Home Byte Byte Mk II - installing/recovering firmware with external programmer

Byte Mk II - installing/recovering firmware with external programmer

Last updated on Mar 31, 2026

Byte Firmware Recovery Guide

Requirements

  • Additional laptop or PC to run commands
  • FPC cable
  • CH341A USB programmer
  • Debug board
  • PH0 screwdriver

Byte_15.jpg

Step 1: Open the Byte

Follow the opening steps in the Byte Mk II - Complete Disassembly Guide until the PCBA is accessible inside the chassis.

Step 2: Locate the Debug Port

Lift the PCBA just enough to access the debug port as shown below.

Byte_16.jpg

Step 3: Assemble the Programmer Setup

Connect the CH341A USB programmer, Debug board, and FPC cable as shown below.

I5_29.jpg

Step 4: Connect to the Byte

Attach the free end of the FPC cable to the debug connector on the PCBA. Plug the CH341A USB programmer into your additional laptop or PC, then open a terminal.

Your final setup should resemble this:

Byte_17.jpg

Step 5: Install Flashrom

On your additional laptop or PC, install flashrom by running:

sudo apt install flashrom

Step 6: Download the Firmware

All firmware files are available on our GitHub repository.

For example, to download the Byte Mk II firmware:

  1. Navigate to the .rom file here.
  2. Click the Download button to save it to your system.

Step 7: Flash the Firmware

Finally, write the firmware to the device by running the following command. Replace the version number at the end with the appropriate firmware file you downloaded:

sudo flashrom -p ch341a_spi -w ~/Downloads/24.04.rom