| Partition | Function |
|-----------|----------|
| PRELOADER | 1st-stage bootloader (proprietary MediaTek) |
| PRO_INFO | Production info, hw config |
| NVRAM | IMEI, WiFi/BT MAC, calibration data |
| MBR | Master Boot Record (if legacy) |
| EBR1, EBR2 | Extended Boot Records for data & internal_sd |
| BOOTIMG | Linux kernel + ramdisk (boot partition) |
| RECOVERY | Custom recovery image |
| SEC_RO | Secure ROM region (signature checks) |
| ANDROID | /system partition |
| USRDATA | /data partition |
| CACHE | /cache partition |
On MT6589, eMMC blocks are typically 512 bytes. The scatter file's linear_start_addr must be block-aligned (multiple of 512). For example:
Important: Never modify the linear_start_addr values manually unless rebuilding the entire partition table from scratch. Even a 1-byte offset shift will cause the bootloaders to read garbage data. the MT6589 relies on a legacy
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Subject: MT6589_Android_scatter_emmc.txt
Platform: MediaTek MT6589 (Quad-Core ARM Cortex-A7)
Storage Type: eMMC (Embedded MultiMediaCard) change the ANDROID start address)
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# General Setting
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- general: MT6589
- preloader_compatible: 1
- boot_compatible: 1
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Unlike newer MediaTek chips (MT67xx+, MT68xx) that have moved to scatter-xml or dynamic partition schemes (super partitions), the MT6589 relies on a legacy, linear partition layout. The scatter file is a plain-text, key-value-pair document. Its most defining feature for MT6589 is the linear_start_addr field, which specifies physical byte offsets into the eMMC. the MT6589 relies on a legacy
If you manually alter the scatter file (e.g., change the ANDROID start address), the eMMC GPT may become misaligned. The MT6589 boot ROM expects exact offsets.
A scatter file is a plain-text configuration file that describes the memory map of an Android device based on MediaTek (or similar) chipsets. It tells flashing software exactly where to write each firmware component on the eMMC (embedded MultiMediaCard) storage chip.
For the MT6589, the scatter file is chipset-specific because partition addresses, sizes, and names are tied to the Boot ROM (BRom) and Preloader expectations.