DIY flashing of GBIC and SFP modules with a SeeProg/MiniPro programmer and home-made adapters
1
The thread starter wanted to reprogram GBIC and SFP module EEPROMs but found that guides were disappearing from forums. Questions covered which programmer to use, where to attach the I2C lines on the module, whether the module needs 5 V (GBIC) or 3.3 V (SFP), and how to treat the memory as a 24C01/24C02 EEPROM in a SeeProg. Later posts described a home-made PCB adapter, firmware images with different serial numbers, and an adaptation for the MiniPro universal programmer. A key limitation surfaced: SFP+ modules could not be flashed with such simple programmers because the EEPROM is behind a microcontroller rather than directly on the I2C pins.
- Transceivers: GBIC modules, SFP modules, SFP+ modules
- Form factor: GBIC, SFP, SFP+
Symptoms / messages:
need to change vendor coding
SFP+ EEPROM not directly accessible
Comments 3
GBICs need an external 5 V supply while SFPs run from the programmer's 3.3 V; wiring diagrams and the SFF-8053/SFF-8472 documents were shared, and the memory is programmed as a 24C01/02 device.
A dedicated PCB adapter can be made with toner-transfer etching; a commercial programmer (about 50 USD) is an alternative but a home-made one costs a few dollars.
SFP+ modules cannot be flashed this way because their memory is accessed through the module MCU; specialised hardware is needed.