An expanding improvement implicit the years since mobile phones morphed from simply telephones into wide intent pouch computers has been that of the dormant instrumentality taking with it immoderate treasured integer resource. In astir cases this means the instrumentality has died, but doesn’t needfully mean that that the information has wholly gone. Inside the instrumentality volition beryllium an eMMC flash chip, and if that tin beryllium work past the information is safe. This applies to immoderate azygous committee computers too, and frankincense [Jeffmakes]’ adventures successful recovering an eMMC from a dormant Raspberry Pi CM4 are peculiarly interesting.

The full happening relies connected the eMMC presenting the aforesaid interface arsenic an SD card, truthful portion it comes successful a multi-pin BGA bundle it tin beryllium addressed with amazingly fewer wires. Using the PCB from different dormant CM4 helium traced the applicable connections from eMMC to SoC pads, and was frankincense capable with immoderate precise good soldering to conception an interface for an SD paper reader. The disk could past beryllium imaged successful its entirety.

This enactment volition beryllium of immense usage to experimenters who’ve fried their Compute Modules, but of people the accusation it contains volition besides beryllium of usage to retrieve those photos from the telephone that fell successful the bath. It’s not the archetypal clip we’ve taken a look astatine someone’s efforts successful this area.