Hi!

I want to replace a 16 MB flash drive on devices that I support.
What for? 16 MB is very little - when installing version 7.17 and the Wireless module, there is not enough space at all.

I tried this operation on HapAc2.
I replaced the flash drive with a larger one.
RoOs saw 32 mb!!!

I bought a version 4 license for the router (yes, I didn't regret $45 ) and installed it on the router.
But nothing worked out ))

Now, after each reboot, the Software-ID changes to new ....
Well, the purchased license did not fit right away

Original flash chip is Winbond 25Q128jvsm
I replace it to MX25L25645G and a similar case.

The board has pins for 2 different packages: 8-PIN SOP and 8 PIN WSON.
I know that the license depends on the drive (serial number) and is written somewhere at the beginning.

Has anyone changed a microtic flash drive to a larger size (32, 64 Mb)?
What specific flash drives did you use?

I was thinking to do same for my device Chateau LTE12 to be upgradeable for future releases. But I will stick with same MTD vendor (Winbond) same drive series W25Q128*, like 128Mb W25Q128FV just to dismiss potential compatibility issues. If Software-ID changes on each reboot after drive replacement then this is disappointing, I would also know if someone successfully done this. Purchasing additional licence is not an issue if it will stick.

I'll try to put W25Q256JVEIQ or
W25Q512JVEIQ They seem to be available in our country. And I also need to buy a block for the programmer. We need to find out how it works

As far as i know, Mikrotik uses specific flash chips, with a separate "OTP" section

if that OTP section is not programmed (contains all zeroes), then RouterOS will complain

Yes, I looked at the dump and datasheet on the chip.
And so it is - a flash drive with an OTP area, which is empty.
I'll try.

Did anyone connect via JTAG?
Do the boards send something there or is the interface closed?
Maybe there is something interesting there.

Could be that Software-ID changes then because of blank OTP area because it is generated by data in it. If this is the case, then it is an issue unless MT choose to offer flash drives for purchase as spare part or someone reverse engineer data in OTP for programming it on new drives.

Well, the OTP area seems to be written only once.
On the original flash drive, it is empty (in any case, my programmer did not read anything)

And on the flash drive that I installed, this area is not at all

Maybe just drive that have OTP area, even empty, will do

Possibly of interest:
viewtopic.php?t=174182
The chip seems like having a unique ID, so no way to replace one without re-generating the soft ID or licence.

I will not mind if new software id will be generated permanently (per replaced drive), but it is a issue if is generated after each reboot like @kuzma2000 mentioned. I have no problem with buying additional licence if it will stick. By this post viewtopic.php?t=174182#p1084813 it looks like that just reflashing new drive with same content will do, so I'm nost sure why @kuzma2000 had issue with software is regeneration on each boot, could be related to OTP area since drive he used doesn't have it.

Yep, the most likely cause is that the new chip has something different from the original one, only a guess, but if the original one has a "unique ID", at every boot this ID is the same and the license sticks, while IF the new chip has not such unique ID, a new one is somehow generated at each boot, thus making the license not "sticky".

Yes you are right.
The original chip has a UID field, that can be read separable.
The one I installed also has this mechanism, but the UID is written in OTP at a different address.
Now I'm looking for a chip from Winbond

Successfully!
I put W25Q256JVEQ.

Software-ID does not change.

But now I can't change the license number in my account

"Apologies, MikroTik.com client portal is temporarily unavailable due to maintenance. We'll be back shortly."

Life is full of surprises...

Can you write some steps how did you do it? Did you use 8-PIN SOP or 8 PIN WSON?

Can you write some steps how did you do it? Did you use 8-PIN SOP or 8 PIN WSON?

Yes of course.
1. I removed the original chip in the SOP-8 package
2. I considered it a programmer (I have an Xgecu TL-56)
3. Saved the contents of the "FLASH" section to a file
4. Install a new flash drive and
flashed only the "FLASH" section. OTP and STATUS REG did not flash.
5. I soldered the flash drive in place.

In the WinBond catalog, I did not find flash drives in an 8-PIN SOP package of 32 MB or more.
Such volumes are only available in the 8 PIN WSON case (8 by 6 mm)

Thanx!

Thanx!

On Aliexpress 25Q512JVEQ - 1.7 usd

Can you post link (even in pm) of the item in aliexpress?
It is the wson one?
I'm trying to repair an cAP with a bad flash chip

Can you post link (even in pm) of the item in aliexpress?
It is the wson one?
I'm trying to repair an cAP with a bad flash chip

https://vi.aliexpress.com/item/10050072 ... pt=glo2vnm

Thanks!

Yes of course.
1. I removed the original chip in the SOP-8 package
2. I considered it a programmer (I have an Xgecu TL-56)
3. Saved the contents of the "FLASH" section to a file
4. Install a new flash drive and
flashed only the "FLASH" section. OTP and STATUS REG did not flash.
5. I soldered the flash drive in place.

In the WinBond catalog, I did not find flash drives in an 8-PIN SOP package of 32 MB or more.
Such volumes are only available in the 8 PIN WSON case (8 by 6 mm)

Thank you very much for the instructions!
Did you solder the new WSON-8 chip directly on the pads meant for the original SOIC-8 chip?
And did you add any insulation to the center pad of the WSON-8 chip?

Yes of course.
1. I removed the original chip in the SOP-8 package
2. I considered it a programmer (I have an Xgecu TL-56)
3. Saved the contents of the "FLASH" section to a file
4. Install a new flash drive and
flashed only the "FLASH" section. OTP and STATUS REG did not flash.
5. I soldered the flash drive in place.

In the WinBond catalog, I did not find flash drives in an 8-PIN SOP package of 32 MB or more.
Such volumes are only available in the 8 PIN WSON case (8 by 6 mm)

Thank you very much for the instructions!
Did you solder the new WSON-8 chip directly on the pads meant for the original SOIC-8 chip?
And did you add any insulation to the center pad of the WSON-8 chip?

The AC2 HAP board has a pad for both SOP and WSON
For chips in the WSON package, the center pad is used to attach the chip to the board.
But it is quite possible to put the flash drive in a WSON case and on SOP pad.
The dimensions and pinout coincide there. But it is worth fixing the chip with glue.
I did this for HEX S. But this is another unfortunate story

The AC2 HAP board has a pad for both SOP and WSON
For chips in the WSON package, the center pad is used to attach the chip to the board.
But it is quite possible to put the flash drive in a WSON case and on SOP pad.
The dimensions and pinout coincide there. But it is worth fixing the chip with glue.
I did this for HEX S. But this is another unfortunate story

Thank you very much for the info!
You used a hot air soldering station to solder the WSON-8 package, correct?
And you soldered also the center pad of WSON-8 package and did not use any glue in ac2 device, correct?

The AC2 HAP board has a pad for both SOP and WSON
For chips in the WSON package, the center pad is used to attach the chip to the board.
But it is quite possible to put the flash drive in a WSON case and on SOP pad.
The dimensions and pinout coincide there. But it is worth fixing the chip with glue.
I did this for HEX S. But this is another unfortunate story

Thank you very much for the info!
You used a hot air soldering station to solder the WSON-8 package, correct?
And you soldered also the center pad of WSON-8 package and did not use any glue in ac2 device, correct?

Yes, that's right.
Without a hot air soldering station, WSON is difficult to change. But it is possible.

Also socket adapter for WSON8 can be used, like this https://vi.aliexpress.com/item/1005005261973767.html. This will simplify soldering, but particular adapter from link doesn't look robust and not sure is it reliable when board is shaked when transfering device. Maybe adapters with better quality and locking exists.

Yes, that's right.
Without a hot air soldering station, WSON is difficult to change. But it is possible.

Thanks!
One more question - after replacing the flash (and copying all the data from the old flash) were the MAC addresses (of ethernet and wifi interfaces) and device model and serial number (visible in /system/routerboard/print) preserved?

Also socket adapter for WSON8 can be used, like this https://vi.aliexpress.com/item/1005005261973767.html. This will simplify soldering, but particular adapter from link doesn't look robust and not sure is it reliable when board is shaked when transfering device. Maybe adapters with better quality and locking exists.

Thank you very much!
Socket sounds like a huge improvement here!

It seems to me like the latch is safe enough, this other link has better pictures:
https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256804602719717.html

IF (BIG IF) one could manage to drill two holes (1.1 and 0.9 mm) at the right spot on the board for the two plastic pins, the placement (and consequently the soldering) will be a breeze.

Or you can just cut off the plastic pins.

BTW soldering these low pin count SONs with a normal soldering iron is totally possible, if not necessary fun. And the cheap hot air stations go for under USD 100 and work completely fine. (Of course the USD 1000+ brand name ones look nicer )

Many people - especially at first - really like using a gel flux such as https://uk.farnell.com/chip-quik/smd291 ... dp/1850220 (just as a reference, buy whatever is available locally)

Well, the plastic pins are very useful to keep the socket in place (though as hinted still the holes for them won't be easy) while it is totally possible to solder the socket without the pins, it is not at all easy to solder it while keeping it aligned.
Personally I wouldn't even think of attempting this kind of soldering without some means to hold the part in place, there is a very simple design for a "smd beak" here:
https://vpapanik.blogspot.com/2015/02/t ... k.html?m=1

Well.. I'm an EE and neither me, nor my colleagues, nor the technicians that I worked with had any difficulty in soldering these things with just a normal soldering iron (Weller TCP / Hakko fx-888, etc.) and tweezers. (And with better ones like the Hakko fx-951 it's much easier.)

I tried to look up a video on youtube showing how it's done, and the first 5 or so hits that I found - while successfully attaching their chips in the end - did a really messy job of it: lot's of bridging, cold joints, reheating everything several times, applying tons of unnecessary flux, bending/forcing leads etc.

I came here to call @jaclaz on his bull, but apparently he's right and people do struggle with this. I'm also reconsidering my original comment suggesting to just solder the SON component directly. If people have this much trouble with normal SO and SSOP stuff, they're unlikely to succeed with a SON.

Apparently?
Your auto-correction must have messed with the "undoubtedly" you wanted to type.

Okay, I couldn't resist adding an example of how to do it correctly. Watch from 3:17
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYIEP0u ... e6&index=3

The guy is an instructor with top notch equipment including proper non-ocular (stereoscopic) magnification.

One more question - after replacing the flash (and copying all the data from the old flash) were the MAC addresses (of ethernet and wifi interfaces) and device model and serial number (visible in /system/routerboard/print) preserved?

I'm also interested where this data is preserved and which data is stored in the OTP part.

Is it possible to grep the serial number or stuff like the Mac addresses from the Chip's image? I yes did not had any time to put my flash reader clamp onto one of my cAP AC's

AFAICT there is not OTP (used by router OS) on these flashes.
The issue with the license comes from a sort of GUID that is in the chip and that is used to calculate the license number, when you replace the chip this GUID obviously changes and your license does not match anymore.

If you are going to peek into the flash dump, you will find useful this thread:
viewtopic.php?t=214009