8 pin smd ZIF on Dell XT2 laptop

[Stonent]

I was working on a Dell XT2 laptop last night and noticed this (picture from google search, not me)



A ZIF socket with an 8 pin flash chip inside. It was labeled SPI1 so I assume that's an SPI flash chip. There's a metal wire clamp that presses down on it.

Back years ago I used to flash PLCC and DIP flash chips "HOT" by popping out a bios chip on a PC while it was running and using the bios flash program to load something else in them.  Not sure how that would work in this case but it could possibly be done.

I powered the laptop with the chip removed and the power light came on for about 10 seconds and then went off.

That's the first time I've seen any configuration like this.  Previously I've seen smaller Dell laptops with a chip soldered to a board plugged into a dual row socket similar to LCD plugs and the laptop would boot with the chip removed so I was unsure of its purpose.

[Steffen]

Maybe it's a BIOS flash chip.

[Stonent]

Maybe it's a BIOS flash chip.

I knew that part, just strange to see them do it this way in production.

[fluxcapacitor]

ive been looking for some of those sockets in the uk,ive looked on ebay and aliexpress and cant find any at farnell ,RS etc.The only place i havee found them,so far, is an australian shop. :

http://www.darkwire.com.au/html/spi_flash_sockets.html

[amyk]

That is rather surprising since it's an ultraportable, but since it's also a business-class model perhaps they had easy unbricking/BIOS reflashing in mind. Many "premium" desktop mobos still have socketed BIOS chips.

[Zero999]

It would be good if you could buy a SMT ZIF to DIP converter so you could program SMT components with a programmer which only has a through hole ZIF socket.

[Stonent]

That is rather surprising since it's an ultraportable, but since it's also a business-class model perhaps they had easy unbricking/BIOS reflashing in mind. Many "premium" desktop mobos still have socketed BIOS chips.

The more usual way that I've seen the Latitude line is just an 8 pin soic chip soldered down.  The older C series sometimes had a soldered plcc and sometimes socketed.

[ConKbot]

That is rather surprising since it's an ultraportable, but since it's also a business-class model perhaps they had easy unbricking/BIOS reflashing in mind. Many "premium" desktop mobos still have socketed BIOS chips.

Perhaps with business stuff in mind its a TPM/crypto etc related chip rather than BIOS?

[tsmith35]

A ZIF socket with an 8 pin flash chip inside. It was labeled SPI1 so I assume that's an SPI flash chip. There's a metal wire clamp that presses down on it.

Well, it took me a good bit of digging, but it appears those sockets are made by Wieson Technologies: http://www.wieson.com/go/en/wieson/product_ctocshow.php?subSerialNum=205&SerialNum=3&TypeName=Connectors&subTypeName=SPI%20Socket



Pretty cool!

[tsmith35]

There's also a company called Meritec that has SMT SOP ZIF sockets for 0.5mm TSOP (40, 48 and 56 pin), 1.27mm PSOP (44 pin) and 0.8mm SSOP (56 pin).

Neat stuff: http://www.meritec.com/catalog/connectors-adapters-sockets-3/smt-sop-sockets-18/

[fluxcapacitor]

Thank you for the info tsmith35   

[tsmith35]

Thank you for the info tsmith35   

You're welcome. Here's a UK source for the sockets: Grains BIOS Repair