Sunday, 11 August 2019

Calling all Sony BVM 14F1 & 20F1 owners: Your CRT could be at risk of software death


The three chips pictured below found in the BC slot1 board contain key software at risk of preservation unless we act today.


IC3 is a 2mbit flash and contains the cpu code, according to the manufacturer datasheet it has a data retention guarantee of 10 years. IC107/108 are 256kbit eproms containing key system signals, their data inside will last 30-40 years depending on conditions.

If you would like to help preserve these please dump/read these chips and provide me a copy along with your CRT monitor model and year, BC board revision code, and software revision (menu->status). If you don't have a chip reader you can buy the inexpensive TL866II Plus from Ebay, IC3 will dump as AM28F020, and IC107/108 as any 27C256 eprom variant.

My monitor is a 20F1E from 2002, BC board rev A-1135-825-B, software rev 1.40. I have uploaded a copy of the content of my chips here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1RcOjDqqe6G82cl521OmtAqBghIEh3i2x

UPDATE 8/13: Now moved to Github: https://github.com/ArcadeHacker/Dumps/tree/main/Monitors

Thanks for collaborating in preserving such fantastic monitors.


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39 comments:

  1. Luiz cybertron11 August 2019 at 20:05

    ..nice Idea!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Jonas12 August 2019 at 11:23

    Hi,

    I got a BVM-20F1E and a G540 dumper so I'll dump those and send you a link to them (I have to locate a XP machine, if you got other recommendation about IC dumper I'm all ears). I'd like to know if you got preference about the naming scheme and the dump format (bin and/or hex...)?

    Any idea if otherBVM/PVM model are at risk ? What about consumer sets ?
    Anyway thanks for the heads up !

    Cheers,

    Jonas

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Eduardo Cruz12 August 2019 at 11:58

      Thanks! BIN is fine. Probably most other BVMs have software too. It would be great to document them all and preserve anything necessary.

      Delete
  3. h1ghju1ce12 August 2019 at 17:15

    Do the PVMs have similar chips/code?

    I can get the code from my D20F1E too

    is this the same as the firmware?

    I have 1 FW update.bin , that we should be able to compare for reference

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Eduardo Cruz12 August 2019 at 17:50

      It could be, would be great to back up as many monitors and versions as possible to create a repository.

      Delete
  4. Jonas12 August 2019 at 20:11

    IMO putting it on Github would be handy but at the mercy of a DMCA takedown since the firmware should be copyrighted (even if the goal is clearly preservation intented and not piracy/profit based).

    Maybe a private repository would be better ? Anyway, the more dumps (organised by model and version) the better.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Eduardo Cruz13 August 2019 at 08:38

      I think you are right, Github + backup should do the job. I will upload the files later today and talk with Bitsavers.org so they try keep a copy.

      Delete
    2. Eduardo Cruz13 August 2019 at 12:53

      FYI https://github.com/ArcadeHacker/PVM-BVM-Monitor-ROM-Preservation

      Delete
    3. Jonas25 August 2019 at 17:34

      Thanks for that initiative. I just dumped my 3 IC and discovered that the dumps are exactly the same as yours. For the firmware (IC3) this was expected since I also got a 1.40 version, but regarding the two other IC (EPROM) I thought they would be different by holding different calibration values. My guess is that calibration and user data (channel names etc...) would have to reside somewhere-else. Given I don't have any memory card to dump these settings for backup purpose I will try to figure a way to smuggle them out. Maybe through a BKM remote emulator or something; if you've got any other idea don't hesitate to chime in ! Cheers

      Delete
    4. Eduardo Cruz25 August 2019 at 18:17

      Hey Jonas, great you could take a look. Anything settings or calibration is probably held inside ram, there's a battery there to keep data alive. The roms contain signals going to other boards in the chasis, the cpu board sets address bits for the roms and the data output in the form of bits is the signals, very peculiar system.

      Delete
  5. Suteneko13 August 2019 at 03:10

    My Barco Broadcast monitors are using eproms for software as well. I've been intending to dump them for a while but keep putting it off for other projects

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Eduardo Cruz13 August 2019 at 08:39

      Maybe this week? happy to put a copy in the repository.

      Delete
    2. Suteneko13 August 2019 at 14:44

      Dumped the 2 eproms. I will check when I have more time to see if any of the other monitors are running different versions but I am sure they are all the same. Uploaded the files to my website along with some images for reference. Been meaning to do a write up on these monitors as there is very little information about them out there. Seems like there is also software on a PIC and a PAL/GAL IC but unsure about how to correctly dump them.

      Delete
    3. Eduardo Cruz13 August 2019 at 14:59

      Great!! Just added these to the repository, we will also send them to mame for emulation: https://github.com/ArcadeHacker/PVM-BVM-Monitor-ROM-Preservation/commit/0f0144ba10f771874a7bf65389f43ee12fd3ae12

      Delete
  6. Eduardo Cruz13 August 2019 at 12:53

    I have created the following Github, let's make this grow: https://github.com/ArcadeHacker/PVM-BVM-Monitor-ROM-Preservation

    ReplyDelete
  7. Kevin Eshbach14 August 2019 at 02:02

    Anybody know if the Sony PVM-5041Q (5" CRT) has any dumpable roms?

    ReplyDelete
  8. Kevin Eshbach14 August 2019 at 02:03

    Anybody know if the Sony PVM-5041Q (5" broadcast crt) has any dumpable roms?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Eduardo Cruz14 August 2019 at 08:52

      Detailed part list https://usermanual.wiki/Document/PVM5041Q.4119563071.pdf

      Delete
    2. Kevin Eshbach15 August 2019 at 02:15

      Thanks, I only had a copy of the user's manual.

      Delete
  9. Alexis Trinquet21 August 2019 at 20:30

    Do you know if the PVM-1442QM is also affected? And what about the BVM-D32 and D24?

    ReplyDelete
  10. Unknown28 August 2019 at 16:17

    Hi Eduardo - I think I have a 14F5U here with a software issue. Can you shoot me an email and I can give you more details? I also posted this on the FB group - Professional & Broadcast CRT Monitors.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Eduardo Cruz29 August 2019 at 15:53

      Thanks for reaching out. Do you have a copy of the monitor software from someone else? Comparing it with yours would be a good start.

      Delete
  11. Suteneko24 September 2019 at 15:52

    These BVM firmware updates were uploaded to the "Professional & Broadcast CRT Monitors" Facebook group and could be useful to add to this repository.

    Link:

    https://drive.google.com/open?id=1v_U4LJ-0L-QoShwcHwB3vVU67WugZUhr&fbclid=IwAR2ubg0FMWG_EwW3pIcKoQGDD2uN9Icnt1vWrqj_g8-R8LQgpF1hLFxBMzU

    ReplyDelete
  12. Unknown23 October 2019 at 13:46

    I've got a few bvm 20s, firmware 1.41 I remember... Just bought the dumper mentioned from fleabay ;)

    ReplyDelete
  13. Unknown10 November 2019 at 12:15

    I've got a couple of BVM 20 cards dumped - how to send them? I can't upload to github?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Eduardo Cruz10 November 2019 at 18:53

      Share a link if you can please, thank you!

      Delete
    2. Eduardo Cruz10 November 2019 at 22:00

      Thank you! Would you like to be credited? if so please let me know the name.

      Delete
  14. Anonymous10 November 2019 at 22:27

    Nah no credit, thanks for all u have done!
    Got a couple more to dump, will be a while before I can get to them tho :)

    ReplyDelete
  15. Unknown21 July 2020 at 21:09

    Any way to flash the ICS with a memory card... similar to the firmware upgrade? I ask because I just didn't a fresh 1.4 flash on my 20f1u. I lost the test signal generator when I recapped the bc board months ago. Looking for a solution to get it back. Reflashing the firmware didn't fix the issue.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Richard T.29 April 2021 at 15:49

    Hey there everybody! I’ve got a dead bvm 20f1u and I’m looking for the bios files needed, if somebody out there has this monitor and a reader, can you please burn me a copy of the required icees

    ReplyDelete
  17. Richard T.29 April 2021 at 15:49

    Hey there everybody! I’ve got a dead bvm 20f1u and I’m looking for the bios files needed, if somebody out there has this monitor and a reader, can you please burn me a copy of the required icees

    ReplyDelete
  18. DaniBu20 March 2022 at 10:41

    Hi, I dumped the three chips of my Sony BVM-14G1E.
    I don't know if they can be useful, I would like to send them to you if you provide me with an email or instructions to ulpload on github.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Anonymous21 March 2022 at 10:02

    Thanks for this, please upload to wetransfer or similar and share the link.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous25 March 2022 at 16:39

      Thank again, files received! I will these to our github and credit you accordingly.

      Delete
  20. Boog16 January 2023 at 01:45

    Sony-BVM D20F1U August 2005 Model SN:2010940 I don't seem to have those EEPROMs or any removable chips for that matter. IC3 is soldered in labeled 29F400BC-90 and the other two don't exists. It's board diagram resembles that out of the first edition maintenance manual with the battery at the bottom and not the middle.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Derf7 June 2023 at 05:23

    Is there a solder-less way to connect to the chips in-circuit so they don't have to be desoldered?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous7 June 2023 at 11:14

      Reading a chip requires also powering it. The issue is applying power to VCC/GND would also power other parts of the board.

      Delete
  22. Rbg4u18 November 2024 at 09:33

    Hello! I got a non-working BVM 20F1E, after flashing the chips IC3, IC7 and IC8 the monitor turned on, but the menu says model 20G1. As I understand, the ISR board was originally from the 20G1 monitor, does anyone know what other chips need to be reflashed, and is there a firmware for them somewhere?

    ReplyDelete
  23. Anonymous20 November 2024 at 16:15

    Hi,

    If anyone has the dump for a BVM-14E1E that would be great. I have one in FW 1.04 but I would like to move to 1.40.
    Does anyone know if the binaries from Sony are directly written to IC3 or if the files are spread amongst the different ROMs ?

    ReplyDelete