Dump formats and memory images
The first thing to know about raw formats is that they are not as raw as you think. When you dump an EEPROM (SPI or I2C) or dump a chip's memory space, there is always an underlying structure. A chip cannot magically turn a soup of bytes into something it can use and run internally. To understand the structure of such an image, you will have to dig into the chip's documentation.
When analyzing a dump, the following applies:
- There is always an underlying organization.
- Read the chip's documentation and its underlying architecture documentation.
- If it is a dump that is external to a device (that is, from a firmware update), then the following applies:
- It can pack multiple updates for multiple chips.
- It can be applied in multiple passes (update chip1, then chip2, and so on) that are necessarily reflected in the structure, but are not necessarily targeting your chip of interest.
- If it is a dump that is internal to a device and internal to...
