Un-Bricking an RTL-SDR Dongle after an EEPROM write

The other day I was using the "rtl_eeprom" utility to change the serial number of an RTL-SDR dongle (they all ship with serial number "00000001") to make it easier to identify it when it is online with other units and I "bricked" it.

This seems to be a common occurrence - the causes (possibly) being:

• Unplugging it too soon after programming it.
• Changing more than one parameter at a time.
• Changing something other than the name or serial number.

The remedies seem to be limited, such as:

• On the EEPROM chip, short the SCL and SDA pins (5 and 6) together while plugging it in - then removing the short and programming it.
• Shorting the SDA pin to ground while plugging it in - then removing the short and programming it.

Neither of the above worked for me as the device was steadfastly not being recognized on the machine that I was using.  Interestingly, it was still usable on another machine with the "SDR#" program - but it wasn't being properly identified.

On a hunch I plugged in a "good" RTL SDR (one that I hadn't bricked) and downloaded the contents, saving it with a .BIN extension as raw data.  In looking at this file with a HEX/ASCII editor I could see the data (some ASCII text) which seemed to comprise a device ID and the serial number.  Using a hot-air rework station I removed the 24C02B EEPROM chip from the dongle and soldered it to an 8-pin DIP-to-SOIC-8 header and put it into a programmer.  Importing the .BIN file into the programming software I changed the serial number and programmed it, unsoldered it from the header and put it back into the RTL-SDR dongle.

Success!  It was working again - now, with the "new" serial number.

For your edification, the .HEX file is included below, with the serial number of "00001234".  In addition to this serial number, the IR receiver has been disabled, since it wasn't needed.  I won't include pictures and details on how to solder and unsolder or use an EEPROM programmer - or tell you which one to use (there are other sites for that) but I hope that it is useful nonetheless.  Having said that, the "PonyProg" programming software is popular and one can homebrew a quick programmer with it.

Anyway, it saved me $20 in not getting another dongle - not counting my time!

* * *

This is the contents of a .HEX file that can be programmed into the EEPROM on an RTL-SDR dongle to "un-brick" it.  As noted above, you will need to be able to program the chip - probably out of circuit - to effect the repair.

Simply copy and past the hex info below into a plain text file and rename it with a .HEX extension.  The serial number included is "00001234" and is visible in the "ASCII" pane of many editors built into programming software.

:100000002832DA0B3828A51402100352006500616B
:10001000006C00740065006B001C03520054004C1F
:1000200000320038003300380055004800490044D1
:10003000004900520012033000300030003000311F
:100040000032003300340000000000000002000015
:1000500000000000000000000000000000000000A0
:100060000000000000000000000000000000000090
:100070000000000000000000000000000000000080
:00000001FF