[minichlink] CH32V003 Firmware read failed

[adimiti]

When attempting to read the entire flash memory, the operation fails:

minichlink -r dump.bin flash 0x4000
Found WCH Link
WCH Programmer is LinkE version 2.12
Full Chip Type Reply: [8] 82-0d-05-09-00-31-05-00-03
Detected: CH32V003
Setup success
Flash Storage: 16 kB
Part UUID    : 60-b0-ab-cd-c8-b8-bc-3b
PFlags       : ff-ff-ff-ff
Part Type (B): 07-13-bb-91
Read protection: disabled
Interface Setup
Fault on op (DMABSTRACTS = 08000302) (100) (Execption executing Abstract Command) DMSTATUS: 004c0382
Fault on DefaultReadBinaryBlob
Fault reading device

But partial (e.g., 0x0–0x3FFF) succeeds.

minichlink -r dump.bin flash 0x3FFF
Found WCH Link
WCH Programmer is LinkE version 2.12
Full Chip Type Reply: [8] 82-0d-05-09-00-31-05-00-03
Detected: CH32V003
Setup success
Flash Storage: 16 kB
Part UUID    : 60-b0-ab-cd-c8-b8-bc-3b
PFlags       : ff-ff-ff-ff
Part Type (B): 07-13-bb-91
Read protection: disabled
Interface Setup
Read 16383 bytes

[TommyMurphyTM1234]

Are you able to read the firmware back using the WCH flash tool or OpenOCD perhaps - just for comparison?

[adimiti]

Yes, same chip with same LinkE , from another laptop with windows 11:

[PinkiePie1]

I believe the full flash range is from 0x0000 to 0x3FFF, and 0x4000 is reserved according to the datasheet. The WCH flash tool also shows nothing at 0x4000, so that might be why minichlink refuses to access it.

[cnlohr]

I've also seen this same behavior. I think it's not a bug? What happens if you only read the bottom 0x3ff0?

[adimiti]

I believe the full flash range is from 0x0000 to 0x3FFF, and 0x4000 is reserved according to the datasheet. The WCH flash tool also shows nothing at 0x4000, so that might be why minichlink refuses to access it.

You're right that 0x4000 is reserved and not usable flash, but just to clarify: when we say the flash size is 0x4000 (16 KB), we’re referring to the length of the flash address space, not the last valid address.

The actual valid address range goes from 0x0000 to 0x3FFF, inclusive. That’s 16 KB total—exactly what the datasheet and WCH tools show. So if minichlink refuses to access 0x4000, that's expected behavior, since 0x4000 is just past the end of usable flash.

In short:

• Flash size = 0x4000 bytes
• Last valid address = 0x3FFF
• 0x4000 is not part of usable flash

Hope that clears it up?

[adimiti]

I've also seen this same behavior. I think it's not a bug? What happens if you only read the bottom 0x3ff0?

the last byte can be read only with length < 8 , for e.g.,

minichlink -r + 0x08003ff9 7
Found WCH Link
WCH Programmer is LinkE version 2.12
Full Chip Type Reply: [8] 82-0d-05-09-00-30-05-10-03
Detected: CH32V003
Setup success
Flash Storage: 16 kB
Part UUID    : c9-cc-ab-cd-32-f0-bd-57
PFlags       : ff-ff-ff-ff
Part Type (B): df-75-8b-05
Read protection: disabled
Interface Setup
Read 7 bytes
08003ff9: ff ff ff ff ff ff ff 

and only the last byte :

minichlink -r + 0x08003fff 1
Found WCH Link
WCH Programmer is LinkE version 2.12
Full Chip Type Reply: [8] 82-0d-05-09-00-30-05-10-03
Detected: CH32V003
Setup success
Flash Storage: 16 kB
Part UUID    : c9-cc-ab-cd-32-f0-bd-57
PFlags       : ff-ff-ff-ff
Part Type (B): df-75-8b-05
Read protection: disabled
Interface Setup
Read 1 bytes
08003fff: ff 

HTH