Leaderboard

As for fine setting the laser: before anything, I must ephasize two things. First: changing any settings in SM without the necessary test gear (and background knowledge) is risky. I can give you some "educated guesses", but a proper work is to be done with the appropriate tools (LPM, DMM, test jigs, oscilloscope, test discs). Second: calibrating the laser is a complex procedure, sometimes requires multiple takes on adjustments that also depend on or influence each other. A simplified overview of the laser settings: - power = laser emissions, for reading and recording. - traverse = how the sled is moved - focus = how the laser "keeps" in the track and reads the sectors - gain control = output levels for re-writeable/pre-recorded discs Normally, we begin with measuring the laser power (=light emission from the laser diode) and the IOP (=electrical current through the laser diode at certain light emission points, as an important indicator of the laser's "health"). It's a quick check to see if the laser diode is OK. But since you probably don't have the mentioned tools, we do some error checks instead. Please follow the Service Manual of the 510, section 5-1. - and jot down those "C1" and "AD" figures, on the major areas of a disc (at the innermost area, somewhere in the middle, and close to the outer edge). These numbers may fluctuate, then go for the rough from-to range you can observe. (Hints: 1./ perform these checks with a disc recorded in your portable, not in the 510 or the 501, and 2./ make sure you choose a disc that runs visually true, because a disc that hits even the lowest amount gives hard time in the setting process later). Repeat the check with a pre-recorded disc too, if you have one. Let us know the results, so we can see where the laser is making the most reading errors. Next step: Service Manual section 6-2. - in Service Mode select "“LDPWR CHECK”, and without touching anything else, please take notes of those "$XX" hexadecimal values, both for 0.9 mW and 7.0 mW . Then here is the "educated guess" part: in SM select “LDPWR ADJ”, and change the "$XX" value for 0.9 mW one digit less (don't change the other value for 7.0 mW). Try playing back one of the discs you recorded in the 510 previously. If the disc still skips, decrease again the value by one digit only. Playback. If no success, you can go the opposite direction: first write back the original value you took a note of, and change that "$XX" value for 0.9 mW one digit higher. Playback, and repeat it with one or two more digits increase if needed. If still no good, just write back the original value again and we stop there. This is all what we can do if we are "flying blind". (Well, you can also try adjusting the focus bias - section 12. -, but that is really a tough one... )