Can we reuse Computer BIOS Flash Memory ?

[onlineajit2000]

Hi...
I want to reuse computer bios flas. can we do this ? if plz send me schematic,circuit,pcb layout for that. we can find lotoff computer bios chips so i tought to resuse them. plzz find programmer and software for that purpuse. onlineajit2000@yahoo.com
Jeet

 

[HarveyH42]

You'd think it would be simple... Haven't had a need myself, but do recycle a lot of components. Do these chips have standard part numbers or house numbered? You'll need to remove the sticker without messing up the printing underneath. If the parts are still on board, you might be able to follow enough traces to get some idea of a pinout. For high level chips though, you really need the data sheet. Most house numbered parts are junk to me, take a lot of time trying to figure them out, not to mention maybe fried from desoldering. Transistors you can test for NPN/PNP types, most will work fine for general purpose applications as such.

Its been a while, but there was a website that had several suggestions about house numbered chips, but gave up on them long ago. Sometimes you can get lucky searching surplus sites, and learn what your mystery chip is equivalent to.

https://www.alldatasheet.com/ This site is free, no sign-up or anything, probably the best source. Haven't tried house numbered parts here, might give it a shot.

 

[Papabravo]

If there were one or two types of flash memory then this task would be a great deal easier. Since there are so many kinds with so many different sizes this is an impossible task unless you can narrow the task down to one or two types. Even then, do you seriously intend to try and reuse surface mount parts?

 

[HarveyH42]

He didn't specify if they were surface mount. Most of my old computers are pre-pentium, Bios is in normal sized chips. I never had the urge to check and see what kind. Might be Eproms for all I know, but I do remember a grey sticker stating BIOS and version #. Surface mount? Yeah, really low probability. If you don't damage it removing it, is your luck going to hold resodering it? For memories you really need a data sheet, too many critical little details, not that forgiving for trial and error. But if you have nothing better to do, and a good supply of chips, I'm sure there are many people interested in the results of the research.

 

[Papabravo]

Read these threads and notice all the trouble people have with PIC programmers they build or acquire on the cheap. Do you seriously believe that these people will be able to create programmers or programming methods for these "free" flash chips. They may have time on their hands and/or nothing better to do, but flash memory has to be the cheapest most useless thing to spend valuable time on. I've been criticized for the view that your time is more valuable than components so I expect a few replies in that vein.

 

[atferrari]

Prior buying a Picstartplus I built a programmer from someone that later decided not to support for newer chips. Frustrating in spite how well it works for up to 16F chips.!

--------------------
"I've been criticized for the view that your time is more valuable than components so I expect a few replies in that vein."
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As a self taught hobbyist with zero budget in my beginning I spent uncountable hours/days/months salvaging things (tubes/valves times).

Later, when I started to be able to afford some money for electronic components, found that buying even one chip for few dollars made me free to what is my interest: experimenting and designing. Sometimes it's much much less than the money you spend having lunch out of home or just drinking two biers!!

Seen all the pain you have to pass through, I tend to see it as a waste of time. Much to my regret because even now I still keep things "just in case..."

A little off-topic (or not, perhaps), let me tell that I see lot of hobbyists discussing the convenience of using this or that IC because it is "1 dollar cheaper" and the like. The time spent in all that, for a circuit that will never see the day of light as a commercial product seems pointless to me.

 

[BeeBop]

Ha, ha,

"I've been criticized for the view that your time is more valuable than components so I expect a few replies in that vein."

I must concur!
Amazing how parallel my development is with Atferrari:

Much to my regret because even now I still keep things "just in case..."

Same here, although, being where I am now, I limit it to 'rare' parts that may be tough to find. When I live in Canada, though, I had piles and piles of junk! There was an upside, though. While there, I had access to hospital garbage, and some of the parts I salvaged were worth quite a bit: Solid State Relays, magnet pumps, and some pretty high falutin' sensors. Now, however, with square kilometers of electronics part houses just a few minutes away, it is so much cheaper just to buy what is needed.
The upside was that salvaging parts from old TVs and radios when I was a kid, taught me how to solder/de-solder very well.
Regards,
Robert

 

[onlineajit2000]

?????

If there were one or two types of flash memory then this task would be a great deal easier. Since there are so many kinds with so many different sizes this is an impossible task unless you can narrow the task down to one or two types. Even then, do you seriously intend to try and reuse surface mount parts?

Hi...
Mostly I saw Bios Flash memory not mounted on surface. these flash memory mounted in IC socketes. only BUS Arbittery and other PCI controllers are mounted on surface. if you know how to erase computer BIOS. and write them again for pur application use reply me.
I found some information on www.alldatasheet.com i have one flash and thats datasheet. In that sheet said you can programmed and erased using standerd EPROM Programmer.
any one have Standrd EPROM Programmer layouts ? I want to built it myself.
Thank You.

 

[Papabravo]

As I said flash memory comes in all shapes and sizes. Each manufacturer has their own set of algorithms and specifications. To build a programmer that is universal, in the sense that voltage and current can be ontrolled on each pin, is a substantial undertaking. A commercial programmer will typically cost several thousand dollars. The major expense is supporting all the different device types with software algorithms and adapter heads. People are expensive while silicon is cheap. As you can imagine, they do not post their schematics on the internet.

All of this changes if you can narrow the field down to one or two types. If you still want to pursue this activity then go to one manufacturers website and find the programming instructions and specifications. Design a pin driver for each pin that is capable creating the voltage and current profile required on that pin. Now design the programming algorithm that decodes an intel hex file and translates that into signals on the pin drivers. Now repeat the process for other types and sizes of FLASH chip across all manufacturers and you too can compete with the commercial players.

 

[szabi]

Go to www.uniflash.org, there You find an open source universal BIOS flashing utility program (written in Borland Pascal), that supports a huge number of flash chips. By analyzing the source code, You can find out the different programming methods for the different chip types.
It's really a GREAT site!

I need too a good programmer schematic and software, so if You find one, please send it to me: szabi_o a t yahoo.com

 

[Papabravo]

That's great, except that necessary assumptions must be made about how to flash the bios inside a working system. It implies many things that may not be true about chips recovered from old systems or even the old systems themselves. If your time is worth nothing then by all means spend your time decoding open source code and prospecting for circuit designs to recycle old chips worth pennies. You obviously have no higher calling and nothing better to do with your time.

Borland Pascal. That's a real knee slapper.

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

Borland Pascal. That's a real knee slapper.

Great language! - far better (and FAR, FAR faster to compile) than this C rubbish!

 

[Papabravo]

True, but hardly the point. Many great languages have been ignored by the vast majority of practitioners. Sadly, Pascal is among the victims. Finding a working compiler would be a challenge. Finding the documentation would be a bigger challenge. Learning enough of the language to decode the typical open source hunk of glop would be near impossible. The knee slapper is that this level of effort would be expended to recover and reuse chips that are virtually worthless.

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

True, but hardly the point. Many great languages have been ignored by the vast majority of practitioners. Sadly, Pascal is among the victims. Finding a working compiler would be a challenge. Finding the documentation would be a bigger challenge. Learning enough of the language to decode the typical open source hunk of glop would be near impossible.

You can download a free version of Turbo Pascal directly from Borland (and a free version of Turbo C if you like), Pascal was always the language of choice for university courses - as it's far better structured than C. As for learning enough of the language?, it's relatively easy to understand (unlike C!), and it's strong structure makes it far more easily understood.

And of course it's still going fairly well today in the guise of Delphi, basically Visual Pascal for Windows?.

The knee slapper is that this level of effort would be expended to recover and reuse chips that are virtually worthless.

Depends if you want the chips or not really?.

 

[Papabravo]

Anyone so inclined to reuse FLASH chips from an old PC please be my guest. Fun have, learn well, and prosper.

Edit: We still don't have a FLASH memory part number that the original poster might have access to. What about it?