NORway - Teensy++ 2.0 Flasher Software

[judges]

Hi there..

Here comes my initial release of a NOR flasher soft for the PS3 called "NORway". I know, there are other "WIP" projects, but I got a little impatient, so I've decided to create my own solution. It's a port of "noralizer" by marcan, a pretty good working NOR flasher implementation for another FPGA board.

Anyway, here's the README.txt, which should explain everything:

NORway v0.3
This project has been ported for the Teensy++ 2.0 from the original NOR flasher tool
("noralizer" by Hector Martin "marcan" <hector @marcan soft.com>) that was used to flash
AsbestOS onto the demo PS3 at 27C3, and for experimentation.

Contents:
\teensy\NORway.avrsln - Source code for the Teensy++ 2.0 (AVR Studio 5.0)
\teensy\default\NORway.hex - Compiled hex-file for the Teensy++ 2.0 (AT90USB1286)
\hwinstall\install-*.jpg - Some pics of how I've mounted the Teensy (CECH-2504A/B)
\hwinstall\nor_testpoints.png - Connection diagram of the NOR testpoints (CECH-2504A/B)
\hwinstall\teensy.jpg - Teensy connection points (see chart below)
\serial_install.exe - Teensy serial drivers for Windows
\norpatch.exe - Small tool to verify content of NOR dump (recognizes any OFW),
replace ros0/ros1 with new core os (.NET 2.0 required)
\NORway.py - PC Python client
\README.txt - This file

Hardware connections (see "\hwinstall\nor_testpoints.png" + "\hwinstall\teensy.jpg"):
PS3 Teensy
A0-7 PF0-7
A8-15 PA0-7
A16-22 PB0-6
D0-7 PD0-7
D8-15 PC0-7
CE# PE0
OE# PE1
RESET# PE4
WE# PE5
RY/BY# PE6
TRISTATE# PE7
GND GND

The Teensy requires a 3.3V voltage regulator! 5V trace has to be cut and 3V pads have to be shorted!
Please refer to https://www.pjrc.com/teensy/3volt.html

DON'T CONNECT THE VCC SOLDER PADS TO ANYTHING!

Connection diagrams for other boards can be found at:
Hardware flashing - PS3 Development Wiki

Currently only Spansion NOR flash memory is supported!

Prerequisites for Windows:
Python 2.7.2 (http://www.python.org/ftp/python/2.7.2/python-2.7.2.msi)
pyserial 2.5 (http://pypi.python.org/packages/any/...-2.5.win32.exe)

Usage:
Install Python + pyserial (see "Prerequisites for Windows"). Install drivers. Connect Teensy
directly to your PC (not an USB hub, might cause trouble). Flash Teensy with "\teensy\default\NORway.hex"
and reset it after completion. Start Windows' "Device Manager", expand the "Ports (COM & LPT)" node,
you should see something like "USB Serial (Communication Class, Abstract Control Model) (COM4)". This
tells you that "COM4" (or whatever shows up) is the COM port used by Teensy.

At the command prompt enter "NORway.py" to display help.

Procedure to dump your flash:
- PS3 is turned off
- At the command prompt enter:
NORway.py <your com port>
- Turn on your PS3, it shouldn't boot
- At the command prompt enter:
NORway.py <your com port> dump flash.bin
- When dumping is finished enter:
NORway.py <your com port> release
- Power off your PS3 (disconnect Teensy if PS3 doesn't boot when restarted)

Dumping takes 45 seconds. A file "flash.bin" with a size of exactly 16 MB (16.777.216 bytes)
has been created in your current directory.

Writing a complete flash using the "write" command takes about 8.5 minutes.

IMPORTANT:
Before you flash your PS3 with anything new, make sure that the content of your dump is correct
(use the supplied tool "norpatch.exe", it's able to recognize any OFW core os).
And keep your original dump in a safe place. You might need it.

It's tested on Win7 x86/x64, but should also work just fine on any other x86/x64 Windows >=XP. Basically
it should also work on Linux, but I didn't test. If you're running Linux, you probably know what to do. ;-)
Serial drivers are not required for Linux.

Thanks to "marcan" for the original implementation.

-- judges (judges@eEcho.com)

PS: I've already managed to downgrade my OFW 3.61 to CFW 3.55. There're minor things to rule out, but expect a downgrade tutorial coming soon..
PPS: Thanks to defyboy for the original idea of using a Teensy for flashing!

Update 28th July, 2011:
v0.2 released! Documentation updated to include the required 3.3V voltage regulator plus Teensy clock rate changed to 8 MHz!

Update 9th August, 2011:
v0.3 released! Major performance improvements!

Download (v0.3): https://github.com/hjudges/NORway

Download (v0.4beta12): NORway_04beta12.zip

Download (psgrade/service jig for keeping Teensy installed in PS3): psgrade_at90usb1286_8Mhz_teensy++_2.0_noLED.zip

More information at PS3Hax

[master737373]

Awesome!! Good work

[tthousand]

Great news! Will add this to the front page as soon as I have an article written up! I was going to use the pics from your other post (the pics showing the teensy installed inside the slim.)

[wizdumb]

Thanks. Now there is no need for me to pick up a progskeet.

[New Developer]

Hi there..

Here comes my initial release of a NOR flasher soft for the PS3 called "NORway". I know, there are other "WIP" projects, but I got a little impatient, so I've decided to create my own solution. It's a port of "noralizer" by marcan, a pretty good working NOR flasher implementation for another FPGA board.

Anyway, here's the README.txt, which should explain everything:



Link: NORway_v0.1.zip

PS: I've already managed to downgrade my OFW 3.61 to CFW 3.55. There're minor things to rule out, but expect a downgrade tutorial coming soon..
PPS: Thanks to defyboy for the original idea of using a Teensy for flashing!

Mathieulh it seems were gonna catch up to u :P

[calimba]

I can confirm work fine in windows 7 x64 without problems, thank you very much

[alonehacker]

This is fantastic news. Thank you.

Are pull up resistors necessary on WP# and BYTE# ?

[wizdumb]

I can confirm work fine in windows 7 x64 without problems, thank you very much

Would you mind sharing what you did to get it working Windows x64?

On another note I already had prepatched my 3.66 dump with 3.55 CORE_OS, but after writing my console YLOD. Flashed my stock NOR back and all is well. I must have missed something when patching the CORE_OS, so I will wait for the detailed tutorial. Although the write function takes a quite a while, it works as it should and I'm glad this is open source.

[judges]

Are pull up resistors necessary on WP# and BYTE# ?

On my board they're tied to Vcc. So yes.

[judges]

On another note I already had prepatched my 3.66 dump with 3.55 CORE_OS, but after writing my console YLOD. Flashed my stock NOR back and all is well. I must have missed something when patching the CORE_OS, so I will wait for the detailed tutorial. Although the write function takes a quite a while, it works as it should and I'm glad this is open source.

Be careful, once you've downgraded to 3.55 there's no way of going back to 3.6x. At least I don't know of any way currently.