Introducing the Chip-off Course

We are excited to introduce a significant milestone for Berla with the launch of our latest, next level advanced training opportunity: iVe Vehicle Systems Forensic Chip-off course. This 3-day course offers comprehensive training in identifying, removing, and reading memory chips from vehicle systems, providing our users with an additional acquisition methodology to expand their capabilities for extracting data from vehicle systems.

The course is intentionally designed to address the unique scenarios in vehicle forensics, such as fire or water damage, power loss, and complex module architectures—situations where a chip-off acquisition of a vehicle’s ECU may be necessary. Combining theory and practical exercises, participants will gain the skills needed to identify, prepare for, and navigate these common occurrences. Our goal is to equip users with the skills and insights they need to make informed decisions in the field and a comprehensive plan when preparing to perform a chip-off on evidentiary modules.

The course schedule at a glance

Day 1

The first day introduces concepts of system architecture, and identifying hardware components found on vehicle ECUs. Fundamental concepts of the chip-off process are then presented, and participants begin hand-ons familiarization of their workstation equipment. The equipment includes a rework station, hot air gun, solder station, microscope, chip reader hardware and other necessary materials. Instructors will then systematically walk through every step of the chip-off process and participants will remove their first chip from a vehicle module. This early practical walkthrough allows participants to develop confidence with the process and equipment on day one.

Day 2

The second day takes a deeper dive into each stage of the chip off process: identifying, removing, and reading data from chips. The instruction begins with understanding chip types, anatomy and how to find and utilize chip identifiers. Participants then move on to best practices for handling PCBs, including techniques for planning and preparing for chip removal. With multiple vehicle ECUs provided, participants will perform both BGA and TSOP removals, with ample time dedicated to repetition for skill reinforcement. The focus then shifts to selecting and setting up various chip readers for different form factors and configuring the software for chip reads. The day concludes with guidance on follow-up actions to troubleshoot difficulties that may arise during chip reads.

Day 3

On the final day, participants will take the data acquired from their chip-offs and import it into iVe Software for parsing and analysis. They will also be introduced to additional third-party viewers for locating data within a chip-off image without decoding the file system. Next, the focus shifts to pinout mapping, and how they can be used to potentially avoid future chip-offs on the same module. The day concludes with a final assessment, applying the full range of skills and knowledge gained throughout the course.