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NEC ND-3520A - Modified vs. stock firmware
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Posted by Jan S.
Posted on 30/01/05 17:36
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Facts Modified firmware
 

Why modify firmware:

NEC takes a very conservative approach to burn speeds. They want to insure quality; Dee-27 can relate to this and agree fully. However, good quality media is usually capable of burning faster.  Another reason is, NEC is slow to support the drives they release with official firmware upgrades. A bug in official firmware can take months to fix. A bug in modified firmware can usually be fixed in minutes.

Dee-27 doesn't always patch a particular media to increase its burn speed. Some write strategies are patched to improve write quality.

 

How patching is done:

Within the firmware there are media tables and write strategy tables. These are extracted from the firmware and edited; the editing is done at three levels:

  • Level 1 - A media MID is transferred to another strategy group supporting a high burn speed.
  • Level 2 - Parts of a strategy group are copied and pasted into another strategy group, this changes the burn characteristics of the edited strategy group.
  • Level 3 - The write strategies themselves are edited by hand. This has been done on this review firmware. This level of editing is very time consuming and the results can be very variable depending on the quality of the media.

Finally the edited strategies are then compiled and patched into the firmware BIN file

 

Modified firmware (mini) FAQ:

Q: Which NEC firmware is this LD firmware based on?

  • A: This firmware is based on IO-DATA ND-3520A firmware 1.24 with AUTO Bitsetting with riplock removed and RPC1.

Q: How do i flash my drive with this firmware?

  • A: The firmware is now bundled with Liggys Binflash. Unzip then run the package, now click on the FLASH button. The firmware will now be uploaded onto your drive, when completed you will be prompted to restart your PC.

Q: What are the risks of flashing my drive with this firmware?

  • A: Great care has been taken to make sure your drive is not damaged in any way by using this firmware. However, you flash your drive with this firmware at your own risk. Neither Dee-27, Jan70, Liggy, or CDFreaks.com will be held responsible if your drive or media is damaged in any way.

Q: Will flashing my drive with this firmware void my guarantee?

  • A: Yes, flashing your drive with any unofficial firmware will null your guarantee. If something should go wrong with your drive, you should buy a new one and not RMA the drive.

Q: Why do I not get good results when i burn media on the modified media list at MAX speed?

  • A: This is largely down to the quality of your media if the speedups don't give you good results. Set the burn speed lower. This firmware will give good results at the stated stock firmware speed, without having to flash back to a stock firmware.

Q: What about media not on the modified media list?

  • A: All media both SL and DL not listed in the modified media table use the default NEC STOCK write strategies and speeds. If you don't get the results you expect with media not in the modified list, this is a limitation of the media or drive, not this firmware.

Q: How do I set SL bitsetting for +R media?

  • A: This firmware AUTO Bitsets +R media with booktype DVD-ROM

Q: How do I use DL +R bitsetting?

  • A: This firmware AUTO Bitsets +R DL media with booktype DVD-ROM

 

LD3520 Beta 3 preview modified media List:

 

DVD+R

            

Media Code

2.4X

4X

6X

8X

12X

16X

PRODISC R02

*

o

*

*

    

PRODISC R03

*

*

*

*

o

  

CMC MAG E01

*

*

*

o

*

  

CMC MAG M01

  

*

*

*

o

  

RICOH JPNR00

o

*

*

*

    

RICOH JPNR01

*

o

*

*

*

  

RICOH JPNR02

*

*

*

*

o

*

RITEK R03-01

*

o

*

*

    

RITEK R04

o

*

*

*

*

  

RITEK M03

*

o

*

*

*

  

RITEK M04

*

o

*

*

*

  

RITEK M05

*

o

*

*

*

  

MCC 02

*

o

*

*

    

MCC 03

*

*

*

o

*

  

PHILIPS C16

  

*

*

o

*

  

YUDEN000T01

*

*

*

o

*

  

IS 01

*

o

*

*

    

MAXELL 02

*

*

*

o

*

  

OPTODISCOR8

*

*

*

o

*

  

INFOME R20

o

*

*

*

    

MEDIA ID001

o

*

*

*

    

MJC     003

o

*

*

*

    

YUDEN000T02

*

*

*

*

*

o

MCC 004

*

*

*

*

*

o

MBIPG101 R04

*

*

*

o

*

  
 

DVD-R

            

Media Code

2X

4X

6X

8X

12X

16X

SONY D11

*

*

*

*

o

*

SONY 04D1

*

o

*

*

    

PRODISC S03

*

o

*

*

    

PRODISC S04

*

*

*

o

*

  

PRODISC S05

*

*

*

o

*

  

PRODISC S06

*

*

*

o

*

  

PRODISC S07

*

*

*

o

*

  

MCC01RG20

*

*

*

o

*

  

MCC02RG20

*

*

*

*

o

  

FUJIFILM02

*

*

o

*

    

CMC MAG AE1

*

*

*

o

*

  

CMC MAG AE2

*

*

*

o

*

  

CMC MAG AE3

*

*

*

o

*

  

CMC MAG AE4

*

*

*

o

*

  

CMC MAG AE5

*

*

*

o

*

  

OPTODISCR004

*

o

*

*

    

OPTODISCR005

*

o

*

*

    

OPTODISCR006

*

o

*

*

    

OPTODISCR007

*

o

*

*

    

OPTODISCR008

*

*

*

o

*

  

TY G01

*

*

*

o

*

  

RITEK G04

*

o

*

*

*

  

RITEK G05

*

*

*

o

*

  

RITEKM02

*

o

*

*

    

RITEKM03

*

o

*

*

    

RITEKM04

*

o

*

*

    

TTG02

*

*

*

o

*

  

TTG03

*

*

*

o

*

  

TTG04

*

*

*

o

*

  

TTG05

*

*

*

o

*

  

TTG06

*

*

*

o

*

  

CMC MAG F01

*

o

*

*

    

MXL RG02

o

*

*

*

*

  

MXL RG03

o

*

*

*

*

  

PRODISC F01

*

*

*

o

*

  

KIC01RG20

*

o

*

*

*

  

KIC01RG21

*

o

*

*

*

  

KIC01RG22

*

o

*

*

*

  

KIC02RG20

*

o

*

*

*

  

KIC03RG20

*

o

*

*

*

  

SKC Co.,Ltd

*

o

*

*

    

* = Supported write speed

o = Max supported write speed with stock 1.24 firmware

Strategy list:

RITEK G05  -> Custom Strategy 1 (edited write strategies)
RITEK G04  -> Custom Strategy 1 (edited write strategies)
RITEKM02 -> Custom Strategy 1 (edited write strategies)
RITEKM03 -> Custom STrategy 1 (edited write strategies)
MCC01RG20 -> Custom STrategy 1 (edited write strategies)
MCC02RG20 -> Custom Strategy 1 (edited write strategies)
CMC MAG AE1 -> Custom Strategy 1 (edited write strategies)
CMC MAG AE2 -> Custom Strategy 1 (edited write strategies)
CMC MAG AE3 -> Custom Strategy 1 (edited write strategies)
CMC MAG AE4 -> Custom Strategy 1 (edited write strategies)
CMC MAG AE5 -> Custom Strategy 1 (edited write strategies)
PRODISC R03 -> Custom Strategy 2 (edited write strategies)
MAXELL 02 -> Custom Strategy 2 (edited write strategies)
CMC MAG E01 -> Custom Strategy 2 (edited write strategies)
PRODISCS03 -> Custom Strategy 3
PRODISCS04 -> Custom Strategy 3
PRODISCS05 -> Custom Strategy 3
PRODISCS06 -> Custom Strategy 3
PRODISCS07 -> Custom Strategy 3
MXL RG02 -> Custom Strategy 3
MXL RG03 -> Custom Strategy 3
PRODISC F01 -> Custom Strategy 3
OPTODISCR008 -> Custom Strategy 3
MCC03 -> Custom Strategy 4 (edited write strategies)
YUDEN000T01 -> Custom Strategy 4 (edited write strategies)
MBIPG101 R04 -> Custom Strategy 4 (edited write strategies)
TTG02 -> Custom Strategy 5
TTG03 -> Custom Strategy 5
TTG04 -> Custom Strategy 5
TTG05 -> Custom Strategy 5
TTG06 -> Custom Strategy 5
KIC01RG20 -> Custom Strategy 6 (edited write strategies)
KIC01RG21 -> Custom Strategy 6 (edited write strategies)
KIC01RG22 -> Custom Strategy 6 (edited write strategies)
KIC02RG20 -> Custom Strategy 6 (edited write strategies)
KIC03RG20 -> Custom Strategy 6 (edited write strategies)
YUDEN000T02 -> Custom Strategy 7 (edited write strategies)
RICOH JPNR02 -> Custom Strategy 7 (edited write strategies)
MCC 004 -> Custom Strategy 8 (edited write strategies)
TYG01 ->TYG02
RICOHJPNR00 -> RICHOHJPNR01
RICOHJPNR01 -> RICOHJPNR02
SONY04D1 -> MCC01RG20
RITEKR03-01 -> RITEK R03
IS01 -> PHILIPS 081
PHILIPS C16 ->  CMC MAG M01
RITEK R04 -> CMC MAG M01
CMC MAG F01 -> RICOHJPNR01
PRODISCR02 ->  YUDEN000T01
MCC 002 -> YUDEN000T01
OPTODISCOR08 -> DAXON AZ2
RitekM03 -> MCC01RG20
RitekM04 -> MCC01RG20
SONYD11 -> SONYD21
FUJIFILM02 ->  SONY04D1
OPTODISCR004 -> OPTODISCR008
OPTODISCR005 -> OPTODISCR008
OPTODISCR006 -> OPTODISCR008
OPTODISCR007 -> OPTODISCR008
INFOME R20 -> Philips 081
MEDIA ID001 -> YUDEN000T01
MJC     003 -> YUDEN000T01
SKC Co.,Ltd -> MCC01RG20

Notes:
Custom Strategy 1 (edited write strategies)
2X 4X 6X 8X =  MCC01RG20
10X 12X  = MCC02RG20

Custom Strategy 2 (edited write strategies)
2.4X 4X 6X 8X = PRODISCR03
10X 12X = MCC02RG20

Custom Strategy 3
2X 4X 6X 8X = PRODISCS04
10X 12X = MCC02RG20

Custom Strategy 4 (edited write strategies)
2.4X 4X 6X 8X = MCC04
10X 12X = MCC02RG20

Custom Strategy 5
2X 4X 6X 8X ->  TTG02
10X 12X -> MCC02RG20

Custom Strategy 6 (edited write strategies)
2X 4X 6X 8X -> Mcc01RG20

Custom Strategy 7 (edited write strategies)
2.4X 4X 6X 8X 10X 12X 14X 16X -> YUDEN000T02

Custom Strategy 8 (edited write strategies)
2.4X 4X 6X 8X 10X 12X 14X 16X -> MCC004

To learn more about the LD3520 firmware you should visit our forum, where you also will find a link to the latest firmware. ENTER HERE.

Black versus beige loading tray:

As you may have noticed we used one 'beige" and one 'black" drive in this review and the drive also got the correspondent loading tray in the same color. So we asked ourselves if there could be any advantages to use a black colored loading tray versus a beige one. And we would like to leave this question open for the time being.

But we would like to mention that the following manufacturers have official stated advantages with a black loading tray.

  • BenQ/Philips - 'Unique black CD tray enhance readability and writing quality"
  • Plextor - 'A black tray, to reduce the jitter and to increase the quality of the burned CD"

Versus

 

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Reactions on this item
Posted by BoSkin on Sunday 30 January 2005 23:41
"...in most cases the STOCK firmware has the edge on quality, showing fewer errors on a burned media."

To me, this is the most important thing,
in other words this is what counts, not, let's say, the like 0,37% write speed gain and kinda "saved" 7-8 seconds.
Mostly, I have something else to do when burning stuff.
:g
Posted by Mender on Thursday 03 February 2005 00:50
An excellent comparison article. This is the sort of information I like to see:)
Posted by Zim33 on Saturday 12 February 2005 05:21
Great info, but I'd also like to see data READ capability compared, too.
Posted by J37HR0 on Thursday 17 February 2005 01:27
Thank you so much for this comparison. I really liked the side by side comparisons.

Excellent Job.
Posted by danbo on Saturday 19 February 2005 05:55
"...in most cases the STOCK firmware has the edge on quality, showing fewer errors on a burned media." "To me, this is the most important thing, "

Some of us actually CARE about bitsetting!
:d
Posted by RaHzElChO on Friday 10 June 2005 16:53
:B
Posted by Skeleton (guest) on Friday 20 April 2007 09:46
my nec3520a works excelent now. i tried burning dvd-r at 16x and it works excelent. before i had problems. i tried for the first time to write one image of 7.5 gb on one dvd+r dl verbatim. on read test it did not make it. sugestions? :r
Posted by jvkersbergen (guest) on Sunday 21 September 2008 21:58
gaarne downloden voor 3520A1.04
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