Onkyo TX-NR609 AV Receiver dead after firmware update

Hi.
Thank you for your reply. Yes, I'm just fighting with it right now and unfortunately can't read EEPROM as security flag is set to Disable Read: Valid. Therefore, I'm getting Error(E1002013) : Protection by security setting.
I think I will try to get firmware extracted from the update file. I think there was some decryption tool on the internet around...

So, as you indicated in point
a) I'm currently stuck here.
b) was very easy and actually, you can achieve this without even opening the unit (read write EEPROM I mean). I believe despite I have Renesas programmer it can be achieved with cheap equivalent like standard RS232 -> UART

Best regards

ADDED:
OK, I had a full success. Onkyo is back to life. I can flash uIC without removing one screw. I have found a way to decrypt/extract and convert original firmware file to required format. So, there is no need to read donor board anymore. Just applying directly latest firmware from support website.

Thanks all for help

Special thanks to tjmotter for his great write up about Onkyo's firmware.
You should have more faith in people and not discourage them by telling them they will fail.

Sorry,
Adam

Maybe you could do a write up on your process on how you accomplished this. It would be very helpful to others.

Sounds great.

I was able to force install old firmware on a tx-8050 that had no sound. got it working


Rolling back to an older firmware by forcing usb update
May or may not help, but I am convinced all of these weird problems people had with certain onkyo amps were firmware related.
This isn't long term proven yet, different amp, but just sharing something interesting I figured out last night. Tested the amp the next morning before work, still working fine. When I got home checked again, sure enough it works fine.
Amp is a TX-8050 model supposedly with this dsp chip everyone talks about and it had no sound, usb would initialize forever and missing setup options for internet and firmware update. Had just aquired it for free, no sound when I got it

I've brought back a TX-8050 from the dead last night. I was convinced it was the firmware updates.
Ill share my first post from last night. literally joined just to offer help, because the amp is still working.
For the TX-8050,
The hardest part I think is getting that usb to stop forever initializing and getting "net" and update firmware options back in the setup menu. (NOT EVEN SURE IF IT MATTERS)

This part is how I managed to get the missing setup options ( net and update firmware in setup menu and to get the usb port to finally read a usb instead of initializing forever)
I'm not even sure this step is necessary
I started messing around with these "secret commands" that you push on the receiver itself. no remote needed.
There is information on temperature, dsp firmware versions and random numbers.
Certain button combinations do certain things.
I was able to Save my settings by pressing setup and enter twice. (this feature on my amp is designed to save your amp settings when you factory reset.
Then I load the settings by pressing setup and return button twice.
Amp automatically powers off and resets. It took a couple tries, even doing the factory reset every once and awhile. you might even have to be on a certain input to get this to work. It was usually loading the saved settings command, amp resets, all of a sudden I had my missing menu options in setup back and the USB would read again.

Found a strange button combination that brought up a hidden menu that allowed me to FORCE UPDATE from usb.
Keep in mind im convinced its firmware related and not this stupid dsp chip. (I never even opened the amp up)
Found a forum with a link to all previous firmware updates including the factory one, or first update period. hopefully your amps are in there if you want to try this
I downloaded the oldest firmware I could 1000 0000 0000 from 2011 for my amp. Extract files to empty usb. Might not be your best option in your situation as maybe some of your features that were added over the firmware updates may disappear, but I am confident I can, with my particular model, install any firmware I want that is FOR my TX-8050

Firmware Archive
www.intl.onkyo.com
Firmware Updates | ONKYO Asia and Oceania Website
Download official firmware updates for Onkyo home entertainment products here.
www.intl.onkyo.com

Further reference to how I heard this was possible (keep in mind these instructions are not for my model amp, but guided me to figure out this hidden menu for the tx8050.

How to force Onkyo to update firmware to older or current version | DivideOverflow.com
divideoverflow.com divideoverflow.com
This guys method was not the same for me. I had to figure out how to get to the menu he talks about, but led me in the right direction for my amp.

This is how I got to the menu

I put the input selector nob to usb (not the update firmware usb option in setup, the usb read to listen to music) , plugged in the usb with the old firmware. Everyone else may have it different, Maybe your selectors are all button, mine is a turn knob selector

Once again your amp may be different but see if you can find any info about secret menus for your amp. I can't find anything online about this in regards to my model.

Hold Display button and push standby button. push tuning mode/play button and return button within 2-3 seconds. if you dont hit the return button within the 2-3 seconds you end up in one of the hidden menus for temperature and other information. get back to the usb read and start over holding display button and push standby.
Once i pushed return button within 2-3 seconds, the force update menu came up. Maybe there is a name for it?

Update select menu shows up
Push the tuning knobs (big circle next to volume to configure what you want. I selected usb -> all.
Rolled back the firmware from the newest to the oldest. I just wanted to see if it would somehow fix the no sound problem
Once it completed I pushed standby, it reset.
Also keep in mind once I got to this menu I had to figure out which buttons controlled the values. push the wrong one, back to the beginning.

I'm pretty sure I still did not have sound immediately upon amp kicking back on, but I could finally hear the speakers being selected on or off when I pushed A or B)
Loaded my saved setup (to load - hold setup and enter twice. amp shuts off and either restarts itself or you have to turn it back on, can't remember.
From my experience with this amp, it seems certain things would work if the amp would reset itself instead of just powering it off with the button. For all i know it doesn't matter, this is what I did.
Turn the amp back on it back on, I had music.
I am currently on the factory firmware 1000 - 0000 0000 or whatever it is from 2011. I was on the newest one from 2015 1.5 I think. There were some other interesting options combinations in that menu, have no idea what they would do.
My point is I read everywhere i could about rolling back the firmware and everything I found suggested that it is not possible
Tested the next day before work, had sound.
Tested it when I got home from work today, Still works.
Not saying it is the answer for everyone sharing because it might help SOMEBODY.
No long term test yet, I just did this last night.
Interested if somebody knows the name of this menu and if it helped