HP Motherboard

[Noah Rooney]

I have an HP motherboard with a "ROM_Recovery" jumper block. I've found out that this is a modified SPI block. Long story short I corrupted the BIOS and I'm trying to reflash the machine.

The Blackcat software isn't detecting the machine and the machine keeps restarting when I take the jumper off pin 1 and 2. What am I doing wrong?

(this is what the jumper block looks like)

I've found this page which lists the pin-out, I think I must be connecting it wrong or something.
http://bios-repair.co.uk/Repair/Reference/HP-Compaq/HP-Compaq-SPI-Header.html

Please help!

 

[Noah Rooney]

I've also found out this head out is created by intel:
http://www.intel.com/support/motherboards/desktop/dg41bi/sb/CS-032296.htm

 

[D3m0n]

Can you tell me how you have it connected ? What pins from BCUSB to the Header do you have connected

 

[Noah Rooney]

The pinout I've set up is as follows.

BC:HP
1:8
2:6
3:
4:5
5:
6:3
7:
8:7

For example pin 1 on BlackCatUSB (BC) goes to pin 8 on the HP motherboard.

 

[D3m0n]

Right your layout to me seems weird .
In the attached pic Pin 1 is the CS , Pin 3 is SCLK , Pin 5 is SO , the pins at the back 2,4,6,8,10 are all GND ,etc , now how is yours attached using this layout

 

[Noah Rooney]

Well that's confusing! However, I matched it up by name on the BC, not pin #. But I'm not positive I'm reading the HP pin numbers correctly...​

I'm hoping the HP is as follows, with pin #4 missing.​

10 9​

8 7​

6 5​

(4) 3​

2 1​

​

The updated pinout is:​

BC:HP​

1 (CS):​

2:​

3:7​

4:​

5:3​

6:​

7:5​

8:​

9:6​

10(GND):8​

​

That's right, CS isn't going anywhere because I couldn't find the appropriate connection on the HP. And I left out a row of pins in the previous post because they weren't connected.​

 

[D3m0n]

What type of motherboard is it , HP ? . And what is the bios chip ID. To verify the pin header is correct , have you checked continuity between the pin header and the flash chip ?

 

[Noah Rooney]

It is a motherboard from an HP computer. How do I find the BIOS chip ID?

 

[D3m0n]

What type of MB is it , so i can try to find more detailed info regarding the pin header. The chip ID should be written on top of the chip itself . It may be under a sticker or hard to read at best.

I am assuming you have your BCUSB in SPI mode as well ? Do you just get no connection or does it show a JEDEC ID in console

 

[Noah Rooney]

The motherboard model number is: 644016-001
The CHIP ID is: ?

I'm having a hard time finding out additional information on this motherboard. I looked up some of the chips that I thought were BIOS chips and non of them exist on google.

I have set BCUSB is SPI mode. It says it detects it but it is invalid. I'll try it once more.

 

[D3m0n]

What detection does it give you ? can you post a screenshot please

 

[Noah Rooney]

What does CE stand for? Clock Enable?

 

[Noah Rooney]

There is another issue. When I take the jumper off pin 1 and 2 on the HP motherboard the computer starts, and stops and stops and starts forever. Only when the jumper is on will the computer boot and stay on.

When I turn the computer on with the jumper and the BCUSB connected BCUSB says "BlackcatUSB connected in SPI mode but no flash detected"

 

[D3m0n]

CE# is Chip enable , connect this to Pin 1 on BCUSB CS#.

 

[Noah Rooney]

Okay, that makes sense. So CS stands for Chip Enable as well?

My current pinout is now:
BC:HP
1:2
2:8
3:7
4:
5:3
6:
7:5
8:
9:6
10:

Unfortunately the computer still restarts with that jumper removed from pin 1 and 2. Do you have any idea why the bridge between pin 1 and 2 would allow it to boot?

 

[D3m0n]

CS# =Chip select , basically same effect as Chip Enable.
With Jumper removed it is to enable you to program the Chip (PC does not get turned on whilst doing this) once programmed then you replace the jumper in order for the pc to boot properly.

 

[Noah Rooney]

Understood. So with the computer off I should be able to program it? I attached an image of the current pin-out with the BCUSB connected and the computer plugged in, but off.

 

[Noah Rooney]

Pin-out.

 

[D3m0n]

Your pin out diagram seems correct , but the screenshot with the Flash detection is wrong , those do not seem like the correct values . Can you identify the make of the bios chip on the mobo ?

 

[Noah Rooney]

I can't seem to find the BIOS chip for the life of me. I took two pictures of the motherboard with a good resolution, I can take a better look at any chips of interest to you.