This script writes TLV (Type-Length-Value) structured data into an I2C EEPROM. It supports a variety of system-specific keys that define metadata for the device.
The script:
Builds TLV-formatted payloads.
Writes the data into an EEPROM via I2C.
Supports custom-defined keys.
Calculates and appends a CRC checksum to ensure data integrity.
python3 TLV_write.py <i2c_bus> <eeprom_address> [--yes] <key> <value> <key> <value> ... |
Argument | Description |
---|---|
i2c_bus | The I2C bus number. |
eeprom_address | The EEPROM address (hex or decimal). |
--yes | Automatically confirms the operation (skips user confirmation). |
<key> <value> | One or more key-value pairs to write to EEPROM. |
For example if we want the following data to appear in DMI:
Handle 0xXXXX, DMI type 1, XX bytes System Information Manufacturer: XXXXX Product Name: MySystem Version: 1.0 Serial Number: XXXXXX UUID: XXXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX Wake-up Type: XXXXXXXXXXXX SKU Number: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Family: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX |
We want to run the following command (Note that bus 3 address 0X50 is used in this example):
python3 TLV_write.py 3 0x50 TLV_CODE_SYS_NAME "MySystem" TLV_CODE_SYS_VERSION "1.0" |
eeprom example for this :
00: 54 6c 76 49 6e 66 6f 00 01 65 00 30 0e 45 6d 62 TlvInfo.?e.0?Emb header version Total Payload Length (little endian) Type Length Value crc checksum TLV |
Finding the I2C Bus NumberTo determine the correct I2C bus number, run the following command:
If no EEPROM device is found, repeat the command with different bus numbers (e.g., 2, 3, 4, etc.) until you detect an address 0x50 or 0x56. Once found, use the corresponding bus number in the script. Example:
If the output shows:
Then bus 2 and address 0x50 should be used in the script. |
Each TLV Key has a Hex Code, Max Length, and belongs to a DMIDecode Type.
TLV Key | Max Length (bytes) | BIOS path |
TLV_CODE_FAMILY | 20 | - |
TLV_CODE_MANUF_DATE | 10 | - |
TLV_CODE_PLATFORM_NAME | 20 | - |
TLV_CODE_MANUF_NAME | 20 | - |
TLV_CODE_VENDOR_NAME | 20 | - |
TLV_CODE_SYS_NAME | 20 | - |
TLV_CODE_SYS_SKU | 20 | Main screen |
TLV_CODE_SYS_SERIAL_NUMBER | 24 | Main screen |
TLV_CODE_SYS_VERSION | 5 | - |
TLV Key | Max Length (bytes) |
TLV_CODE_NIO_NAME | 20 |
TLV_CODE_NIO_SERIAL_NUMBER | 24 |
TLV_CODE_NIO_VERSION | 5 |
TLV Key | Max Length (bytes) |
TLV_CODE_CHS_SERIAL_NUMBER | 24 |
TLV_CODE_CHS_VERSION | 5 |
TLV Key | Max Length (bytes) | BIOS path |
TLV_CODE_CONFIG_CODE | 200 |
This entry will only be displayed in BIOS main menu. Main → Detailed Configuration Information → Configuration String |
If invalid input is provided, the script will:
Print an error message.
Exit without modifying EEPROM contents.
Error Message | Cause |
| Provided TLV key is not in the supported list. |
| Input exceeds the maximum allowed length. |
| Incorrect MAC format. |
| I2C communication issue during EEPROM write. |
| Data is too large for EEPROM storage. |
To ensure all required dependencies are installed, run:
sudo apt update sudo apt install python3 python3-smbus |
this will:
Install Python 3 if it is not already installed.
Install smbus for I2C communication.
The script also requires the following Python modules, which are typically built-in:
sys
struct
binascii
time
To verify that all required Python modules are available, run:
python3 -c "import struct, binascii, sys, time; print('All built-in modules are available')" |
If no errors appear, all required dependencies are installed.