Date: Wed, 09 Apr 1997 00:25:54 +0200 From: Heiko Purnhagen Subject: re: Hidden functions on the Sony PCM-R500 (2600 too?) Hello DAT-Heads! John Marvin wrote: > 601 Diagnostics > ** This is the one you need to get the error codes. You can enter > ** 91 followed by this key. I tried a few other number combinations. > ** Most don't do anything or display some obscure hex digits. Here > ** are the ones that did something different: > > 80 -- Resets current date and time. > 89 -- All lights on. Every possibly display element lights up > 91 -- Displays playback error counts for the A & B heads. Displays > an "A" followed by 8 hex digits. The first 4 are the error > counts for the A head, the second 4 are for the B head. > 97 -- Displays GENERL CAT or DAT CAT at various times. I haven't > figured out its meaning. > 99 -- Set current date and time (same as extended function 491 > above) Error Rate display on a Sony DAT - that sounded really tempting ...! >From my earlier experiments with IR remote and Sony DATs http://www.fet.uni-hannover.de/purnhage/dat/sircs.html I knew that there was a fancy SIRCS command that put some cryptic HEX codes on the display of my DTC-57ES. Looking closer at the Extended Function Codes (EFCs) in John´s posting, I found that 601 Diagnostic was the same cryptic SIRCS command (011010100111 in my format) I had noticed. Thus I tried to enter a two digit code (on the normal NumKeyPad) followed by this "Diagnostic" command. Unfortunately, only 89 - display test (all elements on) and 99 - set date/time turned out to be available on my 57ES. For the other two digit codes I got some HEX stuff on the display - likely monitoring the state of some switches and sensors in the mechanics of the drive ... Thus, there seems no error rate display available on a 57ES :-( I also tried the "Diagnostic" command with my D7 - but there was no reaction at all :-( It would be intersting to know which Sony DATs offer the "91" diagnostic code for error rate display - probably only the 4-head and professional machines ... Happy taping Heiko ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Dipl.-Ing. Heiko Purnhagen Isernhagener Str. 51 D-30163 Hannover mailto:purnhage@tnt.uni-hannover.de home: +49-511-624449 http://www.fet.uni-hannover.de/purnhage/ work: +49-511-762-5033 http://www.tnt.uni-hannover.de/~purnhage fax: +49-511-762-5052 "Theatre is life, film is art, television is furniture."