Ruark Vita Audio R4i display menu stuck/erratic (fixed) then CD will not play.

[rh100605]

I received a Vita audio R4 that displayed the message "R4 IMS" but would not power up when the on button was pushed. A Ruark R4i that I have responded randomly to the remote and would not power up

The problem was similar to the R2i when in this state i.e Flash memory corruption on the DAB module (Gyro 1128)

The code level was R4i vAN1.5 / vAN2.1 .  I copied the flash image and edited the file by setting all bytes to 0xFF after location 0x1D0040.
This is an arbitrary point in a field of 0xFF just before the DAB Multiplex information.

You can use the attached working binary images instead. All three have already been autotuned or will run autotune when installed

This worked well and the radio powered up and started a new DAB scan then sprung into life. Ipod, DAB, FM all worked well.

However CD's would not eject so I checked and then replaced the "eject" tactile switch on the front panel ( a common fault !)
The other common fault stopping the CD ejecting is that the motor has not been run for a while and becomes sticky. Turn the motor to find a good starting point and then exercise it.

Now I could insert/eject CDs and when they played the track numbers were visible and could be advanced The "info button would show the time elapsed or to go.

But no increment/decrement of the track timer (stuck at 0 or the track length depending on the "info" setting) and no sound although the disk is still spinning.

I tried the working DAB module from a later Ruark R4i that used a Gyro 1128B (Embossed, push on can) vAN 3.0. The CD would not work at all. However the radio worked fine.
I also tried the vAN3.0 image in the 1128 module which caused other menu problems and no CD

I returned to the original vAN1.5 flash image and looked harder at what I had removed to force a program Reset.

There were several sectors starting with 0x55aa and later vAN 1.5 .

I suspect that these are code updates so what I need is a copy of the code from a Gyro-1128 R4 vAN 1.5. Is there anybody out there willing to copy a working vAN1.5 flash for me to try or sell me an entire DAB module?

Later this binary image could be put into the public domain to help others with problems on this very expensive and loud audio system .
In the same way I did for the R2i and R1mk3.

The attached Vita R4 (vAN1.5) and Ruark R4i (VAN2.1 and vAN3.0) flash binary images are working and have been auto-tuned. The vAN1.5 and vAN2.1 are used on the Gyro 1128 , the vAN3.0 is for the Gyro 1128-B. Both use the MX25 1606E flash IC.

The even earlier R4 Vita model uses the Gyro 1122 E module with code vAN1.2. The code is in a parallel flash chip and seems to resist corruption.

[rh100605]

Well I was focused on the code I had erased but in the absence of  a working DAB module flash image or a new CD transport, I had to try something else.

I remembered about CD laser diodes that dim with age. There is a pot on the laser carriage in the CD player that is in series with a 270 ohm resistor. It was set to 231 ohms so I set it down to 193 ohms  This is about 8% reduction in the total resistance from 501 to 467 ohms in series with the laser diode.
This allowed reading of the CD, so not a code problem then !

The binary images attached above both work fine and have already been auto tuned