Do not modify this programmer, it's just fine the way it is. This misinformation was spread about this programmer. It neatly does 3.3 volts and not 5 volts as many claimed. It is now debunked. Do the test yourself, take a flash chip and put it in the zip socket and program, while programming you measure the voltages on the pin. You will now see that 5 volts are not measured anywhere, but 3.3 volts instead. People who understand ohm's law will realize that the wrong measurements were made with no load.
I love the way you explain things so clearly. I had teachers at school that were so intelligent that they just couldn't put themselves in my shoes and had no way of explaining things without getting too technical. I understood everything here. Cheers dude.
Important info for this mod! The output of the 3V3 regulator is not stable enough to work reliable with all Flash-Chips. After doing this mod, I was able to read/write multiple chips. But I came across one, that I could read fine, but the CH341 would "crash" aka. disconnect from USB, as soon as I would try to write to it. As it turned out, I needed to add some capacitance to the output of that 1117 3.3V regulator. In my case, I added a 1µF and another 100nF capacitor right between the 3.3V output and ground (pins 1 and 2 of the regulator). That fixed the issue. I hope, this comment can save some people from wasting a day debugging this ;)
Do you have images of how this modification would look like with the capacitors? I want to modify my ch341a but I have no idea how the modification would look like.
@@mauricioaguaidahernandez4715 Honestly, I described the modification in detail in my initial comment ("I added a 1µF and another 100nF capacitor right between the 3.3V output and ground (pins 1 and 2 of the regulator"). If you cannot interpret this information, you should maybe not try this mod. I could take a picture, but how would I share it?
@@NebukadV Mediafire, i think with an image i can understand would look. Or you can make a video in your channel about your mod with the pinouts. I am understanding that you had added a 1µF and a 100nF capacitor just between the 3.3V output and ground (pins 1 and 2 of the regulator) i.e. 2 capacitors in series of 1uf and 100nF between pin 1 (thats is ADJ pin) and 2 ( V out) of the 1777 regulator. It should be like this video? -> m.th-cam.com/video/ty_0VsCOKjU/w-d-xo.html ?
I am from electronics background - its the amps that fry the chip not few volts. It should not be modified because it may lack pressure to right to the chip. On chip @5v it only registers 3.8v.
While there are plenty other videos explaining this same precedure, i chose to follow yours, one because its fairly more comprehensive and we both like to use magnet wire instead of regular wire of different colors which to me adds an unprofessional finish to the detail. Salutations from Mexico!
Thanks so much for the fantastic step by step video good sir! Successfully modded my own with this guide which led to a successful bios chip reprogram (following next video) and brought a dead computer back to life. You are the MAN! Cheers
Lovely Jubbly. Bought one of these last year to flash the correct BIOS file to a fake GTX 1050 GPU. The first programmer i bought only lasted about a week and went faulty, so i bought another and have just followed your guide here. Brilliant instructions and top notch :)
Thanks to your video. I managed to make a switch to switch between 3.3v and 5v. The reason I made the switch because I saw someone said that some chip cannot turn on with 3.3v. It needs 5v. Awesome video.
Thank you very much, in this is what I needed to see, I watched bunch of your videos as well as they are entertaining to learn in a very easy way. Waiting for you to watch you using it and flash bios chips with it, have a great day.
Is there any ch341a programmer that is sold preconfigured to 3.3 volts? I do not have any soldering experience and would prefer to just buy one premodded.
@@Adamant_IT Thanks for the reply. I am considering buying to one to mod the bios of my 2021 Razer Blade Advanced to unlock the overclocking menu on bios.
All good! Done exactly as you said in this video and I'm now getting 3.3V on the data lines! Just need to work out how to use the 1.8V adapter I have now...
I have taken the necessary precautions with regards to static etc. But on three separate occasions have blown my motherboard when trying to flash my bios using ch341a?
Nice fix, if you measure pin 9 and the capacitor C4 you will see that it is the bypass cap you mention. Might be easier to solder the 3.3v wire there from the 3.3v regulator instead of directly on pin 9.
@@michaelboth6844 Sounds like you have a different board layout/version ? If your version is already feeding 3.3V on pin 9 then you don't need to add any wire to the bypass capacitor or pin 9.
@@LordDarthSidiousss Unfortunately, there is no clear indication of board revision on the programmer itself. Interestingly, the IC itself reads CH341B, not A. The back reads "CH341A MinProgramment", like in French. And on the top side, near the bios chip connector it says "CH341A Pro". I bought it for cheap from a Chinese seller on German eBay. Very confusing.
@@michaelboth6844 I believe you can still mod this version that you have if you go from 3.3V regulator middle pin to C3 and from there also to the lifted pin of the CH341 with a wire ?
@@LordDarthSidiousss That´s what I did. Pin 28 was 5V after all, so I lifted it and soldered a wire to the regulator. I did the wire on Pin 9 as well, but I don´t know if that had any benefit. If you look at the schematic shown by Graham, Pin 9 is labeled "V3", so I guess having 3.3V there is expected?
Looking at the schematic you could just cut the trace that feeds the vcc and install a jumper to pin 6 and 7 instead of lifting the vcc off the pad. Just make sure to cut the right side of the trace. Then just finish the 3v connection.
@@user-cw3nb8rc9e looking up the Datasheet for this if the chip is supplied with 3.3v you will have to supply 3.3v to the v3 pin number 9. To me it was easier to cut a trace use a standard jumper between 6 and 7 and solder a small wire to the 3.3v voltage regulator and pin 9
5:32 I am complete beginner, but maybe somebody can explain to me why this pin need to be connected to the 3.3v. It looks to me on the schematic, thats its coming from the IC so I assume it has the voltage provided by VCC and its just going into a cap to ground. Its not like there is a line with 5V connected to that pin, nothing externally comes there... its all from the IC itself. Hope somebody can explain that to me. Thanks!!
I'd say microsoldering isn't yet a field you've superbly mastered. Not a bad thing at all, don't get me wrong. Can't wait to have you sharing future jobs to see that improving. Regarding the two irons with a single power supply. The main downside I see is that you can't work with both simultaneously. I've found very late in my electronics hobby that using two irons to remove parts and particularly SMD components, is just brilliant. I'd suggest giving it a try if you haven't tested that. Are you using a standard vinyl cable? That would concern me a bit. I got the TL100 with the transformer having a silicone cable and that's life-saving for me, after several burned iron cables over the years. The red USB-C silicone cable that Pinecil has in its store looks fantastic too.
Hello to all. Actually, there's a much easy way to do this fix; you just have to cut a track on the board and add a plastic jumper on pins labeled '3.3V' and '5V'. I've have successfully flashed a Winbond 25Q64FVSIG which is a 3V chip.
I had a quick look and I think I see the method you're talking about. The 5v rail going to the IC is on a trace on the bottom of the board, several people had mentioned that cutting this trace might be a better method. The chap whose video guide I followed didn't want to do this because he wasn't sure where else it goes - but the only other place it goes is to the 5v jumper pin. So yea, cutting it would then enable you to bridge the 5 and 3.3v headers to avoid soldering. Part of me doesn't like cutting traces, but these things are so cheap that who cares about making the mod 'reversible' anyway.
when you put ic 3.3v the programmer detect automatically and adjust the voltage at 3.3v , i measured it during the process , i modified the programmer exactly what i saw on this video but i back to let it original and it works fine
Hi Antonio! On my CH341a, there are 2 x 5v headers. One is next to a header that says GND, the other is a header that says 3.3v. Which 5v header do I bridge to the 3.3v header? Sorry to ask, i'm just a bit of a noob. I think I know which trace to cut.
Nice job Adamant IT. I think a bit of solder mask on the pad instead of the caption tape would be more secure for you as this tape may have gone after a time. Great work after all!!!
Yes, there is such a way. But it is still necessary to raise 28 pins and feed it with 3.3 volts. After going back to 5 volts you can put a jumper on the two pins that are next to the zip panel. One of them has 3.3 volts, the other has 5 volts. So close them, then 5 volts will appear on pin 28. After removing the jumper, you will return to 3.3 volts of power. Everything is simple.
For some reason, I did this, I get 3.3v, but it won’t recognize any chips I connect it to. I have a second one I’ll do this too and see if it’s the same result.
Hello Sir, I want to unlock the dev mod of my chromebook. I am trying to find a way how to flash the bios. it is Winbond WSON8 6x5mm. I am newbie, what do you recommender to flash it? does this flash programer ch341a works? would the 5v be dangereous for the chip?
You can get pre-made adapters just as cheap as the CH341 itself, which piggy-back the ZIF socket and come with their own ZIF in which you connect your clip/breakout board and ultimately the IC :) I also suggest pulling strands out of stranded wire to make really thin jumpers (whenever they don't pose the risk of touching anything they shouldn't, since they're obviously not going to be insulated)
I like pulling small transformers out of old electronics (satellite and cable receiver boxes, dvd players, etc.) and then unwrap the enameled wire and use that for jumpers. You'd be surprised how much wire one transformer can hold. Most transformers probably hold enough wire to last a lifetime of jumping pads. Instead of pre-cutting the piece of jump wire, I use a longer piece than necessary, and then instead of pre-scratching the surface to remove the enamel, I just use the tip of the iron to scrape it, that and the heat usually gets rid of the enamel. And then just run the wire where you need, then solder the wire down where it meets the pad, then either clip off the spare wire or if it's thin enough just rock it back and forth until it breaks where it sticks out of the solder joint.
Do you know how to connect a SOIC 8-Pin Test Clip and DIP adapter to a raspberry pi 3 b+ so that it can be used to fix BIOS? I have this board but I want to learn how to do it with just the raspberry pi and the clip and dip adapter and some jumper cables and that's it.
Alternatively, you can solder 3.3V zener diodes between SPI data pins and Gnd pin of the zif socket , on the back side of the board. The zener diode limited the peak voltage to 3.3V. Everyone could not solder tiny SMD pins, so zif socket's pins much bigger and soldering too easy instead of SMD IC pins. You need two zener diodes; between MOSI and GND, CLK and GND. I2C pins are open drain type and requires external pull-ups, you don't need the voltage limiting operation for this pins.
There's a cheap 1.8v adapter board that some of the CH341a Mini Programmer have started shipping with. I started to worry about adapting to 1.8v before realizing I already got the adapter in the kit. :)
THANK YOU VERY MUCH MY CHIP WOULD SAY IC NOT RESPONDING, NOW THE ERROR CHANGED, IT SHOWS ITS BUSY READING BUT IT WONT FINISH , THE ASP SOFTWARE FREEZES WHEN I PRESS DETECT OR READ , COULD YOU KNOW HOW TO FIX IT'
BIOS reset should solve that. You'll need to take the bottom cover off and disconnect the RTC battery for a minute. It will likely be a small shrink-wrapped coin cell with a short two-pin wire connecting it to the board. An MSI I'm working on at the moment has the coin cell itself taped under the mobo, but the wire itself sneaks around to the top side, so it's possible to disconnect it without removing the mobo. It will look something like this: ae01.alicdn.com/kf/H5c6efbe47b434e7cb75428787836a7002/Original-CR2032-BIOS-battery-FOR-MSI-GT70-GT60-GT680-GT683-GT780-GE60-GE70-GE620-CX60-CX70.jpg_Q90.jpg_.webp
Hey. Not sure if you still read these comments. Can you tell me why you have to tie pin 28 to GND. Why could you not leave it lifted and untied. Would it not just be open. After all. We are basically disconnecting the 5v rail from the IC. Also the CH341a itself requires 5v to operate does it not? So if Pin 28 is tied to GND how does it source 5v. It must actually run of 3.3v as well?
This jumper is not necessary actually as the programmer runs 3.3v and has a 3.3v & 5v Jumper on the side so what the jumper actually does is that if you put a jumper, it overrides the 3.3v and makes it 5v remove the jumper and its back to 3.3v. It is located on the side where your CLK, CS, MOSI, MIOS, GND,3.3V & 5V pins are, just put a jumper on 3.3v & 5v to get 5v.
Er, I wanted if I could ask you something since I hardly know anything regarding electricity. I connected the CH341A from my PC to another PC's motherboard to flash a BIOS onto the chip. For some odd reason, I don't know why, I turned on the other PC while the CH341A was still connected to it from my main PC. As soon as I hit the power button on the other PC, my main PC rebooted. Later on I also discovered that the sound doesn't work on my main PC anymore. Could it somehow be that one I turned on the other PC while CH341A was connected to its BIOS chip it somehow sent a surge back to my PC and killed my onboard soundcard? It did afterall manage to cause my PC to reboot. Thanks!
Adamant IT Thank you, I just have a dumb question. I have watched someone on this Ch341a who added and soldered a wire on pin 9 and soldered it on pin 28 of course after he lift it (pin 28) and connected to the volt regulator like you did but without having a second wire on the volt regulator I mean there was only 1 wire soldered on volt regulator coming only from pin 28. Question is is it still the same? Thank you.
It is not necessary to desolder pin 28. There is a track on the underside to the left of the C which must be cut. A jumper then be set between 3.3 and 5V. Now connect the voltage regulator in the middle to C3, which connects pin 9 direct to 3.3V.
Picked up one of theses cheaply, came with a bios "clip" to save removing bios chips from the board, then soldering back on etc after However when the "chip" is connected the power to the CH3 seems to drop off and disconnects from the PC, is there a fix for this other than hot air remove chip etc?
Hello, this is very good but when it is protected it cannot read it because it has an internal security fuse, have you been able to bypass this? people have told me that they have managed to clone it but not read the content. Best regards
@@Adamant_IT @Graham The right way to mod this programmer for 3V3 / 5V is to cut the midle pin of U1. Then using an 2p2t microswitch do the connections based on the pictures that I posted on imgur "EadQbnN" and "ihvvUTO". (youtube boots are blocking my posts)
@@contacttly6398 There are now versions of this with a switch included for $15. Takes out the hassle of doing it yourself on the slightly cheaper CH341a
Yes, there is such a way. But it is still necessary to raise 28 pins and feed it with 3.3 volts. After going back to 5 volts you can put a jumper on the two pins that are next to the zip panel. One of them has 3.3 volts, the other has 5 volts. So close them, then 5 volts will appear on pin 28. After removing the jumper, you will return to 3.3 volts of power. Everything is simple.
I enjoyed that. Was there a reason why the data lines were at 5V originally? If so, is it worth adding a switch? Or is the thing so cheap that you just have two?
Really dumb design flaw. Lots of people scratching their heads over this one. If the CH341a chip couldn't run on 3.3v it would be a much harder issue to solve, but given that the chip is happy at 3.3v, it's a bit of an unknown.
Watching the chip's datasheet there's a 0,1v over the maximum ratings for the original use of 5v VCC and this is slightly bad unless the datasheet is not right, someone with scope can probe the effective DI pin if it exceeds 4,4v
I modded mine with the minimalist approach; just split the 5v rail beneath the PCB, soldered a two pin header and finally facilitate a plastic jumper there. I tried posting the labeled snapshots of the modification (form imgur), but got deleted instantly.
Yea I've seen this method done and it's definitely cleaner. I'd have done that if I'd known at the time. But tbh, a little practise with jumper wires is a good idea anyway!
I'm Writing on an old win 7 laptop USB 2.0 64mb. How long does it take? Write light is flashing away...but no other response yet after 10 minutes. Maybe I need this mod first.edit. I used new blank ic and works. How to unprotect original?
Yes and No. Direct answer: Over-voltage will cause damage to the chip, it will often malfunction and not read/write properly whilst being over-volted. However, it will likely survive, so accidents usually don't end in a dead chip. Roundabout answer: As others have pointed out, these data lines will actually get current-limited during use, causing the voltage to sag. So constant over-volting doesn't really do the damage here. However, Voltage Breakdown is also an issue, where constant 'zaps' of 5v before the current sags will damage the chip. The chances of killing the chip are very low - but that's not the point, you shouldn't take risks when A) you can modify the programmer to not put out 5v in the first place, or B) you buy the CH341a v1.6 or higher, which has a voltage selector switch. This black-PCB version of the CH341a is obsolete, there are better cheap programmers available these days.
@@Adamant_IT One more question please. I saw from another YT and post, they connect the pin 28 to Capacitor in C4 first before from C4 to the 3.3V in the mosfet. Then they did not connect pin 9 to the Mosfet Drain. Is that a better option or just the same? I am trying to add a simple switch to switch between 5V and 3.3V. Also, upon further inspection, my flasher chip is CH341B. Is it the same as yours (CH341A)? Btw, I tested the flasher without modifying on a mechanical keyboard bios and it made the bios less responsive. It took like 6 seconds before windows can recognize it, while before it was snappy. Upon connecting the flasher to the USB for the first time using bios clamp, it turn the keyboard on. I quicky read the bios and turn it off after saving to file. I was trying to copy the bios from healthy pcb to a dead one. Since then, the healthy one seems somehow crippled.
Hi do you know where I can buy a separate ribbon cable for this? I bought a pamona 5252 test clip for this since the oem garbage clips keep unlatching but can't find the terminal pins that connect the pins and ribbon cable online
I'm not sure, I'm in the "desolder the chip" club. But there are some folks who have actually high quality clips and swear by them, so they're out there. I wouldn't expect them to be cheap though!
Today there are on sale new low cost clips with connectors on the clip instead of solderings, i have changed all the cabled of my old one with jumper wires to the clip and cutting the interface side plugging in the old flat cable connector
hi there! I bought two of CH341A. every time I connect I got this error: I got the light on board on but nothing can be read in the PROGRAMMER Current programmer: CH341 ID(9F): FFFFFF(Unknown) ID(90): 9000(Unknown) ID(AB): AB(Unknown) ID(15): FFFF(Unknown)
Sounds like the driver might not be correctly installed. Try downloading Neoprogrammer (khandishnetwork.com/dl/neoprogrammer-new-update-v2-2-0-10-15-10-2021/) which will come with a CH341a driver in the program folder, and use that.
@@Adamant_IT I tried many boards even(UNO R3) I am trying to do this : th-cam.com/video/V0g8cL1AfXY/w-d-xo.html I tried CH341A programm v1.13 AsProgrammer_1.4.1 (1) and Neo still can not detect any chip? I tired windows 7 too no avail!!! please help me out
I don't think you have to do this because soon as chip connect with software voltage automatically dropped to 3.3v so you don't have to mod the programmer now
hi can you help me, maybe going out off topic. I spent these 3 days building an atmel ATmega328p circuit that will be powered by 12 volts. I read always find the chip can only be powered by 5 volts, any more than that it will fry it. But my program has to run VCC with 12 volts. I also think the Arduino Uno/Nano is an Atmega328p circuit, which can be powered by 7-12v (I have tried). My question, how to make Atmega328p can be powered by 12volt without having to change to 5 volts? Many Thanks for helping
followed your guide and confirmed the voltage across the data lines were 3.3v using the powerbank. now on usb port, if i plug it all the way in, it shows in the device manager, however there's no power led lit (red led). the voltage across the rail is still 3.29v. using the programmer, it says it cannot connect to the ch341a. same with the neo programmer.
Hello, i want to know about this programmer. Can this programmer flash nowdays laptop bios ? I want to flash laptop bios does this programmer good for them. this programmer really cheap so i want to buy. Help me please I'm confused should i buy or not.
@@Adamant_IT tv's mostly have NAND memory to store firmware. So you must use another programmer such as RT809H which is the much more expensive (about 100$ or more) Some tv's have EEPROM to save user settings
@@grooyo it works on tv ic chips, tv receivers, and other similar chips on other devices even on cell phones boards, but you need to check the chip type and how much it can handle voltages. And start from there.
Do not modify this programmer, it's just fine the way it is.
This misinformation was spread about this programmer. It neatly does 3.3 volts and not 5 volts as many claimed. It is now debunked. Do the test yourself, take a flash chip and put it in the zip socket and program, while programming you measure the voltages on the pin. You will now see that 5 volts are not measured anywhere, but 3.3 volts instead. People who understand ohm's law will realize that the wrong measurements were made with no load.
I love the way you explain things so clearly. I had teachers at school that were so intelligent that they just couldn't put themselves in my shoes and had no way of explaining things without getting too technical. I understood everything here. Cheers dude.
True you wouldnt even notice you finished the whole video. He explains.everything pretty well that you would have to google.
Important info for this mod!
The output of the 3V3 regulator is not stable enough to work reliable with all Flash-Chips.
After doing this mod, I was able to read/write multiple chips. But I came across one, that I could read fine, but the CH341 would "crash" aka. disconnect from USB, as soon as I would try to write to it.
As it turned out, I needed to add some capacitance to the output of that 1117 3.3V regulator. In my case, I added a 1µF and another 100nF capacitor right between the 3.3V output and ground (pins 1 and 2 of the regulator). That fixed the issue.
I hope, this comment can save some people from wasting a day debugging this ;)
very nice. thanks.
Do you have images of how this modification would look like with the capacitors?
I want to modify my ch341a but I have no idea how the modification would look like.
@@mauricioaguaidahernandez4715 Honestly, I described the modification in detail in my initial comment ("I added a 1µF and another 100nF capacitor right between the 3.3V output and ground (pins 1 and 2 of the regulator"). If you cannot interpret this information, you should maybe not try this mod.
I could take a picture, but how would I share it?
@@NebukadV Mediafire, i think with an image i can understand would look. Or you can make a video in your channel about your mod with the pinouts. I am understanding that you had added a 1µF and a 100nF capacitor just between the 3.3V output and ground (pins 1 and 2 of the regulator) i.e. 2 capacitors in series of 1uf and 100nF between pin 1 (thats is ADJ pin) and 2 ( V out) of the 1777 regulator. It should be like this video? -> m.th-cam.com/video/ty_0VsCOKjU/w-d-xo.html ?
I had the same problem, i added 1000uf 6.3v cap on top of the regulator to the output and ground.
Now it works really well
This is honestly the type of video that I like. Technical, detailed and educational...
also fake news, giving you a stupid ideas
He doesn't probe for voltage during a flash. It has been demonstrated and proven that these volt mods are pointless.
I am from electronics background - its the amps that fry the chip not few volts. It should not be modified because it may lack pressure to right to the chip. On chip @5v it only registers 3.8v.
"i find it easier to cut the wire to length"
*proceeds to yell at the wire for being too fiddly*
lmao 🤣 that's graham
While there are plenty other videos explaining this same precedure, i chose to follow yours, one because its fairly more comprehensive and we both like to use magnet wire instead of regular wire of different colors which to me adds an unprofessional finish to the detail. Salutations from Mexico!
Thanks so much for the fantastic step by step video good sir!
Successfully modded my own with this guide which led to a successful bios chip reprogram (following next video) and brought a dead computer back to life. You are the MAN!
Cheers
not required!
Lovely Jubbly. Bought one of these last year to flash the correct BIOS file to a fake GTX 1050 GPU. The first programmer i bought only lasted about a week and went faulty, so i bought another and have just followed your guide here. Brilliant instructions and top notch :)
Thanks to your video. I managed to make a switch to switch between 3.3v and 5v. The reason I made the switch because I saw someone said that some chip cannot turn on with 3.3v. It needs 5v. Awesome video.
I'm not sure if this would be necessary when the current is less than 1 milliamp.
This mod is unnecessary. videos that this mod is needed is spreading disinformation.
Thank you very much, in this is what I needed to see, I watched bunch of your videos as well as they are entertaining to learn in a very easy way. Waiting for you to watch you using it and flash bios chips with it, have a great day.
Is there any ch341a programmer that is sold preconfigured to 3.3 volts? I do not have any soldering experience and would prefer to just buy one premodded.
Yes, look for the version 1.6 or higher, with the green PCB, it has a voltage selector switch on it.
@@Adamant_IT Thanks for the reply. I am considering buying to one to mod the bios of my 2021 Razer Blade Advanced to unlock the overclocking menu on bios.
Merci mon ami, following your clear instructions I saved my mobo following your clear instructions.
... and your English is perfect for me 🙂
Clearly explained and well videod showing clearly what needs to be done - I'm off to modify mine now so wish me luck!...
All good! Done exactly as you said in this video and I'm now getting 3.3V on the data lines! Just need to work out how to use the 1.8V adapter I have now...
I do this but it not working , when i want erase the chip , it's disconnect by itself, what's wrong?
Ive read you should add capacitors to the 3.3v rail
What if I remove the zero ohm resistor from the main 5V source and just use a couple diodes to drop the voltage to around 3.8V?
3.3v is the requirement Boss
Thanks for including your sources. Too many people don't. Much appreciated.
Looking forward on videos running both your main flasher and this!
but what if i want to write 24c? isnt it need 5v?
Thank you man, saved my chips. No wonder why some of my chips got damage and probably some with a % of corrupt data.
I learn so much from your videos😁 thank you 😁 great channel 👍
I have taken the necessary precautions with regards to static etc. But on three separate occasions have blown my motherboard when trying to flash my bios using ch341a?
Nice fix, if you measure pin 9 and the capacitor C4 you will see that it is the bypass cap you mention. Might be easier to solder the 3.3v wire there from the 3.3v regulator instead of directly on pin 9.
What´s the use of the wire? Pin 9 is fed 3.3V on my CH341 anyway. And on my device there is no continuity to capacitor C4, but to C3.
@@michaelboth6844 Sounds like you have a different board layout/version ? If your version is already feeding 3.3V on pin 9 then you don't need to add any wire to the bypass capacitor or pin 9.
@@LordDarthSidiousss Unfortunately, there is no clear indication of board revision on the programmer itself. Interestingly, the IC itself reads CH341B, not A. The back reads "CH341A MinProgramment", like in French. And on the top side, near the bios chip connector it says "CH341A Pro". I bought it for cheap from a Chinese seller on German eBay. Very confusing.
@@michaelboth6844 I believe you can still mod this version that you have if you go from 3.3V regulator middle pin to C3 and from there also to the lifted pin of the CH341 with a wire ?
@@LordDarthSidiousss That´s what I did. Pin 28 was 5V after all, so I lifted it and soldered a wire to the regulator. I did the wire on Pin 9 as well, but I don´t know if that had any benefit. If you look at the schematic shown by Graham, Pin 9 is labeled "V3", so I guess having 3.3V there is expected?
Looking at the schematic you could just cut the trace that feeds the vcc and install a jumper to pin 6 and 7 instead of lifting the vcc off the pad. Just make sure to cut the right side of the trace. Then just finish the 3v connection.
Could you please explain more in detail? With your method, do you still need to play with soldering wires?
@@user-cw3nb8rc9e you still have to solder one wire
@@max0r4axor What about supplying this programmer with 3.3V? It would not produce 5V then, but might work?
@@user-cw3nb8rc9e looking up the Datasheet for this if the chip is supplied with 3.3v you will have to supply 3.3v to the v3 pin number 9. To me it was easier to cut a trace use a standard jumper between 6 and 7 and solder a small wire to the 3.3v voltage regulator and pin 9
@@max0r4axor Good tip. Where is "6 and 7" Is it the GND and 5V at the end of the pin row with jumper?
Kudos for crediting the source!
Hello, After this process when I connect to the bios chip it get unknown device. I had to solder back all. It is not working from 3.2V.
5:32 I am complete beginner, but maybe somebody can explain to me why this pin need to be connected to the 3.3v. It looks to me on the schematic, thats its coming from the IC so I assume it has the voltage provided by VCC and its just going into a cap to ground. Its not like there is a line with 5V connected to that pin, nothing externally comes there... its all from the IC itself. Hope somebody can explain that to me. Thanks!!
I'd say microsoldering isn't yet a field you've superbly mastered. Not a bad thing at all, don't get me wrong. Can't wait to have you sharing future jobs to see that improving.
Regarding the two irons with a single power supply. The main downside I see is that you can't work with both simultaneously. I've found very late in my electronics hobby that using two irons to remove parts and particularly SMD components, is just brilliant. I'd suggest giving it a try if you haven't tested that.
Are you using a standard vinyl cable? That would concern me a bit. I got the TL100 with the transformer having a silicone cable and that's life-saving for me, after several burned iron cables over the years. The red USB-C silicone cable that Pinecil has in its store looks fantastic too.
Awesome, I have one of these and I was looking forward to this one.
Just bought one of these, going to have to do this mod xD, cheers for the info, great work :).
Can I use the 3.3V on my bios chip 25Q256JWEQ which is for MSI B550m mortar wifi? Or do i have to use 1.8v?
Hail to the “ bush mechanic “, (should be your slogan). Skills and thanks for a short and concise vid.
muchisimas gracias por el gran aporte ,grandes exitos para ti
You can apply soldering mask with UV light for tighten the jumper wires
You saved my life while repairing a bricked laptop.
The jumper wire could stop doing that when you use the pincer to hold it :)? thanks for the showdown
And now this device Just 3.3 v working?
Not more 5v?? How can i make again 5v ?
Hello to all. Actually, there's a much easy way to do this fix; you just have to cut a track on the board and add a plastic jumper on pins labeled '3.3V' and '5V'. I've have successfully flashed a Winbond 25Q64FVSIG which is a 3V chip.
I had a quick look and I think I see the method you're talking about. The 5v rail going to the IC is on a trace on the bottom of the board, several people had mentioned that cutting this trace might be a better method. The chap whose video guide I followed didn't want to do this because he wasn't sure where else it goes - but the only other place it goes is to the 5v jumper pin. So yea, cutting it would then enable you to bridge the 5 and 3.3v headers to avoid soldering.
Part of me doesn't like cutting traces, but these things are so cheap that who cares about making the mod 'reversible' anyway.
when you put ic 3.3v the programmer detect automatically and adjust the voltage at 3.3v , i measured it during the process , i modified the programmer exactly what i saw on this video but i back to let it original and it works fine
Hi Antonio! On my CH341a, there are 2 x 5v headers. One is next to a header that says GND, the other is a header that says 3.3v.
Which 5v header do I bridge to the 3.3v header?
Sorry to ask, i'm just a bit of a noob. I think I know which trace to cut.
Hi Gamecat! I have posted it on my channel. Check it out!
@@racejay cheers Antonio!
Love your style! Great video
Well done, also good that you have split your videos as not everyone likes the two guys format.
Nice job Adamant IT. I think a bit of solder mask on the pad instead of the caption tape would be more secure for you as this tape may have gone after a time. Great work after all!!!
how about ch341b chip?
Is there any way to add a switch to easily switch back and forth to 3.3V and 5V?
Yes, there is such a way. But it is still necessary to raise 28 pins and feed it with 3.3 volts. After going back to 5 volts you can put a jumper on the two pins that are next to the zip panel. One of them has 3.3 volts, the other has 5 volts. So close them, then 5 volts will appear on pin 28. After removing the jumper, you will return to 3.3 volts of power. Everything is simple.
For some reason, I did this, I get 3.3v, but it won’t recognize any chips I connect it to.
I have a second one I’ll do this too and see if it’s the same result.
Very helpfull video. Solved my "verification error" problem by this modification, thank u so much.
i did this, but the data line measuring 3.1 volt, altough the ch341a vcc is 3.3 volt
Hello Sir, I want to unlock the dev mod of my chromebook. I am trying to find a way how to flash the bios. it is Winbond WSON8 6x5mm. I am newbie, what do you recommender to flash it? does this flash programer ch341a works? would the 5v be dangereous for the chip?
You can get pre-made adapters just as cheap as the CH341 itself, which piggy-back the ZIF socket and come with their own ZIF in which you connect your clip/breakout board and ultimately the IC :) I also suggest pulling strands out of stranded wire to make really thin jumpers (whenever they don't pose the risk of touching anything they shouldn't, since they're obviously not going to be insulated)
I like pulling small transformers out of old electronics (satellite and cable receiver boxes, dvd players, etc.) and then unwrap the enameled wire and use that for jumpers. You'd be surprised how much wire one transformer can hold. Most transformers probably hold enough wire to last a lifetime of jumping pads.
Instead of pre-cutting the piece of jump wire, I use a longer piece than necessary, and then instead of pre-scratching the surface to remove the enamel, I just use the tip of the iron to scrape it, that and the heat usually gets rid of the enamel. And then just run the wire where you need, then solder the wire down where it meets the pad, then either clip off the spare wire or if it's thin enough just rock it back and forth until it breaks where it sticks out of the solder joint.
do you have bios bin file for asus B75M-A ?
Do you know how to connect a SOIC 8-Pin Test Clip and DIP adapter to a raspberry pi 3 b+ so that it can be used to fix BIOS? I have this board but I want to learn how to do it with just the raspberry pi and the clip and dip adapter and some jumper cables and that's it.
Alternatively, you can solder 3.3V zener diodes between SPI data pins and Gnd pin of the zif socket , on the back side of the board. The zener diode limited the peak voltage to 3.3V. Everyone could not solder tiny SMD pins, so zif socket's pins much bigger and soldering too easy instead of SMD IC pins.
You need two zener diodes; between MOSI and GND, CLK and GND.
I2C pins are open drain type and requires external pull-ups, you don't need the voltage limiting operation for this pins.
There's a cheap 1.8v adapter board that some of the CH341a Mini Programmer have started shipping with. I started to worry about adapting to 1.8v before realizing I already got the adapter in the kit. :)
@@V0S1N0 he isn't talking about the adapters to 1.8V
very interesting Graham, keep it up please
THANK YOU VERY MUCH MY CHIP WOULD SAY IC NOT RESPONDING, NOW THE ERROR CHANGED, IT SHOWS ITS BUSY READING BUT IT WONT FINISH , THE ASP SOFTWARE FREEZES WHEN I PRESS DETECT OR READ , COULD YOU KNOW HOW TO FIX IT'
Hey friend I bricked my laptop trying to undervoltage. I have a msi gs76. I can't even access bios @ all or windows. Would you have any advice?
BIOS reset should solve that. You'll need to take the bottom cover off and disconnect the RTC battery for a minute. It will likely be a small shrink-wrapped coin cell with a short two-pin wire connecting it to the board. An MSI I'm working on at the moment has the coin cell itself taped under the mobo, but the wire itself sneaks around to the top side, so it's possible to disconnect it without removing the mobo. It will look something like this: ae01.alicdn.com/kf/H5c6efbe47b434e7cb75428787836a7002/Original-CR2032-BIOS-battery-FOR-MSI-GT70-GT60-GT680-GT683-GT780-GE60-GE70-GE620-CX60-CX70.jpg_Q90.jpg_.webp
Hey. Not sure if you still read these comments. Can you tell me why you have to tie pin 28 to GND. Why could you not leave it lifted and untied. Would it not just be open. After all. We are basically disconnecting the 5v rail from the IC. Also the CH341a itself requires 5v to operate does it not? So if Pin 28 is tied to GND how does it source 5v. It must actually run of 3.3v as well?
We're connecting it to the 3.3v rail, which then powers the CH341a chip
@@Adamant_IT Appreciate the reply. So in the original configuration it runs off 5v and the data lines also have the potential to push 5. ?
I performed this step by step. Now my ch341a cant be recognized by Windows. It didnt have a problem connecting before the mod. Any ideas?
is the 1.8 adapter works with 5v or should i mod the ch341 to 3.3v ? @Adamant IT
1.8v adaptor is fine 👍
I've tested this and 1.8v adaptors will regulate the data lines down to 1.8 as well.
@@Adamant_IT Thank you so much
Is it possibile bypass t2?
Good question!
Ch341a pin no 28 is vcc 4.5v Minimum to 5.3v Maximum support in this line… i don’t know why you put 3.3v in vcc
Brother this mini programmer work on 1.8v bios chip or need with 1.8 volt adapter
I just swapped my 8 tb bios to new board, great vid , thought i lost all my data,
This jumper is not necessary actually as the programmer runs 3.3v and has a 3.3v & 5v Jumper on the side so what the jumper actually does is that if you put a jumper, it overrides the 3.3v and makes it 5v remove the jumper and its back to 3.3v. It is located on the side where your CLK, CS, MOSI, MIOS, GND,3.3V & 5V pins are, just put a jumper on 3.3v & 5v to get 5v.
Does this mean I don’t need the 3v adapter?
con this programmer (ch341a ) read the 93cxx eeproms ??
Er, I wanted if I could ask you something since I hardly know anything regarding electricity. I connected the CH341A from my PC to another PC's motherboard to flash a BIOS onto the chip. For some odd reason, I don't know why, I turned on the other PC while the CH341A was still connected to it from my main PC. As soon as I hit the power button on the other PC, my main PC rebooted. Later on I also discovered that the sound doesn't work on my main PC anymore. Could it somehow be that one I turned on the other PC while CH341A was connected to its BIOS chip it somehow sent a surge back to my PC and killed my onboard soundcard? It did afterall manage to cause my PC to reboot. Thanks!
I have a Medion laptop, and can't find anywhere a bios file to fix my laptop, the model is Medion x25-MD 62837
Adamant IT Thank you, I just have a dumb question.
I have watched someone on this Ch341a who added and soldered a wire on pin 9 and soldered it on pin 28 of course after he lift it (pin 28) and connected to the volt regulator like you did but without having a second wire on the volt regulator I mean there was only 1 wire soldered on volt regulator coming only from pin 28.
Question is is it still the same? Thank you.
Yea the anchor pin and the middle pin of the reg are both outputs, you can use either.
@@Adamant_IT thank you
I need the driver for this, every time I find one it is either a dead link or the site says error... haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa...
Website you download the software for ch 341a
Can the Ch341a be used to program an ATtiny13V microcontroller?
It is not necessary to desolder pin 28. There is a track on the underside to the left of the C which must be cut. A jumper then be set between 3.3 and 5V. Now connect the voltage regulator in the middle to C3, which connects pin 9 direct to 3.3V.
Picked up one of theses cheaply, came with a bios "clip" to save removing bios chips from the board, then soldering back on etc after
However when the "chip" is connected the power to the CH3 seems to drop off and disconnects from the PC, is there a fix for this other than hot air remove chip etc?
Hello, does this do the 95xxx..?, thanks
I do this modification but it does not Work.
Hello, this is very good but when it is protected it cannot read it because it has an internal security fuse, have you been able to bypass this? people have told me that they have managed to clone it but not read the content. Best regards
I thought the socket could supply 5v too so will a 5V chip program with data lines at 3.3V or do we have to swop the chip supply back?
we did'nt here about the new version you ordered i think v 1.6 any news could help
It's in the works! I just haven't had time to look at it yet, haven't had any BIOS related stuff in for repair...
@@Adamant_IT ok thx for reply
@@Adamant_IT @Graham
The right way to mod this programmer for 3V3 / 5V is to cut the midle pin of U1.
Then using an 2p2t microswitch do the connections based on the pictures that I posted on imgur "EadQbnN" and "ihvvUTO".
(youtube boots are blocking my posts)
@@contacttly6398 There are now versions of this with a switch included for $15. Takes out the hassle of doing it yourself on the slightly cheaper CH341a
Nice video Adamant keep going 🤠🍷
Dont need to change anything, when connected to ic, and start program programmmer will adjust Voltage on the pin lines...
You don't need to scrape the enamel off the wire. Applying soldering iron + fluxed solder burns it off. Try it.
I always just grab a lighter and hit the end of the wire with the flame for a couple of seconds...you can see when it is gone.
Do you not need a 5v power to use a ST93S56 which is an automatic Memory eeprom?
Yes, there is such a way. But it is still necessary to raise 28 pins and feed it with 3.3 volts. After going back to 5 volts you can put a jumper on the two pins that are next to the zip panel. One of them has 3.3 volts, the other has 5 volts. So close them, then 5 volts will appear on pin 28. After removing the jumper, you will return to 3.3 volts of power. Everything is simple.
Great stuff Adam .think i'll have to curb my coffee intake before attempting that fix.
Will it program 1gb bios chip??
I enjoyed that. Was there a reason why the data lines were at 5V originally? If so, is it worth adding a switch? Or is the thing so cheap that you just have two?
Really dumb design flaw. Lots of people scratching their heads over this one. If the CH341a chip couldn't run on 3.3v it would be a much harder issue to solve, but given that the chip is happy at 3.3v, it's a bit of an unknown.
Watching the chip's datasheet there's a 0,1v over the maximum ratings for the original use of 5v VCC and this is slightly bad unless the datasheet is not right, someone with scope can probe the effective DI pin if it exceeds 4,4v
I modded mine with the minimalist approach; just split the 5v rail beneath the PCB, soldered a two pin header and finally facilitate a plastic jumper there. I tried posting the labeled snapshots of the modification (form imgur), but got deleted instantly.
Yea I've seen this method done and it's definitely cleaner. I'd have done that if I'd known at the time. But tbh, a little practise with jumper wires is a good idea anyway!
@@Adamant_IT Please show it/record it. So many people are not so skilled and need easy to understand solution.
I'm Writing on an old win 7 laptop USB 2.0 64mb. How long does it take? Write light is flashing away...but no other response yet after 10 minutes. Maybe I need this mod first.edit. I used new blank ic and works. How to unprotect original?
Can you tell me if 5v in data line pin will cause any harm to the bios chip?
Yes and No.
Direct answer: Over-voltage will cause damage to the chip, it will often malfunction and not read/write properly whilst being over-volted. However, it will likely survive, so accidents usually don't end in a dead chip.
Roundabout answer: As others have pointed out, these data lines will actually get current-limited during use, causing the voltage to sag. So constant over-volting doesn't really do the damage here. However, Voltage Breakdown is also an issue, where constant 'zaps' of 5v before the current sags will damage the chip. The chances of killing the chip are very low - but that's not the point, you shouldn't take risks when A) you can modify the programmer to not put out 5v in the first place, or B) you buy the CH341a v1.6 or higher, which has a voltage selector switch.
This black-PCB version of the CH341a is obsolete, there are better cheap programmers available these days.
@@Adamant_IT One more question please. I saw from another YT and post, they connect the pin 28 to Capacitor in C4 first before from C4 to the 3.3V in the mosfet. Then they did not connect pin 9 to the Mosfet Drain. Is that a better option or just the same? I am trying to add a simple switch to switch between 5V and 3.3V. Also, upon further inspection, my flasher chip is CH341B. Is it the same as yours (CH341A)?
Btw, I tested the flasher without modifying on a mechanical keyboard bios and it made the bios less responsive. It took like 6 seconds before windows can recognize it, while before it was snappy. Upon connecting the flasher to the USB for the first time using bios clamp, it turn the keyboard on. I quicky read the bios and turn it off after saving to file. I was trying to copy the bios from healthy pcb to a dead one. Since then, the healthy one seems somehow crippled.
Hi do you know where I can buy a separate ribbon cable for this? I bought a pamona 5252 test clip for this since the oem garbage clips keep unlatching but can't find the terminal pins that connect the pins and ribbon cable online
I'm not sure, I'm in the "desolder the chip" club. But there are some folks who have actually high quality clips and swear by them, so they're out there. I wouldn't expect them to be cheap though!
@@Adamant_IT well.. i need those ribbon cable since mine is jacked up. can't get the brass/copper terminals off them without ripping sleeving.
Today there are on sale new low cost clips with connectors on the clip instead of solderings, i have changed all the cabled of my old one with jumper wires to the clip and cutting the interface side plugging in the old flat cable connector
hi there! I bought two of CH341A. every time I connect I got this error:
I got the light on board on but nothing can be read in the PROGRAMMER
Current programmer: CH341 ID(9F): FFFFFF(Unknown) ID(90): 9000(Unknown) ID(AB): AB(Unknown) ID(15): FFFF(Unknown)
Sounds like the driver might not be correctly installed. Try downloading Neoprogrammer (khandishnetwork.com/dl/neoprogrammer-new-update-v2-2-0-10-15-10-2021/) which will come with a CH341a driver in the program folder, and use that.
@@Adamant_IT I tried many boards even(UNO R3)
I am trying to do this :
th-cam.com/video/V0g8cL1AfXY/w-d-xo.html
I tried CH341A programm v1.13 AsProgrammer_1.4.1 (1) and Neo
still can not detect any chip?
I tired windows 7 too no avail!!!
please help me out
I don't think you have to do this because soon as chip connect with software
voltage automatically dropped to 3.3v so you don't have to mod the programmer now
Correct. Lot of stupid things and people around the internet.
Yes, but not when it is connected only during the operation read/write/verify, the voltage on CLK pin drops to about 1V
hi can you help me, maybe going out off topic. I spent these 3 days building an atmel ATmega328p circuit that will be powered by 12 volts. I read always find the chip can only be powered by 5 volts, any more than that it will fry it. But my program has to run VCC with 12 volts. I also think the Arduino Uno/Nano is an Atmega328p circuit, which can be powered by 7-12v (I have tried). My question, how to make Atmega328p can be powered by 12volt without having to change to 5 volts?
Many Thanks for helping
You can't mod something to run at a higher voltage. You'll need to put in a regulator somewhere to create a 5v rail for the logic stuff.
I keep getting check settings
Hi do you have the software at all. I have same one but lost the software I. Will. Do the mob
FYI Apparently this mod is not necessary. Here's another video about it
th-cam.com/video/J8-Sh7DjiXw/w-d-xo.html
followed your guide and confirmed the voltage across the data lines were 3.3v using the powerbank.
now on usb port, if i plug it all the way in, it shows in the device manager, however there's no power led lit (red led). the voltage across the rail is still 3.29v.
using the programmer, it says it cannot connect to the ch341a. same with the neo programmer.
My guess is a bad connection on the VCC pin of the chip 🤔
Hello, i want to know about this programmer. Can this programmer flash nowdays laptop bios ? I want to flash laptop bios does this programmer good for them. this programmer really cheap so i want to buy. Help me please I'm confused should i buy or not.
Do you need to mod the voltage to use the 1.8v adapter?
Hi Adam, could you also use this to rewrite the firmware for tv's? Thanks
Not sure, I'd guess no, smart TVs probably have much bigger firmware on their internal storage, rather than a BIOS chip like a motherboard.
@@Adamant_IT tv's mostly have NAND memory to store firmware. So you must use another programmer such as RT809H which is the much more expensive (about 100$ or more) Some tv's have EEPROM to save user settings
@@grooyo it works on tv ic chips, tv receivers, and other similar chips on other devices even on cell phones boards, but you need to check the chip type and how much it can handle voltages. And start from there.
@@lezyhun Yes it's for EEPROM IC-s (24/25xx, 93/94xx...) not for NAND memory's
Thank you all for you feedback and advice. 👍👍
I have a question. Is it possible to program an ITE super io chip with this programmer ?
Sorry, I have the same programmer, but without modification he quietly programmed me the 95P08, what is this modification for?
Lower voltage on the data lines will put less wear on the chip.