Anyone interested in helping to add Blu-Ray drive support to Binflash?

CD, DVD and (Ultra HD) Blu-ray Writers NEC / Optiarc Writer
#1

Hi everyone,

in the latest Binflash release 1.51 I added a number of routines to allow flashing of Optiarc BluRay drives. Supported drives should be:

[ul]
[li]Optiarc BC-5500S (very likely to work)[/li][li]Optiarc BC-5600S (should definitely work)[/li][li]Optiarc BD-5730S (only works if flashing hasn’t changed since the 5500S/5600S drives)[/li][/ul]
Right now I can not detect these drives and this is what I first need help for. Also dumping firmwares is not supported and may never be if that’s not supported by the drive at all or if can’t figure how to do it. However once a drive is detected, flashing new firmwares should be possible - circumventing restrictions that are applied to the original flasher softwares like flashing OEM firmwares.

For the time being I will first need help to detect these drives. I can provide you with tools (Windows only) and instructions on what to do. If then someone is really brave and does not mind bricking an expensive drive we can also try flashing firmwares.

#2

Hi Liggy

What about the 5500A?

Please provide the following information at http://club.cdfreaks.com/showthread.php?t=105676
— Start of identification —
Version: 1.51
Normal : Optiarc - BD ROM BC-5500A - 1.B4
Boot : Optiarc - BD ROM BC-5500A - 0000
0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
XXXXXXXX43353030312E4234XXXXXXXXXXXX4143520000XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF
— End of identification —

#3

When I started writing this thread, I wasn’t aware that there is a PATA version of this drive. But in the meantime I already received the required data for the 5500A and it will be supported the same way as the SATA version.

However the current state is that I can only flash within the same series of firmwares, e.g. between 1.02 , 1.03, 1.04 and so on, but not between e.g. 1.04 and 1.74. I have an idea how this could be solved, but I didn’t find the time yet to prepare this test. Actually it’s just modifying a certain value in the firmware data but there is a chance this won’t work and even a certain risk that this could damage a drive. Once everything is tested and the existing mechanisms are confirmed I will release a Binflash version, but there’s a chance that we cannot circumvent the limitation of flashing firmwares from different OEMs.

Beside that an [thread=108669]SPTI trace[/thread] from flashing a BD-5730S would be handy as I’m not sure if it uses the same commands as the older drives. I guess it does but this should first be confirmed in order to not risk bricking drives.

#4

Hi LIggy

How’s it coming along, should we donate a huge hammer by now? :stuck_out_tongue:

#5

Support for the combo drives has been implemented - as good as possible. While I guess that the BD-57320S burner needs the same commands for flashing this has not been confirmed yet, so I have disabled support for this drive at the moment.

Situation is that one can successfully flash within a certain firmware series (e.g. 1.7*) but not between them (e.g. from 1.03 to 1.73). Without having access to an unencrypted firmware, this will probably be the only available support that I can offer. A new Binflash version should be out soon, but I first need to make some adjustments to code that I had to add for debugging and then recompile on all platforms.

#6

Thanks for the quick reply Liggy.

So no chance of updating a 5500A from 1.B4 to 1.05, bummer.

#7

[QUOTE=Oz.;2546727]So no chance of updating a 5500A from 1.B4 to 1.05, bummer.[/QUOTE]
Unfortunately not right now. Still hoping to receive a dump of the flash chip that would allow me to further investigate but right now I have not found a way to make the drive accept different firmwares or even dump an unencrypted firmware.

#8

OK, still, appreciate the effort you put in so far.

#9

Hi,

do you still need help with the detection thing?

I got a BC5500S in my acer notebook if thats any help…
Apparently it uses the same OEM firmware as ASUS versions do (1.E1).

I heard 1.E1 is based on the 1.05 optiarc firmware… do you think it will be possible to flash the official firmwares (e.g. 1.06 which is IMHO the most recent one for this drive) when the new binflash features have “settled”? :wink:

Cya…

#10

I sent you a PM with information on how to get some information from the drive. But as long as I don’t have access to an unencrypted firmware, there’s probably not much I can do to allow flashing different firmwares.

You could try flashing a retail firmware to your drive with the Binflash version from my PM, but this is probably going to fail with a checksum error message.

#12

BUMP. :flower:

Sure, the excellent Binflash should also support all NEC/Optiarc/Sony/OrWhatEver [B]SLIM blu ray[/B] drives long time ago. (BTW, we’ve two of these in my family, with no DVD+ bitsett or regio).
To my experience, nowday we for sure seldom use a desktop box.

What is needed? :confused:

Example;
Sony/Optiarc [B]BD-5730S[/B] uses NEC D63421BF1 main chip and EtronTech EM638165TS-6G eeprom. Firmware can be flashed ower and ower again.

Is’t there any need for DVD+R, +RW bitsetting and rpc1 anymore by our members…? :rolleyes:

If trace STPI logs are needed I can send them at once.

Thanks Liggy. :bow:

#13

We’ve got a couple of issues here:

[ul]
[li]Firmwares for Blu-Ray drives are encrypted
[/li][li]The encryption/decryption routines are not known
[/li][li]The firmware dumping commands will not dump the firmware on a Blu-Ray drive and no other commands seem to replace them
[/li][li]I do have traces for flashing Optiarc BC-5500A/S and BC-5600A/S and added that function to Binflash. BD-5730 and other drives will probably be similar, but I don’t have the traces and adding support would not give any benefit over using the official flasher anyway.
[/li][*]I do have an unencrypted flash dump - however not the encrypted equivalent - but I still was not able to figure out how the encryption works or even locate that routine. Gave the information I have (flash dump, disassembler listing, SPTI trace from flashing) to a couple of people who wanted to support, but haven’t got any feedback. I guess the routines are outside the regular flash, maybe part of the chipset[/ul]

#14

[QUOTE=Liggy;2657593]We’ve got a couple of issues here:

[LIST]
[li]Firmwares for Blu-Ray drives are encrypted[/li][li]The encryption/decryption routines are not known[/li][li]The firmware dumping commands will not dump the firmware on a Blu-Ray drive and no other commands seem to replace them…[/QUOTE][/li]First, thanks taking your time… :clap:

Firmwares for Blu-Ray drives are encrypted.

Second, it’s not the first time we deal with encrypted firmwares. Lite-On has been practicing this for far more longer time then NEC/ Optiarc/ Sony/ OrWhatEver. Was it “impossible”? NO! Thanks to all nowdays gone members like code65536, Quiky and C0deKing this kind’a issues have been resolved. [Maybe with help from some “testers”]
My question is; why has then the NEC encryption issue been “resting” for more then 2 years. Whats the problem? Doesn’t the members wanna this to be resolved?

OK, I know, not that many people nowdays use a desktop or a laptop slim blu-ray burner anymore in daily life. Even at my work we are given iPhone, iPads and network storage.
But then, why are we here for? Joo, maybe because we like to pushing the limits forward. Isn’t that why MyCE is still alive?
Given the facts about main chip, eeprom used and basic programming I think we have to start from there.

I only have basic knowledge about programming. During my time at cdfreaks/ okey nowdays MyCE, code65536, zebra and C0deKing have been my teachers when it comes to pushing the limits. I’ve always supported the forum with testing issues.
BTW Liggy. Don’t hesitate to ask me. I don’t bother “loosing” a slim blu-ray drive for a future forum members benefit .

To all; keep on testing.
thanks.

#15

I still prefer using optical drives and media over cloud based data or streaming, so I hope to be able to use optical drives for quite a while.

The issue here is that nobody figured out, how to actually break the encryption. Unfortunately not many people still work on optical drives and patching them. And the best team (TDB) has retired several years ago already. Like I said, a couple of people received the “package” with everything that I have on the encryption side - but no luck so far.

My guess is that the decryption routines are outside the regular firmware and you would actually need to flash a modified firmware with external hardware to read data from this region. This is something which will probably become quite difficult. I don’t say that it’s impossible. However I personally do not have the required skills to do it all myself and not too many people are available who can support properly. Also Sony have announced that Optiarc will soon be closed so the benefit of being able to patch these firmwares is probably rather low.