in the future.
So it is impossible to rewrite EEPROM on a sound card without desoldering it.
This does not complicate anything.

Re: SB2AWE EEPROM flasher utility.

EDIT: Removed completely unnecessary Russia vs Ukraine reference violating community guidelines.

myne wrote on Yesterday, 11:43:

So, are we effectively saying VCC is always >4.5v?

If this question is about my answer regarding WriteProtect, I must admit that I did not understand it.

PS. Some pic`s added

The 24CXX series are I2C EEPROMs, not SPI. This is just getting more confusing.

I2C EEPROMs are usually a lot simpler to program in-place, since the lines are only ever driven low they are easy to tap into. You just need to wait until the bus is idle (assuming the WP pin is taken care of).

jmarsh wrote on Yesterday, 16:04:

The 24CXX series are I2C EEPROMs, not SPI. This is just getting more confusing.

I don't remember which Creative cards use the 93 series.
I have an SB0220(?) somewhere, I can check.
But the thing is, 24/93 with write protection are usually marked with the letter ‘S’ (Secure), for example, 24CS32.
And on the Audigy 2V, they didn't skimp on soldering the jumper, but used 24FC32.

shevalier wrote on Yesterday, 16:51:

But the thing is, 24/93 with write protection are usually marked with the letter ‘S’ (Secure), for example, 24CS32.

That is not the case, implementation of WP pin simply varies between manufacturers.

shevalier wrote on Yesterday, 14:27:

myne wrote on Yesterday, 11:43:

So, are we effectively saying VCC is always >4.5v?

If this question is about my answer regarding WriteProtect, I must admit that I did not understand it.

PS. Some pic`s added

I was looking at the opcodes of the first datasheet in this thread.
The erase commands are only valid if VCC > 4.5v