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 ?
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.
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.
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. :)
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
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.
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.
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?
To finesse lifting a gull wing pin use a a sliver cut from as thin a stainless steel shim as you can find, heat the joint and slide the shim between pin and pad. Solder won't adhere to SS which is also a relatively poor heat conductor and together will being thin and low mass will minimally cool the joint during operation. Burnishing the cut edge of the shim will help prevent it from hanging up on the pin or land as it is slid between them.
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.
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.
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.
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...
Right?? watching his videos makes me wanna buy more stuff (soldering iron, hot air station, the little chip programmers etc. Lol however I spend enough money on my other hobbies 😂😂 just need more time and money and I can do them all!!
Great cheap programmer, but they should fix this problem after years... The only problem is that it can't detect all the 1.8V chips even with the adapter board. AM4 mobos and Nvidia 10 20 30 series cards have 1.8V SPI eeprom chips. (Maybe some chinese software is better than Flashrom, I didn't try them.) You should get the 1.8V adapter and programming clip kit, it's almost the same price.
I used to work in the semiconductor equipment manufacturing industry. If you're assuming that there is some sort of negotiation or automatic voltage detection going on, then I think you are mistaken. The reason that you're measuring 3.3v on the pins (with the chip that you're trying) is that the flash ICs have internal ESD (electrostatic discharge) protection diodes built in, which are included in the design to suppress very short term (e.g. microsecond) voltage surges by clamping I/O pin voltage levels to the IC's supply voltage. This only works if the current supplied by the CH341a on it's signal lines exceeds the current draw of the flash chip. The unmodified design relies on this hack, but it's outside of the spec of the chips, and there's no way I would rely on it. On low power flash chips the flash chips VCC will float up to 5v, and you will fry the chip. On any chip, you risk frying the ESD diodes, and then the chip is also gone. If you look at the manufacturer datasheets for the flash ICs, they always have an "absolute maximum" voltage for signal pins, and for 3.3v flash chips it's usually about 4v. Not 5.1v.
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!!!
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.
i did this mod back when i sucked at soldering. broke off a pin on the ic, so i had to scrape the plastic and solder to the lead frame 😆 still works tho
Tip 1) Get yourself some wire wrap/Kynar wire and lose the enameled wire. Tip 2) Still have your enameled wire? "Strip" it by burning off the enamel with your soldering iron. Sanding or scraping your wire will only make it weaker. And you are going to solder it anyway.
I never seem to have any luck burning off the enamel. I've tried it several times in several ways and it just doesn't strip. I've no doubt it works because I've seen people doing it, but yea, never works for me, so I end up scraping.
@@Adamant_IT The way that I do it is to create a healthy-sized blob of molten solder and run the end of the wire through it. I don't heat the wire, I heat the solder. This way the heat is going to get to all of the wire and the enamel should come off easily.
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.
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
done modding after your viceo thanks. important to verify the bios after flashing when using clip ,sadly i didn't do it ,flashed bad bios and when computer turned on burnt a charging mosfet. not 100% was this the reason of course but laptop was perfect before bricking
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
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.
when you strip off that insulation paint you can also use flame, it is faster. And your soldering is really disaster, use more flux. And try soldering iron with 1 second to wait. and yes please use flux, heating tin that much time you destroy it withouth flux.
Great Video.. Thanks. This is probably like asking how long is a bit of string but I have one of these USB programmers which I managed to damage when it came into contact with the metal PC casing. Now the power LED flashes briefly then goes out. I've changed the regulator chip but that hasn't fixed it. Is there a particular component(s) on the board that is(are) more vulnerable to a short?
You really don't need to modify this programmer. If you connect it to a bios chip the 5 volts drops to 3.4V and the short circuit current of the 5 volt pin is less then 1 mA. With that current you can't burn anything.
all these mods unnecessary . the programmer will adjust itself to 3.3v when programming .I tried it myself and programmed many chips fine . also Sorin proved it he has a video about this matter . not downvoting your video but it is just unnecessary work .
It doesn't work for CH341B. For CH341A only. Because when the 9th pin of the microcircuit is in contact with the 1117 in the recording mode, there will be freezes and scraps of the programmer from the PC. For CH341A there is also bad advice here to connect the 9th pin and 1117 with a piece of wire. because when you apply 5 volts to pin 28, your microchip will fail. It is not necessary to install a wire, but a removable jumper. if you need to switch to 5 volts, you will remove the jumper and use this jumper to short the 3.3 and 5 volt pins that are next to the zip panel.
Correct me if I’m wrong.. (And I have been wrong before…) Yes it’s 5v but there’s less than .5 amp..+- You’re not going to burn anything with almost no current… Check it and let me know..🍻
Wrong! The data lines are 3.3V when using the device. The voltage on the data lines WITHOUT connection is about 5V but as soon as you connect it to a chip and start communicating the voltage in fact IS 3.3V. So the modification is not only stupid it is also totally useless and even harmfull!
Yeah, it's a shame that Adamant IT fell for this bit of misinformation. Just goes to show that one needs to always be vigilant and not blindly accept everything that you hear from others.
at the bottom of the programmer you can solder the bios to work at 3.3 v, I have tested it successfully with a mxic25l6406e and "as programmer", it would be a good idea to make an adapter
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.
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.
Or ... use heatshrink (no tape required) and smaller guage wire (that enamelled guage is way too thick tbh) ... to cover the joints/wire (if they really need it) use clear nail varnish ...
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.
Debe tener mejor pulso en la mano porque las soldaduras deben ser más precisas para cosas micro. Y no ser tan tacaño con el estaño. Pero excelente video. Cual es el link para los software de programación de BIOS o UEFI?
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!
What is the point of this tutorial? I have the same programmer and I haven't modified it at all. To rewrite the memories, I use adapters and it's ok (with jumper set to 1-2) What you don't say is that: jumper on 2-3 is for the ISP interface. I use it successfully as USBisp and in Arduino IDE.
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!
Hello sir im a new subscriber, and ive been watching your informative videos. If you ignore the price between ch341a and ezp2019 which would recommend? Thank you. Keep uploading videos.
I've not used my EZP2019 in a long while, some people still rate them pretty well, but personally I prefer the CH341a because NeoProgrammer is really easy to get started in, and the CH341a drivers don't look like a virus ;) Be sure to check my recent video about the CH341a v1.6 though, as it doesn't need the volt mod, but is a bit more expensive.
@@Adamant_IT Thank you sir. Ive learned so much about your videos thank you for sharing your knowledge. I like it when your troubleshooting those dead boards 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
I'd like to see a demonstration of the unmodified version actually causing some harm. Are there any known BIOS chips that die with this thing? I just used a bios programmer at work for the first time and it happened to be this exact one, unmodified. So I ordered one for myself too. Now I'm wondering how crucial this mod is.
There is no problem with this programmer. Only lot of stupid people around the internet. If you connect the programmer with plugged bios chip, voltage will change from 5V to 3.3V automatically.
I was expecting to see the modded programmer in action, writing or reading some chips, otherwise how can you tell that the operation was... successful? Anyway, thanks for the tip, I wasn't aware of that ridiculous bug of the design of this thing.
I followed the mod and it went well. When I plug the ch341a in to either of my Windows 10 pc's there is a device manager issue as unrecognised device. Before the mod it was autodetected ok and the drivers were loaded. It still autodetects on my Windows 7 PC and on Ubuntu. So I wonder if Windows 10 is hypersensitive to the voltage. Nothing in the event log to clear things up either.
I might have to try this mod myself just to flash a bios. Do you have a link to a or some soldering tools just for this job? This is the first actual project that introduces me to hands on diy soldering. I will most likely only need to soldered only 5 times or less thank you.
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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
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.
"i find it easier to cut the wire to length"
*proceeds to yell at the wire for being too fiddly*
lmao 🤣 that's graham
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!
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
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?
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.
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.
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?
To finesse lifting a gull wing pin use a a sliver cut from as thin a stainless steel shim as you can find, heat the joint and slide the shim between pin and pad. Solder won't adhere to SS which is also a relatively poor heat conductor and together will being thin and low mass will minimally cool the joint during operation. Burnishing the cut edge of the shim will help prevent it from hanging up on the pin or land as it is slid between them.
Dont need to change anything, when connected to ic, and start program programmmer will adjust Voltage on the pin lines...
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.
muchisimas gracias por el gran aporte ,grandes exitos para ti
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.
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.
Well done, also good that you have split your videos as not everyone likes the two guys format.
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.
Merci mon ami, following your clear instructions I saved my mobo following your clear instructions.
... and your English is perfect for me 🙂
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
FYI Apparently this mod is not necessary. Here's another video about it
th-cam.com/video/J8-Sh7DjiXw/w-d-xo.html
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...
Looking forward on videos running both your main flasher and this!
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 👍
Kudos for crediting the source!
Awesome, I have one of these and I was looking forward to this one.
Hail to the “ bush mechanic “, (should be your slogan). Skills and thanks for a short and concise vid.
Not gonna lie i could get used to two videos a week.
Right?? watching his videos makes me wanna buy more stuff (soldering iron, hot air station, the little chip programmers etc. Lol
however I spend enough money on my other hobbies 😂😂
just need more time and money and I can do them all!!
If I can keep it up! I've got lots in the pipeline at the moment, but two videos a week largely pivots on having enough material.
Thanks for including your sources. Too many people don't. Much appreciated.
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.
You saved my life while repairing a bricked laptop.
Great cheap programmer, but they should fix this problem after years... The only problem is that it can't detect all the 1.8V chips even with the adapter board. AM4 mobos and Nvidia 10 20 30 series cards have 1.8V SPI eeprom chips. (Maybe some chinese software is better than Flashrom, I didn't try them.)
You should get the 1.8V adapter and programming clip kit, it's almost the same price.
You can find pin 9 on the capacitor under the 1117 LDO, it makes the mod look professional :)
Correct me if I'm wrong but doesn't the 1.8v adapter board still use 5v (3.3 after mod) unless you desolder the chip and use the adapter's pads?
@@DannyWilliamH good question!!!
I just swapped my 8 tb bios to new board, great vid , thought i lost all my data,
Just bought one of these, going to have to do this mod xD, cheers for the info, great work :).
There is no problem to fix,once you put the chip inside you`ll get 3.3
yeah, they have no idea
I used to work in the semiconductor equipment manufacturing industry. If you're assuming that there is some sort of negotiation or automatic voltage detection going on, then I think you are mistaken. The reason that you're measuring 3.3v on the pins (with the chip that you're trying) is that the flash ICs have internal ESD (electrostatic discharge) protection diodes built in, which are included in the design to suppress very short term (e.g. microsecond) voltage surges by clamping I/O pin voltage levels to the IC's supply voltage. This only works if the current supplied by the CH341a on it's signal lines exceeds the current draw of the flash chip. The unmodified design relies on this hack, but it's outside of the spec of the chips, and there's no way I would rely on it. On low power flash chips the flash chips VCC will float up to 5v, and you will fry the chip. On any chip, you risk frying the ESD diodes, and then the chip is also gone. If you look at the manufacturer datasheets for the flash ICs, they always have an "absolute maximum" voltage for signal pins, and for 3.3v flash chips it's usually about 4v. Not 5.1v.
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!!!
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.
Very helpfull video. Solved my "verification error" problem by this modification, thank u so much.
i did this mod back when i sucked at soldering. broke off a pin on the ic, so i had to scrape the plastic and solder to the lead frame 😆 still works tho
Tip 1) Get yourself some wire wrap/Kynar wire and lose the enameled wire.
Tip 2) Still have your enameled wire? "Strip" it by burning off the enamel with your soldering iron. Sanding or scraping your wire will only make it weaker. And you are going to solder it anyway.
I never seem to have any luck burning off the enamel. I've tried it several times in several ways and it just doesn't strip. I've no doubt it works because I've seen people doing it, but yea, never works for me, so I end up scraping.
@@Adamant_IT The way that I do it is to create a healthy-sized blob of molten solder and run the end of the wire through it. I don't heat the wire, I heat the solder. This way the heat is going to get to all of the wire and the enamel should come off easily.
You can apply soldering mask with UV light for tighten the jumper wires
very interesting Graham, keep it up please
Great stuff Adam .think i'll have to curb my coffee intake before attempting that fix.
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.
Thank you so much 👍now I can program my eeprom 👍👍👍👍
Love your style! Great video
Nice video Adamant keep going 🤠🍷
Thank you.... I have the same iron. I love it
We love moding gadgets keep it up.
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
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
done modding after your viceo thanks. important to verify the bios after flashing when using clip ,sadly i didn't do it ,flashed bad bios and when computer turned on burnt a charging mosfet. not 100% was this the reason of course but laptop was perfect before bricking
A bad BIOS wouldn’t blow a charging mosfet.
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
I like this channel
Excellent stuff,thanks!! What's the intro music?
Thank you bro...I will mod my programmer
Work..recomended .thank master
The jumper wire could stop doing that when you use the pincer to hold it :)? thanks for the showdown
NICE TUTORIAL SIR😍😍😍
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.
but what if i want to write 24c? isnt it need 5v?
Very beautiful my dear brother and forward
when you strip off that insulation paint you can also use flame, it is faster. And your soldering is really disaster, use more flux. And try soldering iron with 1 second to wait. and yes please use flux, heating tin that much time you destroy it withouth flux.
Great Video.. Thanks. This is probably like asking how long is a bit of string but I have one of these USB programmers which I managed to damage when it came into contact with the metal PC casing. Now the power LED flashes briefly then goes out. I've changed the regulator chip but that hasn't fixed it. Is there a particular component(s) on the board that is(are) more vulnerable to a short?
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
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?
Great videos thx for sharing
You really don't need to modify this programmer. If you connect it to a bios chip the 5 volts drops to 3.4V and the short circuit current of the 5 volt pin is less then 1 mA. With that current you can't burn anything.
all these mods unnecessary . the programmer will adjust itself to 3.3v when programming .I tried it myself and programmed many chips fine . also Sorin proved it he has a video about this matter . not downvoting your video but it is just unnecessary work .
Yeah, the 5v+ only hold up on 100th of a milliamp. Even says in the IC Datasheet. So very unnecessary and even worsens reliability
You, and everybody in the comments section should probably watch the video by Electronics Repair School on this programmer.
It doesn't work for CH341B. For CH341A only. Because when the 9th pin of the microcircuit is in contact with the 1117 in the recording mode, there will be freezes and scraps of the programmer from the PC.
For CH341A there is also bad advice here to connect the 9th pin and 1117 with a piece of wire. because when you apply 5 volts to pin 28, your microchip will fail. It is not necessary to install a wire, but a removable jumper. if you need to switch to 5 volts, you will remove the jumper and use this jumper to short the 3.3 and 5 volt pins that are next to the zip panel.
th-cam.com/video/_MNZ6DtvAUA/w-d-xo.html
Correct me if I’m wrong..
(And I have been wrong before…)
Yes it’s 5v but there’s less than .5 amp..+-
You’re not going to burn anything with almost no current…
Check it and let me know..🍻
Wrong! The data lines are 3.3V when using the device. The voltage on the data lines WITHOUT connection is about 5V but as soon as you connect it to a chip and start communicating the voltage in fact IS 3.3V. So the modification is not only stupid it is also totally useless and even harmfull!
Yeah, it's a shame that Adamant IT fell for this bit of misinformation. Just goes to show that one needs to always be vigilant and not blindly accept everything that you hear from others.
at the bottom of the programmer you can solder the bios to work at 3.3 v, I have tested it successfully with a mxic25l6406e and "as programmer", it would be a good idea to make an adapter
Interesting...i burned couple of bios chips before with 5v but i haven't facing any issues of it..i think most of the bios chips can handle with 5v..
Also you don't reprogram them every day, so they should usually survive the few times (once?) they are being reprogrammed.
Suspect mine does the same but it flashed a bricked bios chip and brought a lappy back to life in under a hour of ownership so did the job 🤣🤗
What flux do you use? I can't find a proper fix that will get cleaned with alcohol. Thanks for you videos!!
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.
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 🤔
Or ... use heatshrink (no tape required) and smaller guage wire (that enamelled guage is way too thick tbh) ... to cover the joints/wire (if they really need it) use clear nail varnish ...
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
Great video, I'll recommend add some hot glue on top..
Debe tener mejor pulso en la mano porque las soldaduras deben ser más precisas para cosas micro. Y no ser tan tacaño con el estaño. Pero excelente video. Cual es el link para los software de programación de BIOS o UEFI?
Yer doin' great, kid.
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!
What is the point of this tutorial? I have the same programmer and I haven't modified it at all. To rewrite the memories, I use adapters and it's ok (with jumper set to 1-2) What you don't say is that: jumper on 2-3 is for the ISP interface. I use it successfully as USBisp and in Arduino IDE.
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.
Hello sir im a new subscriber, and ive been watching your informative videos.
If you ignore the price between ch341a and ezp2019 which would recommend? Thank you.
Keep uploading videos.
I've not used my EZP2019 in a long while, some people still rate them pretty well, but personally I prefer the CH341a because NeoProgrammer is really easy to get started in, and the CH341a drivers don't look like a virus ;)
Be sure to check my recent video about the CH341a v1.6 though, as it doesn't need the volt mod, but is a bit more expensive.
@@Adamant_IT Thank you sir.
Ive learned so much about your videos thank you for sharing your knowledge. I like it when your troubleshooting those dead boards 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
Great vid
The data lines don't go up to 5v when you connect the chip. You don't need to modify this.
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
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.
i did this, but the data line measuring 3.1 volt, altough the ch341a vcc is 3.3 volt
I'd like to see a demonstration of the unmodified version actually causing some harm. Are there any known BIOS chips that die with this thing? I just used a bios programmer at work for the first time and it happened to be this exact one, unmodified. So I ordered one for myself too. Now I'm wondering how crucial this mod is.
it isn't. Theres no current to it: th-cam.com/video/J8-Sh7DjiXw/w-d-xo.html
There is no problem with this programmer. Only lot of stupid people around the internet. If you connect the programmer with plugged bios chip, voltage will change from 5V to 3.3V automatically.
I was expecting to see the modded programmer in action, writing or reading some chips, otherwise how can you tell that the operation was... successful? Anyway, thanks for the tip, I wasn't aware of that ridiculous bug of the design of this thing.
I followed the mod and it went well. When I plug the ch341a in to either of my Windows 10 pc's there is a device manager issue as unrecognised device. Before the mod it was autodetected ok and the drivers were loaded. It still autodetects on my Windows 7 PC and on Ubuntu. So I wonder if Windows 10 is hypersensitive to the voltage. Nothing in the event log to clear things up either.
I might have to try this mod myself just to flash a bios. Do you have a link to a or some soldering tools just for this job? This is the first actual project that introduces me to hands on diy soldering. I will most likely only need to soldered only 5 times or less thank you.