Bricked 1996 T/A LT1 M6 ECU

[mekkis]

Anyone have a binary for this? My laptop locked up mid flash and I'd like to resurrect the hardware. The TC cal format appears to be half the size of the couple A4 binaries I've found. Woyuld those work with auto trans stuff disabled?

1996 Pontiac Formula / TA
LT1 5.7 V8 MFI M6
PCM: 16214399
Module1: 16233198

Any help is appreciated. Thanks!

[EagleMark]

I don't have any as bin, but I think there are some .cal here:
http://www.gearhead-efi.com/Fuel-Injection/showthread.php?1488-1996-TunerCat-Calibration-Files

Someone once showed us how to bin a cal?

[mekkis]

The problem is the cal is half the size of the binary. Looking at the A4 bin/cal files on your Moates mirror, the cal information is at the beginning and end of the binary, and the middle portion is, for lack of a better OBD2 LTx term, the OS itself. Two maybes present themself:

1) The beginning and/or end of the existing binary are wiped, and I could read/repair/rewrite with the cals I have on hand.

2) I can write with the A4 binary, then reflash with the different ECU/module ID number M6 cal I have.

My problem with this whole situation is I'm awesome at lifting a chip once or twice, but you put too much heat into a PCB and it gets really easy to damage. I want to be able to get in and out in one go. :/

[Montecarlodrag]

I think what you need are the RAW .bin files to flash both chips with a universal programmer.
I have both, here they are

To avoid damage to the circuit board, solder a PLCC socket so you can take the chips out when you need to flash them. I have done a few this way and it works good.

Let me know how it works

[mekkis]

I think what you need are the RAW .bin files to flash both chips with a universal programmer.
I have both, here they are

To avoid damage to the circuit board, solder a PLCC socket so you can take the chips out when you need to flash them. I have done a few this way and it works good.

Let me know how it works

Nice. I hadn't opened the ECU case to look and ASSumed it was a PSOP44 like later stuff, not PLCC32. I have a bunch of those sockets for chipping EEC-V Ford, and recently the JTEC stuff.

I appreciate the backup. The kindness of strangers is the most rewarding kind.

[mekkis]

Just so folks have an idea what the job look like. Here's the red/black side of the board, 28F512 PLCC32.

[Caleditor]

Just so folks have an idea what the job look like. Here's the red/black side of the board, 28F512 PLCC32.
How did it turn out?
Did you run into any other issues?

[mekkis]

It worked out great. I'm back in the saddle, thank you.

[Montecarlodrag]

Just so folks have an idea what the job look like. Here's the red/black side of the board, 28F512 PLCC32.

Good Job
I always break the plastic in the bottom of those PLCC sockets. You don't need to, but I prefer to do it because I can inspect the solder under a magnifying glass. I have a socketed PCM like this, let me take a few pictures.

Were you able to repair the PCM with the BINs I posted?

[mekkis]

Good Job
I always break the plastic in the bottom of those PLCC sockets. You don't need to, but I prefer to do it because I can inspect the solder under a magnifying glass. I have a socketed PCM like this, let me take a few pictures.

Were you able to repair the PCM with the BINs I posted?

On days when my hands are not so steady I use the plastic bottom and a drop of soft glue to hold the socket in place so I don't fat finger it out of alignment. At that point it's trivial to remove it for inspection - small sidecutters and lift. The magnified lamp the picture was taken through in the last picture is wonderful, I really can see the quality of the solder joint wit or without removing the bottom. The first few PLCC32 I did I would melt the bottom free by the time I was done, but a thinner tip for the iron and some practice and I've not had any problems.

And, yes, I used your bins. Worked great. Thank you again.

[Playtoy_18]

How did you get the chip off the board?
Got an 0411 with same issue,but no way I can get it off with any of my solder irons.
Heat gun? Is that the reason for the tinfoil?

[mekkis]

How did you get the chip off the board?
Got an 0411 with same issue,but no way I can get it off with any of my solder irons.
Heat gun? Is that the reason for the tinfoil?

This is the least expensive way to get it free: http://sra-solder.com/product.php/6812/26/aoyue_850a_smd_hot_air_rework_station

This is what I have, and recommend, if you do not have a good regulated soldering iron. Mine has held up 4 years of frequent use and just now needs the soldering iron/element/handle itself replaced ($18 or something): http://sra-solder.com/product.php/6987/26/968

Get a small selection of tips for it... they don't get eaten up by flux core solders like cheap irons do.

[mekkis]

The foil is a method of controlling heat... you do want the board getting warm to help flow the solder, but keeping excess heat and blown air off of adjacent components is a reasonable precaution. If you look closely, the foil I used has been cut for a PSOP44 chip aka 896/411. :p

To be honest, the foil is likely not needed for 399 or 411. When doing a PS6.0 FICM that has boards with HUGE heatsinking ground and power planes adjacent to ultra tiny SMT components it's always a good idea to use foil.

[Montecarlodrag]

How did you get the chip off the board?
Got an 0411 with same issue,but no way I can get it off with any of my solder irons.
Heat gun? Is that the reason for the tinfoil?
I would fix it for free if you pay shipping, however I'm in Mexico and shipping cost may be higher than a used PCM.

If you don't have a heat gun, you can lift it with the solder iron, however it's a bit tricky

[MYLTWON]

Soo I have a couple of questions.

What program are you using to flash the .bin files?

Where are you guys sourcing your chips from?

[mekkis]

Soo I have a couple of questions.

What program are you using to flash the .bin files?

Where are you guys sourcing your chips from?

I used a Willem family universal chip burner, the GQ-3X from mcumall.com. You also have to purchase the PLCC adapter kit (which is inexpensive) as most of the affordable chip burners are designed to take a DIP footprint natively. The actual software is a free download from the mcumall.com site.

You can re use the chips you pull from the ECU. There is quite a lot in that era automobile that uses PLCC, or at least the PLCC32 footprint; Ford, Chevy, Jeep/JTEC, and they were used in a lot of PC motherboard BIOS so it's always a good habit to field strip old computers... seems like a waste of time for a chip that sells for $4 new, but parts in hand WHEN you need them are worth a whole lot more.

Do yourself a favor and take a picture of the ECU before you remove the chips. It is quite common to go back with a socket, or the chip, and have lost track of it's orientation.

[MYLTWON]

I have a moates apu1. Is there a reason I couldnt use that with a chip adapter?

[MYLTWON]

Also, im on the MCUmall site. Which program am I looking for?

http://www.mcumall.com/comersus/store/mcumall_download.asp

Too bad there isnt a way to flash the chips without desoldering them.

[MYLTWON]

Any other advice would be much appreciated. Im working up the courage to pull one of these things apart soon and see if my soldering skills are still what they use to be.

[mekkis]

My man, there is a wealth of good information here. The questions you are asking are the sort only you can answer by diving in and learning hands on.

[Maxzillian]

Any other advice would be much appreciated. Im working up the courage to pull one of these things apart soon and see if my soldering skills are still what they use to be.

Personally I just had madtuner.com socket a couple PCMs for me. Unfortunately they don't appear to offer that service anymore.

The do-it-yourself method ideally requires a hot-air soldering setup to desolder the old chips without destroying them. Otherwise you'll find you'll have a hard time removing them with just a normal iron. Soldering in the sockets can easily be done with an iron, however.

[Montecarlodrag]

It is possible to flash PLCC chips on-board. I have done it in the past.
You need to build a cable with a PLCC socket and place it directly on the chip to make contact with the pins.
However you can't use a universal programmer, you need to build a special-purpose device and its software to do the job.
For high volume applications it's the best approach, faster and easier than soldering and socketing. For automotive PCMs there is not enough volume to justify the development of the device and software.

[mekkis]

I know Pomona makes in-circuit test clips, I have a SOIC8 for serial EEPROMS. Whether or not the chip can be powered in-circuit to read/write depends on the chip and the circuit. I would expect in some cases that a trace might have to be cut or otherwise lifted.

I know I have dealt with some one off oddball memories in 80s cars, Matsushita (Panasonic) masked ROMs in asian stuff particularly, that follow most of a standardized pinout but then require an odd pin to be high or low in order to read.