Silica Gel
Features
- Does all the usual operations: Chip ID, Read, Erase/Unprotect, Write, Verify
- Supports both main ROM and hidden boot parameter area
- Accepts firmware in raw binary and Intel HEX formats
- No expensive hardware required: just a cheap USB-UART dongle
Supported chips
Currently tested with SN8F5701, SN8F5702, SN8F5703 and SN8F5829 series, but should work with many other chips in the family.
Required hardware
SN8Flash uses cheap USB-UART dongles. Unfortunately, SN8F5xxx microcontrollers would only accept connections for a few milliseconds after reset, so a dongle with an exposed RTS or DTR signal is required for a hardware reset circuit. You may also use reset-less mode for dongles without RTS/DTR signals and reset the chip manually, but this mode is not reliable: a proper reset circuit is the best option.
Downloads and documentation
You can find the up-to-date binaries and usage instructions on the project Github page.
Stefan Wagner
sphaleron
EthicalHacker523
Thank you for your kind words! These MCUs are indeed a bit hard to get by, my local supplier offers them with a 4-5 weeks lead time, and doesn't have much stock. They are probably more widespread on Asian markets.
I chose to build this tool because Convoy flashlights extensively use these microcontrollers in their drivers (for example, https://convoylight.com/products/17mm-aa-14500-driver-for-t2-t3-12-groups-max-5a-output), so this tool should hopefully open a door for new Convoy modding experiences.