Brick (electronics)
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Brick is the slang term for an electronic device which cannot function (or has been rendered useless by damaged firmware). This comes from the fact that the device in question can be considered only as useful as a brick, and little else.
The firmware can be damaged by accidents during firmware update or by malicious software.
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[edit] Brick prevention
Some devices include two copies of firmware so that if one is damaged the device will not be bricked. Other devices have "bootloader" firmwares that can be enabled, often mechanically, to reload the main firmware into the device again.
[edit] PlayStation Portable
The PlayStation Portable, a handheld game console by Sony, can become bricked and unable to restart completely. The main cause of this problem is the modification of the PlayStation Portable. Hackers have created a virus called Trojan.PSPBrick, which deletes the necessary files needed to restart the system.
Another way in which a PlayStation Portable may be bricked is during a firmware upgrade when its lithium-ion battery is not charged enough, its AC adaptor is unplugged, or the device is accidentally powered off. It is paramount that the PlayStation Portable has a constant battery life while being updated as the firmware is writing directly to the internal flash memory of the PlayStation Portable. As it is overwriting previous firmware, the current firmware is incomplete and therefore cannot boot up. Some users have also experienced bricks when they removed their battery while running homebrews.
Without the proper equipment, it is impossible to 'un-brick' a PlayStation Portable.
[edit] Nintendo DS
Like the PSP, the Nintendo DS can be bricked by a trojan or botched firmware update. However, the danger is reduced for a number of reasons:
- No firmware updates have yet been issued by Nintendo (however they have mentioned the possibility of using the Wii to send an official firmware update to a DS.) Although multiple firmware versions exist, there is no need for official procedure to install a new version; the updates are generally very minor. The only reason or method to install new firmware is for homebrew purposes.
- There is currently no known method for malicious software to infect a Nintendo DS without the user's knowledge. The only way a trojan could be run is for the user to be tricked into running it.
- The Nintendo DS contains a protection system which prevents important parts of the firmware from being overwritten unless a hardware switch is activated. Early DSes protected the first 25% of the firmware; while this was unfortunately not enough to prevent official firmware from being destroyed, all homebrew firmware (including FlashMe) places a simple recovery routine in this area. Newer DSes protect all but the last few sectors where the user settings are stored.
[edit] Other systems
Both Xbox 360 and Wii had reports of being bricked during official firmware updates. Solution of this usually involves sending the unit back to manufacturer, which may or may not retain saved data. With Wii, the repair is free (as Nintendo sends a postage-paid box for shipment), and customer can also exchange it for a free replacement, which has faster turnaround, but led to a loss of saved data.
Also some routers like the WRT54G series have the ability to upgrade firmware or install customized versions of firmware. With this there is also a possibility of the device to become bricked. It is usually recommended not to to upgrade the firmware over a wireless connection because is has greater chance of losing the signal in mid-upgrade and lead to bricking.
