Bari Ari | 24 Mar 17:30

Re: Notebook 340s2 (sis630) 256k Flash

The PC87570 has some code in ROM and it also shares the Flash BIOS 
memory with the PC host. Page 49 of the 
http://www.national.com/ds/PC/PC87570.pdf datasheet has the info on this.

If you rewrite the entire Flash you may erase the portion (up to 56K for 
code and data) of the BIOS for the PC87570 that will be in CR16A (NSC 
RISC) format vs. the x86 portion of the BIOS.

The Keyboard and Power Management Controllers are the non-standard parts 
of laptops and one reason why there hasn't been LinuxBIOS support for 
one yet.

A laptop with LinuxBIOS support can easily be designed. Getting 
LinuxBIOS support for an existing design is lots of work if you have to 
reverse engineer without OEM schematics and docs.

-Bari

Norbert Schmidt wrote:

> 
> On Wed, 23 Mar 2005, Bari Ari wrote:
> 
> 
>>>yes, that's right, I found it when I dissassembled the whole notebook
>>>right now.
>>>(Beside is a PC87570, a Keyboard and Power Controller.
>>>http://www.national.com/pf/PC/PC87570.html)
>>
>>Just hope they didn't route the Flash write through the 87570. The micro has
>>2KB or ROM so you can't change that if it's been burned in.
> 
> 
> Does that mean something like if I rewrite the Flash, a "Part" of the old 
> Bios is still in the ROM of the 87570. The modified code in flash will 
> never be able to work?
> 
> How can I test this, is there any way?

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