Service Forum

Dirk · Nou Venit Joined: 14 Jun 2006 Posts: 5

Im really excited to find this site. I recently bought a CHEAP Thinkpad 390 off ebay to use linux on. The only problem is that is has the supervisor password enabled. So Ive taken the laptop apart and seen that it doesnt have a 24RF08 eeprom but instead it has 2 24C03 eeproms. Does anyone happen to know which eeprom contains the password? My real question is will the 24RF08 software be compatible with the 24C03 eeprom? Im guessing that once I get the dump from the eeprom I am going to have to search hard for the password using IBMPass. I am assuming that IBMPass can be used to decode the dump file from the 24C03 instead of the 24RF08. Any information would be a great help!
-Dirk

victor · S.F. Boss Joined: 07 Mar 2004 Posts: 2581 Location: Staff

390 uses 24RF08, it is located on the top of the board, on the bottom left, close to the power connector. You can't miss it.

IBMpass can be used for all models.

Dirk · Nou Venit Joined: 14 Jun 2006 Posts: 5

I feel like Ive looked at every chip on this board and there is only one chip marked ATMEL AT29C040A 12TC 9905 and it is located on the bottom of the board, under where the modem would be. Victor, I only see 4 chips that are in the area you told me to look and none of them are marked 24RF08. Could it perhaps be marked as something else? Would a picture help? Thanks for your input.
-Dirk

victor · S.F. Boss Joined: 07 Mar 2004 Posts: 2581 Location: Staff

Here you go

TP390 eeprom

Dirk · Nou Venit Joined: 14 Jun 2006 Posts: 5

There seems to be a problem somewhere because the motherboard in that picture does not match up with my board. It appears to be the same from the general picture but when you zoom in on the chip things are different. First off that chip isnt on this board. There are two chips in that general area and one is marked QS3125 9848Q (16 leads) and one marked BF89AB 24C03 LM8 (8 leads). Im sure that this is a 390 because it was marked in the usual place above the keyboard. If it helps, the motherboard is a Black Tip Motherboard 97174-4 43.43B01.041. If we cant figure this out I can always send you a picture of my board. Thanks again,
-Dirk

Dirk · Nou Venit Joined: 14 Jun 2006 Posts: 5

Now that I get a good look at the picture you sent me, im noticing that there are ALOT of differences in the chip layout of the motherboards. Perhaps that is not a picture of a 390, or maybe it is a 390E or 390X? Weird...
-Dirk

victor · S.F. Boss Joined: 07 Mar 2004 Posts: 2581 Location: Staff

Sorry, you're right. I thought you have 390E.
390 uses 24c03, there are 2 eeproms. One of them is the one, but I can tell you exactly which it is, I never had this old model on my hands. Usually must be the one that has the pins 1-2-3 tied to Vcc.

To read 24c03 you can use PonyProg with driven-i2c.
http://www.lancos.com/e2p/V2_05/ponyprogV205a.zip

Could you please take a shot or two and email at support-at allservice.ro?

PonyProg needs to be set to a specific IIC address to read in sistem this eeproms. I will give you full instructions to set-up the driven-i2cprog to be used with Pony.

Dirk · Nou Venit Joined: 14 Jun 2006 Posts: 5

I cant seem to get the schematics for the driven-i2cprog. Everytime I try to open it there is an error about it being a bad download. Are there any other links to them....or do I need to construct a slightly different version of it for use with PonyProg? Thanks

bob · Posted: Sun Jun 18, 2006 9:01 am Post subject:

Driven-i2cprog.pdf come with the r24rf08 kit. If you can get it from here, try to download the reader kit.

ldbl · Nou Venit Joined: 14 May 2008 Posts: 1

Hello,
Can somebody give me some instructions how to setup pony prog to read 24c03 on my thinkpad 390.

Many thanks.

victor · S.F. Boss Joined: 07 Mar 2004 Posts: 2581 Location: Staff

To read the 24C03 (which is equivalent to 24C02) I think is better to use my program R24C02. I made it for eeproms used in SONY VAIO and it has support to read them in-system. It will work for the 390 just as well. You may download it from here:
www.allservice.ro/store/utils/24c02.rar

I suggest you to build the driver programmer. In r24c02.ini the address is set at 0xAE, that is the default for IBM. To execute the program, open a console window (aka "Command prompt") in the software folder (unrar-ed somewhere at your convenience, of course) and type in:
r24c02 yourbin.bin /x /d /i - with spaces.

The 24C03: SDA =pin#5, SCL=pin#6. GND=pin#4 or the laptop GND.

Good luck.
_________________
Victor Voinea
ALLservice HQ, Romania.

mitsurugiryoko · Nou Venit Joined: 16 Feb 2011 Posts: 3

Im very happy to find this site!, i want to know if can i read the 24C03 using the simple-i2cprog

victor · S.F. Boss Joined: 07 Mar 2004 Posts: 2581 Location: Staff

Yes
_________________
Victor Voinea
ALLservice HQ, Romania.

mitsurugiryoko · Nou Venit Joined: 16 Feb 2011 Posts: 3

other question, to read can i use your R24C02 program, to execute the program writing without the modifiers

on cmd "r24c02 yourbin.bin"?

excuse me for my bad english

thanks

victor · S.F. Boss Joined: 07 Mar 2004 Posts: 2581 Location: Staff

yes, without "modifiers"

What machine type is it exactly?
_________________
Victor Voinea
ALLservice HQ, Romania.