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Table of Contents
Framework 13 (Intel 13th gen) - Hardware notes
Notes about the Framework laptop I'm currently waiting on
Embedded Controller - MEC1521H
The EC is a Microchip MEC1521H in a WFBGA-144 package.
It has the following features:
- Vendor ID 0023h, Product ID 34##h, JTAG ID 02232445h
- 256KB SRAM
- 224KB code storage, 32kb data storage
- 4K one-time programmable bits
- 64B battery-backed storage
- A multitude of interfaces, controllers, ports and etc.
- ARM M4 core
Interesting features to investigate
The datasheet for the EC notes that it has:
- 1x dual-port PS/2 and 1x single-port PS/2 controller
- 2x “Port 80” BIOS Debug ports
- 3x LED controllers
- 9x PWM channels, 8x ADC channels
- 5x SMBus controllers, 3x I2C controllers, 16x SMBus/I2C ports
- 3x UARTs, all of which can operate in 2, 4 or 8 pin mode, one of which can also operate in 1-pin mode (?)
- 128x GPIOs with configurable drive strength of 2, 4, 8 and 12mA
Other interesting things in the datasheet
- Memory location 400f2000h (logical device 8h) is “Port 92 - Legacy”, which some searching suggests is related to keyboards and the ISA bus, but there are also mentions of it being involved in the ICH9, PIIX and so on..
Reference links for potential future futzing
- https://unix.stackexchange.com/questions/453486/writing-cpu-temperature-to-port-0x80-bios-debug-card-with-bash-script - Writing to Port 80h (from linux)
- https://github.com/FrameworkComputer/EmbeddedController - Source code for the EC firmware (Intel 11th gen is identified as board hx20, 12th gen is hx30, unknown what 13th gen will be but presumed hx40, unless the 13th gen uses a new EC)
- https://github.com/FrameworkComputer/Framework-Laptop-13/tree/main/Mainboard - Schematics for the mainboard, which will indicate what pins on the EC are actually routed on the mainboard