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Norbert Schmidt | 22 Mar 2005 22:11
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Notebook 340s2 (sis630) 256k Flash

Hello,
linuxbios is new to me, after some reading I got freebios (not freebios2 
due to sis630) via cvs.

Notebook is a Gericom Webboy (actually a Uniwill 340s2, also sold with 
other names...) with PLCC-Flash Winbond 29c020 in Socket.

I thought freebios/utils/config/winfast-flash.config should be a good 
start. (right?)
I only changed payload to filo.elf
(config and build before to start kernel from hda2)
and disabled
option ENABLE_SIS630_CPU_PIPELINE and
commandline ...(no need for because of filo)

romimage was build as expected (256k), but after writing to flash
(flash828 (ami) complains "no biosfile" but seems to work)
no poweron possible anymore - nothing happens (not even the fan is turning).

-no problem, I can easily reflash the orig. bios to make it work again-

Is there any chance to get linuxbios work on that maschine?
Output of lspci -vv and -xxx is attached.
I hope you have an idea what was wrong or what I can try next.
Or tell me, if it's impossible (I read in archive from a problematic lcd 
- but I'm not sure if it was the same notebook 340s2)

thanks,
Norbert
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Richard Smith | 22 Mar 2005 22:17
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Re: Notebook 340s2 (sis630) 256k Flash

> romimage was build as expected (256k), but after writing to flash
> (flash828 (ami) complains "no biosfile" but seems to work)
> no poweron possible anymore - nothing happens (not even the fan is turning).

You should do a verify and make sure that the part was really programed.

> -no problem, I can easily reflash the orig. bios to make it work again- 

I curious how you do that If it dosen't even power up.  Can you remove
the flash part?

> I hope you have an idea what was wrong or what I can try next.

You need to get the serial port functional.  What super IO is on that
board?  It dosen't show up in lspci you have to actually look at the
board for it.

--

-- 
Richard A. Smith
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Norbert Schmidt | 23 Mar 2005 00:12
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Re: Notebook 340s2 (sis630) 256k Flash

 > You should do a verify and make sure that the part was really programed.

I will

 > Can you remove the flash part?

yes, it is in a socket

 > What super IO is on that board?

maybe: PC87393VJG - found in web
(not yet screwed to verify)

Norbert
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Norbert Schmidt | 24 Mar 2005 00:20
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Re: Notebook 340s2 (sis630) 256k Flash

 >> What super IO is on that board?
 >
 > maybe: PC87393VJG - found in web
 > (not yet screwed to verify)

yes, that's right, I found it when I dissassembled the whole notebook 
right now.
(Beside is a PC87570, a Keyboard and Power Controller. 
http://www.national.com/pf/PC/PC87570.html)

I found no directory for the PC87393VJG in freebios/src...but datasheet 
is available (http://www.national.com/pf/PC/PC87393.html)

Any suggestions or help? What would be best to try next?

Norbert
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Bari Ari | 24 Mar 2005 00:28

Re: Notebook 340s2 (sis630) 256k Flash

Norbert Schmidt wrote:

> yes, that's right, I found it when I dissassembled the whole notebook 
> right now.
> (Beside is a PC87570, a Keyboard and Power Controller. 
> http://www.national.com/pf/PC/PC87570.html)

Just hope they didn't route the Flash write through the 87570. The micro 
has 2KB or ROM so you can't change that if it's been burned in.

-Bari
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Norbert Schmidt | 24 Mar 2005 11:14
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Re: Notebook 340s2 (sis630) 256k Flash


On Wed, 23 Mar 2005, Bari Ari wrote:

> > yes, that's right, I found it when I dissassembled the whole notebook
> > right now.
> > (Beside is a PC87570, a Keyboard and Power Controller.
> > http://www.national.com/pf/PC/PC87570.html)
> 
> Just hope they didn't route the Flash write through the 87570. The micro has
> 2KB or ROM so you can't change that if it's been burned in.

Does that mean something like if I rewrite the Flash, a "Part" of the old 
Bios is still in the ROM of the 87570. The modified code in flash will 
never be able to work?

How can I test this, is there any way?

Norbert
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Bari Ari | 24 Mar 2005 17:30

Re: Notebook 340s2 (sis630) 256k Flash

The PC87570 has some code in ROM and it also shares the Flash BIOS 
memory with the PC host. Page 49 of the 
http://www.national.com/ds/PC/PC87570.pdf datasheet has the info on this.

If you rewrite the entire Flash you may erase the portion (up to 56K for 
code and data) of the BIOS for the PC87570 that will be in CR16A (NSC 
RISC) format vs. the x86 portion of the BIOS.

The Keyboard and Power Management Controllers are the non-standard parts 
of laptops and one reason why there hasn't been LinuxBIOS support for 
one yet.

A laptop with LinuxBIOS support can easily be designed. Getting 
LinuxBIOS support for an existing design is lots of work if you have to 
reverse engineer without OEM schematics and docs.

-Bari

Norbert Schmidt wrote:

> 
> On Wed, 23 Mar 2005, Bari Ari wrote:
> 
> 
>>>yes, that's right, I found it when I dissassembled the whole notebook
>>>right now.
>>>(Beside is a PC87570, a Keyboard and Power Controller.
>>>http://www.national.com/pf/PC/PC87570.html)
>>
>>Just hope they didn't route the Flash write through the 87570. The micro has
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Richard Smith | 24 Mar 2005 15:55
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Re: Notebook 340s2 (sis630) 256k Flash

> > Just hope they didn't route the Flash write through the 87570. The micro has
> > 2KB or ROM so you can't change that if it's been burned in.
> 
> Does that mean something like if I rewrite the Flash, a "Part" of the old
> Bios is still in the ROM of the 87570. The modified code in flash will
> never be able to work?

It means that the 87570 may have control of the write enable line on
the flash.  If its not asserted no writes to the flash will be
possible unless you pull the chip.  Figureing out whats involved in
allowing the write line to be enabled usually requires snooping on the
IO ports while the factory re-flash routine runs.  Note: thats not the
same as disassembling  the factory re-flash code which could taint
linuxbios with copyrighted code.

> How can I test this, is there any way?

If you have access to a oscope then you can watch the write enable and
the chip enable lines while running the linuxbios flash routine they
must both be asserted at the time you try to write to the flash.

If you are software only then boot bochs on the machine and enable IO
logging then run the factory re-flash.  If it does a buch of port IO
to the 87570 prior to starting to program then WE has a good chance of
being under its control and you will have to duplicate that IO prior
to and/or while running the linuxbios reflash.

--

-- 
Richard A. Smith
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Peter Stuge | 24 Mar 2005 16:04

Re: Notebook 340s2 (sis630) 256k Flash

On Thu, Mar 24, 2005 at 08:55:57AM -0600, Richard Smith wrote:
> It means that the 87570 may have control of the write enable line
> on the flash.  If its not asserted no writes to the flash will be
> possible unless you pull the chip.

I got the impression that he tested the first flash with an external
programmer, although it would certainly be nice to add support for
the system to flash_rom.

//Peter

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