HUAWEI mbim EM820W flash downgrade.

The upgrade of the EM820W to MBIM mode was turning the modem into a useless device with : - Windows OS < Win8 - Linux until new kernel 3.85 will be released - Android tablet.

It took hours to patch drivers to make the MBIM modem enough compatible with Windows 7 or XP to flash the standard firmware back into the device.

********************************************* WARNING ************************************************************* DO NOT try to update your baseband to the very last version available on the NET,i.e rel 11.810.10.02.00. ************************************************************************************************************************ This version has been released to make the Huawei modem EM820W compatible with the new MBIM Win8 driver. The upgrade changes the vid/pid to 12d1/1571. It does not work in Androd tablets.

Huawei 3G modem drivers hack to use and flash an MBIM modem with an OS < Win8

This hack allows a flash downgrade of your MBIM EM820 modem to the former standard mode.

Modem : EM820W flashed with the MBIM Win8 update 11.810.10.02.00 Problem: The modem can no longer be used with any OS < Win8, Androd, or even Linux with kernel < 3.85 (as of Feb 2013) Target : downgrade the modem firmware (baseband) to 11.810.09.24.00 standard mode.

This hack will likely also work to downgrade the MU733 modem in Samsung computers.(change your vid/pid accordingly) The Samsung software update All-in-One package updates the modem firmware w/o asking the user to confirm that option !

It allows also to use the MBIM modem with Mobile Partner in a Win7 machine. (Huawei Mobile Partner 23 was happy with the hacked drivers)

Windows Driver set : 3G_Huawei(EM770W-EM820W) version 4.25.11.00 Tools : Revskills (credit B. Kerler) Flasher : Huawei Flasher 1.6 or > (credit fr3nsis) (I've used Windows XP as I got some debugger errors under Win7 (.Net Framework), but it should work with Win7.)

Requirements :

------------Remove any other Huawei 3G Modem driver prior to start with the new drivers set.(Use DriverUninstall.exe) Remove Huawei Mobile Partner (installs it's own drivers set). Remove QPST that install a few drivers conflicting with the normal drivers.

Optionally use USBDeview to check that the drivers have been removed and remove any remaining Huawei driver.

Standard MODEM (i.e. NON MBIM) ------------------------You should know the vid/pid of your modem when in standard mode. EM820W: VID:12d1 PID:1404 You should know the vid/pid of your modem when in Download mode. EM820W: VID:12d1 PID:1003

MBIM MODEM ---------You should know the vid-pid of your modem when in standard mode. EM820W: VID:12d1 PID:1571 You should know the vid-pid of your modem when in Download mode. EM820W: VID:12d1 PID:1568

Double click on the peripheral in Device Manager, select Details, Hardware ID to find the vid, pid and MI#.

There are five files to hack in the drivers package.

- ew_busfilter.inf (will allow the enumeration of a single instance MBIM device.) - ewmdm2k.inf (modem device) - ewser2k.inf (virtual com ports) - ewusbwwan.inf (HUAWEI Mobile Connect - 3G Network Card instance available in MBIM modem) - ewnet.inf (virtual ethernet available in MBIM modem)

Warning : I've only hacked the X86 driver set. If you have an X64 you should hack the X64 set AND take care of patching the correct X64 groups in the .inf files. That's easy.

As my target was to flash-downgrade only and reinsert the module in my tablet, I've not modified the ewdsc.inf for the Smartcard.

The above listed .inf files are including declarations for the standard mode with pid 1404/1003, EXCEPT ONE: ew_usbfilter.inf.

Connect your modem via a USB port. The Windows Devices Manager will show only two devices:

! HUAWEI MBIM MODEM ! HUAWEI MBIM MODEM

In Windows Device Manager, Double click on each instance and select the Details tab. There is of course a Yellow Warning in front of each device as there are no drivers available. The trick is to force the MBIM modem to enumerate all peripherals. That's the reason why we have to hack ew_busfilter.inf as follows:

.INF files Patches: ------------------1- Add this in ew_busfilter.inf in the [Standard] section

%BusFilter.DeviceDesc%=Bus_Device, USB\VID_12D1&PID_1568 %BusFilter.DeviceDesc%=Bus_Device, USB\VID_12D1&PID_1571

2- Add this in ewmdm2k.inf in the [Models] section

%HUAWEI00% = Modem0, USB\VID_12d1&PID_1568&MI_01 %HUAWEI00% = Modem0, USB\VID_12d1&PID_1571&MI_00

3- Add this in ewser2k.inf in the [QcomSerialPort]] section

%QcomDevice00% = QportInstall00, USB\VID_12d1&PID_1571&MI_01 %QcomDevice01% = QportInstall01, USB\VID_12d1&PID_1571&MI_02 %QcomDevice02% = QportInstall02, USB\VID_12d1&PID_1571&MI_03 %QcomDevice08% = QportInstall08, USB\VID_12d1&PID_1571&MI_04

%QcomDevice01% = QportInstall01, USB\VID_12d1&PID_1568&MI_00

NOTE on PID_1568&MI_00: This is the trick! The same modem (Standard) in download mode with pid 1003 uses interface MI_01 as PC UI Interface while the MBIM modem in download mode with pid 1568 uses the interface MI_00 for the PC UI Interface !

4- Add this in ewusbwwan.inf in the [QCOM], [QCOM.NTia64], [QCOM.NTamd64] sections

%qcwwan.DeviceDesc00% = qcwwan.ndi, USB\VID_12d1&PID_1571&MI_05

5- Add this in ewnet.inf in the [QCOM], [QCOM.NTia64], [QCOM.NTamd64] sections

%qcwwan.DeviceDesc00% = qcwwan.ndi, USB\VID_12d1&PID_1571&MI_05

Once you've patched the .inf files, open the Devices Manager and run DriverSetup.exe

This will install the drivers and you will see the process in the Devices Manager window. Click on Continue when Windows complains about Unsigned Drivers.

Once finished, run Revskills to verify that your Modem will switch between Normal and Download Mode. (thanks to vve and fr3nsis for that tip on gsmhosting.com )

Click Menu, Hardware Forensics, Port Utils, QC + AT-Cmd Check that Serial ComPort shows your modem PC UI Interface Click on Switch -> You should receive a "Done" answer. Got the BL tab In the second Drop box, Select DWNMODE:SwitchDwnMode Click on Send Command and look at your Device Manager Window

The modem will switch to Download mode, loading new drivers In Devices Manager, check that you have a COM port assigned to PC UI Interface

Go Back to the SETUP tab and click on REFRESH Select the new PC UI Interface with the new assigned COM Port number. Click on Switch -> You should receive a "Done" answer. Got the BL tab In the second Drop box, Select DWNMODE:ResetPhone Click on Send Command and look at your Devices Manager window.

The modem will switch back to Normal mode, loading the normal drivers. (As long as you cannot go back to Normal Mode with RevSkills, you cannot flash your modem.)

If it's OK, that means that you can use Huawei Flasher to successfully flash-downgrade your modem. Take care of leaving enough time for the drivers change before clicking OK to flash.

Hope it will help many MBIM flashed modem owners

Links: Windows HUAWEI Modem Drivers 4.25.11.00 patched for the EM820W www.dropbox.com/s/61u8g02f65i1yct/3G_Hua...0W%29_4.25.11.00.zip

Firmware zip file (MBIM and STANDARD) https://www.dropbox.com/s/431y8vwbqbjlm98/EM820W-fw-files.zip

Huawei Flasher program (credit and thanks to Francesco fr3nsis - don't miss a donation if it helped.) http://www.francesco-pompili.it/ Category: Others