Firmware upgrade using Linux tool, requires no hardware

Adjusting BENQ Blur Reduction and DyAc (Dynamic Acceleration) including Blur Busters Strobe Utility. Supports most BenQ/Zowie Z-Series monitors (XL2411, XL2420, XL2720, XL2735, XL2540, XL2546)
redbull2k
Posts: 20
Joined: 12 Jan 2016, 10:16

Re: Firmware upgrade using Linux tool, requires no hardware

Post by redbull2k » 21 Dec 2016, 08:48

just to clear up what im doing.
are these 2 commands ?
sudo ./flashrom -p mstarddc_spi:dev=/dev/i2c-6:49 (dump current firmware)
sudo ./flashrom -p mstarddc_spi:dev=/dev/i2c-6:49 -c "MX25L1605A/MX25L1606E" -r backup.bin.


backup.bin gets dumped in folder called flashrom. (which i will have to find on the OS)
place v5 firmware in a folder called flashrom and change the name to "XL2720Z_V5.BIN"
then run these 2 commands

tr '\000' '\377' < /dev/zero | dd of=firmware.bin bs=1k count=2k

dd if=XL2720Z_V5.BIN of=firmware.bin conv=notrunc

once completed, file is replaced to "firmware.bin" which was previously "XL2720Z_V5.BIN"
Now file is ready to be written to monitor
sudo ./flashrom -p mstarddc_spi:dev=/dev/i2c-1:49 -c "MX25L1605A/MX25L1606E" -w firmware.bin

Falkentyne
Posts: 2793
Joined: 26 Mar 2014, 07:23

Re: Firmware upgrade using Linux tool, requires no hardware

Post by Falkentyne » 21 Dec 2016, 10:20

This command

sudo ./flashrom -p mstarddc_spi:dev=/dev/i2c-6:49 -c "MX25L1605A/MX25L1606E" -r backup.bin

is what backs up the existing firmware into the name backup.bin. It's one command, not two.

the rest merges the 800k firmware you downloaded into a 2 mb file (by extending it with a dummy file that is created) and then flashes it. If you already have an existing 2mb backup (e.g. if you downloaded it from someone else's backup and its already 2 MB), you would skip the "dummy file" and "merge" steps.

redbull2k
Posts: 20
Joined: 12 Jan 2016, 10:16

Re: Firmware upgrade using Linux tool, requires no hardware

Post by redbull2k » 21 Dec 2016, 10:43

Mine shipped with v4, im upgrading to v5.
At first the whole process looked complicated, but once i just started experimenting it made more sense,
I have never used linux,
I just wanted to make sure that the last bit i understood correctly, which i do. Now i can help a friend over the net to upgrade his v1 to v5 for all the added extras, including single strobe.

redbull2k
Posts: 20
Joined: 12 Jan 2016, 10:16

Re: Firmware upgrade using Linux tool, requires no hardware

Post by redbull2k » 24 Dec 2016, 15:26

here is the ouput i got just before i need to dump firmware

Calibrating delay loop... OK.
Info: Will try to use device /dev/i2c-1 and address 0x49.
Info: WILL reset the device at the end.
Found Macronix flash chip "MX25L1605" (2048 kB, SPI) on mstarddc_spi.
Found Macronix flash chip "MX25L1605A/MX25L1606E" (2048 kB, SPI) on mstarddc_spi.
Found Macronix flash chip "MX25L1605D/MX25L1608D/MX25L1673E" (2048 kB, SPI) on mstarddc_spi.
Multiple flash chip definitions match the detected chip(s): "MX25L1605", "MX25L1605A/MX25L1606E", "MX25L1605D/MX25L1608D/MX25L1673E"


anyone know what code to use next

sudo ./flashrom -p mstarddc_spi:dev=/dev/i2c-1:49 -c "MX25L1605A/MX25L1606E" -r backup.bin
or
sudo ./flashrom -p mstarddc_spi:dev=/dev/i2c-1:49 -c "MX25L1605" -r backup.bin
or
sudo ./flashrom -p mstarddc_spi:dev=/dev/i2c-1:49 -c "MX25L1605D/MX25L1608D/MX25L1673E" -r backup.bin

or any other combination.

Falkentyne
Posts: 2793
Joined: 26 Mar 2014, 07:23

Re: Firmware upgrade using Linux tool, requires no hardware

Post by Falkentyne » 24 Dec 2016, 15:34

sudo ./flashrom -p mstarddc_spi:dev=/dev/i2c-1:49 -c "MX25L1605A/MX25L1606E" -r backup.bin

redbull2k
Posts: 20
Joined: 12 Jan 2016, 10:16

Re: Firmware upgrade using Linux tool, requires no hardware

Post by redbull2k » 24 Dec 2016, 15:42

ok done

its just saying reading flash. waiting game now

redbull2k
Posts: 20
Joined: 12 Jan 2016, 10:16

Re: Firmware upgrade using Linux tool, requires no hardware

Post by redbull2k » 24 Dec 2016, 17:08

how did you know it was that one? current firmware is now dumped. Now feel confident to flash v5. also confident to help a friend who is stuck on v1.

Falkentyne
Posts: 2793
Joined: 26 Mar 2014, 07:23

Re: Firmware upgrade using Linux tool, requires no hardware

Post by Falkentyne » 24 Dec 2016, 17:40

All of the monitors have the exact same chip. I wrote the instructions earlier remember? (but I was not the original writer; Bishi was (IIRC)).

The Mstar ISP device identifies the chip as the MX25L1606E. The RT809F also identifies the flash chip.

Remember if you want a less intensive AMA setting, when blur reduction is enabled, enable blur reduction and then set AMA to high afterwards (or just highlight high and press back). You can see the change in overdrive here.

http://www.testufo.com/#test=photo&phot ... &height=-1

It's POSSIBLE to reduce the overdrive for blur reduction DISABLED as well but this requires exploiting a firmware bug. In order to do this, you do the above (with blur reduction enabled), THEN You switch into a PICTURE ADVANCED Picture Mode preset that has blur reduction disabled in the preset. Disabling blur reduction directly won't work.

This is how you can get 144hz to look if you exploit this bug (blur reduction off):

Image

redbull2k
Posts: 20
Joined: 12 Jan 2016, 10:16

Re: Firmware upgrade using Linux tool, requires no hardware

Post by redbull2k » 24 Dec 2016, 21:37

thanks for clearing that up.

IwishIcanFLighT
Posts: 1
Joined: 27 Dec 2016, 07:59

Re: Firmware upgrade using Linux tool, requires no hardware

Post by IwishIcanFLighT » 27 Dec 2016, 08:24

Hi there!

I created an account on this forum just to thanks everyone involved in this firmware upgrade method. I just successfully upgraded my XL2720Z to V5! :D

After massive DisplayPort issues (blacks flickering, signal loss and ludicrous resolution/framerate), I first tried a certified DP cable but it didn't help. More googling later, I ended up on this board and understood that my monitor was on V3, and needed at least V4 to fix those DP issues.

I followed the tutorial as stated earlier on this topic, but I'm gonna log some steps that were completely different for me, for others people who will do it after me:
  • Updated with a CLEVO P150EM + GTX 675M, no VGA port available but DVI did the trick
  • The monitor wasn't on bus 1 but on bus 4. e.i. I could only see the monitor model with "sudo i2cdump -r 0-127 4 0x50" instead of "sudo i2cdump -r 0-127 1 0x50". This means that every single command (dump, flash, etc) to the monitor had to be rewritten with 4 instead of 1. I thought I'd mention that since it wasn't well documented as far as I found on the topic.
  • My flash ship was "W25Q16.Q", not "MX25L1605A/MX25L1606E". So same with the bus, I had to make sure the correct name was written.
The first flash attempt failed at verification.

Code: Select all

Verifying flash... FAILED at 0x00000000! Expected=0x02, Found=0xb0, failed byte count from 0x00000000-0x001fffff: 0xfe
This first attempt was using a DVI to VGA adapter and a VGA cable. The monitor power led was RED, screen was black but still detected in ubuntu settings as well as in the terminal on bus 4. After reading (and sweating a bit as well :?), I redid the flash but only with a DVI cable (so no VGA whatsoever), and 20 minutes later, it works! \o/

No DP issues, I can turn on/off my monitor as I'm typing those lines. It just works! :D

So yeah, thanks again! 8-)

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