SPC56EL70 | Shadow memory area erased | Debugger does not connect to MCU

[abhishekj]

Posted on July 25, 2013 at 16:29

Hello,

Background:

We are using the SPC56EL70 and it's Flash driver in our Firmware.

Problem description:

While using the Erase API of the Flash driver we have erased the shadow memory area of the Flash memory.

After having erased this area, when the MCU was given a hard reset (by a Power ON/OFF cycle), it is observed to be unusable.

The debugger does not connect to the MCU, and we are unable to download new Firmware.

Problem severity:

The shadow memory erase has been executed on all 5 of our MCU boards, as a result of which all 5 boards have become defunct.

We need urgent help and support to restore the boards to a working state. Kindly provide guidance to help us overcome this problem.

Thanks a lot in advance.

[Dario CATALANO]

Posted on July 26, 2013 at 09:36

Hi abhishek,

what kind of board are you using ? The MCU are soldered on the board ? I think the fastest way to overcome your issue is to send you five brand new SPC56EL70.

I am writing this since it is not so easy to recover from your situation. Shadow flash can be recovered in test mode, but I do not think we can do it in your laboratory.

Let us know,

Dario Catalano.

[abhishekj]

Posted on July 26, 2013 at 15:21

Hi Dario,

We are using a board from Freescale: ASD433A - xPC56xLADPT144S Mini-module.

The MCU is not soldered onto the board, it fits into a socket on the board.

Yes, we understand that replacing the MCUs would be less tedious, however we would really like to try out everything possible, with your guidance, to restore the 5 defunct MCUs to their original state.

Not only would it ensure that our investment in purchasing the 5 MCUs is saved, but if it works, it would also give us the much needed peace of mind. We would therefore like to try to restore the MCU parts.

Could you please share the method to restore the MCU to it's original state? I could try it out on one MCU to begin with, and if successful, apply it to the remaining four MCUs.

Thanks a lot for your response.

- Abhishek Kulkarni.

[Luca RODESCHINI]

Posted on July 29, 2013 at 11:50

Dear Mr Kulkarni,

we cannot disclose on line the procedures done during our manufacturing to access the shadow memory for these MCU's.

I would suggest you to contact ST sales personel or ST authorized distributors you are dealing with to discuss this problem and find a solution.

Regards

Luca