RIFF JTAG – eMMC Partition Table FullFlash Image Files Processing Plugin (eMMCDiskPartitions.dll) v2.00

23.11.2012   RIFF JTAG – eMMC Partition Table FullFlash Image Files Processing Plugin (eMMCDiskPartitions.dll) v2.00

This plugin is a powerfull tool which enormously simplifies resurrection process (providing you have the required boot files from an official firmware or you have a ‘donor’ device) for those devices which are not yet supported by a dedicated resurrector DLL.

This plugin works with eMMC image files and phones which have following formatting:

  •  Image Files or Phones with Standard Master Boot Record (MBR) and Extended Boot Record (EBR) formatting. Most of eMMC-bootable mobile phones have their eMMC memory formatted in such style. In this case partitions are accessed in standard way, by Partition ID: for example boot loader partitions or OS image partition (compare with qualcomm MIBIB partitioning: while ‘MIBIB’-type partitions have standalone partition descriptor block which contains info on all partitions and is posistioned in a definite NAND address, the eMMC partitioning is one MBR sector at fixed position + a chain of EBR sectors which are scattered throughout the eMMC address space in a literally random way);
  •  Image Files or Phones which do not have standard Master Boot Record (MBR) and Extended Boot Record (EBR) formatting, but instead, partition information for such phones is taken from the PIT Table (some Samsung phones);
  •  Image Files or Phones which do not have standard Master Boot Record (MBR) and Extended Boot Record (EBR) formatting, but instead, partition information for such phones is taken from the EFI Table (some Samsung, LG, Pantech and other phones).

Please note, in previous versions this plugin worked only with devices from topic #1, while #2 was supported by different plugin. Now everything is combined in this plugin (as well as EFI support added), and other eMMC plugin (PIT-Based) become obsolete, and no longer will be supported.

With the help of this plugin you can do:

  •  Disassemble a full (or, since eMMC full image files are too large, a partial) eMMC Image File previously obtained with JTAG Manager (DCC Read/Write Page);
  •  Inspect each partition contents;
  •  Save separate partitions to HDD;
  •  Save all partitions as standalone files to HDD;
  •  Build-up your own full image file: for this you need to read from device (by clicking “Load Image from Device” button) or open from file (by clicking “Load Image from File” button) the eMMC partitioning data and then by selecting desired partitions click “Inject Into Partition” button to upload data from file into selected partition. Then you can save all full image file to HDD or flash injected partitions directly into device;
  •  Write a chosen partition directly into device;
  •  Read a chosen partition directly from device and substitute old partition contents to new ones;
  •  Create eMMC partitioning snapshot (that is storing info on full EBR chain: each EBR sector position).
  •  Restore eMMC partitioning from previously taken file: it is convenient if eMMC memory is erased and all formatting data is lost.
  •  Plugin supports new RIFF™ shrinked binary files format (*.riffpbin): which allows to shrink huge eMMC Image files into small sized-files (for example, Image File for 14GB empty eMMC chip is shrinked into ~10 KByte(!) size), thus HDD space is preserved, while performance is not visibly effected.

Please note, direct read/write operations from/to the device will require proper resurrector to be set (Resurrector Settings: thus before clicking the Activate Plugin button make sure proper model is selected as well as other settings like TCK/RTCK frequencies).

This plugin will support all possible devices, based either on Samsung Exynos or Qualcomm cores with eMMC memory as boot device.

Please visit RIFF Box FAQ page for detailed instructions !

Sample partition layout from Pantech Sky IM A850L boot repair pack, based on QUALCOMM APQ8064:
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RIFF JTAG – Samsung I9100 Galaxy S II Unbrick – Boot repair supported, World First ! ! !

29.07.2011     Samsung I9100 Galaxy S II Unbrick – Boot repair supported, World First ! ! !

Samsung I9100 is based on the S5PV310 (Exynos 4210) Processor (Cortex-A9 Dual-Core).

JTAG pads are very small; professional experience in soldering is required to connect wires to the JTAG interface. There is a big variety of versions of Galaxy II devices: GT-I9100, GT-I9100G, GT-I9100L, GT-I9100M, GT-I9100T, GT-I9101, GT-I9103, GT-I9108, GT-I9188, and maybe more. Some of them are based on different hardware platform – the OMAP4430 (Cortex-A9 Dual-Core). Thus make sure first which exact hardware version you have on hands.
Note, one simple way to connect over JTAG – connect USB cable to PC and insert battery. In this case phone is automatically powered on.
Phone has such booting sequence: ROM → FBL → IBL → PBL → SBL. Current resurrector will resurrect Partition Table (PIT) and SBL zones which are located in the iNAND (eMMC) memory. Write access to memory which contains FBL, IBL and PBL loaders is not supported currently, but in case your phone has these loaders damaged, you can choose “Initiate Download Mode” way of resurrection in order to directly put the phone into the Download Mode.

To resurrect Samsung I9100:

  •  Solder JTAG cable to Samsung I9100 JTAG pads;
  •  Connect USB cable to phone and PC;
  •  Insert battery;
  •  Make sure Samsung I9100 is selected in the list of models;
  •  Make sure a fixed TCK frequency is selected;
  •  Click Resurrect button;
  •  Wait till software signals a successful operation completion;
  •  Disconnect USB cable, de-solder JTAG wires;

Now phone is in bootable condition, that is, even if it does not start up normally, you can flash it using original Samsung downloader software to restore it to the working state.

To enter download mode:

  •  Disconnect PC cable;
  •  Insert battery;
  •  Hold both ‘Volume Down’ and ‘Home’ keys and press Power-On.
Please click “Check For Updates” button in order to download and apply new files. Closing all running application before starting update process is recommended.