Open Source Smok: Early Notes

gistfile1.txt

Add early information here. -bu

We currently need:

  - High resolution photos of the Alien 220w mod pcb, front and back
  
        * Difference between VB and V Alien revisions
            
            NUC220LE3AN is one of the uC's used, not sure which version this is for (V or VB)
  
        * Map out pin connections for uC
        
        * Identify BOM for major components, i.e. which boost controller for wattage, charge controller etc., I believe
          the uC has chiplevel support for screens, and in DJLSB's youtube video on the mod you can clearly see a few pins
          directly connected to the screen.
          
          
Please don't be deterred from the lack of progress in this project -- all projects have a beginning and that's where this one stands.
If you happen to posses the skills necessary for working on this, or know someone who does, please direct them this way!

[0x00022000]
NAME_STRING = NUC220LE3AN
RAM_SIZE = 16
FLASH_SIZE = 128

this is the device according to the flasher and config file, which leads to this

http://www.nuvoton.com/hq/products/microcontrollers/arm-cortex-m0-mcus/nuc120-122-123-220-usb-series/nuc220le3an/?__locale=en

well thanks to the update software smok offers we can see the hex file that's written on the chip. I have still to find out how it writes the configuration bits (aka fuses), if it even does

Great, thank you. I'll start reading on the chip some more. I've sent DJLSB a message on Youtube asking for high-res photos of the board so that I could start mapping out the schematic in Eagle or something similar (still apprehensive about opening my unit while under warranty).

Someone mentioned a dump of the source in assembly for 1.2.2 firmware, will update with link shortly.

I guess the "dump" was just someone converting the hex file to assembly with an online tool :(

https://gist.github.com/anonymous/563c31db351a938a8f59dbc4fa26d222

Anyone here? I am planning on buying a used Alien for cheap and take it apart. Doing that will give me access to the board, and I can upload photos of it, as well as details with a USB microscope. If anyone's still interested in that, I'll move on with the purchase.

FWIW it looks like vB uses Nano120LE3BN and a newer bootloader than vA (v3.0) - different chip ID as well as different USB VID/PID. See images:
http://www.smoktech.com/support/upgrade/toolsandfirmware/ispalienvb

vA can now also have a NUC220LE3AN with an additional chip ID of [0x20022000] - though as far as I can tell the part performs the same, and still uses the same old v2.4 bootloader.

So far I'm not having any luck finding a 'force bootloader' method in the stock nuvoton bootloaders, and the fact they use the nuvoton tools makes me believe/worry alien is easily brickable with a misflash unless you have an ICP tool. The joyetech/eleaf/wismec that use nuvoton all have a bootloader that breaks into programming mode if powered on while holding (+) button making them relatively bulletproof. I'll keep digging though, if I can prove myself/be proven wrong I'm gonna go hunting for a few patches (like power off on 5 clicks instead of lock) to the stock fw and see if I can sort out the image encoding for fonts etc.

Typically these little screens use SPI or I2C. This one does actually look like SPI, but that is something for another day.

I wonder if this is still active but it looks to me i have found the header file for the chip of the vb software

@myskull321 can you provide more details?

@myskull321 would you mind posting your findings?

You can't brick the stock bootloader that easily. I've used the ISP tool to "erase all" and then disconnected the Alien. It no longer boots, obviously, but it still appears as a "Nuvoton WPM USB" device and works again after flashing the firmware.

There are two ways to get into the stock bootloader:

1. Connect USB with no batteries inserted.
2. Select "Download->Yes" option from the settings menu. If USB is connected it will enter the bootloader, otherwise it will reset.

So if you misflash, simply remove the batteries and connect a USB cable. You'll be in the stock bootloader.

Is something still going up here?

Any progress?

Checking up on any progress made? I have IDA Pro 7.0 and Hexrays, as well as other software if that can help. I'm interested...