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.
If you have a working MT6589 device but lost the scatter file, you can regenerate it using:
# Using mtkclient (Python)
mtk rl 0x0 0x40000 preloader.bin
# Then parse from /proc/partitions or dump partition table
adb shell cat /proc/partitions
adb shell ls -l /dev/block/platform/mtk-msdc.0/by-name/
The by-name symlinks reveal the exact partition order and size.
The MT6589 is a processor model from MediaTek, a company known for producing chipsets that power a wide range of smartphones and tablets. The MT6589, in particular, is a popular choice for many Android devices due to its balance of performance and power efficiency. When it comes to modifying or flashing these devices, understanding and working with configuration files like the "Android scatter emmc.txt" is essential. Unlike newer MediaTek chips (MT67xx+, MT68xx) that have
The meat of the file defines partitions. In the MT6589 era, MTK partitioning was somewhat unique compared to Qualcomm devices.
1. The Preloader (PL)
- partition_name: PRELOADER
file_name: preloader.bin
is_download: true
type: SV5_BL_BIN
linear_start_addr: 0x0
physical_start_addr: 0x0
partition_size: 0x60000
2. MBR & EBR1 (Partition Tables) Unlike standard PC hard drives that use a single Master Boot Record (MBR), MediaTek devices utilized EBR (Extended Boot Record). The by-name symlinks reveal the exact partition order
3. The "Fly in the Ointment": The NVRAM
- partition_name: NVRAM
file_name: NONE
is_download: false
partition_size: 0x500000
- partition_index: 0
partition_name: PRELOADER
file_name: preloader.bin
is_download: true
type: NORMAL
linear_start_addr: 0x0
physical_start_addr: 0x0
partition_size: 0x40000
Key fields:
The MT6589 (MediaTek MT6589), released in late 2012, was a watershed moment for budget and mid-range Android smartphones. As one of the first quad-core Cortex-A7 SoCs with PowerVR SGX544 GPU, it powered hundreds of millions of devices ranging from the Xiaomi Mi2A and Lenovo P780 to countless "no-name" tablets. To understand the scatter file
If you are dealing with legacy firmware, brick recovery, or custom ROM development for an MT6589 device, you will inevitably encounter a file named MT6589_Android_scatter_emmc.txt (often shortened by tools like SP Flash Tool, Miracle Box, or SP Multi-Port Download Tool).
This article dissects every aspect of this scatter file, its structure, its critical role in eMMC partitioning, and how to safely use it in 2025–2026 for data recovery or system restoration.
To understand the scatter file, one must understand the MediaTek boot process.
When an MT6589 device is powered on, the on-chip Boot ROM (the immutable code burned into the silicon during manufacturing) executes. It looks for the Preloader (similar to a Primary Bootloader). However, the storage chip (eMMC) is a blank slate of sectors. The processor does not inherently know where the Preloader ends and where the Kernel begins.
This is where the Scatter File comes in. It translates physical hardware addresses into logical partitions for the SP Flash Tool. It tells the computer: "Write the Preloader code to physical sector 0, the Logo image to sector 1024," and so on.