Chip-Off 2.0 Forensic Training
with CertificationThe new Teel Tech Chip-Off Forensics Class provides students with a comprehensive education into performing forensics on BGA memory chips used in today’s mobile devices.
Students graduating the class will gain core competencies in:
- Properly Removing a BGA Chip from a Device
- Handling and Preparing the Chip to be Read
- Reading the Chip to Acquire the Data
- Applying Tools and Techniques to Decode the Data
- Practicals on the Chip-off process of a locked unencrypted Blackberry and then utilizing forensic software to recover the logical and physical data dump
The five-day class provides students with the skills required to properly remove a BGA memory chip from a mobile device, prepare the memory for a read, and use chip-reading equipment to acquire the data.Students will spend 2.5 days understanding the structure of devices and best practices to prevent damage to a chip during removal and preparation. Understanding the difference between memory structures -from a mobile device, to tablet, to SSD hard drive – and how chip-off can be utilized to acquire data from a growing number of devices – the class enables examiners to get a handle on the growing trend of BGA memory use.
In the chip-reading portion of the class, students will learn the fundamentals of memory structure and how to utilize the tools available to read the memory off the chip. Students will get a complete hands-on experience beginning with an intact BlackBerry device loaded with data, and ending with the raw data acquired from the removed and read the chip. Once the data is acquired, an education on how to best apply today’s tools and other techniques to decode the data follows. Students taking the Chip-off technique should possess advanced skills in data analysis and be comfortable working with raw data at the post-acquisition phase of the course.
Course Details
- Course Code: AT-CHIPOFF
- Duration: 5 Days
- Laptop Required?: Yes
This class is for Sworn Law Enforcement only
- *Please Note: Due to the sensitive nature of our curriculum, and industry, all potential students are subject to vetting prior to enrollment. We reserve the right to refuse registration to any person that does not meet our established criteria.
- * Prices will be converted to CAD at the time of quotation.

Included with Training
FREE! Students attending our Chip-Off Training will receive:
- Martview Reballing Stencil Kit (Full Set) with Fixed Plate & Magnetic Base.
- Diagonal BGA Ball Mounting Table for Chip Rework & Repair
- Solder Paste & Flat Scraper/Sealing Tool for Phone Repair
- Glue Removal Blade Set
- Bent Blade Kit for Screen Debonding & Removal
Please Note: Due to current chip shortages and global shipping issues, we will do our best to provide the giveaways shown above. Should these products be unavailable, students will receive products of roughly equal value.
Mike is an awesome instructor, with great knowledge of the course content and providing real knowledge from his own experiences.
What Will I Learn?
This training provides the students with a full perspective of the Chip-off process as it relates to Advanced Mobile Forensics techniques. This new version 2.0 training will explore new techniques on the market; handling of new types of Flash Memory;
Students are provided with in depth power point to take home as a reference as well as clear concise videos of the process they are taught.
Chip-off Introduction
- When should one consider the Chip-off process
- Mobile Device Force Acquisition Continuum
- Supported devices
- Overview of real cases
- What you may encounter in Chip-off dumps
Chip-off Heat Process
- Disassembly of the cell phone and considerations
- References and training for cell phone disassembly
- Heat/Non-Heat shield removal
- Removing chip Upper/Lower heat source
- Removing chips Lower heat source
- Removing chip T862
- When to and not to use these heat chip removal/cleaning processes
- Preparing the chip for Tinning or 2 Stage Reballing
- Tinning of BGA chips
- Review of videos of each process
Hands on Practical’s for Heat Removal/Cleaning/Tinning of chips
Characteristics of Flash Memory
- Types of Chip you will encounter and what is to come
- What is Flash Memory
- How is the data stored in the memory
- Wear Levelling-Garbage Collection-FTL-Trim and their affects
- Transition through NOR-NAND-eMMC-eMCP-UFS
- Controller functions related to Flash Memory
- Quick look at SSD type storage
UP828 & UP828P Programmers
- Getting to know the software/hardware interface
- Installation process
- What are the differences between UP828 and UP828P
- Adapters and how they work
- Importance of the Checksum Hash values
- Errors you will encounter and how to trouble shoot them
- Quick look at decoding to data
2 Stage Reballing of BGA Chips
- Tools and kit you will need
- Low heat solder paste
- Stage 1 reballing of the chip
- Overview of BGA Stencils
- Stage 2 reballing of the chip
- When and why to use each reballing stage
- Other options for Reballing
Hands on Practical’s for Heat Removal Process and Reballing
Non-Heat Milling BGA Chips
- Overview of the process and video
- The right and wrong equipment for this process
- Process where milling is best used
- Pros and Cons of the Milling process
- Some training locations will feature a Milling machine for use
Non-Heat Polishing Process
- Overview of the process
- Two reasons to use the Polishing Process
- Polishing surfaces – When and why to use them
- Polishing Fixtures – How to use them
- Adhesives – When to use what type
- Polishing epoxy only
- Polishing PCB with cut out chip
- Video review and discussion of each process
Hands on Practical’s for Heat and Non-Heat Processes
Medusa eMMC Box
- Overview of the Medusa Pro Box
- Installation process
- ISP-eMMC Functions
Alternative Reading Tools
- SD or USB eMMC type Adapters
- Advantages and when to use the eMMC SD adapters
- How to use them properly forensically
- E-Mate eMMC Pro kit
- Read through ISP Flasher Box
- Read through USB cable
- Bus Modes and how they can help
- In-System-programming direct solder to chip
- Other programmers for Mobile Phones
- Other programmers for Memory devices
Package on Package
- Reviewing phones that use POP chipsets
- Why is POP used
- Removing POP chips
- Splitting POP style chips
- Review Videos of the processes
Hands on Practical’s for Heat/Non-Heat Processes and Package on Package chips
Dediprog UFS Programmer
- A look at the UFS chips
- Understanding BGA95 and BGA153 differences
- Overview of the hardware and adapters
- Installation of the software
- LUN’s and other partitions in UFS style chips
- Looking at and reading the LUN’s and RPMB partitions
- Parsing out the recovered data
Resources and DataSheets
- Resources to help you with your Chip-off adventures
- Reference material
- Decoding the number on the chips
- How to find out what adapter you need
- How to find out what chip you have
- What can you glean from the chip datasheets
- Best/Safe places to get Datasheets
Certification Process
- Test phone provided to use any process from class
- Must provide instructor with bin dump and decoded data
- Successful students receive Teel Tech Chip-off 2.0 Certification
Hands on Practical’s for all processes taught in this class
Laptop Requirements
We prefer students bring their own laptops whenever possible. If this is not possible, Teel Tech Canada will provide one for you. If you are unable to bring your own laptop, please indicate so on the registration page.
For students bringing a laptop to class, please ensure they meet the following minimum requirements:
- Windows 7
- Windows 8.x and 10.x using these instructions (turn off driver sig enforcement)
- macOS with Bootcamp Windows 7
- macOS with Bootcamp Windows 8.x and Win 10.x using these instructions
- macOS alone will not work (No Virtual Machines)
- 8GB RAM (minimum)
- 100GB storage (minimum)
- You must have Admin rights or have the admin password for software installation.
- NOTE: ALL Windows updates should be done prior to class.
Optional:
- Cellebrite P.A. Dongle
- Encase, FTK, X-Ways Dongle
- Access to a HEX editor
- External USB 3.0 Storage Device
This class is for Sworn Law Enforcement ONLY.
For questions regarding this policy, please contact us at info@teeltechcanada.com or (250) 893-6125