Do not flash a full firmware after this update. The 1h10 error often appears because the VMM firmware is older than the bootloader. After flashing the new VMM, you must run:
fastboot erase misc
fastboot erase metadata
Otherwise, the device will reboot back into 1h10 on the next power cycle.
USB Burning Tool (PC -> Device)
ADB / Recovery Update (less common for VMM) sp9853i 1h10 vmm firmware update
Serial/UART Flashing (advanced)
JTAG (rescue)
If you have a working PAC but only want to update the VMM partition (preserving user data), you can use the UpgradeDownload tool instead of ResearchDownload: Do not flash a full firmware after this update
VMM updates often cause a data wipe. Backup via:
Posted by: The Embedded Dev Team
Date: April 21, 2026
If you are reading this, chances are you have a device based on the UNISOC SP9853i chipset (Think Cat S42, Doogee, or a rugged industrial handheld) and you have encountered the cryptic string: 1h10 vmm. Otherwise, the device will reboot back into 1h10
We recently received a bricked device that refused to boot past a black screen, only showing up in Device Manager as Unknown USB Device (SP9853i 1h10). After weeks of reverse-engineering, here is everything we learned about updating the VMM firmware on this platform.
Before touching the firmware, you must understand the target hardware.
Unlike Qualcomm’s EDL mode or MediaTek’s BROM, Unisoc chips use a proprietary download protocol accessed via ResearchDownload or UpgradeDownload tools. The SP9853i has a specific partition table that differs from the older SC9832E or SC9863A.