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Exploring A9 Minicam Variation: XF16 PB380EA6341 MCU, T25S80 SPI Flash, XR872, Skylark SDK

divadiow 33309 298
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  • #241 21696146
    divadiow
    Level 38  
    p.kaczmarek2 wrote:
    Well, it has at least the AWIH header..

    sure. I just thought the rest looked odd. maybe encrypted. I was expecting more plain-text strings. maybe it's fine then!

    Added after 1 [minutes]:

    1864mponepound wrote:
    do you know of some freeware remote monitor software for winows or linux,
    I hate the app I bought it with

    I know of no fully-functional alternatives for XF16 devices.

    OpenXR872 will probably boot but it has no cam/ptz etc support
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  • #242 21707905
    p.kaczmarek2
    Moderator Smart Home
    I got another one. I tried to get BK7252 but sadly got again the same model.
    PCB with microSD slot, micro USB port, battery and flash chip labeled XF16 Opened electronic device with exposed battery and small screwdriver on wooden surface Wi-Fi mini camera with USB cable, mount, and manuals on wooden surface A9 IP camera box with device image and function icons on wooden surface.
    Testing...
    SPI programmer connected to a circuit board with colored wires on a wooden workspace Camera module on PCB with lens and ribbon cable connector visible Close-up of PCB with flash chip C74014 and flat ribbon connector Close-up of a PCB with XF16 chip, microSD slot, and micro USB port

    C74014 flash id
    Screenshot of NeoProgrammer showing XT25F32B flash memory and hexadecimal data
    NeoProgrammer can read it, EasyFlasher can read as well:
    Screenshot of Easy UART Flasher showing “Reading done” message for chip C74014
    However, both NeoProgrammer and EasyFlasher have issues with erase/write for this memory (C74014 ).

    That being said, they both work OK for, for example, for GD25Q80x:
    Screenshot of software showing detected GD25Q80x flash chip with SPI ID: C84014

    https://github.com/openshwprojects/FlashDumps/commit/51e1382e7e3a1e353d60ac216a55df3039f6dcae
    Backups works after flash back to other SPI chip.
    Screenshot showing Wi-Fi network name BATG493346MCFZE
    Inspection camera connected to smartphone, electronic components on wooden desk
    Smartphone showing YSX Lite app with pop-up to configure Wi-Fi camera connection

    Open question: Why this particular flash chip is so problematic to flash in both NeoProgrammer and our EasyFlasher? @divadiow @insmod @max4elektroda

    I will try to order another A9 shortly, or maybe try doorbell...
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  • #243 21707909
    divadiow
    Level 38  
    I've only tried SPI on XF16 with chip clamp or de-soldering. As you know chip-clamp does the 1313 ID result and is unreliable/doesn't work when on board. Not sure why.

    A related (?) note, I find the Tuya doorbell needs additional unprotection steps before it can be written to. No Neo toggling is enough. I use ASProgrammer SREG read, untick the SREG2/3 checkboxes (I have highlighted the ones I think are usually checked) then click write. Switch back to Neo after that and writing is fine again.

    AsProgrammer window with SREG settings for a Winbond chip displayed

    It's *possible* this wasn't the case when it first shipped and I did something to it. I'm not sure. Dunno if this relates, or is even something we may generally encounter and should be considered when troubleshooting SPI flasher function in EF.

    Added after 2 [minutes]:

    oh look. seems the Naxclow was the same

    divadiow wrote:
    SREG2 and SREG3 checkboxes required unticking in AsProgrammer before flash could be erased/written
  • #244 21707917
    p.kaczmarek2
    Moderator Smart Home
    I did my tests with desoldered SPI.

    I will try with AsProgrammer, especially that we need to port their solution to our Easy Flasher.

    Added after 55 [minutes]:

    If I untick them, press Write, and Read, I got back again this:
    SREG settings window with WEL checked and all SREG3 boxes selected
    Info about used flash chip:
    
    ID(9F): C74014(Unknown)
    ID(90): C713(Unknown)
    ID(AB): 13(Unknown)
    ID(15): FFFF(Unknown)
    
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  • #245 21707958
    divadiow
    Level 38  
    yes, I think I remember similar if reading back. Did it make a difference to Neo writing though straight after write in AS?
  • #246 21707992
    p.kaczmarek2
    Moderator Smart Home
    I don't think so, but I may need to try one more time to be sure.

    Right now I am testing another flash chip with EF :
    
    JEDEC ID: FF-EF-40-16
    Detected flash size: 4096 KB
    

    Winbond 25032FVSIG chip on a PCB marked with GND and LED
    It seems to work... so we only have problems like NeoProgrammer and other flash tools, with some problematic flash chips
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  • #247 21709010
    divadiow
    Level 38  
    divadiow wrote:
    oh look. seems the Naxclow was the same

    had to uncheck this one just now for Naxclow. Neo wouldn't write otherwise

    Application window showing SREG settings for Winbond memory chip
  • #248 21709022
    p.kaczmarek2
    Moderator Smart Home
    Hm let's try from the start.
    Do you have this chip? The one from A9?
    C74014 - TJ25Q08M
    p.kaczmarek2 wrote:
    Close-up of PCB with flash chip C74014 and flat ribbon connector
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  • #250 21709132
    p.kaczmarek2
    Moderator Smart Home
    Please check this out once you have some free time, I'm pushing fixes and features for SPI in EF but any help is welcome.
    Commit list from October 2–3, 2025 in a GitHub open-source repository
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  • #251 21709430
    divadiow
    Level 38  
    Yes. Afk for most of today.

    Just opened this. Another XF16. Sp0828? Unsure yet
    Circuit board with a camera lens module on a wooden surfaceDismantled small electronic device showing circuit board and battery
  • #252 21709811
    p.kaczmarek2
    Moderator Smart Home
    I've ordered a Tuya Doorbell. expected to get something like this:
    https://www.elektroda.com/rtvforum/topic4073760.html
    but I got:
    Two black devices: video doorbell and speaker module in cardboard box PCB with camera and electronics inside doorbell housing
    Close-up of PCB with XR872AT chipset and XMC 25QH32CHIG SPI flash Close-up of PCB with camera lens, microphone, and XR872AT and XMC 25QH32CHIG chips
    Mode T2Kement
    https://github.com/openshwprojects/FlashDumps/commit/768e0579705c83a9970465517f7983f7f14a4fc8
    In flash dumps, I can see Kement_Doorbell_SPI-insmod.bin, what's that, did you have this device, @insmod ?

    Added after 29 [seconds]:

    XR872AT and 25QH32CHIG

    Added after 4 [minutes]:

    SPI ID: 204016

    Added after 1 [minutes]:

    Can't erase it with NeoProgrammer.
    
    Old protection Register: 00000000(0x00), 
    New protection Register: 00000000(0x00), 
    Current programmer: CH341 Black
    15:10:25
    Erasing memory...
    WARNING, probable erasure failure.
    Execution time: 00:00:00.057
    Current programmer: CH341 Black
    15:10:25
    Programming memory... Main Memory
    Success
    Execution time: 00:00:13.963
    
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  • #253 21709816
    insmod
    Level 31  
    >>21709811
    Looks similar to mine, but not quite.
    My camera is detachable and there are 2 physical antennas.
  • #254 21709819
    p.kaczmarek2
    Moderator Smart Home
    You know what's crazy? It failed to erase and write, but when I now verify it against original dump, it shows verification errors as well. It's like... there is some noise or timing mismatch. Again.

    Added after 31 [seconds]:

    And, of course, I am flashing outside circuit!

    Added after 1 [minutes]:

    I think I will retry with my capacitors trick:
    https://www.elektroda.com/rtvforum/topic4074636-30.html#21522488

    Added after 1 [minutes]:

    For reference, here is how it fails now:
    Close-up of a PCB with SMD components and solder flux residue Close-up of an integrated circuit connected to a programmer with labeled pins and wires
    
    Verify memory...
    Verification error on address: 0x00000008, Device: 0x00, Buffer: 0xFC
    Execution time: 00:00:00.047
    Current programmer: CH341 Black
    15:12:24
    Reading memory... Main Memory
    Success
    Execution time: 00:00:37.242
    CRC32 = 0x79383034
    Current programmer: CH341 Black
    15:13:26
    Verify memory...
    Verification error on address: 0x0000EB3D, Device: 0x66, Buffer: 0x64
    Execution time: 00:00:00.682
    
    


    Added after 4 [minutes]:

    Good to have hint - enable all verifications:
    Configuration menu in CH341A Programmer with all verification options checked
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  • #255 21709829
    insmod
    Level 31  
    >>21709819
    I always do verification even after read.
    It saved me multiple times
  • #256 21709832
    p.kaczmarek2
    Moderator Smart Home
    I added a capacitor:
    Close-up of an electronic module with an added electrolytic capacitor.
    And it works now! I am very suprised. So it was.... an unstable vdd, for whole time? Again.
    Software window showing successful memory programming steps using CH341 Black.

    Added after 1 [minutes]:

    I really have no idea what's going on, but it looks like I ended up doing the same earlier in this topic, few pages ago back in the past. It really seems the trick is to add a capacitor.

    Added after 2 [minutes]:

    Wi-Fi network list showing selected OpenXR872_B2AF8B10 network

    Added after 31 [seconds]:

    Device interface screen for OpenXR872 showing system info and control buttons

    Added after 2 [minutes]:

    I can also control red LED, but toggling futher pins crashes.
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  • #257 21709856
    divadiow
    Level 38  
    silent uart, no log, like insmod's Kement?
  • #258 21709858
    p.kaczmarek2
    Moderator Smart Home
    I didn't determine yet which pin may be UART. Suggestions?
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  • #259 21709870
    divadiow
    Level 38  
    couldn't remember off the top of my head.

    PB00 - UART0_TX
    PA07 - UART1_TX
    PA22 - UART2_TX

    Pinout diagram of XR872AT chip by XRAD Tech with labeled signal names

    Added after 2 [minutes]:

    am I still de-soldering that 1mb SPI chip or do you think the capacitor is the key, so case closed?
  • #260 21709883
    p.kaczmarek2
    Moderator Smart Home
    Well, how hard for you is it to desolder that? For me it's like 15 seconds with my hot air station (review here: https://www.elektroda.pl/rtvforum/topic4042887.html ). If you can, it would be good to have a confirmation, whether you can flash it out of the box, or does toggling checkboxes help, or do you need a capacitor like me...

    It's funny, actually, because I already solved this problem with capacitor, like few pages back in this topic, but then we both forgot about it...
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  • #261 21709888
    divadiow
    Level 38  
    not a problem. im being lazy. will do it now on fresh A9
  • #262 21709898
    insmod
    Level 31  
    With OBK i can get log at one of the pads near usb
  • #263 21709929
    divadiow
    Level 38  
    divadiow wrote:
    am I still de-soldering that 1mb SPI chip or do you think the capacitor is the key, so case closed?


    before any writes:
    Code: Text
    Log in, to see the code


    AsProgrammer
    Code: Text
    Log in, to see the code


    Program window showing SREG register settings for Winbond memory

    no capacitor. try write OpenXR872, no SREG touched. Only unprotect in Neo menu (all write options selected as above)

    success first time. hmm


    NeoProgrammer window displaying EEPROM GD25Q80 memory dump

    Added after 1 [minutes]:

    USB programmer with SOIC8 adapter for 25XXX EEPROM on a workbench.

    Added after 3 [minutes]:

    after power cycles, 2 more writes have been OK. AS SREG reading has not changed

    Added after 2 [minutes]:

    I *think* I remember the same unprotect issues with this same chip before though. Did you ever clamp onto your one? Maybe the clamping on with chip in-situ initially messes something up? Dunno, guessing.

    Users will be UARTing these XF16s anyway though surely
  • #264 21709936
    p.kaczmarek2
    Moderator Smart Home
    I never used clamp this month. Both A9 camera from few days ago and the doorbell from today were straight up desoldered SPI chip onto the CH341, as you can see on my photos. Currently I think that unprotect bits have nothing to do with the issue, and it was a capacitor missing all along. It's just strange that other flash chips (the one I have from laptop motherboards, from TV boards, etc), do not require it. It's like.... the particular brand used in XR872 cameras is more sensitive.
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  • #265 21709944
    divadiow
    Level 38  
    yes, interesting OK. What does your exact CH341A look like? Ours identical?

    CH341A USB programmer with ZIF socket and pin headers on blue mat CH341A MiniProgrammer device for EEPROM chip programming
  • #266 21710002
    p.kaczmarek2
    Moderator Smart Home
    Seems the same, just mine has some extra capacitors mods added so I can actually flash the chip I mentioned.
    ESP8266 module connected to USB programmer with capacitor Electronic module with USB connector and attached SOP16 adapter CH341 programmer with USB plug and labeled SPI/I2C memory pins
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  • #267 21710029
    divadiow
    Level 38  
    nice OK. I'll bear capacitors in mind if/when next fails happen.

    Added after 1 [minutes]:

    divadiow wrote:
    Sp0828? Unsure yet

    yes. SP0828. I seem to be getting them more frequently. 320x240 is pretty lame. 640x480 is bad enough
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  • #268 21710390
    divadiow
    Level 38  
    divadiow wrote:
    insmod's Kement

    pic @insmod sent me. XR872ET variant

    XR872 PCB with electronic components and USB-C connector

    Added after 26 [minutes]:

    interesting. A9 with XR872 https://community.home-assistant.io/t/popular...mini-wi-fi-camera-the-ha-challenge/230108/181
    Attachments:
    • Exploring A9 Minicam Variation: XF16 PB380EA6341 MCU, T25S80 SPI Flash, XR872, Skylark SDK IMG_20230324_221044.jpg (163.75 KB) You must be logged in to download this attachment.
    • Exploring A9 Minicam Variation: XF16 PB380EA6341 MCU, T25S80 SPI Flash, XR872, Skylark SDK IMG_20230324_220957.jpg (202.01 KB) You must be logged in to download this attachment.
  • #269 21711139
    p.kaczmarek2
    Moderator Smart Home
    My Doorbell works with AIWIT APP, which is now missing from Google Play, but I managed to get APK from APKPure. I will also try if it works with @insmod dump.

    Anything else to try - any drivers, builds?
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  • #270 21711150
    insmod
    Level 31  
    It might not work though.
    My variant is XR872ET - simplified chip with no psram and less gpio.


    Flash chip - 25QH32DHIG. Backup was taken with AsProgrammer without any problems. I also used it to flash OBK.

    Added after 3 [minutes]:

    What is your camera module? I don't precisely know what mine is, but it says 7670 on it.
    Written on the back side of the board:
    MINI01-ET_MAIN_V2.0
    2023-04-07

Topic summary

✨ The discussion focuses on a variation of the A9 mini Wi-Fi camera featuring the XF16 PB380EA6341 MCU, an 8Mbit SPI flash chip labeled T25S80 (likely from ChipSourceTek), and the XR872 SoC running the Skylark SDK. Attempts to read and dump the flash firmware using tools like Flashrom, NeoProgrammer, and ASProgrammer faced challenges due to unrecognized SPI IDs and unreliable read/write operations, especially when the flash chip was in-circuit. Desoldering the flash chip improved read/write reliability. The firmware strings indicate the use of an RTOS and the iLnkP2P protocol for communication. The XR872 SDK (version 2.0 and later 1.2.x) was explored for building and flashing demo applications, including a "hello world" example, which successfully booted on the hardware after flashing via UART using PhoenixMC. Flashing custom firmware requires careful handling of flash erase and protection bits, with some users experiencing verification errors and random write failures. The flash layout includes an AWIH header and OTA partitions, with OTA updates compressed by XZ, raising concerns about fitting OTA images into the 1MB flash. Hardware details such as the presence of a pull-up resistor on the flash hold pin and UART pin configurations (PB02/PB03) were examined. The community also discussed the compatibility of different flash chip sizes (1MB vs 2MB) and the impact on firmware booting and flashing. Some users successfully transplanted firmware to larger flash chips (2MB) to run custom firmware like OpenXR872 (OBK). The discussion includes references to related projects for video stream capture without flashing (cam-reverse) and the challenges of flashing and booting custom firmware on these devices. Overall, the thread provides detailed technical insights into hardware probing, firmware extraction, SDK usage, flashing procedures, and troubleshooting for the XF16-based A9 mini camera variant with XR872 SoC.
Generated by the language model.

FAQ

TL;DR: With 1MB stock flash, many XF16 A9 cameras can be dumped and restored over UART, and one contributor confirmed "OpenXR872 ... boots on 1mb flash" only after fixing the image layout. This FAQ helps XR872/XF16 camera owners back up firmware, understand AWIH partitions, fix PhoenixMC/UART issues, and avoid bad SPI-flash writes. [#21530564]

Why it matters: XF16 A9 cameras look identical externally, but small changes in flash size, OTA layout, console settings, and sensor wiring decide whether firmware boots, flashes, or bricks.

Method What works best Main strengths Main failure mode
PhoenixMC over UART Read/write on XF16/XR872 without opening some A9 units No desoldering; can restore stock dumps Custom builds may lose UART flashing after power cycle if console support is wrong
CH341A + SOIC8 clip Quick first dump attempts Cheap; widely available In-circuit reads often return bad IDs like 1313 or 8E8029
CH341A with desoldered flash Most reliable SPI backup/restore Stable verification; works with replacement chips Some flash chips still fail erase/write unless decoupling is added
Bus Pirate Usually poor choice here Can talk SPI/UART Backfeeds power and often fails chip detection

Key insight: The hardest XF16 problems were not caused by the XR872 core. They came from image layout, OTA header placement, console enablement, and fragile SPI flash behavior on specific 1MB chips.

Quick Facts

  • XF16 boot logs repeatedly report 240000000 Hz CPU, 40000000 Hz HF clock, and XRADIO Skylark SDK builds such as 1.2.0 Jun 20 2024 10:58:31 or 1.2.2 test builds, which makes the platform easy to fingerprint from UART alone. [#21219273]
  • The stock A9 XF16 camera flash is commonly 8 Mbit / 1 MB with IDs such as C74014 or 5E3214, while test replacements that booted OpenXR872 included 2 MB and even 64 Mbit chips. [#21522966]
  • UART flashing can work through the camera’s USB path on some XF16 A9 boards because RX/TX are routed through the USB connector traces; contributors built simple USB-TTL adapters from NodeMCU or CH340 hardware to exploit that. [#21528571]
  • The stock firmware exposes a local AP at 192.168.238.1/24, while OpenXR872 test builds used 192.168.51.1/24 or 192.168.4.1/24, so IP range alone can reveal whether you are in factory or custom firmware. [#21219273]
  • Confirmed XF16 camera-connector tracing mapped SDA/SCL to PA18/PA17, PCLK to PA08, MCLK to PA09, HSYNC to PA10, VSYNC to PA11, and DVP data lines across PA00–PA07. [#21732686]

How can I dump and restore firmware on an XF16 A9 minicam with a T25S80 or C74014 SPI flash chip using a CH341A, clip, or PhoenixMC over UART?

You can dump and restore XF16 firmware either over SPI or over UART. 1. For SPI, clip or desolder the 8-pin flash, then read it with a CH341A in NeoProgrammer, ASProgrammer, or EasyFlasher. 2. For UART, connect through the XF16 USB-routed RX/TX path and use PhoenixMC to read or flash without opening some cameras. 3. Always verify the dump and keep at least one known-good stock backup before testing OpenXR872. One contributor confirmed they clipped directly onto the flash and did not need reset mode first. [#21278253]

Why do some XF16 A9 cameras report strange SPI flash IDs like 1313, 8E8029, C74014, or 5E3214 when reading the flash in-circuit?

Those odd IDs usually mean the in-circuit SPI read is unstable, not that the chip is truly changing identity. The thread showed 1313, 8E8029, and then stable C74014 on the same 1MB camera, while a desoldered read later became consistent and verified correctly. Shared power rails, leakage from the rest of the board, bad clip contact, and marginal CH341A supply decoupling all caused false IDs. A clean off-board read or UART dump was much more trustworthy than an in-circuit first pass. [#21522287]

What is the AWIH header in XR872/XF16 firmware dumps, and how can it help identify image sections like boot, app, app_xip, and wlan_fw?

"AWIH is a firmware image header that marks XR/XF system images, stores image metadata, and helps separate boot, app, XIP, and WLAN sections." In this thread, contributors matched AWIH-tagged section IDs such as 0xa5ff5a00, 0xa5fe5a01, 0xa5fd5a02, 0xa5fa5a05, and 0xa5f95a06 to boot_40M.bin, app.bin, app_xip.bin, wlan_bl.bin, and wlan_fw.bin. Searching a dump for those little-endian markers was enough to start slicing it for Ghidra or manual comparison. [#21589985]

What is iLnkP2P on these A9 and PTZ cameras, and how is it related to the YSX/YSXLite apps and cam-reverse tools?

"iLnkP2P is a peer-to-peer camera transport protocol that carries control and media traffic, identifies devices with UIDs, and lets mobile apps reach cameras through local AP mode or relay servers." These XF16 and PTZ cameras logged IpcP2pStart, device rtuid, and p2pID, then worked with YSX or YSXLite. The same protocol is what cam-reverse and related reversing notes target, including video extraction and CGI-style control. Multiple posts linked the protocol directly to the apps and to the reverse-engineering workflow. [#21353025]

Why did OpenXR872 boot on a 2MB flash chip but initially fail on the stock 1MB flash chip in the XF16 A9 camera?

It failed because the early image layout still assumed space beyond the stock 1MB boundary. The same OpenXR872 image booted when the original dump was transplanted to a 2MB flash chip, but not on the original 1MB flash. That exposed a layout problem rather than a CPU or sensor problem. The boot logs showed image max size is invalid and missing XIP section errors on the 1MB setup, while the 2MB chip could tolerate the oversized placement. [#21525075]

How was the 1MB XF16 boot issue solved by changing the OpenXR872 image configuration and OTA header placement?

The fix was to shrink the effective image layout for 1MB flash and move the OTA header out of the failing location. First, contributors rebuilt with max_size around 880K. Later they proved that a no-OTA image booted on 1MB stock flash, then refined the layout so the OTA header sat at 1020K with 4K size instead of the breaking 1024K arrangement. After that, 1MB XF16 boards booted OpenXR872 normally. As one post put it, “ota was the problem.” [#21530564]

Why does UART flashing through PhoenixMC stop working on some OpenXR872 builds after a power cycle, and how was PRJCONF_CONSOLE_EN involved in fixing it?

UART flashing stopped because the custom build no longer exposed the console command path that PhoenixMC uses after reboot. The breakthrough was enabling #define PRJCONF_CONSOLE_EN 1, which restored the upgrade command path and made Open comm OK ! survive fresh power cycles on 1MB XF16 boards. Before that fix, some builds could still be reflashed only until RAM state was lost, which made the problem look random. After the console option was re-enabled, PhoenixMC download-mode entry became reliable again. [#21536774]

CH341A vs Bus Pirate vs PhoenixMC over UART — which works best for reading and flashing XF16/XR872 camera firmware, and what problems should I expect with each?

PhoenixMC over UART is the best day-to-day method on XF16 once stock firmware or a console-enabled OpenXR872 build is present. CH341A is best for first-rescue backups, off-board writes, and recovery when UART entry is gone. Bus Pirate was the worst performer here: users reported non-detection, backfeeding power, and brief LED power-up when clipped in. CH341A also had pitfalls, especially with sensitive 1MB chips, but it still worked reliably after desoldering or after adding extra capacitance. [#21352083]

How do I enter XR872/XF16 download mode over UART without grounding PB02 or PB03, and what commands does PhoenixMC actually send?

You do it by speaking the stock console protocol, not by forcing strap pins low. PhoenixMC sends the text command upgrade, then repeated U sync bytes; a receptive firmware answers with OK and a BROM response. Later reversing tied that behavior to the XR command handler where cmd_upgrade_exec() reboots with PRCM_CPUA_BOOT_FROM_SYS_UPDATE. That is why stock firmware and console-enabled OpenXR872 can enter download mode over UART without grounding PB02 or PB03 at all. [#21534886]

What does the XRADIO Skylark SDK boot log tell me about an XF16 camera, including CPU clock, flash mode, sensor detection, and network behavior?

The boot log gives you the board fingerprint in one place. It exposes flash mode like [FD I]: mode: 0x4, CPU at 240000000 Hz, HF clock at 40000000 Hz, SDK build date, MAC addresses, sensor probe results such as detect sp0828, and AP behavior such as 192.168.238.1 on stock firmware. It also shows whether the camera starts in AP mode, tries STA mode, fails SD mount, or enters iLnkP2P. For XF16 debugging, the UART log is the fastest way to identify variant, sensor, and failure stage. [#21219273]

How can I build XR872 SDK demos under WSL, and which toolchain and 32-bit libraries are needed to compile hello_demo or jpeg examples successfully?

Builds under WSL worked after installing the older ARM GCC toolchain plus missing 32-bit runtime libraries. The thread used gcc-arm-embedded 4.9-2015-q2-update, then fixed execution errors by installing libc6-i386, lib32z1, and lib32stdc++6. Without those, WSL reported missing loader errors even when the path was correct. Once the 32-bit compatibility packages were installed, make lib and example builds such as hello_demo started compiling normally. [#21522159]

Why do some SPI flash chips like TJ25Q08M, T25S80, or 25QH32CHIG fail erase/write verification in NeoProgrammer or EasyFlasher unless extra capacitance or special handling is used?

These chips appear unusually sensitive to supply stability during SPI writes. The thread documented random verify errors, partial writes, and false erases on desoldered chips until extra capacitance was added directly on the CH341A setup; after that, the same chip verified cleanly. One test with a 25QH32CHIG failed repeatedly, then passed once a capacitor was added across the supply. Some users also had to experiment with protection-register handling, but the strongest repeated fix was better decoupling on the programmer side. [#21709832]

How can I trace the 18-pin FFC camera connector on an XF16 A9 board to map SDA, SCL, DVP data pins, MCLK, HSYNC, VSYNC, and PCLK to XR872 GPIOs?

The cleanest method is continuity tracing plus a pin-toggle test firmware. On the confirmed XF16 A9 mapping, pin 2 is SDA on PA18, pin 3 is SCL on PA17, pin 13 is MCLK on PA09, pin 12 is HSYNC on PA10, pin 11 is VSYNC on PA11, pin 15 is PCLK on PA08, and DVP data runs from PA00–PA07. Contributors validated the map with an 18-pin FFC walker that pulsed each GPIO while a multimeter watched the connector. [#21732686]

Which camera sensors seem to be supported or referenced in XF16/XR872 firmware strings, and how can I start adapting drivers for parts like SP0828, GC0328C, GC0329, or HI0704?

The firmware strings reference many sensors, including ov9660, ov7740, sp2518, gc0310, gc0328, gc0329, hi0704, hi0708, and sp0828. Start by reusing initialization tables and SCCB/I2C setup from the closest supported driver, then confirm the actual sensor with ribbon markings or UART detection logs. For XF16 A9 specifically, sp0828 was repeatedly detected in stock logs, while separate posts confirmed useful initialization arrays existed for hi704-class parts. That makes driver adaptation a sensor-data problem more than a core XR872 problem. [#21547719]

How can I split or parse a stock XF16 firmware dump into PhoenixMC-style partitions for reverse engineering in Ghidra, and where does mkimage fit into that process?

Use the AWIH section markers and the XR image config as your map, then reverse from there. Search the dump for little-endian IDs like 005affa5, 015afea5, 025afda5, 055afaa5, and 065af9a5 to locate boot, app, app_xip, wlan_bl, and wlan_fw boundaries. The SDK’s mkimage.exe is the packer that assembles those partitions into one AWIH image, so it is the right binary to study if you want PhoenixMC-style slicing for Ghidra. The thread specifically identified mkimage.exe as the image-creation step. [#21587062]
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