ASRock H610/B660/H670/Z690 Mini ITX BIOS IC to BIOS_PH1 Header     2024/07/06
Ami Sapphire

Last Updated: 2024/08/02

2024

[0707]
More detail on the SPI 25x Flash section. H670/Z690 BIOS IC is a guess and not
  exactly determined yet (though close).
Title change to reflect explicit mention of mini ITX variant boards.

[0801]
Added Winbond "W25Q128JVEQ" (from ASRock B660M-ITX/ac)
Added Winbond W25Q256JVEQ (from ASRock Z669M-ITX/ax)
Changed Macronix variant from U to L due to local Z690M-ITX/ax Winbond IC ID
SPI 25xx formatting change

[0802]
Fixed somehow swapped motherboard variants for 16MByte and 32MBye chips in
  20240801 changelog
The "W25Q128JVEQ" is actually a W25Q128JVSQ; it was discovered by carefully
  removing the BIOS version sticker and cleaning the residue on the BIOS IC on
  a local ASRock B660M-ITX/ac motherboard; the E variant does exist in the
  W25Q128JV datasheet, however, but that is a WSON 8x6 package
The "MX25L25643G" is actually an MX25L25645G; this was gleaned from a Youtube
  video regarding the ASRock Z690M-ITX/ax
Added Macronix MX25L25673G (similar to Youtube board BIOS IC ID)

[0803]
Fixed Winbond 25Q256JVEQ had Macronix designations for voltage
Added SOIC 208-mil, SOIC 300-mil, WSON 6x5, and WSON 8x6 package designations
  for Winbond chips; as a result, the W25Q128FV is removed from the spec list
  as it is an older design, will not be seen installed on newer boards, and was
  replaced by the W25Q128JV years prior anyway
Clarify newer H670/Z690 boards' chip stock use; local Z690 board is newer and
  uses a Winbond IC
Clarify what the W25Q128JVEQ actually is in the 20240802 changelog



SPI 25x SOIC8/ Pin Designation

All 25x SOIC8/WSON8 serial BIOS ICs on these boards share the same pinout.
H610/B660 boards tend to use a Winbond 128M chip.
Older H670/Z690 boards may use a Winbond 256M chip.
Newer H670/Z690 boards tend to use either a Winbond or MXIC 256M chip.

It is easier to use a probe on these chips or solder on wires to a DIP8 board.

Spec: Winbond W25Q128JVSQ
 - 128Mbit (16MByte in size)
 - V designation means it uses 3.3V
 - W designation means it uses 1.8V
 - S designation means it is an SOIC 208-mil package
 - F designation means it is an SOIC 300-mil package
 - P designation means it is a WSON 6x5 package
 - E designation means it is a WSON 8x6 package

Spec: Macronix (MXIC) MX25L25645G
Spec: Macronix (MXIC) MX25L25673G
 - 256Mbit (32MByte in size)
 - L designation means it uses 3.3V
 - U designation means it uses 1.8V

Spec: Winbond W25Q256JVEQ
 - 256Mbit (32MByte in size)
 - V designation means it uses 3.3V
 - W designation means it uses 1.8V
 - S designation means it is an SOIC 208-mil package
 - F designation means it is an SOIC 300-mil package
 - P designation means it is a WSON 6x5 package
 - E designation means it is a WSON 8x6 package

 1 - /CS
 2 - DO (IO1)
 3 - /WP (IO2)
 4 - GND
 5 - DI (IO0)
 6 - CLK
 7 - /HOLD or /RESET (IO3)
 8 - VCC

--

ASRock Mini SPI Header Pin Designation [2x 5 pin, JST-JED, 1.0mm pitch]
Found On: H610M-ITX/ac, B660M-ITX/ac

This version of the ASRock BIOS recovery header is pretty straightforward.
Nearly all ASRock Intel desktop motherboards, especially of the mini ITX
variant, have used this pinout layout starting with the Intel 400 chipset
series. A note: if the board does not advertise the dTPM feature, it will
likely have this header instead.

This was independently tracked on a known-working ASRock B660M-ITX/ac mini ITX
motherboard with a multimeter by yours truly... until I found out someone else
already documented it... and it matched what I found... The only issue with
what I found is it doesn't follow the standard 25x serial IC pinout layout, so
it will only invite some confusion.

The equivalent connector for this header is JST-SHD, 2x 5 pin, 1.0mm pitch.


 1 - /CS
 2 - DO
 3 - /WP
 4 - GND
 5 - * KEY *
 6 - * N/A *
 7 - DI
 8 - CLK
 9 - /HOLD
10 - VCC

--

SPI Pin Connection to BIOS_PH1 Header

For reference. As noted in the header section: pretty straightforward.

   SPI 25x              BIOS_PH1
      1                    1
      2                    2
      3                    3
      4                    4
      5                    7
      6                    8
      7                    9
      8                   10

--

Pinout List: SPI 25x, BIOS_PH1

For reference.

SPI 25x Pinout      BIOS_PH1 Pinout

○ 1       8          ○ 1      10
  2       7            2       9
  3       6            3       8
  4       5            4       7
                       5       ●