Problem with Panasonic AG-MD830E SVHS VCR
 

Upon power-up, the cylinder does not spin on my Panasonic AG-MD830E
S-VHS VCR. Although it loads (actually half-loads) the cassette
properly, any transport command fails following the full-load because
the cylinder is not spinning. The display reads error E-4, which means
"malfunction in cylinder section." Without a service manual, I don't
know where to start to debug the problem. Any help will be much
appreciated...thanks!

Problem with Panasonic AG-MD830E SVHS VCR
 

The drum should spool-up on load initiation, not power-up, whether or
not the load completes. Since the load function operates, initiation of
drum spool-up is automatic, in firmware, and it's failure is not due to
some switch or sensor failure. Look to the driver circuits or drum motor.
JR

VCR Gymnast wrote:
Upon power-up, the cylinder does not spin on my Panasonic AG-MD830E
S-VHS VCR. Although it loads (actually half-loads) the cassette
properly, any transport command fails following the full-load because
the cylinder is not spinning. The display reads error E-4, which means
"malfunction in cylinder section." Without a service manual, I don't
know where to start to debug the problem. Any help will be much
appreciated...thanks!



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Home Page: http://www.seanet.com/~jasonrnorth

Problem with Panasonic AG-MD830E SVHS VCR
 

JR,
Very helpful as usual. Because you have pointed to the cylinder motor
(or its driver), does that imply that the capstan motor/drivers are off
the hook? One other piece of possibly relevant information, upon EJECT
the cassette is ejected, but there is no take-up of the tape. Thanks
again.

Problem with Panasonic AG-MD830E SVHS VCR
 

Another piece of information: disconnecting the mulitpin connector that
plugs into the board for the cylinder has no effect. To me, this seems
to suggest that IC1 (the driver chip?) is where the problem is located.
Of course, a service manual would be very helpful.

Problem with Panasonic AG-MD830E SVHS VCR
 

BTW, does anyone know the part number of IC1 in this machine? I think
it may be BA6149LS, but it has a heat sink obscuring the chip. If
anyone has a service manual, I could sure use the schematic of the
SYSCON servo board.

Problem with Panasonic AG-MD830E SVHS VCR
 

I have removed the heat sinks from IC1 and IC2 on the SYSCON servo
board. IC1 is the cylinder driver chip (AN3815K), and IC2 is the
capstan motor drive chip (BA6435S). Because neither the cylinder nor
the capstan move, it is difficult to know whether there is a problem
with one chip, both chips, or neither chip (if the problem is upstream
of both chips). I think this is as far as I am going to get without a
service manual, so any more thoughts (JR?) would be welcomed.