Samsung s23a300b

[knoxrebel]

Samsung s23a300b led lcd. Turns on fine and shows picture about no signal detected, able to get into menus and everything looks fine.
When a vga or dvi signal is plugged in the screen shuts off and no video is displayed at all.
After cable is unplugged you get standard message about signal or it switches between digital and analog input message. Has anyone seen this before.

[rogfanther]

Is there another chip under that metal plate ? The problema description seems much similar to problems of the 710n series where the problem is in the microcontroller .

[re-atari]

Originally Posted by knoxrebel

Samsung s23a300b led lcd. Turns on fine and shows picture about no signal detected, able to get into menus and everything looks fine.
When a vga or dvi signal is plugged in the screen shuts off and no video is displayed at all.
After cable is unplugged you get standard message about signal or it switches between digital and analog input message. Has anyone seen this before.

Yes, several times recently. Check threads http://www.badcaps.net/forum/showthread.php?t=26922, post #14 in particular, and http://www.badcaps.net/forum/showthread.php?t=29242. There's nothing wrong with your monitor's hardware. The entire SA and A series LED monitors is plagued by firmware corruption, resulting in the strange fault you're experiencing. Reflashing the firmware will bring the monitor back to life.

You'll find a link to the firmware reflash software in the second thread. Download, install and run it. More specific details on how to go about are in the first thread.

I speak from own experience, about a month ago I bought a 'defective' 27SA550 that showed the exact phenomenon you described and managed to revive it by simply reflashing the firmware. Amazingly it was not even 1,5 years old. It's been working great ever since.

re-atari

[knoxrebel]

After installing drivers firmware update utility started the update. It restarted about 20 times going from 0-10% and then would not progress, i assume the computer restarted and now monitor does not power on and firmware utility no longer sees the monitor although windows does. Any suggestions?

[re-atari]

Originally Posted by knoxrebel

After installing drivers firmware update utility started the update. It restarted about 20 times going from 0-10% and then would not progress, i assume the computer restarted and now monitor does not power on and firmware utility no longer sees the monitor although windows does. Any suggestions?

Looks like there is a hardware failure after all. The firmware update should go all the way through to 100%. After updating the monitor switches itself off, when switched on manually it should give you an image again.
Did you use a VGA or a HDMI cable? Did you dowloaded the correct software, I recall Samsung had individual update software for every model affected.

Otherwise, I'm out of ideas. I fear desoldering the firmware IC and checking/programming it on a standalone programmer will be the only option left. That and buying a new/replacement board, of course.

re-atari

[knoxrebel]

If i need to use a programmer to get flash chip that is okay as i have a hot air smd station and a programmer. Not sure where to get the firmware though as it is packed in an executable. Also, if i can get mine working using this method it wont be much more work to flash several more in case other members need one.


I used the vga cable and i believe that I used the correct software.

[re-atari]

Originally Posted by knoxrebel

If i need to use a programmer to get flash chip that is okay as i have a hot air smd station and a programmer. Not sure where to get the firmware though as it is packed in an executable. Also, if i can get mine working using this method it wont be much more work to flash several more in case other members need one.

You have far better equipment than me at your disposal. That hot air station will surely come in handy
You could try dumping the desoldered flash chip and program its contents in a new one. Or maybe, just maybe, you might get away with replacing the flash chip with a completely blank one and programming it with Samsung's reflashing software. It will probably be a smd 8-pin serial eprom, AFAIK sockets for smd flash chips are not available. That's just too bad, as it would make experimenting a lot easier.

Originally Posted by knoxrebel

I used the vga cable and i believe that I used the correct software.

A VGA cable worked just fine for me, so it should have done the trick for you too. I think you can rule out a defective cable causing it, as the update process stopped at 10% every time you tried.

I already took a look inside the reflash software after I had scuccesfully revived my 27", but couldn't detect any files in it. It wasn't a zip-, rar- or any-of-that-kind sort of file. I think I got the software from Samsungs EU website, I'll check it out for you and download the software for your monitor. I don't know if it's just one big program that can be used to update all of the affected monitors.

re-atari

[re-atari]

Originally Posted by knoxrebel

I used the vga cable and i believe that I used the correct software.

I downloaded the flash update software for your monitor from http://www.samsung.com/uk/consumer/p...0BS/EN-support and found out it is identical to the version I used to update my 27"'s firmware. So it's safe to say it is, as Frank Zappa used to say, SOFA (size one fits all).
You could try to download the software again, just to make sure it wasn't corrupted during transmission. If that doesn't help, more drastic measures with your soldering station will be inevitable

re-atari

[knoxrebel]

The odd thing is that software no longer sees the monitor and it wont power on at all anymore. Windows sees the monitor in display options thought. Was hoping that someone would have a bin file or one would be available on ebay. No luck so far.


I did open the exe with 7-zip but I didn't see anything of use.

[re-atari]

Originally Posted by knoxrebel

The odd thing is that software no longer sees the monitor and it wont power on at all anymore. Windows sees the monitor in display options thought. Was hoping that someone would have a bin file or one would be available on ebay. No luck so far.

Really weired, and disappointing as well. I do find the touchbuttons (incl. on/off) a bit unresponsive all the same, but the monitor should switch on eventually. You really have to swipe the exact right spot, but that's what swiping usually is all about, ain't it

One of the forum users in the thread I mentioned in post #2 (Tibimakai) wrote that he had bought a replacement board for his 23A550 at a cost of $ 39.95. Maybe his source has replacement boards for your monitor as well.

If you have a chance, post hires photo's the component and solder side of your board. I'm sure someone in this forum will be able to help identifying the flash chip.

re-atari

[re-atari]

BTW: here is the service manual for your monitor. It deals with every type in the SxxA300B series, ranging from 19" to 24". Looks to me it will come in handy.

re-atari

[knoxrebel]

Looked at the manual and i tested ic 601 and 602 and have voltage going in and out. Is there a way to manually power this unit on so it can be reflashed?


Im stuck at this point

[re-atari]

Originally Posted by knoxrebel

Looked at the manual and i tested ic 601 and 602 and have voltage going in and out. Is there a way to manually power this unit on so it can be reflashed?

Im stuck at this point

Sadly, both small PCB's underneath the panel are not described in the service manual, neither are the connectors on the mainboard that they connect to.
BTW: the 'switches' are of a capacitive type, which I find a bit fiddly to react. You really have to swipe your finger at the right place for the monitor to switch them. But I'm sure you have already tried everything you can to get it to switch on, so I probably can't help much further...

From the schematic I can't determine if Samsung's flash updater only rewrites the EDID data stored in the 24c02 eeproms, or rewrites the flashrom. If the latter is the case, the controller on the mainboard needs to function properly, as it has to pass through the data that will be written onto the flashrom. It's just a thought, but the description you posted earlier seems to indicate that the flash updater could not succesfully write the first block of data onto the flashrom. This could be due to a FUBAR-ed firmware or a (hardware) defective controller.

I'm afraid it looks like getting hold of a replacement mainboard is the only option left to revive your monitor. That would also give you a source to known good firmware (flashrom) and EDID data (both eeproms), for experimenting with reprogramming the respective components on your defunct mainboard.

re-atari

[withalligators]

Sorry to resurrect. I have a very similar problem. S23A300B, powers on, displays the no signal screen. As soon as you plug in a source (DVI in my case) it shuts down. My PC still sees it as a monitor though. I downloaded the updater, but it says the firmware is already updated or doesn't need it.

Has anyone figured out the hardware issues here? On fleaBay I see I can buy the 8 pin IC that has already been flashed.

Think this will do it, or has another solution arisen that I can't seem to find?

Cheers,
Alex

[withalligators]

bump, any ideas?

[withalligators]

Nothing?

[withalligators]

Ok, SOLVED, the pre-flashed IC from ebay did it. Please see the link I post 3 posts up if you are having the same problem. To try and solve this I would first try and update the firmware yourself, and if that doesn't work, get the 8 pin IC from ebay and solder it in yourself.

[Smoooth]

Originally Posted by withalligators

Ok, SOLVED, the pre-flashed IC from eBay did it. Please see the link I post 3 posts up if you are having the same problem. To try and solve this I would first try and update the firmware yourself, and if that doesn't work, get the 8 pin IC from eBay and solder it in yourself.

Could you please point me to the correct firmware? I want to make sure I am using the correct one. Also, you mentioned buying the 8 pin IC but the link is to a used monitor. Is there a direct link to the 8 pin IC still or did you get a used monitor and take it out of the used monitor?

[withalligators]

Sorry, this was like 6 years ago. I remember nothing about doing it at all. Still have the monitor though.

[CapLeaker]

just google SA300 firmware and DL it from samsung