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)
Andronicus
Posts: 5
Joined: 16 Apr 2014, 19:12

Re: Firmware upgrade using Linux tool, requires no hardware

Post by Andronicus » 16 Jun 2015, 05:16

i've followed meticulously this guide using a laptop with ubuntu and vga port

http://forums.blurbusters.com/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=2190

after this command

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

flashrom gave me various message like this

"Erasing and writing flash chip... Error sending write command: errno 6."

the monitor didn't turn on anymore no power led etc. via sudo i2cdetect 1 command i still saw 0x50 and 0x49 so i've launched again the flashing command without success same errors as before, but now 0x49 has dissappeard.


so i think it's bricked :cry:


any suggestion ?

Falkentyne
Posts: 2805
Joined: 26 Mar 2014, 07:23

Re: Firmware upgrade using Linux tool, requires no hardware

Post by Falkentyne » 16 Jun 2015, 06:29

I believe the monitor can be reflashed after it has been powered off, and unplugged for a time. However if the flash failed, it probably has to be reflashed on another system-a completely different laptop or even a desktop through the vga port.

Andronicus
Posts: 5
Joined: 16 Apr 2014, 19:12

Re: Firmware upgrade using Linux tool, requires no hardware

Post by Andronicus » 16 Jun 2015, 06:49

exactly !!!

i've tried with two different laptops both with intel chipset same

"Erasing and writing flash chip... Error sending write command: errno 6."


so i've switched to a PC with amd card for Benq and onboard intel with another monitor ( DELL ) after waiting half hour 0x49 came back and i finally flashed to v4


All's well that ends well :D

Falkentyne
Posts: 2805
Joined: 26 Mar 2014, 07:23

Re: Firmware upgrade using Linux tool, requires no hardware

Post by Falkentyne » 16 Jun 2015, 07:25

Glad it worked, and good job.

The monitor has a boot block type mechanism so that it can still be recovered in case of an error. Even though it was never intended to be flashed in the first place outside of the factory, it was probably done similar to other programmers. Most devices these days have a failsafe boot block that will allow the device, although inoperable, to be reprogrammed in case a flash is interrupted or fails. The days of motherboards dying to a bad bios flash are long over.

dvz
Posts: 6
Joined: 26 Jun 2015, 01:43

Re: Firmware upgrade using Linux tool, requires no hardware

Post by dvz » 26 Jun 2015, 02:09

Hey all,

I just flashed my 2720Z all worked fine. However I cannot get anything over 60hz now. I haven't changed the cable etc or anything.

PS: Flashed to V4.

Falkentyne
Posts: 2805
Joined: 26 Mar 2014, 07:23

Re: Firmware upgrade using Linux tool, requires no hardware

Post by Falkentyne » 26 Jun 2015, 03:35

Either install the monitor driver off the CD (there's a driver on the CD, you will need to install it by going to device manager (or control panel ->Display->advanced and have disk), and then after you get the driver installed, you can try uninstalling the videocard drivers, using "DDU" (display driver uninstaller) to clean everything, then before rebooting your computer, download ToastyX CRU and run RESET-ALL.exe.

Then reboot, reinstall the current video card drivers. double check that the monitor driver is still installed, and everything should be working fine.

This process has fully fixed someone who had stuttering in Lightboost mode on his GTX980 (except he also reinstalled the operating system)

dvz
Posts: 6
Joined: 26 Jun 2015, 01:43

Re: Firmware upgrade using Linux tool, requires no hardware

Post by dvz » 26 Jun 2015, 04:03

Falkentyne wrote:Either install the monitor driver off the CD (there's a driver on the CD, you will need to install it by going to device manager (or control panel ->Display->advanced and have disk), and then after you get the driver installed, you can try uninstalling the videocard drivers, using "DDU" (display driver uninstaller) to clean everything, then before rebooting your computer, download ToastyX CRU and run RESET-ALL.exe.

Then reboot, reinstall the current video card drivers. double check that the monitor driver is still installed, and everything should be working fine.

This process has fully fixed someone who had stuttering in Lightboost mode on his GTX980 (except he also reinstalled the operating system)
Did this, now the computer will not detect the monitor at all. When it was detecting the monitor it only detected it after post in Windows. I have since tried to flash back to V2 on another PC via VGA.

The DVI port does not work outside of windows anymore(first time i flashed to V4 I used the DVI port on the inbuilt graphics). I fear I have done some serious damage to my monitor that I cant fix now that I have tried to go back to V2 and it's no longer working.

EDIT: My method

Used DVI mainboard graphics to flash to V4 from V1(I know right).
Did not go over 60hertz and monitor would not detect until in Windows.
Once I installed the display driver the monitor stopped working altogether
Re-flashed to V2 via VGA on another PC
Same thing happening.

Edit: I change to display port and it seems to actually recognize the monitor in the Display Pilot Program.

Falkentyne
Posts: 2805
Joined: 26 Mar 2014, 07:23

Re: Firmware upgrade using Linux tool, requires no hardware

Post by Falkentyne » 26 Jun 2015, 04:59

There was one other person who had this problem with the DVI port unrecognized and the DP port working fully (most likely HDMI and VGA are working as well). This was on a XL2420Z.

he did not flash from v1, iirc, I think he was on either V2 or V3. It was the same problem: DVI showing "non PNP monitor"

This problem is almost -always- a hardware incompatibility with the computer used to flash the monitor. No one knows what the exact problem is, but it's probably something very low level, like i2c access or problems with the host computer's Bios.

I personally flashed my 2720Z from V2 to F4 using my Geforce 570m MSI laptop (traditional bios) through VGA port, then flashed back to V2 using the DVI port on my R9 290x directly, then flashed again back to V4, without a problem (Legacy/traditional Bios on my P67 motherboard, not UEFI).

Usually if there's a hardware issue, the flash will just completely fail and then the monitor has to be powered off for about 10-15 minutes and unplugged from the AC, and then powered on and flashed with a different computer (E.g. if a laptop was used, then use a desktop computer, or use a second laptop).

One person who had the flash fail (buried way up in this thread; the flasher didn't even start flashing in the first place; he couldn't even query the flash chip) had the firmware query (when he tried to read some registers instead of writing) show two bytes reversed improperly which was making the flash command error out. When he switched computers after powering down the monitor and draining the power from it, it flashed successfully.

When you first flashed the monitor, were you using a motherboard/system with a legacy (traditional) Bios or a UEFI Bios?

Did you try unplugging the monitor from the wall for 15 minutes and then flashing back to V2?
Was the monitor in standby mode (powered off but plugged in) when you flashed?

dvz
Posts: 6
Joined: 26 Jun 2015, 01:43

Re: Firmware upgrade using Linux tool, requires no hardware

Post by dvz » 26 Jun 2015, 05:05

Did you try unplugging the monitor from the wall for 15 minutes and then flashing back to V2?
No/Maybe?
Was the monitor in standby mode (powered off but plugged in) when you flashed?
No
When you first flashed the monitor, were you using a motherboard/system with a legacy (traditional) Bios or a UEFI Bios?
UEFI Bios. Flashed via the onboard graphics chipset DVI.
After the initial flash, it seemed to work. The service page showed that it was V4. The problem appears to be that the DVI port is no longer working properly out of windows. It's like it cannot detect the port until it's in windows almost and once in Windows it would no go beyond 60hz(thinking it's some generic monitor). The Benq Display Pilot program recognized the DVI monitor as @@@}}}} but with the display port it was recognized as a 2720z(and display port also cannot go beyond 60hz).

To re-flash to V2 I had no choice but to use VGA which I did through another PC using the on-board VGA. This was due to the fact I could not see post and Ubuntu did not recognize once in either(using another monitor to boot to Ubuntu).

dvz
Posts: 6
Joined: 26 Jun 2015, 01:43

Re: Firmware upgrade using Linux tool, requires no hardware

Post by dvz » 26 Jun 2015, 10:02

Manged to get this working on my display port with 120/144hz settings(this did not work on V1 i could only ever get 60hz through display port). DVI port appears to be rekt now. Also if I turn the monitor off it won't detect the display if I turn it back on. I need to unplug the cable and re-plug it back in(sigh).

On the bright side Blur reduction now finally works and the screen now looks wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy better.

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