A: No. The MPtool is for repair and formatting, not data recovery. Use Recuva or PhotoRec before running any mass production tool.
| Use‑Case | Why FC1178BC? | |----------|---------------| | Simple sensor node | Small flash + ADC, low power consumption | | Infrared remote control | Built‑in PWM for LED drivers, UART for debugging | | DIY hobby projects | Cheap, widely available, supported by open‑source toolchains | | Prototype of a commercial product | Pin‑compatible with many 8051 families, easy migration to larger FirstChip families later |
Advantages
Limitations
In the world of USB flash drives, there is a stark contrast between the high-quality controllers from major brands (like Silicon Motion, Phison, or Samsung) and the budget-oriented "mass production" controllers used in cheaper drives. One of the most prevalent chips in the latter category is the FirstChip FC1178BC.
If you have plugged in a USB drive and found it reporting a capacity of 2TB for a price that seems too good to be true, or if your drive has suddenly become "write-protected" or shows up as 0 bytes, you likely have a drive running on the FC1178BC controller. This article explores what this chip is, why it is controversial, and how to use the FirstChip MP Tool to repair it. firstchip fc1178bc link download
| Error Code | Meaning | Solution | |------------|---------|----------| | Error 0x104 | Flash chip not recognized | Manually select the chip ID from the dropdown list. | | Error 0x120 | Bad blocks exceed limit | Check "Skip bad block scan" (only if drive is small). | | Error 0x303 | Driver not loaded | Reinstall the driver with antivirus temporarily disabled. | | Error 0x601 | Write protection enabled | Short the test points on the USB circuit board. |
Title:
[Request] FirstChip FC1178BC Mass Production Tool / Firmware
Body:
Hi all,
I'm looking for the mass production tool or firmware for the FirstChip FC1178BC controller (often labeled on a USB 2.0 flash drive). A: No
The common tool
FirstChip_MpTools_20221012orFC1178BC_MP_v1.0.x.xis what I need. If anyone has a working download link (GitHub, GDrive, or trusted forum attachment), please share.Thanks in advance!
FirstChip provides a free FirstChip IDE that bundles:
The IDE is distributed as a ZIP archive for Windows (and, with some extra steps, for Linux via Wine). It also includes a programmer driver for the FirstChip USB‑ISP dongle.
| Category | Specification | |----------|----------------| | Core | 32‑bit ARM Cortex‑M0+ (up to 48 MHz) | | Flash | 128 KB – 256 KB internal flash (configurable in 4 KB sectors) | | RAM | 32 KB SRAM (single‑port) | | Clock Sources | Internal 48 MHz RC oscillator, external 8 MHz crystal, low‑power 32 kHz oscillator | | Power | 1.8 V – 3.6 V supply range; active current ≈ 5 mA/MHz, standby < 1 µA | | Operating Temperature | –40 °C to +85 °C (industrial grade), –55 °C to +125 °C (automotive grade) | | I/O | Up to 30 GPIOs, with alternate functions for peripherals | | Peripherals | | | Security | AES‑128/256 engine, SHA‑256 hash, TRNG, secure boot ROM | | Package Options | 32‑pin QFN (5 mm × 5 mm), 48‑pin LQFP (7 mm × 7 mm) | | Debug Interface | SWD (Serial Wire Debug), JTAG (optional) | | Compliance | RoHS, REACH, IEC 60601‑1 (medical‑grade variants) | Limitations
Navigate to the “Support” → “Downloads” Section
Select Your Product
Register / Log In (if required)
Download the Package
Verify the Package
Install / Unpack