Beyond EEPROM: Alternative Damaged Event Data Retrieval Methods for Contemporary Complex Integrated-Memory Event Data Recorders
2022-01-1009
03/29/2022
- Content
- As a result of fire damage or other trauma, electronic crash data recorded to an airbag control module’s (ACM) memory may be inaccessible by traditional imaging. These methods include traditional imaging through a vehicle’s diagnostic link connector (DLC) or accessing the electronic crash data directly through the ACM. Previous literature explored recovering electronic crash data from ACMs containing eight-pin small outline integrated circuits (SOIC8) electronically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM). The current literature explores a new methodology for dealing with more complex memory chips, such as multipurpose 100-pin microprocessors containing onboard flash memory, found in many passenger vehicle ACMs. The study will present methods to identify integrated-architecture modules, including identification of several known integrated modules. Then, the study will survey potential methods by which data can be recovered from a damaged module. Finally, the recovered data will be compared to exemplar data from an otherwise undamaged module. Recommendations are made for methodology selection and best practices to ensure the integrity of recovered data. Potential data recovery methods include in-situ connection of a memory-integrated microcontroller to an exemplar board sans microcontroller, direct transplant of the microcontroller to a new host board, and hybrid methods where a microcontroller can be placed into a test socket connected to a new host board, or electrically isolated through further alteration of the already-damaged board. Additionally, repair to the damaged module is considered. A comparison is made between data retrieved from a transplanted microcontroller to that of exemplar data, in order to distinguish the physical storage location of data and identify which data, if any, will not be preserved through the data recovery process.
- Citation
- Zeitler, J., and Craig, W., "Beyond EEPROM: Alternative Damaged Event Data Retrieval Methods for Contemporary Complex Integrated-Memory Event Data Recorders ," SAE Technical Paper 2022-01-1009, 2022, .