Apple Customer Data Migration Tool - can't get it to work

[fzabkar]

I notice that one Touchbar model has two JHL6540 Thunderbolt 3 Controllers. Each appears to be paired with its own CD3215C00 chip. There is a connector adjacent to each chip.

MacBook Pro 13" Touch Bar 2017 Teardown:
https://ko.ifixit.com/GuidePDF/link/92171

The following Mac has a single CD3215C00 chip and connector, but no Thunderbolt controller.

Retina MacBook 2017 Teardown:
https://ko.ifixit.com/GuidePDF/link/92172

Both models have an integrated PCIe-based SSD.

ISTM that the CD3215C00 / CD3215B03 chips could be 4-lane PCIe receivers/transmitters.

Here are two examples of standard parts:

Quad Channel (Half x4 Lane) PCIe Redriver/Equalizer:
http://www.ti.com/lit/ds/symlink/sn65lvpe504.pdf

Dual Channel x1 PCIe Redriver/Equalizer:
http://www.ti.com/lit/ds/symlink/sn65lvpe501.pdf

Therefore ISTM that the USB-C cable need not be an "active" type since there is a redriver chip at each end.

Attachments

[fzabkar]

Teardown of the MacBook Pro 13-inch Late 2016, with four Thunderbolt 3 ports and Touch Bar (model number - A1706):
https://ko.ifixit.com/GuidePDF/link/73480 (PDF)
https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/MacBook+Pro+13-Inch+Touch+Bar+Teardown/73480

[fzabkar]

USB 3.1 cables have a differential impedance of 90 ohms whereas PCIe cables are 100 ohms. This can be seen in TI's datasheets for its redriver ICs.

Dual Channel USB3.0 Redriver/Equalizer:
http://www.ti.com/lit/ds/symlink/sn65lvpe502.pdf

Therefore ISTM that Apple's migration tool would normally require a 100 ohm cable for an end-to-end PCIe link, unless the CD3215C00 / CD3215B03 chips were performing impedance conversion/matching from 100 ohms to 90 ohms, and vice versa???

[fzabkar]

After reading the following articles, I believe that the circuit layout is as in my block diagram.

Understanding I/O on the mid-2017 iMac:
https://glennklockwood.blogspot.com/2017/08/understanding-io-on-mid-2017-imac.html

Thunderbolt Technology Overview (using Intel 82524EF):
https://developer.apple.com/library/archive/documentation/HardwareDrivers/Conceptual/ThunderboltDevGuide/Basics/Basics.html

Code:

.---------------------.
| Dead Mac mainboard  |
|     .-------.       |
|     | PCIe  |       |
|     | SSD   |       |
|     '---.---'       |
|         | migration |
|      .--'--. conn   |
|      '--.--'        |
|         |           |
'---------|-----------'
          |   PCIe flat
          |  cable (100 ohm)
.---------|------------------.
|     .---'---.  .-------.   |
|end- |JHL6540|  | PCIe  |   |
|point|T/Bolt |--| clock |   |
|mode | cont  |  | gen   |   |
|     '---.---'  '-------'   |
|         |      9FGV0441    |
|    .----'----. .---------. |
|    |CD3215B03| |         | |
|    | USB3.1  | |TPS51980A| |
|    | redriver| |  PMIC   | |
|    '----.----' '---------' |
'---------|------------------'
       .--'--.
       '--.--'  USB-C conn
          |
          | USB-C cable (90 ohm)
       .--'--.
       '--.--'  USB-C conn
.---------|--------.
|         |        |
|    .----'----.   |
|    |CD3215C00|   |
|    | USB3.1  |   | Destination
|    | redriver|   |  Mac
|    '----.----'   |
|         |        |
|     .---'---.    |
|host |JHL6540|    |
|mode |T/Bolt |    |
|     | cont  |    |
|     '---.---'    |
|         |        |
|         |        |
|         V        |
|                  |
|    PCH PCIe Bus  |
'------------------'

[fzabkar]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thunderbolt_(interface)

When a system with Thunderbolt boots, it will load and execute Option ROMs from attached devices.

Does this mean that the target Mac must be booted after the migration tool has powered up?

Code:

.-------------------.
|   .-------.       |  Dead Mac
|   | PCIe  |       |  mainboard
|   | SSD   |       |
|   '---.---'       |
|       | migration |
|    .--'--. conn   |
|    '-.-.-'        |
'------|:|----------'
       |:|
       |:| PCIe flat cable (100 ohm)
       |:|
.------|:|-------------------.
|      | |     .--------.    |
|      | |  ___| Option |    |
|      | | |   |  ROM ? |    |
|      | | |   '--------'    |
|   .--'-'--.  .----------.  |
|   |JHL6540|  | 9FGV0441 |  |
|   |T/Bolt |--|  PCIe    |  |  Apple
|   | cont  |  | clock gen|  |  Data
|   '---.---'. '-----.----'  |  Migration
|       |     \      |       |  Tool
|  .----'----. .-----'-----. |
|  |CD3215B03| |           | |  Thunderbolt
|  | USB3.1  |-| TPS51980A | |  controller
|  | redriver| |  PMIC     | |  in end-point
|  '----.----' '-----------' |  mode
'-------|--------------------'
     .--'--.  USB-C conn
     '--.--'
        | USB-C cable (90 ohm)
        |
     .--'--.
     '--.--'  USB-C conn
.-------|--------.
|  .----'----.   |
|  |CD3215C00|   |
|  | USB3.1  |   |  Destination
|  | redriver|   |  Mac
|  '----.----'   |
|       |        |
|   .---'---.    |
|   |JHL6540|    |  Thunderbolt
|   | T/Bolt|    |  controller
|   |  cont |    |  in host
|   '---.---'    |  mode
|       |        |
|       V        |
|                |
|  PCH PCIe Bus  |
'----------------'

[yuji22]

Planning on purchasing on the Apple Data Migration Tool. What has been your experience in terms of success in using the tool ? Prices on Ebay seems very reasonable.

[speakerbox]

You can buy the official tool that Apple Service Providers use. You just need to look hard for it.

[thumper44]

So, I've bought the tool and it's on the way... I think parts of the original question remains: Will the tool work without pulling the board from the laptop? And if so, did you have to unplug the battery connection?
Soooo not looking forward to disassembling everything if I don't have to. In part because I think that the issue is that the memory is simply too full and the laptop may actually boot properly again if I can erase enough files...

thanks in advance for any help you can offer!

[Nick_CT]

I got this to work. I was doing everything right, just wasn't plugging it into the correctly specced host Mac. You need to connect it to a Thunderbolt 3 port.

Connecting it to a USB C port does not work.
The Apple Thuderbolt to USB C adapter does not work.
You do not need to take the mainboard out of the Mac.
You do not need to disconnect the battery from the Mac.

You just remove the back cover, use a T3 to remove the screws that cover the connecting port, connect the tool, and then connect the tool to your host Mac via Thunderbolt 3. The disk then appears on the host Mac like it would any other disk. I've done one successfully today, about to try the next one. The way I had it connected early on in my post was correct.

[Nick_CT]

It just connects up like this: https://www.southbit.co.za/apple-macboo ... -recovery/

[pcimage]

Thanks for the update Nick!

[northwind]

Nice!
About to work with a similar case, so this comes very handy!
Thanks

[Nick_CT]

I did one yesterday and two today, all 3 of them worked. Seems the onboard storage is quite resilient as all 3 machines had severe liquid damage. I was pleasantly surprised.

[Green Slime]

I got this to work. I was doing everything right, just wasn't plugging it into the correctly specced host Mac. You need to connect it to a Thunderbolt 3 port.

I did tell you that about 3 months ago

I did one yesterday and two today, all 3 of them worked. Seems the onboard storage is quite resilient as all 3 machines had severe liquid damage. I was pleasantly surprised.

It works well. I believe removing the original plug cap isolates the entire SSD and power source from the rest of the mainboard completely which is great.

[Nick_CT]

You did, thank you I just couldn't get access to a Mac with Thunderbolt 3 until now.

[MikeGuk]

Where did you get one? I'm desperate to buy one of these so that I can backup some data from a damaged machine. Am in UK but even balpy to pay shipping to the UK from USA on top of buying one, but I just can't seem to find one in stock anywhere, and am worried I'll lose the data.

I've tried the customer data migration tool on 2 Touchbar MBPs now, and I can't get the storage to be detected on the Mac that I'm working from over USB-C.

This is what I'm using: https://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-076-00236- ... 2230802697

It seems very straightforward to use: https://vimeo.com/281399973

Does the mainboard HAVE to be removed from the Mac for this to work?

[samstown]

This tool is only for MBP 2016/2017. Is there something similar for the new MBP ? 2018,2019, 2020 all have non-removable SSD.

[Nick_CT]

Where did you get one? I'm desperate to buy one of these so that I can backup some data from a damaged machine. Am in UK but even balpy to pay shipping to the UK from USA on top of buying one, but I just can't seem to find one in stock anywhere, and am worried I'll lose the data.

I got mine on eBay, not sure which country it came from.

[Nick_CT]

This tool is only for MBP 2016/2017. Is there something similar for the new MBP ? 2018,2019, 2020 all have non-removable SSD.

Apple decided to do away with the port on the mainboard that you tap into, so there's nothing to connect to. This one is limited to 3/4 models that it works on.