Linn Unidisk Firmware issues?

Hardware and software, modifications and DIY

Moderator: Staff

Post Reply
keybas
New member
New member
Posts: 3
Joined: 2021-05-04 18:02

Linn Unidisk Firmware issues?

Post by keybas »

Hi members,

I am desperate.

By lucky circumstances I have three Unidisk Players at home.
All of them couldn’t read or play any CD, DVD or MP3 disks.
So I bought three laser units from a Chinese dealer, since there is no other source anymore for replacement laser units, as I understood. Most of the service stations call them faulty. This is probably true.
But:

When I installed the replacement laser unit into the machines i found some strange behaviour with the different machines.
ALL machines could read and play SACD’s.
But only one machine (the newest one I guess) could read and play all other formats of CD/DVD/MP3CD.
To find the reason i checked all three Unidisk players with the same complete laser drive unit.
Since all players used the exactly same drive I could exclude problems with the laser drive itself.
So there must be another reason why only one can read all formats and the others fail to read DVD’s or CD’s at all.
The only „easy“ solution I can imagine is to check the firmware version of all the models. Maybe a newer version would help.
Could anybody eventually provide me with the latest software version for these machines?
I understand, there’s no further customer support by Linn for any DC/DVD players anymore.
But this seems to be the very last chance to get them up und running.
I live in Germany and unfortunately no repair service wants to help me with this.
Below all the data of the three machines.

greetings from Leipzig, Germany

Chris Baselt




No.1 is an Unidisk 1.1 (serial no.894374)

DVD AUDIO KEY NUMBER 646

PCAS359L1R9
S/N ED0000010D042C14

PCAS330L2R2
S/N 840000010AF4B714

PCAS317L2R2
S/N 5E0000010AE8A314

PCAS546L1R1
S/N 7B00000199549914

PCAS297L1R18
S/N 2B0000010BFC5614

MECH VERSION 03.04.02.00

ESS SOFTW.VERSION S1520231

H8S SOFTW.VERSION S1150223

This unit has a brand new tested working laser unit, but it only plays SACD’s correctly.
It also plays dvd, but with no sound.
I also plays MP3 disks, but with a crackled sound.
It spins CD’s up, but cannot read anything and then stops spinning eventually.
Sometimes it spins as long as I shut down the machine.
If I restart the machine I can open the tray if I press the open button immediately after start.


No.2 is an Unidisk SC/S/S with Scart Video Output (serial no.1006514)

WDT EVENTS 1

STACK EVENTS 0

DEC 9 2004
H8S TIME7DATE 15:51:00

H8S CHECKSUM 79D4

DVD AUDIO KEY NUMBER 3833

PCAS488L2R8
S/N 680000018F390B14

PCAS424L1R8
S/N 79000001A5927314

PCAS408L3R1
S/N CB0000016EB4D114

MECH VERSION 02.21.05.03

ESS SOFTW.VERSION S1860207

H8S SOFTW.VERSION S1150209

This unit was tested with the same laser unit like the Unidisk 1.1

it’s spinning up and reads and plays SACD’s correctly.
it doesn’t play any DVD's (always showing „no disk“), disk is not spinning.
It doesn’t play any MP3 Disks („no disk“), disk is not spinning.
I doesn’t play or read CD’s at all. The spindle motor just gives on impulse, then stops. The laser doesn’t try to read anymore,
the display only shows „disc loading“. It is impossible to open the tray then.
The only way to get the CD out of the machine is to open the machine,
remove the CD holder on top of the spindle and remove the CD manually.

No.3 is an Unidisk SC/S (serial no. 1078263) with HDMI output

WDT EVENTS 0
STACK EVENTS 0

Mar 1 2006
H8S TIME/DATE 11:34:56

H8S CHECKSUM BF2C

DVD AUDIO KEY NUMBER 5813

PCAS330L2R2
S/N 1E0000026308AF14

PCAS424L2R1
S/N 3300000223BF5714

PCAS488L3R9
S/N FA00000223AA9C14

PCAS408L3R1
S/N B400000224459014

MECH VERSION 03.04.00.00

ESS SOFTW.VERSION S1860223

H8S SOFTW.VERSION S1150217

This unit was tested with the same laser unit like the other two players.

This unit works like a charm with all tested media !!!
How can that be?
Robert Lake
Active member
Active member
Posts: 103
Joined: 2007-08-19 17:50

Re: Linn Unidisk Firmware issues?

Post by Robert Lake »

You seem to have quite old firmware in all three machines. Have you tried to upgrade the firmware?
keybas
New member
New member
Posts: 3
Joined: 2021-05-04 18:02

Re: Linn Unidisk Firmware issues?

Post by keybas »

Hi, sorry for the late answer. I wasn't checking the news.
I wished I could do the firmware upgrades by myself, but I cannot find the software and how to install this.
Any suggestions?
Robert Lake
Active member
Active member
Posts: 103
Joined: 2007-08-19 17:50

Re: Linn Unidisk Firmware issues?

Post by Robert Lake »

You got a PM.
Post Reply