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

Re: Firmware upgrade using Linux tool, requires no hardware

Post by Falkentyne » 13 Jul 2018, 20:46

The rt809f programmer requires the rt809f software. Just search google for "English version rt809f software".

TheMoeBlob
Posts: 2
Joined: 17 Sep 2018, 17:21

Re: Firmware upgrade using Linux tool, requires no hardware

Post by TheMoeBlob » 17 Sep 2018, 17:27

Hey guys, followed all the steps and know what bus my monitor is but the flashrom part of the steps just doesn't want to work as it won't connect to the network. Any solutions or ideas? I'm a Linux noob

BFone
Posts: 5
Joined: 21 Sep 2018, 21:37

Re: Firmware upgrade using Linux tool, requires no hardware

Post by BFone » 21 Sep 2018, 21:43

Hello TheMoeBlob,

I spent the last 6 hours with your problem, but I ve found a solution and my XL2430T is up to date now, from v1 to v6. I ll post the whole solution tomorrow, cause I am very tired, need some sleep now =)

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

Re: Firmware upgrade using Linux tool, requires no hardware

Post by Falkentyne » 21 Sep 2018, 22:44

BFone wrote:Hello TheMoeBlob,

I spent the last 6 hours with your problem, but I ve found a solution and my XL2430T is up to date now, from v1 to v6. I ll post the whole solution tomorrow, cause I am very tired, need some sleep now =)
Would be nice to see a current solution for flashing, as I don't think the original instructions work if they wind up changing the repositories. Thank you for helping!

BFone
Posts: 5
Joined: 21 Sep 2018, 21:37

Re: Firmware upgrade using Linux tool, requires no hardware

Post by BFone » 27 Sep 2018, 17:54

I've successfully upgraded my XL2430T to the new firmware, version 1 to 6. The monitor was connected to an old AMILO PA 1510 notebook with AMD Turion X2, ATI Xpress 1100 graphics and Windows 7 64bit, via VGA.

Please read the instrunctions in this thread on page 21, too, an then this:

Take an empty USB stick with at least 2 GB, download an ISO file of Ubuntu 14.04 at e.g. http://ftp.uni-erlangen.de/mirrors/ubun ... p-i386.iso
download a USB installer to create a bootable USB stick with for example http://www.pendrivelinux.com/universal- ... -as-1-2-3/ by picking the stick and ISO file in the assistant.

Some say, it may help to install in windows the driver of the monitor, the driver for my XL2430T and Win10 is here: https://benqesupport.blob.core.windows. ... driver.zip

Several instructions require source code and project files of flashrom software, however neither "svn://flashrom.org/flashrom/trunk@1846" nor "https://code.coreboot.org/svn/flashrom/trunk@1846" are accessible any more. Because the project is hosted at github now, I installed 'Git for Windows 2.19.0' and 'TortoiseGit-2.7.0.0-64bit'. Right click in windows explorer, go to 'Git Clone...', you can get the necessary URL at: https://flashrom.org/Downloads, it is: 'https://github.com/flashrom/flashrom.git'. This created a clone folder 'D:\flashrom', in it is a copy of the project in the newest version, but instructions however say you need the SVN-version 1846.
According to the page 'https://mail.coreboot.org/pipermail/fla ... 12894.html' the changes to version 1846 were committed on 08/20/2014, which were termed: 'Add support for Macronix MX23L1654, MX23L6454 and MX23L12854 mask ROMs'. To get this version, right click on the folder 'D:\flashrom', then 'TortoiseGit' and 'Repo-Browser', click herein the button 'Revision: HEAD'. In the new window select all files from the beginning up to and including the 08/31/2014, right click and 'Revert changes by these commits'. This reverts all changes made after the 08/24/2014, giving it the state of a 1846 version.
Next download the patch at: http://boeglin.org/static/benq/0001-Add ... ocol.patch and execute it, a window of TortoiseGitUDiff will open, choose file, then Apply Patch and chose the file 'D:\flashrom'. Select all 5 entries under 'File Patches' in a new window, chose and click 'Patch all items' to execute the necessary changes to the project files. I've copied the flashrom file and the firmware file 'XL2430T_V006.bin' to another USB stick, because they will be needed in Linux.

Boot from the first stick and 'try Ubuntu mode'

When it finishes loading, open a terminal (Ctrl + Alt + T);
type "sudo gedit /etc/apt/sources.list" without the quotes to bring up the editor.
At the end of the second line, add "Universe Multiverse" so the line looks exactly iike this:

"deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ trusty main restricted universe multiverse"
Save and exit the sources.list file.

Then type "sudo apt-get update"
That should download some updates.
Then type:
sudo apt-get install i2c-tools subversion libpci-dev
That should update and install some package lists.

You MIGHT also need this command too.
sudo apt-get install libusb-dev

"cd flashrom"

make -j (<-this should make the flashrom patcher with the data for the mstar scaler)

sudo modprobe i2c-dev

sudo i2cdetect -l <--this lists all i2c buses

sudo i2cdetect 1 <---this lists al i2c buses on bus 1.

sudo i2cdump -r 0-127 1 0x50 <--- get EDID (0x50) from bus 1. You are looking for an EDID dump that shows the monitor name in it. You may have to change the 1 to a 0, if your monitor is on bus 0, or to a higher value, seen up to 5 on 290x DVI ports, or more ( 0 0x50 insteada of 1 0x50, or 5 0x50). Once you find the dump that says "XL2411Z/XL2420Z/XL2430T/XL2720Z" etc, then you're good to go.

(edit):
If you are using a laptop through VGA, you SHOULD be able to find the monitor i2c identifier name easily. If you are using a desktop through DVI and flashing through the desktop and you can not find the monitor bus or get random data where the monitor 'should' be located (or in the rare case that the laptop can't see it through VGA, reboot the host computer back to windows and install the monitor driver from the DVD (device manager or displays in control panel); this has been confirmed to have helped people who kept getting "Unknown" data on the i2c bus. (0x50 buses 0-4 usually). Not sure why this works; maybe Linux has access to installed inf data.

sudo ./flashrom -p mstarddc_spi:dev=/dev/i2c-1:49 <----# identify flash chip, on bus 1 (/dev/i2c-1) at address 0x49. Change the 1 to a 0 if you are on bus 0. Change the 1 to a 5 if you re on bus 5, and so on.

(dump current firmware)
sudo ./flashrom -p mstarddc_spi:dev=/dev/i2c-1:49 -c "A25L016" -r backup.bin <--again change the 1 to a 0 if you are on bus 0.

This should take about 5 minutes to dump. Once that's done, copy backup.bin to a folder on the local hard drive (NOT the USB drive) so you can can upload it somewhere. The dumped file should be 2 mb in size. We can easily verify if you dumped the right thing by a hex editor.

Copy the EXTRACTED Version 6 (or whatever version) firmware into the flashrom folder. In my case the file is named 'XL2430T_V006.bin'. DO NOT RENAME IT TO FIRMWARE.BIN !!!!!

At this point the instructions on page 21 say, that it is necessary to resize the new firmware to 2MB, but this was not necessary for my 'XL2430T_V006.bin', cause its size is already 2,00 MB. This is why I used directly my firmware-file and its name in the next line:

# write firmware
sudo ./flashrom -p mstarddc_spi:dev=/dev/i2c-1:49 -c "A25L016" -w XL2430T_V006.bin

(this will take between 5-20 minutes).


Here is the flashrom-folder in version 1846, already patched, with it you don't need to do the whole Git stuff, you can start with the ubuntu part; and the v6-firmware-file for XL2430T for download:

https://www110.zippyshare.com/v/qacsLHgR/file.html

or

http://s000.tinyupload.com/?file_id=241 ... 9369144958

Kbenq
Posts: 5
Joined: 08 Oct 2018, 14:22

Re: Firmware upgrade using Linux tool, requires no hardware

Post by Kbenq » 08 Oct 2018, 14:30

BFone wrote:I've successfully upgraded my XL2430T to the new firmware, version 1 to 6. The monitor was connected to an old AMILO PA 1510 notebook with AMD Turion X2, ATI Xpress 1100 graphics and Windows 7 64bit, via VGA.

Please read the instrunctions in this thread on page 21, too, an then this:

Take an empty USB stick with at least 2 GB, download an ISO file of Ubuntu 14.04 at e.g. http://ftp.uni-erlangen.de/mirrors/ubun ... p-i386.iso
download a USB installer to create a bootable USB stick with for example http://www.pendrivelinux.com/universal- ... -as-1-2-3/ by picking the stick and ISO file in the assistant.

Some say, it may help to install in windows the driver of the monitor, the driver for my XL2430T and Win10 is here: https://benqesupport.blob.core.windows. ... driver.zip

Several instructions require source code and project files of flashrom software, however neither "svn://flashrom.org/flashrom/trunk@1846" nor "https://code.coreboot.org/svn/flashrom/trunk@1846" are accessible any more. Because the project is hosted at github now, I installed 'Git for Windows 2.19.0' and 'TortoiseGit-2.7.0.0-64bit'. Right click in windows explorer, go to 'Git Clone...', you can get the necessary URL at: https://flashrom.org/Downloads, it is: 'https://github.com/flashrom/flashrom.git'. This created a clone folder 'D:\flashrom', in it is a copy of the project in the newest version, but instructions however say you need the SVN-version 1846.
According to the page 'https://mail.coreboot.org/pipermail/fla ... 12894.html' the changes to version 1846 were committed on 08/20/2014, which were termed: 'Add support for Macronix MX23L1654, MX23L6454 and MX23L12854 mask ROMs'. To get this version, right click on the folder 'D:\flashrom', then 'TortoiseGit' and 'Repo-Browser', click herein the button 'Revision: HEAD'. In the new window select all files from the beginning up to and including the 08/31/2014, right click and 'Revert changes by these commits'. This reverts all changes made after the 08/24/2014, giving it the state of a 1846 version.
Next download the patch at: http://boeglin.org/static/benq/0001-Add ... ocol.patch and execute it, a window of TortoiseGitUDiff will open, choose file, then Apply Patch and chose the file 'D:\flashrom'. Select all 5 entries under 'File Patches' in a new window, chose and click 'Patch all items' to execute the necessary changes to the project files. I've copied the flashrom file and the firmware file 'XL2430T_V006.bin' to another USB stick, because they will be needed in Linux.

Boot from the first stick and 'try Ubuntu mode'

When it finishes loading, open a terminal (Ctrl + Alt + T);
type "sudo gedit /etc/apt/sources.list" without the quotes to bring up the editor.
At the end of the second line, add "Universe Multiverse" so the line looks exactly iike this:

"deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ trusty main restricted universe multiverse"
Save and exit the sources.list file.

Then type "sudo apt-get update"
That should download some updates.
Then type:
sudo apt-get install i2c-tools subversion libpci-dev
That should update and install some package lists.

You MIGHT also need this command too.
sudo apt-get install libusb-dev

"cd flashrom"

make -j (<-this should make the flashrom patcher with the data for the mstar scaler)

sudo modprobe i2c-dev

sudo i2cdetect -l <--this lists all i2c buses

sudo i2cdetect 1 <---this lists al i2c buses on bus 1.

sudo i2cdump -r 0-127 1 0x50 <--- get EDID (0x50) from bus 1. You are looking for an EDID dump that shows the monitor name in it. You may have to change the 1 to a 0, if your monitor is on bus 0, or to a higher value, seen up to 5 on 290x DVI ports, or more ( 0 0x50 insteada of 1 0x50, or 5 0x50). Once you find the dump that says "XL2411Z/XL2420Z/XL2430T/XL2720Z" etc, then you're good to go.

(edit):
If you are using a laptop through VGA, you SHOULD be able to find the monitor i2c identifier name easily. If you are using a desktop through DVI and flashing through the desktop and you can not find the monitor bus or get random data where the monitor 'should' be located (or in the rare case that the laptop can't see it through VGA, reboot the host computer back to windows and install the monitor driver from the DVD (device manager or displays in control panel); this has been confirmed to have helped people who kept getting "Unknown" data on the i2c bus. (0x50 buses 0-4 usually). Not sure why this works; maybe Linux has access to installed inf data.

sudo ./flashrom -p mstarddc_spi:dev=/dev/i2c-1:49 <----# identify flash chip, on bus 1 (/dev/i2c-1) at address 0x49. Change the 1 to a 0 if you are on bus 0. Change the 1 to a 5 if you re on bus 5, and so on.

(dump current firmware)
sudo ./flashrom -p mstarddc_spi:dev=/dev/i2c-1:49 -c "A25L016" -r backup.bin <--again change the 1 to a 0 if you are on bus 0.

This should take about 5 minutes to dump. Once that's done, copy backup.bin to a folder on the local hard drive (NOT the USB drive) so you can can upload it somewhere. The dumped file should be 2 mb in size. We can easily verify if you dumped the right thing by a hex editor.

Copy the EXTRACTED Version 6 (or whatever version) firmware into the flashrom folder. In my case the file is named 'XL2430T_V006.bin'. DO NOT RENAME IT TO FIRMWARE.BIN !!!!!

At this point the instructions on page 21 say, that it is necessary to resize the new firmware to 2MB, but this was not necessary for my 'XL2430T_V006.bin', cause its size is already 2,00 MB. This is why I used directly my firmware-file and its name in the next line:

# write firmware
sudo ./flashrom -p mstarddc_spi:dev=/dev/i2c-1:49 -c "A25L016" -w XL2430T_V006.bin

(this will take between 5-20 minutes).


Here is the flashrom-folder in version 1846, already patched, with it you don't need to do the whole Git stuff, you can start with the ubuntu part; and the v6-firmware-file for XL2430T for download:

https://www110.zippyshare.com/v/qacsLHgR/file.html

or

http://s000.tinyupload.com/?file_id=241 ... 9369144958

I have a problem in the last step, when I enter the code ./flashrom, it throws me an error of ./flashrom not found.
pleas help me, my monitor is Benq XL2420z

Sparky
Posts: 682
Joined: 15 Jan 2014, 02:29

Re: Firmware upgrade using Linux tool, requires no hardware

Post by Sparky » 08 Oct 2018, 14:46

Kbenq wrote:
I have a problem in the last step, when I enter the code ./flashrom, it throws me an error of ./flashrom not found.
pleas help me, my monitor is Benq XL2420z
Are you in the right place?
You can use pwd to see what directory you're in, and ls to see what's there.

Kbenq
Posts: 5
Joined: 08 Oct 2018, 14:22

Re: Firmware upgrade using Linux tool, requires no hardware

Post by Kbenq » 08 Oct 2018, 15:06

Sparky wrote:
Kbenq wrote:
I have a problem in the last step, when I enter the code ./flashrom, it throws me an error of ./flashrom not found.
pleas help me, my monitor is Benq XL2420z
Are you in the right place?
You can use pwd to see what directory you're in, and ls to see what's there.

Code: Select all

sudo ./flashrom -p mstarddc_spi:dev=/dev/i2c-2:49
I get answer ./flashrom not found

Kbenq
Posts: 5
Joined: 08 Oct 2018, 14:22

Re: Firmware upgrade using Linux tool, requires no hardware

Post by Kbenq » 08 Oct 2018, 15:36

Sparky wrote:
Kbenq wrote:
I have a problem in the last step, when I enter the code ./flashrom, it throws me an error of ./flashrom not found.
pleas help me, my monitor is Benq XL2420z
Are you in the right place?
You can use pwd to see what directory you're in, and ls to see what's there.
I've been two days with this and I can not, I do not know how to load the bin, I'm new to linux but I came well in the part where it is used *. / flashrom*, that is, if I have an answer from my monitor, if it is correctly identified, please help me

Sparky
Posts: 682
Joined: 15 Jan 2014, 02:29

Re: Firmware upgrade using Linux tool, requires no hardware

Post by Sparky » 08 Oct 2018, 16:40

Kbenq wrote:
Sparky wrote:
Kbenq wrote:
I have a problem in the last step, when I enter the code ./flashrom, it throws me an error of ./flashrom not found.
pleas help me, my monitor is Benq XL2420z
Are you in the right place?
You can use pwd to see what directory you're in, and ls to see what's there.
I've been two days with this and I can not, I do not know how to load the bin, I'm new to linux but I came well in the part where it is used *. / flashrom*, that is, if I have an answer from my monitor, if it is correctly identified, please help me

Code: Select all

pwd
is the command to show the present working directory.

Code: Select all

ls
lists the contents of the current directory.

Code: Select all

cd [directory]
is the command to change directory.

Code: Select all

.
is the shortcut for the current directory, so if you try to run ./something then that something should be in the current directory.

Either the program isn't where it's supposed to be, or you're in the wrong place to be running that command. With the information you've given, we can't tell which.

Post Reply