AE 100 - the Real Service Menu..........

theritz

Prominent Member
Joined
Aug 17, 2002
Messages
2,459
Reaction score
27
Points
367
Location
Ireland
But only for the brave, it seems !


Copied the following from a thread over on AVSforum.....




Quote:

MrWes,
does the service manual give instructions on how to access the service menu of the AE100? And I mean the real service menu, not the one that just shows temperatures etc.

I'm sure many AE100 users would love to know how enter the service menu.

Regards,
Olaiho
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



That is the "Service menu". ie holding the "enter" button for 30 seconds on the "option" menu. Selecting the last option on that menu will initiate the communication session over the RS232C. The AE100 uses a Hitachi RISC microprocessor, and you can communicate with it via a communication module on the I/O connector next to the "102 C" label (light bulb). The interface on the PC end is just straight RS232C. Panasonic has a Windows based application for calibration. The AE100 is design just like any other network device that communicate with the system firmware over Serial interface, kinda like a Cisco router If you install a little Linux based Serial to Ethernet server/module, you can talk to it over the Internet !! As for servicing, is just basic Multi-meter and scope


Last edited by MrWes on Yesterday at 07:02 PM


End Quote


Here is the full post : http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?threadid=172695


It has a number of hi-res photos of the innards of an AE 100 but if you scroll down the rst of the post is very interesting.


Maybe some of you guys conversant with RS232C communications would care to make observations on the practicality of using this to tweak the AE100, or is this territory for for the ISF pros ???



Sean G.
 
For the last few years Panasonic have used a unit called LUCI if memory serves me right to interrogate and repair their TV sets.

So it wouldn't surprise me if they had a dedicated unit for their pj's, albeit really being a portable unit with specific software within. I'd say very difficult to get hold of unless you've got a buddy in a workshop somewhere, with access to Panasonic service parts etc with a bonafide account.

Maybe you'd be able to get hold of the CD Rom's with the service info on and 'alter' a pc to perform the same tasks as the Panasonic unit. Then the service manual would be vital/invaluable for settings and parameters for the unit.

Personally I wouldn't go to all the bother, it'd be simpler and possibly cheaper just to pay someone to set up/calibrate it and be done with it. Aah, Gordon springs to mind.;)


When my pj died I went into my unit to see for myself how it all goes together. The PSU is probably the only part you could repair to component level easily. A lot of surface mount parts otherwise. The main board is easily removable for access to the rest of the pj, ie, if you wanted to get at the optics system. On the whole, it's still, in my opinion easier to go the workshop route. Parts and manuals etc are too specialised in this instance to make it worthwhile to do anything else.

Unless you are keen on DIY repair/calibration and so on of course. It's all possible. But practical?
 
Most likely its PC software rather than any specific hardware. These things normally come in the shape of a normal laptop with the software on it ( often its dos based).

With regard to the service menu . When you use the VGA input you have access to the RGB level controls . As its an LCD panel and most likely has a linear response I'd have thought thats all you need ( rather than two level RGB bias and drive control on a CRT type response) and the contrast and brightness controls. Any gamma adjustments have to be done in software ( or rather before the panel is addressed) as arbitrary gamma remapping is fairly intensive : its effectively a realtime colour correction render on the input material hence the reason for the preset picture modes instead which seems to be remap type adjustments to me)

My HTPC handles the gamma adjustments ( hardware on the radeon) although I also use the additional gamma filter in Dscaler which is software to get gamma more accurate.
 
Good morning Keith, I saw you lurking here and just knew you'd reply in this post!:D It's right up you're street.

Obviously things have moved on a bit or my old works hadn't.
 

The latest video from AVForums

TV Buying Guide - Which TV Is Best For You?
Subscribe to our YouTube channel
Back
Top Bottom