IMSProg
IMSProg - software for CH341A-based programmers to work with I2C, SPI and MicroWire EEPROM/Flash chips
Install / Use
/learn @bigbigmdm/IMSProgREADME
IMSProg
<img align="right" src="img/mini_logo_IMSProg.svg">- System software requirements
- How to use
- List of supported chips
- Packages
- Changelog
- Project structure
- Chip database format
- Licensing
- Translations
IMSProg - I2C, MicroWire and SPI EEPROM/Flash chip
Programmer - is a program to read, write EEPROM chips use the
CH341A programmer device and CH347T programmer device.
| CH341A/B v1.2 | CH341A v1.7| CH347T v1.0| CH347T v1.1|
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The IMSProg makes respect to QHexEdit2 hex editor and SNANDer programmer. The format of the chip database is based on the format used in EZP2019, EZP2020, EZP2023, Minpro I, XP866+ programmers. Warning, format is not the same!
IMSProg is a collection of tools:
-
IMSProg - the chip programmer (it's the main part).
-
IMSProg_editor - chip database editor.
-
IMSProg_database_update - script to update chip database using external web-server.


Compiling project
git clone https://github.com/bigbigmdm/IMSProg.git && cd IMSProg
sudo ./build_all.sh
System software requirements
Linux
For build are needed:
- g++ or clang
- CMake
- libusb 1.0
- Qt5
- Qt5 Qt5LinguistTools
- pkgconf or pkg-config
- udev
On Debian and derivatives:
sudo apt-get install cmake g++ libusb-1.0-0-dev qtbase5-dev qttools5-dev pkgconf
On Debian >=13 and Ubuntu >=23.10:
sudo apt-get install systemd-dev
On older:
sudo apt-get install udev
Optionally if you want to use IMSProg_database_update script:
- zenity
- wget
sudo apt-get install zenity wget
:information_source: Debian < 11 and Ubuntu < 20.04 are not supported, you may unable to have it working on them.
macOS
if using Homebrew then Xcode Command Line Tools will install by default, if not then install manually from terminal:
xcode-select --install
install the required packages
using brew:
brew install qt@5 libusb cmake pkgconf
if not using the build_all.sh script then make sure libusb is
in your C_INCLUDE_PATH
export C_INCLUDE_PATH=/usr/local/opt/libusb/include
Optionally if you want to use IMSProg_database_update script:
brew install wget zenity
How to use:
Note: for macOS use CMD ⌘ instead of CTRL for keyboard shortcuts.
Chip programmer
Launching
Can be launched from Terminal by running the command
$ IMSProg
Connecting
- Insert the chip into the appropriate slot of the CH341A programmer. The
24xxxand25xxxseries chips must be inserted directly, according to the markings on the PCB of the CH341A programmer. The93xxxseries chips must be inserted into the93xxx adapterand the adapter into the marking25xxxprogrammer slot. The DataFlashAT45DBxxxseries chips must be mounted in aSOP-8 DIP-8and this adapter shall be inserted into the45xxxadapter. The45xxxadapter must be installed in the programmer slot marked25xxx. The SPI NAND Flash chips must be mounted in aWSON-8 DIP-8adapter. This adapter must be installed in the programmer slot marked25xxx.
[!NOTE] In the current version, the MicroWire (93Cxx) protocol is not supported by the CH347 programming device.
CH347T V1.1 — a device with a lower speed than the CH347T V1.0.

- If the chip supply voltage is 1.8 volt he must be inserted in
1.8 volt adapterand the adapter into needed programmer slot.

- Plug the CH341A programmer into the USB socket of your computer and running
the
IMSProg. - You can plug and unplug the programmer device (CH341A) to the USB port at any time when basic operations (reading, checking, and programming) are not in progress.
- Read more about adapters here.
Chip type selecting
Select the type of chip used from the Type pop-up menu: SPI_FLASH when
using SPI NOR FLASH chips of the 25xxx series, SPI_NAND when
using SPI NAND FLASH chips, 24_EEPROM when using I2C EEPROM of the 24xxx
series, 93_EEPROM when using MicroWire EEPROM of the 93xxx series,
45_EEPROM when using DataFlash chips AT45DBxxx series.
When using 25xxx series SPI NOR FLASH chips (Menu item type -> SPI_FLASH),
or SPI NAND FLASH chips (Menu item type -> SPI_NAND), or AT45DBxx series
SPI FLASH (Menu item type -> 45_EEPROM) the Detect button will be
available. When the Detect button or
or <Ctrl+D>
is pressed, the JEDEC information is read from the chip and all parameters of
that chip are loaded from the chip database. Any parameter (size, page size,
block size, VCC voltage, and 4-bit address length) can be changed
manually. You can manually enter the Manufacture and Name pop-up menu data -
all other parameters will be automatically loaded from the chip database.
When using 24xxx or 93xxx or 95xxx or 25xxx SPI EEPROM (non NOR FLASH)
series chips, it is necessary to manually enter the Manufacture and Name
pop-up menu data - all other parameters will be automatically loaded from the
chip database.
File operations
-
The
or <Ctrl+S>button is used to save the computer buffer to a file. -
The
or <Ctrl+O>button is used to save the file in the computer buffer. -
The
or <Ctrl+Shift-S>button is used to save a part of the computer buffer to a file (the start address and length of the part must be entered). This operation can be used when splitting a binary data image into parts. -
The
or <Ctrl+Shift-S>button is used to load a small file to a certain address in the buffer. The data fragment in the buffer will be replaced with new data from the file. -
The
or <Ctrl+Q>button is used to invoke the chip database editor. -
The menu item
File / Import from Intel HEXis used to save the Intel HEX file in the computer buffer. -
The menu item
File / Export to Intel HEXis used to save the computer buffer to a file in Intel HEX format.
Basic programmer operations
-
Pressing
Reador
or <Ctrl+R>to read data from the chip into the computer buffer. -
Pressing
or <Ctrl+W>to write data from the computer buffer into the chip. -
Pressing
or <Ctrl+E>will erase all data in the chip. -
By selecting ‘Main Menu -> Chip -> Check erase’ or pressing
<Ctrl+J>, you can check whether all data has been correctly deleted from the chip. -
Pressing the
or <Ctrl+T>button causes the data in the chip and in the computer buffer to be compared.
The progress bar shows the progress of the read, erase, and verify operations.
-
The
Autobutton is used to perform erase, check erase, write and verify operations in sequence. If one of these operations is not needed, you can uncheck the checkbox for that operation. -
The
or <Ctrl+I>key is used to force interruption of chip read/write/erase/verify operations. -
The
ikey show the connection chip to CH341A device image form. -
The
Main menu -> Chip -> Chip infoor<Ctrl+P>item shows the Serial Flash Discoverable Parameter (SFDP) register and the status registers of the SPI NOR flash memory chips.

If the SPI NOR FLASH chip is detected normally, but is not read (gives the
message Error reading sector 0), then in the Chip info window you can
change bits BP4 and BP3 to zero and press the Write registers button.
Then repeat the chip reading operation.

If the SPI NOR FLASH chip is read unreliably (with a different checksum each
time) and Status Register 2 is available in the chip, you can change bits
DRV0 and DRV1 to zero and press the Write Registers button. This will
increase the power of the output stage of the DO pin of the chip. Then
repeat the chip read operation.
For 25xxx, 95xxx and 45xxx series chips that have only one status
register, the Chip info form is as follows:

For SPI NAND FLASH chips the Chip info form is as follows:

- The
Main menu -> Chip -> Security Registersor<Ctrl+U>item is used to work withSPI NOR FlashandSPI NAND FLASHsecurity registers data. This form allows reading, write, erase, save and load security register data from the computer.

The buttons at the bottom of the form (
,
,
,
,
) perform a similar function to the top buttons on the
main form. The Security register number: drop-down menu allows you to select
one of the valid registers for the current chip for operation. The security
registers can be locked for writing forever. If you want to know about this,
please see Main Menu -> Chip -> Chip Information item or <Ctrl+P>, data
fields in LB3, LB2 and LB1 in Status register 1.
Please refer to the datasheet of your chip for detailed information.
For NAND FLASH chips y
