Panasonic Error F61

Error F61 is an error message usually displayed by Panasonic hi-fi systems ranging from simple stereo systems to home theatre surround sound systems. It has been seen on many models and I recently came across this in a blu-ray surround sound DVD player I was repairing and noticed that there are many people looking for a solution to it. I studied a huge number of service manuals to see if there was a common generalized solution to this issue and how to possibly diagnose the fault, and whether a fix was at all possible. For a large number of models, this error relates to an electronic hardware fault and would therefore require qualified service personnel to rectify it.

• Are the stripped parts of the speaker wires too long and touching?
• If you have a pre-used unit with non-original speakers, then adhere to speaker impedance values for each channel.
• Obviously the common-sense approach of checking the speaker wires, and making sure that they are connected to their appropriate sockets, is something most people will have done, but what if the error message still persists.

Affected Models

Only some of the models in the following series will display this error message.

• SA-AKxxx series
• SA-CHxxx series
• SA-DMxxx series
• SA-DKxxx series
• SA-DTxxx series
• SA-HTxxx series
• SA-PMxxx series
• SA-PTxxx series
• SA-VKxxx series

On most systems, one diagnostic approach would be to start by disconnecting all the speaker wires and then switching ON the unit. If the message goes away, then you know it was related to the speakers or their wires. However, if the error persists, even without the speakers connected, then clearly something else must be amiss.

Assuming it is not the speakers or their wires, which are disconnected, then the next thing to check is how quickly the error message comes up, and in particular, does it come up straight away, or after some length of time. If the message comes up straight away when you switch ON the unit, and then the unit switches itself OFF or goes into standby, then there is an electronic fault. Most of the service manuals suggest that the fault is within the power supply or amplifier boards. There is nothing you can do in this case except to sell it on eBay as spares, and buy a new modern unit. It is very probably not worth repairing since modern Class-D amplifiers and switched-mode power supplies are complex and repair costs can be prohibitive. If on the other hand, the unit works fine for a couple of hours and then displays the error message, then it is likely an overheating issue. Many ultra-slim modern designs rely on an active cooling system, and the fans proper function is vital to the system as a whole. In this case, there is a good chance your local qualified engineer/tinkerer may be able to fix it for very little cost. In this scenario it is usually a matter of blowing out some dust and perhaps installing a replacement fan. Usually, an aftermarket fan comes from China and costs a couple of pounds and is simple to replace.

Basic Overview of Error for Engineers

If you are an engineer repairing amplifiers, then you might be familiar with the PROTECT message that usually appears on some amplifiers when the audio output stage is overloaded or is short. The F61 usually covers this aspect, but also includes faults in the power supply and cooling subsystems.

Here is a block diagram overview of what the error message relates to in a modern surround sound system with digital amplifier and active cooling system. These also cover blue-ray models with integrated multi-speaker surround sound.

As you can see in this generalized overview, the error message can happen for a whole number of reasons. On modern systems, the switched-mode power supply (SMPSU) usually has a temperature sensor device that will flag the error message when the system overheats. In addition, the SMPSU board also checks its own DC voltage rails including the split-rail voltage for the digital amp board. If these voltages are at an abnormal level, then the error message is flagged. The SMPSU board also checks the fan voltage as well.

On the amplifier board, the system checks for the proper operation of the fan. Sometimes, fans have three terminals similar to computer CPU cooling fans, so the system can easily determine its proper operation. In addition, the amplifier board can also detect large DC voltages on all the speaker terminals. Obviously, large DC voltages can damage the speakers and therefore the firmware is designed to switch OFF the unit when this happens, and this fault is also tied into error F61.

Obviously, this is a generalized overview of the error message and for actual repair; an engineer would need to consult the service manual of the model in concern since components and circuits can differ.

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