Summary: Yes, many buts and maybes.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tiersten
Its MMC or SD. No idea what specific MMC interface type it is using. No idea what speed it is using either. If it is one of the fast variants of eMMC then you'll need to find a card that supports the same speeds.
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The ARM11 core has two SD/MMC/SDIO interfaces. It would make sense that either the controller is compatible with all of the protocols and not just eMMC. Besides, the SanDisk iNAND chip doesn't mention anything about eMMC, just SD.
I believe Kindle uses first one for the iNAND and second for the keyboard as an SDIO (dmesg).
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http://www.alldatasheet.com/datashee...E/MCIMX35.html
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tiersten
You wouldn't be able to format the MMC card as normal. It'd have to replicate the partitions on the internal flash precisely and it won't support hotswap. Each of your MMC cards would need to have the firmware loaded and the data from your specific Kindle as well which would include the crypto keys and IDs.
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Kindle boots -> ARM11 processor boots -> The processor loads the U-boot from it's boot program storage -> U-boot loads linux kernel from SD-card -> Linux-kernel and it's drivers boot. Or maybe the processor has some bootloader X which loads the U-boot from SD-card. But in any case the U-boot configuration is stored somewhere and since the configuration parameters can be saved from within the U-boot, I don't think the U-boot modified the processor's boot program storage data. Maybe. Nothing specific to partitions.
Anyways it's not a problem. The SD-card slot part of the project would be just to keep my mind from worrying about killing the flash with excessive usage. The card isn't meant to be hot-swappable.
I've not read about any encryption keys. Would you mind sharing? What little I've studied the Amazon-provided Linux kernel source code, there is a board ID which can be read and written, but something is encrypted as well?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tiersten
I have no idea if there is a chip specific ID and whether it is used for the Kindle BTW. If there is then it won't be possible to change the flash at all not without losing the ability to use Kindle store items.
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I'm not aiming for Kindle-provided user space software. My aim is to toss the included SIM-card and replace it with my own data-plan-SIM-card and to have the ability to use SSH with Java terminal application, the screen refresh rate is on the slow side but I'm sure it would be perfect for IRC and many, many more applications
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tiersten
The chip does it as part of the MMC controller built into it.
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That what I suspected as well, thank you.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tiersten
You have the necessary SMD rework equipment to get the existing chip off? You know its a BGA with the package overhanging everything right? Have to ask just in case you don't.
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Not a thing. Well, a funnel and a hot air blower.. I'll dump the flash before I do that, as the chip most likely won't survive the process (a surprise). Fortunately I'm not without assistance.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tiersten
There are lots of unknowns in your project and removing that chip isn't going to be easy without the correct tools. Attempting it without the correct tools or knowledge is just going to mean you're guaranteed dead Kindle. If you do it and it works then lots of pictures and a list of changes |
Removing the chip is the easiest part. Hoping for the best with the pinouts is the big unknown. Hoping that there are no proprietary drivers in the user space is hoping (not in that order, of course).
Not a question about the pictures and documentation, I'll share them when this project gets going.
And if all this comes along nicely, I'll be the first person to market Amazon Kindle to everyone I know. I like the device because of it's long battery life, slim size, funny keyboard with the 5-way button and above all: the fact that (if) Amazon really allows the user to change the user space applications and kernel as they wish. After all, I bought it.
Edit: Cannot post pictures of the flash, as I didn't seem to even take them! Damn it. Opening the Kindle without making visible dents was a major pain in the ass, so I'll do it the next time I open it. Here are the details I wrote up from the chip: SanDisk iNAND TM, SDIN4C2-4G, SO225J071, DP0168547SS2 TAIWAN.