IMSProg

• System software requirements
• How to use
• List of supported chips
• Packages
• Changelog
• Project structure
• Chip database format
• Licensing
• Translations

IMSProg - I2C, MicroWire and SPI EEPROM/Flash chip Programmer - is a program to read, write EEPROM chips use the CH341A programmer device.

The IMSProg makes respect to QHexEdit2 hex editor and SNANDer programmer. The format of the chip database is based on the format used in EZP2019, EZP2020, EZP2023, Minpro I, XP866+ programmers. Warning, format is not the same!

IMSProg is a collection of tools:

1. IMSProg - the chip programmer (it’s the main part).

2. IMSProg_editor - chip database editor.

3. IMSProg_database_update - script to update chip database using external web-server.

Compiling programmer

git clone https://github.com/bigbigmdm/IMSProg.git && cd IMSProg
cd IMSProg_programmer
mkdir build
cd build
cmake ..
make -j`nproc`
sudo make install

Compiling editor

cd IMSProg_editor
mkdir build
cd build
cmake ..
make -j`nproc`
sudo make install

These commands are included in the build_all.sh file.

System software requirements

Linux

For build are needed: - g++ or clang - CMake - libusb 1.0 - Qt5 - Qt5 Qt5LinguistTools - pkgconf or pkg-config - udev

On Debian and derivatives:

sudo apt-get install cmake g++ libusb-1.0-0-dev qtbase5-dev qttools5-dev pkgconf

On Debian >=13 and Ubuntu >=23.10:

sudo apt-get install systemd-dev

On older:

sudo apt-get install udev

Optionally if you want to use IMSProg_database_update script: - zenity - wget

sudo apt-get install zenity wget

:information_source: Debian < 11 and Ubuntu < 20.04 are not supported, you may unable to have it working on them.

macOS

if using Homebrew then Xcode Command Line Tools will install by default, if not then install manually from terminal:

xcode-select --install

install the required packages

using brew:

brew install qt@5 libusb cmake pkgconf

if not using the build_all.sh script then make sure libusb is in your C_INCLUDE_PATH

export C_INCLUDE_PATH=/usr/local/opt/libusb/include

Optionally if you want to use IMSProg_database_update script:

brew install wget zenity

How to use:

Note: for macOS use CMD ⌘ instead of CTRL for keyboard shortcuts.

Chip programmer

Launching

Can be launched from Terminal by running the command

$ IMSProg

Connecting

• Insert the chip into the appropriate slot of the CH341A programmer. The 24xxx and 25xxx series chips must be inserted directly, according to the markings on the PCB of the CH341A programmer. The 93xxx series chips must be inserted into the 93xxx adapter and the adapter into the marking 25xxx programmer slot. The DataFlash AT45DBxxx series chips must be mounted in a SOP-8 DIP-8 and this adapter shall be inserted into the 45xxx adapter. The 45xxx adapter must be installed in the programmer slot marked 25xxx.

• If the chip supply voltage is 1.8 volt he must be inserted in 1.8 volt adapter and the adapter into needed programmer slot.

• Plug the CH341A programmer into the USB socket of your computer and running the IMSProg.
• You can plug and unplug the programmer device (CH341A) to the USB port at any time when basic operations (reading, checking, and programming) are not in progress.
• Read more about adapters here.

Chip type selecting

Select the type of chip used from the Type pop-up menu: SPI FLASH when using SPI NOR FLASH chips of the 25xxx series, 24_EEPROM when using I2C EEPROM of the 24xxx series, 93_EEPROM when using MicroWire EEPROM of the 93xxx series, 45_EEPROM when using DataFlash chips AT45DBxxx series. When using 25xxx series SPI NOR FLASH chips (Menu item type -> SPI_FLASH), or AT45DBxx series SPI FLASH (Menu item type -> 45_EEPROM) the Detect button will be available. When the Detect button or or <Ctrl+D> is pressed, the JEDEC information is read from the chip and all parameters of that chip are loaded from the chip database. Any parameter (size, page size, block size, VCC voltage, and 4-bit address length) can be changed manually. You can manually enter the Manufacture and Name pop-up menu data - all other parameters will be automatically loaded from the chip database. When using 24xxx or 93xxx or 95xxx or 25xxx SPI EEPROM (non NOR FLASH) series chips, it is necessary to manually enter the Manufacture and Name pop-up menu data - all other parameters will be automatically loaded from the chip database.

File operations

• The or <Ctrl+S> button is used to save the computer buffer to a file.

• The or <Ctrl+O> button is used to save the file in the computer buffer.

• The or <Ctrl+Shift-S> button is used to save a part of the computer buffer to a file (the start address and length of the part must be entered). This operation can be used when splitting a binary data image into parts.

• The or <Ctrl+Shift-S> button is used to load a small file to a certain address in the buffer. The data fragment in the buffer will be replaced with new data from the file.

• The or <Ctrl+Q> button is used to invoke the chip database editor.

• The menu item File / Import from Intel HEX is used to save the Intel HEX file in the computer buffer.

• The menu item File / Export to Intel HEX is used to save the computer buffer to a file in Intel HEX format.

Basic programmer operations

• Pressing Read or or <Ctrl+R> to read data from the chip into the computer buffer.

• Pressing or <Ctrl+W> to write data from the computer buffer into the chip.

• Pressing or <Ctrl+E> will erase all data in the chip.

• Pressing the or <Ctrl+T> button causes the data in the chip and in the computer buffer to be compared.

The progress bar shows the progress of the read, erase, and verify operations.

• The Auto button is used to perform erase, write and verify operations in sequence. If one of these operations is not needed, you can uncheck the checkbox for that operation.

• The or <Ctrl+I> key is used to force interruption of chip read/write/erase/verify operations.

• The i key show the connection chip to CH341A device image form.

• The Main menu -> Programmer -> Chip info or <Ctrl+P> item shows the Serial Flash Discoverable Parameter (SFDP) register and the status registers of the SPI NOR flash memory chips.

If the SPI NOR FLASH chip is detected normally, but is not read (gives the message Error reading sector 0), then in the Chip info window you can change bits BP4 and BP3 to zero and press the Write registers button. Then repeat the chip reading operation.

If the SPI NOR FLASH chip is read unreliably (with a different checksum each time) and Status Register 2 is available in the chip, you can change bits DRV0 and DRV1 to zero and press the Write Registers button. This will increase the power of the output stage of the DO pin of the chip. Then repeat the chip read operation.

For 25xxx, 95xxx and 45xxx series chips that have only one status register, the Chip info form is as follows:

• The Main menu -> Programmer -> Security Registers or <Ctrl+U> item is used to work with SPI NOR Flash security registers data. This form allows reading, write, erase, save and load security register data from the computer.