Tuesday, April 30, 2024
Zhono Chips in with Sharp Firmware Solution
Zhono Chips in with Sharp Firmware Solution
Sharp released a firmware upgrade for its MX60/61 series of color copier cartridges in May 2020.
The update caused third-party, or aftermarket supplies to stop working in a wide range of copiers including MX3070, MX3570, MX5070N, MX6070N, MX3050N, MX3550N, MX4050N and MX4070N. A full list of printers is provided in the chart below.
To solve this problem, China-based Zhono released aftermarket chips for the Sharp MX60/61 series which are compatible with both the latest and previous copiers.
It is alleged this firmware does not update automatically on devices. It has to be selected by the user. Many will want to choose it, as they would an app update on their mobile phone to get a better user experience, unaware that it might lock out the use of compatible supplies afterwards. In some cases, a Sharp technician attending the machine for other repairs might also activate the firmware update.
The company advised RT Media it will continue to monitor firmware upgrades and provide customers with more solutions.
“It is a very time-consuming process to research and develop a compatible chip that will work effectively and efficiently,” Zhono’s Founding CEO Jack Wang (pictured) said. “It demands an investment of financial resources as well as time.” For this reason, integrity is a core strategy at Zhono. “We highly respect and recognize the Intellectual Property Rights of others,” Wang added. “And we expect others to reciprocate and respect our own patented chip technologies too.”
Zhono (pronounced ‘jong-no’) was established in 2013 to research, develop and manufacture aftermarket chips for use in laser printers and digital copiers. The company claims to be at the cutting edge of ASIC design and System-on-Chip technologies necessary to be capable of keeping up with OEM chip developments and firmware changes.
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