[MODERATOR] This thread was split from https://forum.allaboutcircuits.com/...ay-to-short-a-flashram-ic-to-clear-it.148320/



Many years later and via googling I found this ages old thread where Mugsy had the same problems I am facing currently. Tried the same tricks, got the same results - nothing of that worked. However on my board nex to winbond bios chip there is a 10 ping connector labeled as DEBUG. I was wondering maybe there is a chance I could connect something (I'm not sure what exactly) to it in order to rewrite cmos settings to defaults or do anything. Since my working knowledge on such topic is very short, maybe someone with more experience could lead me in right direction what such port could be used for and could it potentially help me.

 

This post is missing a ton of context at this point. Is your goal to find the flash memory chip and clear it? Start looking up the numbers on the chips you see, identify each chip and try to find the datasheet for each one, that will tell you what it does and what its interface is. That's where I would start.

 

Welcome to AAC!

However on my board nex to winbond bios chip there is a 10 ping connector labeled as DEBUG. I was wondering maybe there is a chance I could connect something (I'm not sure what exactly) to it in order to rewrite cmos settings to defaults or do anything.

Even though motherboards provide a way to update BIOS in-circuit, tracing the connections to a BGA part seems like a lost cause to me. As is removing and replacing it.

 

Welcome to AAC!
Even though motherboards provide a way to update BIOS in-circuit, tracing the connections to a BGA part seems like a lost cause to me. As is removing and replacing it.

I believe that Winbond chip is a WSON-8 package, not a BGA. All 8 pins are accessible. I think this is it (click).

From the datasheet:


It looks like it uses SPI, you can likely program it using something like a tool from Totalphase, their Aardvark tool might do it (https://www.totalphase.com/products/aardvark-i2cspi/). You may or may-not be able to program it using a 3rd party device in-circuit, it depends on how the rest of the board is designed. I give it a 50/50 shot.

For the record, it is often possible to replace BGA chips yourself. I've done it multiple times at home and at work successfully, just be very methodical and careful.