ChrisCheon Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Hello, > Since you mentioned that the file is exactly the > same as bios_full.bin, I tried again using the > CH341A. > After reading the chip, the contents matched > bios_full.bin, and the checksum was also correct. > > I completely erased the ROM, wrote the BIOS again, > and verifiedby superchromix - uBoot
Wladimir Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Hi everyone, > > First thing, my DS918+ was reborn from these > ashes, thanks to superchromix. > Big thanks for you guys, it is so enjoyable to > avoid buying another NAS, especially when Synology > put some restrictions with the kind of HDD we > could use. > I don't know why but tby superchromix - uBoot
Root cause it’s automatic updates of DSM, I would guess. DSM update includes flashing the bios. If this fails, the device is bricked.by superchromix - uBoot
Hi, here‘s the relevant quote from above: ***** I read the bios using the CH341a and flashrom on Ubuntu creating a backup.bin file. I did this twice using a new filename with the 2nd file and checked that both files were the same, and they were. I then started looking at the BIOS.ROM file from the Synology.pat file and the backup.bin file that was read from the Winbond IC using a hex editorby superchromix - uBoot
You should extract a section of the bios.rom file, then add zeros up to the correct size, and flash with this. I would recommend flashing the original chip, not a new one. Good luck.by superchromix - uBoot
cool, congrats! Sounds like the bios is fixed at leastby superchromix - uBoot
The chip has a storage size of 16MB. So, it doesn’t matter that the rom is only 8MB - you should fill the rest with zeros up to 16MB. The address of the start and end if the trim region are posted in the thread above.by superchromix - uBoot
poseidoposeido Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Hello @superchromix, thanks for your reply. > > My main goal in reading the chip was to check if I > could successfully communicate with it and > understand how to use the CH341 programming > software (it's my first time). I backed up the > chip's content multiple times but notiby superchromix - uBoot
@poseidoposeido If you read a different data each time you try to read, it doesn’t sound to me like the reader is working. I’m not sure I would trust that setup for writing. As described above, I used a different flasher and I also desoldered the chip from the board.by superchromix - uBoot
There seems to be some confusion about the binary file which needs to be flashed onto the winbond chip. To clarify: the original content of the winbond chip does not need to be read out. All of the binary data needed for flashing is obtained from the .pat file, as described above. So, if you can read the original (probably corrupted) data from the winbond chip, that’s fine, but it is nby superchromix - uBoot
Some additional detail for those who are having difficulty with this. 1. The binary data which needs to be flashed to the bios chip is contained within the bios.rom file, which can be extracted from the Synology .pat file. 2. The bios.rom contains 8MB of binary data which needs to be flashed to the bios chip, plus some additional header and footer bytes. The header and footer are not partby superchromix - uBoot
I wonder if the system is trying to reflash the bios on boot… Perhaps your winbond chip itself is bad? They can be found online..by superchromix - uBoot
Some questions: Are you sure you're flashing the chip correctly? Did you remove the chip from the board to flash it? Which programmer are you using? During boot, are you watching the output on the UART serial port?by superchromix - uBoot
Note, the file you need to extract the bios code from is called bios.rom. You need to extract this file from the .pat file, beforehand.by superchromix - uBoot
The complete bios file is in there - you have to cut it out from the .pat file. The .pat file has additional data before and after the region containing the bios. You can figure out which region of the file to extract by comparing the data you read from the winbond chip with the contents of the pat file.by superchromix - uBoot
The complete file is contained within the pat file.by superchromix - uBoot
Congrats! Yes, I think that is the same address range from the bios.rom file that I used. It’s great that you found a way to use a less expensive flasher and even did the job without de-soldering the chip! Nicely done and enjoy your brand new Synology :)by superchromix - uBoot
I fixed my system by removing the Winbond chip from the motherboard and reflashing it. I also had to figure out which address range in the bios.rom file needs to be written to the chip. When I soldered the chip back onto the motherboard and powered her up, I almost fell out of my chair when the boot sequence started outputting over the UART. XD To flash the chip you will need somethby superchromix - uBoot
Pulled the flash chip off the board, and read its contents to disk. Saved binary file is 16MB. bios.ROM file in the Synology package is 9142600 bytes. If I want to reflash the bios chip, how to figure out at what offset to start reflashing..? and, where is the checksum stored...?by superchromix - uBoot
A short update: I've identified another chip on the motherboard which may potentially be the BIOS chip. The chip is a Winbond 25Q128FWSQ 128M-BIT SERIAL FLASH MEM ORY WITH DUAL/QUAD SPI & QPI It has 8 pins and is soldered to the back side of the motherboard.by superchromix - uBoot
Thanks for the info! Regarding the uboot files in the Synology .pat file: You're correct - there are no "uboot" files in the package I downloaded from Synology. I must have been confused after reading other posts describing recovering other Synology models which do use the uboot system. What I did find in the Synology package is a folder called "flashupdate_6.2-25556by superchromix - uBoot
Hi, I'm attempting to unbrick a Synology DS918+. Purchased this unit second hand, and it arrived DOA. No information on its history. Upon connecting power and pressing the power button, the blue power light switches on and blinks. The fans spin up. The unit does not beep, and the blue light blinks endlessly. The network connection is never active and the hard disk activity lightsby superchromix - uBoot