Question: Sony Optiarc AD-7200S Firmware

straightflush

Hi Liggy,

First of all, many thanks for all your help and contributions to the many users of Sony Optiarc optical drives here in the forum and throughout the world.

I may soon get me hands on a older but still good Sony AD-7200S drive and am looking forward to updating it with your firmware as I have done with other Sony Optiarc drives in the past. I have looked at your website for firmwares and have come across what seems to be different range of firmwares for apparantly the same drive, for example:

1. http://liggydee.cdfreaks.com/fwinfo/en/7200s/109
2. http://liggydee.cdfreaks.com/fwinfo/en/7200s/10b
3. http://liggydee.cdfreaks.com/fwinfo/en/7200s/183

In the past when I have flashed Sony Optiarc drives, I would select the latest firmware in the similar family format to that of the original drive eg in a AD-7240S from 1.02 to 1.04 with autoreset bitsetting firmware.

I am just wondering if I can change firmware to other varieties of firmware for the same drive such as switching between examples 1,2 and 3 above for the Sony Optiarc AD-7200S?

The main reason I am asking is that I like the auto-resetting bitset firmware very much and am using it already but the generic 1.09 firmware update for the AD-7200S on your website does not have the combination autoreset and bitset patch firmware. The 1.0B variant (option 2 above) you provide does.

Unfortunately I have not bought the actual drive yet so I cannot clarify exactly what firmware range the drive comes with. If it is impossible to change firmware to other ranges (for want of a better description), that is ok and I can just use the bitsetting RPC1.

I thought I would just get some clarification from you beforehand.

Once again thank you for your kind and generous help

Liggy

There were two different (and incompatible) versions of the 7200S. But if I remember correctly, 1.09, 1.0A and 1.0B worked on both hardware revisions.

If Binflash allows flashing a certain firmware, you should be on the safe side.

__________________
You need to flash or dump your NEC DVD burner firmwares on your Mac, Windows, DOS or Linux machine? Just try Binflash.
Visit Liggy's and Dee's Optiarc and NEC firmware and tools page for all kind of information about NEC and Optiarc drives.

Unrequested PM about drive problems will not be answered!

straightflush

Does your reply mean that Binflash has a safety feature that only allows flashing with firmware that is fully compatible with the hardware?

Depending on your reply, I guess I can play it safe and just use the 1.09, 1.0A and 1.0B if they are compatible with both hardware revisions of the 7200S.

Or better still, just staying with the same naming format that the drive comes with as I have done so in the past.

Thanks again for your help

Liggy

In some cases you may get a warning message about incompatible bootcodes only (should probably change this or maybe I already did), but if you do, you should not continue

I'd go for 1.0B as it's the latest one.

That's not required in most cases

__________________
You need to flash or dump your NEC DVD burner firmwares on your Mac, Windows, DOS or Linux machine? Just try Binflash.
Visit Liggy's and Dee's Optiarc and NEC firmware and tools page for all kind of information about NEC and Optiarc drives.

Unrequested PM about drive problems will not be answered!

straightflush

Thanks for the clarification with the Binflash. I will look out for any warning messages and immediately stop if such messages appear.

Your recommmendation of the 1.0B is going to be perfect for my needs. The download package includes the auto-reset bitset firmware that I was hoping to use.

Thank you very much for your wonderful assistance again. Looking forward to trying this out soon