MediaTek MT8127 NAND Firmware: Storage Type, Flashing Tools, Scatter File Differences, Common Pitfalls

User question

Firmwair MT8127_nand storage

Artificial Intelligence Response

Direct answer to the question

• MT8127‐based devices that use raw NAND flash require a NAND-specific firmware bundle (scatter file + partition images).
• Flash the package with a tool that supports MediaTek-NAND (SP Flash Tool ≥ v5.2x, Infinity-CM2, Hydra, etc.), never with an eMMC-oriented build.
• The scatter file must contain the entry storage : NAND and partitions such as BMTPOOL, otherwise the device will not initialise DRAM or will hang in BootROM (BROM) with errors like 0x4DA or 4032.
• Always back up NVRAM / PRO_INFO before you write, un-tick PRELOADER on the first pass, and use “Download-Only” unless you deliberately need to re-partition.

Detailed problem analysis

1. MT8127 SoC & NAND controller
   • Quad-core Cortex-A7, integrated NAND Flash Interface (NFI).
   • Supports SLC/MLC/TLC, 512 B or 2 KiB page, on-die or BCH ECC (typically 40/60-bit).
   • Hardware Bad-Block Table (BBT) lives in the first blocks and is updated by preloader/LK.

2. NAND-oriented storage layout (typical sizes)

   0x00000000 PRELOADER 2–4 MiB
   0x00200000 MBR / EBR 512 KiB
   0x00300000 PRO_INFO 3 MiB
   0x00600000 NVRAM 5–8 MiB
   0x00E00000 LK / UBOOT 4 MiB
   0x01200000 BOOT 16 MiB
   0x02200000 RECOVERY 16 MiB
   0x03200000 SEC_RO 4 MiB
   0x03600000 LOGO 8 MiB
   0x03E00000 ANDROID variable
   0x1BE00000 CACHE variable
   0x23E00000 USRDATA rest of NAND
   ------------- BMTPOOL (reserved bad-block pool)

   The scatter file (*.txt) mirrors this map; addresses are multiples of erase block size (commonly 0x200000 or 0x400000).

3. eMMC vs. NAND firmware differences
   • eMMC images often omit BMTPOOL and manage bad blocks autonomously; NAND images rely on NFI + BMT.
   • Preloader is silicon-timing-specific: wrong variant → S_FT_ENABLE_DRAM_FAIL (4032).
   • LK for eMMC sets part_type=EMMC in partition table; NAND variant sets part_type=NAND.

4. Typical flashing sequence (SP Flash Tool 5.2244 example)
   a. Install MTK USB VCOM (CDC) drivers.
   b. Load MT8127_Android_scatter.txt.
   c. Deselect PRELOADER for first attempt.
   d. Mode = Download-Only.
   e. Click Download → connect powered-off tablet while holding VOL- (or short KCOL0-GND test-pad).
   f. Wait for 100 % + green tick.
   g. Power-up, wait up to 10 min first boot (DALVIK/ART optimisation).

5. Frequent error codes & remedies
   • 4008 (BROM ERROR: DOWNLOAD_TIMEOUT) – poor cable or low battery.
   • 4032 (ENABLE_DRAM_FAIL) – preloader mismatch; try a different firmware or extract preloader from a working board.
   • 2004 (COM PORT_OPEN fail) – driver not installed / Win11 core isolation on.
   • After flash boot-loop – mismatched DISPLAY or TP driver; swap lk.bin/boot.img with variant from same LCD panel IC.

Current information and trends

• Latest public SP Flash Tool releases that still carry NAND support are 5.2244 and 5.2252 (MediaTek removed raw-NAND support from the new 6.x line).
• Infinity-CM2MT2 v2.42 and Hydra MTK Tool r2023-12 integrate automatic BMT handling and NVRAM backup for MT8127.
• NAND is disappearing from new tablets; replacement parts stock is shrinking—cloning eMMC (BGA254) modules is now cheaper for refurbishers.

Supporting explanations and details

• Why un-tick PRELOADER first? If preloader does not match PMIC or DRAM timing the board will not enumerate USB, making recovery JTAG-only.
• Scatter analogy: think of it as a “floor plan” for the flasher—it tells where each firmware “room” should be built in the NAND “building”.

Ethical and legal aspects

• IMEI / Wi-Fi MAC reside in NVRAM; rewriting them with generic images may violate local telecom law. Back up and restore the original values.
• Distributing full dumps may infringe OEM copyright; share only the scatter + log unless you own redistribution rights.
• Observe ESD and Li-ion safety when the back cover is open.

Practical guidelines

• Always read back PRELOADER, NVRAM, PRO_INFO before experimenting.
• Keep a separate lab PSU; many MT8127 tablets cannot sustain NAND-erase peaks on a weak battery.
• Use a 2 GB+ RAM Windows PC; SPFT crashes if system RAM is low when handling >2 GiB system.img.

Possible disclaimers or additional notes

• Some boards (e.g., Quanta QX3 v1.3) ship with pseudo-SLC NAND that needs different ECC strength; stock firmware from other MT8127 tablets will boot but corrupt data after a few days.
• If you must use “Format-all + Download”, export the NVRAM as nvram.bin and restore with MauiMETA 10.1872.

Suggestions for further research

• Extract and compare BROM and LK build tags to automate preloader selection.
• Porting mainline Linux: study the MTK NFI driver (drivers/mtd/nand/raw/mtk_nand.c) and DeviceTree bindings (mediatek,mt8135-nfc).
• Investigate upgrading to small-footprint SPI-NAND (less ECC overhead) – requires LK and kernel patches but keeps BOM cost.

Brief summary

To service or revive an MT8127 device with NAND flash you must:

1. Identify storage type unambiguously.
2. Obtain a NAND-labelled firmware pack with matching scatter.
3. Flash via SP Flash Tool/CM2 in Download-Only, keeping the original preloader/NVRAM safe.
4. Verify successful boot, then restore calibration data if needed.

Careful partition matching and backups are the difference between a quick repair and an unrecoverable brick.

Disclaimer: The responses provided by artificial intelligence (language model) may be inaccurate and misleading. Elektroda is not responsible for the accuracy, reliability, or completeness of the presented information. All responses should be verified by the user.