When a phone can't be examined the normal way, it is tempting to go straight to chip-off. In a lot of cases there is a gentler option to try first. In-system programming, or ISP, reads the memory with the chip still on the board. Here is what it is, why it usually makes sense to try it before chip-off, and when you have to move on.
What ISP is
Instead of removing the chip, you connect to points on the board that carry the memory's data, clock, command and power signals. Then you read the chip through a box or reader that supports ISP. For eMMC that usually means only a handful of lines. UFS uses different signals and needs hardware that supports UFS ISP specifically.
Why we would try it first
The chip never sees the heat and handling that removal involves, so there is less risk of damaging it. The board also stays in one piece. That keeps other options open for later, including a repair or a second read.
It can be quicker as well. Once the test points are known and wired, the read can start straight away, with no removal, cleaning or reballing. And it can work on some damaged phones. If the processor or the power side has failed but the memory and its connections are fine, ISP may still get you a read.
Finding the test points
This is the hard part. Manufacturer documentation helps where it exists, and ISP tools and software often come with pinout references. Failing that, you trace from the memory chip's pads to nearby components or test pads under the microscope.
Connections are made with very fine wire or with spring-loaded probes held in a jig. You need good magnification, a steady hand and clean soldering, because a weak or intermittent connection will give you a failed or incomplete read. Our Inspection & Magnification range helps here.
UFS / eMMC ISP Adapter for Z3X Easy JTAG Plus
The kit for ISP
The starting point is an ISP or JTAG box. Have a look at JTAG / ISP and Z3X Easy JTAG, which handles eMMC ISP with the right adapters. For UFS phones, readers like the MiPiTester with UFS ISP adapters are built for the job.
To hold connections steady you will want boards and probes from JTAG Jigs / Adapters. The VR Table range is also worth a look, as it brings ISP, JTAG and other interface connection points together on one board.
UFS ISP Adapter for MiPiTester Gear 2 / Mini
When ISP fails and chip-off is next
ISP doesn't always work. The test points might be impossible to find or reach. The tracks between the chip and the points might be damaged, or other parts on the board might load the signal lines so you can't get a stable read. Sometimes the board is too damaged to power safely. That is when chip-off becomes the next step, with the chip removed and read directly in a socket. We go through that process, the risks and the kit in Why Chip-Off Is Needed in Mobile Forensics.
As with any hardware method, encryption on modern phones can limit what a raw memory read shows you. Understand the device before picking a method, and document each step.
A practical ISP workflow
Start by looking the board over under magnification for corrosion, cracked parts and damaged tracks around the memory chip, and photograph it before you touch it. Then read the chip markings to confirm whether it is eMMC or UFS. That decides which box, adapter and software you use.
Find the points from whatever references you have, then check continuity with a multimeter between each point and the matching chip pad where you can. Solder fine wire or set up probes in a jig, keeping the leads short and tidy to cut down interference.
Before a full read, use the tool's identify function to make sure the chip is responding properly. Then take the image, record hash values the way your lab's procedures say, and note every step for your report.
Practise all of this on boards that are not evidence first. It builds the soldering control and the confidence you will need when it counts. Our hands-on bench courses in Forensic Repair Training cover the soldering and board prep involved.
The order we would suggest
Try to repair the device enough to boot. If that fails, try ISP, and only then think about chip-off. ISP leaves the device and the chip intact and still gets you to the data at source. For the bigger picture, read our guide Mobile Forensics Hardware: From Seizure to Extraction.