Service mode research

Vitaliy Kiselev

Vitaliy Kiselev

Carbonite Member
Special notice! All this info is not intended for end users. You won't find here any useful info other than one that could damage your camera.

Temporary service mode:
1) Non-empty SD card must be installed
2) Check that single shot mode is selected.
3) Before trning on camera press:
a) DISPLAY+FILM MODE for G1 and GH1
b) DISPLAY+AE LOCK for GF1, G2, G10
4) Turn on power.
You must see ROM BACKUP option in settings menu.

Error code table in this mode:
1) Press left arrow + MENU/SET and hold them, plus press
a) FILM MODE for G1 and GH1
b) DISPLAY for GF1
c) AF/AE LOCK for G2 and G10

If you repeat error code table method one more time for'll be in CAMERA INFO screen.
Pressing Display will show you CAMERA INFO 2 screen.


Permanent service mode:

WARNING: You can ONLY get out of this mode by re-initializing your camera! You are responsible for your own camera!

1) Enter in temporary service mode.
3) Press "Play" then find a movie and play it by pressing the Up button.
4) While holding "Up" and "Film Mode" turn the camera off.

As the camera powers off you will see the yellow triangle with the "!" instead of the regular Lumix graphic.

When you turn the camera back on, you can always access the error and counter screens using the same steps as temporary mode:

1) With the camera on (from last step), press and hold the left arrow button and the "Menu Set" button together. Keep holding them!
2) While these are pressed, press "Film Mode". You can let go of all the buttons now!

The difference is that you never have to hold display and film mode when powering on,
you get the ROM Backup option all the time, and you have to re-initialize to get back to the normal operational mode.


Advanced service menus (by Path):

I have finally figured out the key presses to get to the actual service mode, the one with all the 3 character options.
Each of those options is a different test, and each has an "F" next to it, which can be changed to an "O" using the "Delete" button.
The "O" turns on the test, and all the ones turned on will execute in order upon pressing the "Display" button.

To get to this mode, your camera must be in the "Permanent Service Mode" I previously described...
the one where your camera consistently displays the yellow caution triangle when powering off the camera.
From here it is a simple matter of:

1. Power off the camera.
2. Turn the drive mode lever to Burst mode.
3. While holding the "Film Mode" and "Display" buttons, power on the camera.

Done. You will see "SERVICE MODE" at the top, with the options for "NORMAL : >" and "ALLRESET : FILM+DEL".
From here, you can press the "Display" button to get to the screen with all the 3-letter test options.

Be careful, as some of these tests are quite tricky to use, and if you enable one I don't believe there is a way
to turn it off until the camera passes the test.
This is especially tricky for the "KEY" test which is a test of every single button on the camera and maps each button
to an alphabetical character.

Once this mode is enabled, the "ROM BACKUP" menu will have the "! > LUMIX" option enabled and no longer grayed out.

List of all three letters tests (I'll add screens and descriptions of each later):

EVF KEY OIS BF SHT ISO WBL WBH LIN STB LED COL WKI
DUW DUT BKI RES THE CLK SEN TNO WFC MAC IND TRA AF
IRT IRZ RESET RS2 EST KY2 LCD PWK
--- SWF BBC FBC AFS AES AFA SEP AEP OVF IR1 WBM
IR2 DST RE2 RE3 RE4 AGE LAF EYE OUT PZM EMC MOV PLY​
 
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==============================
TEMPORARY SERVICE MODE

1) Turn camera off, and set the Drive Mode lever to Single
2) While holding both the "Display" and "Film Mode" buttons, turn the camera on.

That's it, now you can find the "ROM Backup" option in the setup menu. And, you can use the following to get to the error and counter menus:

1) With the camera on (from last step), press and hold the left arrow button and the "Menu Set" button together. Keep holding them!
2) While these are pressed, press "Film Mode". You can let go of all the buttons now!

Now you'll see the error codes displayed, you can use the arrows to navigate and you can hit Display to go to some other similar display of codes. Note, that in the 2nd and 3rd code display pages, the LCD is getting output from the sensor.

If you repeat the "Left Arrow" + "Menu" + "Film Mode" button press you find the "Camera Info" screen showing firmware version, a serial number (probably the main board), power cycle count, shutter count, and strob count. You can press display here and get to "Camera Info.2" which shows the last 3 clock set entries, a clockset counter, undercut counter, and RTC read counter. Note, that all the counters in info screen 1 do not reset if you re-initialize the camera (p. 13 of the service manual). The counters on info screen 2 will reset if yo re-initialize the camera.

How to Get Out of Temporary Service Mode? Simply turn the camera off and back on.
==============================
PERMANENT SERVICE MODE

WARNING: You can ONLY get out of this mode by re-initializing your camera! This is done by performing the steps outlined on page 13 of the service manual. You are responsible for your own camera!

How to enable permanent service mode:

1) Turn camera off, and set the Drive Mode lever to Single
2) While holding both the "Display" and "Film Mode" buttons, turn the camera on.
3) Press "Play" then find a movie and play it by pressing the Up button
4) While holding "Up" and "Film Mode" turn the camera off.

As the camera powers off you will see the yellow triangle with the "!" instead of the regular Lumix graphic.

Yellow caution triangle screen when powering off in permanent service mode:
1278858100.jpg


When you turn the camera back on, you can always access the error and counter screens using the same steps as temporary mode:

1) With the camera on (from last step), press and hold the left arrow button and the "Menu Set" button together. Keep holding them!
2) While these are pressed, press "Film Mode". You can let go of all the buttons now!

The difference is that you never have to hold display and film mode when powering on, you get the ROM Backup option all the time, and you have to re-initialize to get back to the normal operational mode.

Some special key presses available in this mode:

With a memory card with pictures in the camera, enter picture playback mode (the play button). Then press FILM MODE + DOWN ARROW to display an overlay of text showing the firmware version, some version number for the GH1 body/lens, and what appears to be the build timestamp of the firmware or at least the timestamp of the bin file loaded.

1278881645.jpg


Another key combination, which is not very useful but is noteworthy, is the ability to show the Lumix logo when powering off while in permanent service mode. To do this, power off the camera. While holding DISPLAY + FILM MODE, power on the camera. Now, you can press just about any button on the camera and release it. Then, power off the camera and the Lumix logo appears instead of the yellow caution triangle. Not sure what this is for, but it happens and so must be tied to something in the code.

==============================
ADVANCED SERVICE MENUS

Warning: Make sure you have saved a ROM backup from an untested state BEFORE attempting to use any of the service tests listed below. These are for research purposes only, so test at your own risk.

To get to this mode, your camera must be in the "Permanent Service Mode" described above. From here it is a simple matter of:

1. Power off the camera.
2. Turn the drive mode lever to Burst mode.
3. While holding the "Film Mode" and "Display" buttons, power on the camera.

You will see "SERVICE MODE" at the top, with the options for "NORMAL : >" and "ALLRESET : FILM+DEL".

From here, you can do 1 of 3 things:

  • Press the right arrow to reboot into normal camera operation
  • Or, press LVF/LCD button to get to the SEP/EYE screen (don't know what it is)
  • Or, press the DISPLAY button to enter the testing mode (3-letter options)
SEP/EYE screen grab:
1278884858.jpg


Testing Modes

Be careful, as some tests in testing mode are quite tricky to use, and if you enable a test, there is no way to turn it off until the camera passes the test, or you have a previously saved ROM backup.

The actual codes for the tests are listed in 4 columns:

Column 1: KEY PZM EST EMC SWF BBC SHT SEP
Column 2: EYE ISO SEN WBL WBM STB LED COL
Column 3: WKI MOV BKI CLK DST OUT RES AGE
Column 4: RE2 RE3 RE4 --- --- --- --- RESET

1278858660.jpg
 
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Key

Key

KEY:
Tests all the buttons on the camera, with feedback to the tester represented on the screen as the sets of alphabetical characters all in upper case. Each button (or, more accurately user input) is mapped to one of the characters of one of the sets. None of the 3 sets of alphabets are complete from A-Z. The game is won by making all the letters disappear one at a time using various user inputs of the camera. Once you've begun the game, you can reset the letters using the "MENU" button.

Test completion: The last button that must be pressed is the shutter button. Pressing the shutter button without all the other user inputs accomplished will cause the test to fail.

Note that the arrow keys change the display to sets of color bars, gray-scale bars, and a couple different black/white/gray screens. Even though they do this, they still remove a letter.

SCREEN GRABS:

Start the test:
1278878773.jpg


Colorbars when using right/left arrows:
1278878822.jpg


Failed test:
1278878864.jpg


Test list after failed KEY test:
1278878890.jpg


Here are the alphabet:input mappings:

1st alphabet row:
(1st grouping of letters are all the physical buttons)
A : UP (ISO)
B : DOWN (Fn)
C : LEFT
D : RIGHT (WB)
E : DELETE
F : DISPLAY
G : AF/AE LOCK
H : PLAY
I : LVF/LCD
J : FILM MODE
K : Q.MENU
(2nd grouping of letters are the lens/focus/flash/record options)
N : Lens release button
O : AFS (Focus Mode dial)
P : AFC (Focus Mode dial)
Q : MF (Focus Mode dial)
R : Flash release
S : Flash close
T : RECORD

2nd alphabet row (yellow characters):
(1st grouping of letters are the front dial, drive lever, menu button)
A : Front dial (rotate towards lens)
B : Front dial (rotate away from lens)***
C : Front dial (button press)
D : Drive mode lever, burst mode
E : Drive mode lever, auto bracket mode
F : Drive mode lever, single mode
G : Drive mode lever, self-timer mode
H : MENU button
(2nd grouping of letters is the LCD display)
J : LCD opened (display facing camera)
K : LCD closed (display facing camera)
L : LCD opened (display flipped)
M : LCD closed (display flipped)

3rd alphabet row (Mode dial):
(1st grouping)
A : Movie
B : Program AE (P)
C : Close-up mode (flower)
D : Aperture priority (A)
E : Shutter priority (S)
F : Manual exposure (M)
G : Scene (SCN)
(2nd grouping)
K : Custom (CUST)
(3rd grouping)
Q : Intelligent Auto (iA)
(4th grouping)
V : My Color (painter pallete)
W : Portrait (face)
X : Scenery (mountain)
Y : Sports (runner)
Z : Night portrait

The shutter button ends the test, so make sure you have eliminated all the characters before pressing the shutter button.

*** Rotating the front dial away from the lens will produce a series of audible tones.
 
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PZM:

???

Takes a picture and generally passes every time. Only thing on the internet for PZM is Pressure Zone Microphone, but not sure this is what this option is testing.

Vitaliy suggests that PZM is something like piezo motor or power zoom motor.
 
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EST:

???

Takes a picture and displays color bars on the display. Cannot get this test to succeed, always fails with "N G 2" error.

EST test screen:
1278885598.jpg
 
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I suggest you to not test AGE, as generally it must be aging test making amazing amount of shutter activations.
Also remember to store all settings using backup rom before tests.

PZM is something like piezo motor or power zoom motor.
Btw, Pentax is such an idiots, as they have power zoom lenses and support for it in most bodies and yet do not use it in video DSLRS.

P.S. Any chance to get screens of keys test?
 
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on older models was situation that tests started cannot be completed without special charts, possible only restart from beggining or leave further tests incomplete, but mark about last test which need special conditions permanently set.

some test require bright environment some dark, and without that test will fail, so need understand test abbreviature before starting it and prepare environmental settings.
 
updated KEYS with screen grabs. next, i'm updating my first post with more instructions including how to restore the tests once you've marked them. Vitaliy, you are correct, you need a ROM BACKUP. Once you've marked a test you cannot turn it off until it passes...without a previously saved ROM BACKUP, which I have :)

ok, Vitaliy, I think I've included all the instructions from your first post, so I think it a good idea to edit it for just the warnings about using such tests, making ROM backups, etc.

And, a special note about the last 4 tests, AGE RE2 RE3 RE4
These do not switch to "O" when using the RESET options...which is a global switch to turn on all the other tests.
 
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to post #3 for "KEY:" test completion you need change keypress sequence. last button that pressed must signal that all buttons is pressed (can't exactly say about GH1, but on other models that signal was "shutter" button - press it after all other)

to post #5 for "EST:" test you need brighter environment (about that menaing white square at right bottom of screen)

+known test abbreviations :
WBL/WBM = AWB adjustment
WKI = IMAGE SENSOR white scratch compensation
BKI = IMAGE SENSOR black scratch compensation
SEN = High brightness coloration inspection
ISO = ISO sensitivity adjustment
EYE = EYE SENSOR adjustment
OIS = OIS hall element adjustment
SHT = Shutter adjustment
STB = Strobe test
 
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What does the "ROM backup" do in the temporary service mode?

I selected DSC>SD, and it asked me whether to "overwrite", and as i wasn't sure what i was doing, I selected no.

Does this put a copy of the current firmware onto the SD card?

I have a GH1 with firmware Ver 1.34 (the one that can't be hacked)
Would it be useful to have a copy of it for your work?

(PS I will be returning this camera soon!!!)
 
panystac said:
What does the "ROM backup" do in the temporary service mode?
Click to expand...
oerations with rom
I selected DSC>SD, and it asked me whether to "overwrite", and as i wasn't sure what i was doing, I selected no.
Click to expand...
may surelly press yes - it's creates 2 files on SD card with rom content
I have a GH1 with firmware Ver 1.34 (the one that can't be hacked)
Would it be useful to have a copy of it for your work?
Click to expand...
possible, as may be there set some flag for changing of upgrade procedure.
 
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