[Madskp]

I am trying to get a better overview over what changes there has been in the different software updates for the BL3500.

I have tried to compile a list with source links to where I have found the information. There seems to be some overlaps in what functions has been introduced in what software version, and some versions I haven’t found any info for.

Any inputs to clarify the list is very welcome:

BL35000 MKI / LCS9000

SW ver. 1.0

• several problems with many functions not translated onto the Masterlink

Source https://archivedforum.beoworld.org/forums/t/6489.aspx  

• Clock not displayer when used with MCL

Source https://archivedforum.beoworld.org/forums/t/6489.aspx 

 

SW ver. 1.1

• LCS 9000 was released with software 1.1 ? Is this true if there was a SW 1.0 ?

Source https://archivedforum2.beoworld.org/forums/p/1963/16816.aspx#16816

• Some improvements in Masterlink

Source https://archivedforum.beoworld.org/forums/t/6489.aspx  

 

SW ver. 1.2

• ?

SW ver. 2.0

• Software version 2.0 provides full Masterlink comptability

Source https://archivedforum2.beoworld.org/forums/p/12574/109632.aspx#109632  

• Fix control of linked TV’s in the same room as LCS9000/BL3500 MKI. Changing channels on TV could only be done by using number buttons in SW < 2.0

Source https://archivedforum.beoworld.org/forums/t/7175.aspx  

 

SW ver. 2.1

• Software version 2.1 provides display text update and new source names. No new features have been added to Software 2.1.

Older versions -> Software 2.1

A.TAPE -> A.MEM
A.TAPE2 -> N.MUSIC
V.TAPE -> V.MEM
V.TAPE2 -> DVD2
CDV -> DVD ?
PHONO -> N.RADIO
SAT -> DTV

Source https://forum.beoworld.org/forums/topic/beolab-3500-and-1611-converter-settings/page/7/#post-14279
And https://archivedforum.beoworld.org/forums/t/36474.aspx  

However DVD also seems to be shown instead of CDV in SW 2.0 according to  https://forum.beoworld.org/forums/topic/beolab-3500-and-1611-converter-settings/page/7/#post-14281  

BL35000 MKII

SW ver. 2.1 ?

• Was this software available in BL3500 MKII ?

SW ver. 3.1

• Provides wireless comptability

Source https://archivedforum.beoworld.org/forums/t/36474.aspx

SW ver. 3.3

• The upgrade to version 3.3 was to allow wireless link

https://forum.beoworld.org/forums/topic/beolab-3500-and-1611-converter-settings/page/7/#post-14296

SW ver. 3.33

• Support the a.aux command and ml gateway compatible

Source https://archivedforum.beoworld.org/forums/t/36474.aspx  

Edit: A.AUX command has been confirmed to work from at least SW 2.0

• Powerlink functionality in combination with Beolink Wireless 1?

Source https://archivedforum.beoworld.org/forums/t/42470.aspx  

Edit: Its unclear what this means as the combination of Beolab 3500 MK2 with SW 3.1 and Beolink Wireless 1 has been confirmed working later in this thread

 

SW ver. 3.3.4

• ?

Source: The SW version is mentioned in this thread, without mentioning of what it does:
https://archivedforum2.beoworld.org/forums/p/34675/256398.aspx#256398 

 

Location: Denmark

[Madskp]

XavierItzmann wrote:

I am buying an IR Eye for my BLC.   After all these years, I had failed to realize that there are multiple “buttons” available.  From when we first got a B&O decades ago, I had thought the only button was “LIGHT”! Well, it seems to me that a “Join” button would be spectacular, if were able to make our BL 6000 speakers to join in whatever is playing elsewhere.  Or are there better-suited IR Eye options for our setup?   Thanks in advance.

I don’t know if there are better suited IR options, but if you only need the IR functionality you should be able to use most of the external IR eyes B&O has made including the rectangular ones from the MCL products, as long as only GND, 5V and IR data is used and wired correctly.

But If you need the button functionality of the IR eyes you are limited to the one with the JOIN button as the other IR eyes use different BUS communication between the IR eye and the unit it is controlling.

Location: Denmark

[Madskp]

A little searching on google lead me to this project https://github.com/jamesarbrown/Beolab-3500-Squeezebox where a BL3500 is converted to be controlled with a raspberry PI and a touchscreen, and the original display, microcomputer and crossfield PCB is removed.

Might give some inspiration as to how the BL3500 can be powered on by external 5V.

Will look further into this

Location: Denmark

[Madskp]

hello Steve

here is the cable drawing

It is indeed scart data from pin 8 to pin 6 in the mini Din and called AVL

Location: Denmark

[Madskp]

Millemissen wrote:

P.S. Will be interesting to know if it turns on the BV11, when one starts playback manually on the BC2? MM

there was a thread regarding the AV connector on the old forum where it was mentioned that the data is only one way. If that is correct this will not work, but it could be great to have it confirmed by someone with a similar setup

Location: Denmark

[Madskp]

Millemissen wrote:

But that must be true for CD playback as well.

The manual for the BC2 is not that clear in that regard. It shows selection of DVD and CD respectivly with the BEO4, however on the front panel there is only one button called disc.

Also in the chapther of DVD operation there is a box with supported formats wich also includes Audio CD.

what is unclear to me is if the DVD player part also handles CD playback when the CD command is used or if its another part of the BC2 that handle this.

 

Location: Denmark

[Madskp]

Millemissen wrote:

Question for those who have tried connecting the BC2 to a BV11 this way? I suppose, that you’d only get the sound from a DVD or a CD this way – the sound from the radiotuner can not be distributed through the scart/mini socket, or??? MM

I havent tried it, but the user manual for the BC2 mentions a setting about getting DVD sound through Scart or Powerlink. If I understand that correctly it is only possible to get DVD sound through the scart connection. Also it mentions that it is possible to get DVD sound through scart while listening to radio through speakers connected directly to the BC2.

So in short, the BC2 will only have DVD related functions through scart. This also makes sense as only on source command can be assigned to an input (Scart or HDMI) on a Beovision.

Location: Denmark

[Madskp]

Another alternative if you dont need video signals from the BC2 to the BV11 BC2 and/or if you want the audio from the BC2 to be available for other B&O NL speakers/TV’s is a Beolink Converter NL/ML. But that might be overkill for what you want.

Location: Denmark

[Madskp]

Guy is correct in this.

C will also work in combination with a Male-Male scart cable if you need more lenght.

In the setup menu for the AV input Beocenter 2 can be choosen the same way a PUC code is selected. Only difference is here you dont need an IR blaster as the controls happens via the scart adapter

Location: Denmark

[Madskp]

Madskp wrote:

Keiths post in this old thread https://archivedforum.beoworld.org/forums/t/42470.aspx says that the Powerlink functionality of the BL3500 in combination with the wireless 1 is from SW 3.33, so the software version of the BL3500 might indeed have something to say in how it reacts to the PL connector input.

In this newer thread https://archivedforum.beoworld.org/forums/t/36474.aspx however version 3.1 is said to provide wireless comptability, so migth not make difference up to 3.33 in that regard.

I have to find a set of wireless 1 to test this further

Location: Denmark

[Madskp]

Madskp wrote:

One of them is an external black box for the MKII BL3500

There is a post ( https://archivedforum.beoworld.org/forums/p/31274/251443.aspx#251443 ) in one of the older forums that mentions that the box has a Masterlink and a powerlink connector, so sounds like it could be something like the Almando Masterplay.

Madskp wrote:

I am beginning to wonder if that PL connector on the MKII ever was supposed to work other than with the Menu, menu, 0, 4, GO command, or if there is different behavior with newer software versions

Keiths post in this old thread https://archivedforum.beoworld.org/forums/t/42470.aspx says that the Powerlink functionality of the BL3500 in combination with the wireless 1 is from SW 3.33, so the software version of the BL3500 might indeed have something to say in how it reacts to the PL connector input.

If it is data from Powerlink pin 6 it is reacting to there might also be specific data from the wireless 1 that will make the Bl3500 react, so it migth not work with other power link inputs.

In the same thread a modification to the BL 3500 from Iconic AV is also mentioned, that should make it work like any powerlink speaker. That sounds more interesting. Of course there is no word on how comprehensive that modification is.

 

Location: Denmark

[Madskp]

Did some random google searching about BL3500 and Powerlink. In a thread in one of the older forums there was a dead link to a modification from a french company. However the main site is still active and has  some modifications https://www.bang-olufsen-sav.com/Kits-lb3500-bbeaaaaaa.asp

One of them is an external black box for the MKII BL3500, the other seems  like an internal modification for the MKI BL3500.

Not much information about how it is working though, and the price is much higher than a used BLC 1611, so might not be that interesting.

Edit 2025.10.11: Link no longer working. snapshot on Archive.org is incomplete, but can be found here https://web.archive.org/web/20240229155823/http://www.bang-olufsen-sav.com/Kits-lb3500-bbeaaaaaa.asp

Location: Denmark

[Madskp]

Guy wrote:

Great result finding and fixing the ML fault

Yes that was nice that is was fixable.

Only downside is that now I have a faulty where I introduced a missing component making it even harder to diagnose 😉

Location: Denmark

[Madskp]

As noted in the repair thread https://forum.beoworld.org/forums/topic/beolab-3500-mkii-ml-error/#post-21410 I now got the ML functions working again on the MKII BL3500. It was a fault on the IR board that messed up the ML signals.

Trying to replicate the previous test with all the MKII components in the BL3500 again..

ML disabled on the BL3500 and in option 0 (also tried option 4)

BL Active in option 6 as Powerlink output, and BLC1611 as Audiomaster with and Iphone for sound.

Activating an audio source (A.TAPE) on the BL Active nothing happens on the BL3500 as for MKI.

A press on the Mute button on the BL3500 does nothing.

In fact the mute button doesn’t seem to react at all if ML is not activated and connected to an ML master. This also applies to the ability to make option setting.

With Bl3500 in option 4 it won’t respond to the Link IR commands. Also here I think it will only do it with ML active and connected.

So actually this result is worse than with the MKI hardware in place.

I am beginning to wonder if that PL connector on the MKII ever was supposed to work other than with the Menu, menu, 0, 4, GO command, or if there is different behavior with newer software versions

 

 

Location: Denmark

[Madskp]

Madskp wrote:

Now I will try to source these components and see if replacing them makes a difference.

I found a replacement for TR14 in a faulty BLC 1615. Its an SMD part named BSS84. The marking on the part can aperently differ. The faulty one had the marking YBs, where as the other part and also the one in the MKI was marked SPs.

I found a matching diode to replace D8 on some scrap electronics. A little larger part but it could be mounted in an angled position.

The result is not pretty, but now ML is working again with no errors, and it responds to source commands when connected to a ML master.

So now it’s back to the  other thread for testing again.

Location: Denmark

[Madskp]

The service manaul for the MKII states that in case of an error 4 on should check the cables and the signal path (amplifiers in the data transceiver circuit).

As the MKII service manual don’t have diagrams I am using those from the MKI servicemanual.

In that there is shown a transmitter and a reciever circiut for ML on the IR board. The transmitter part has some transistors where the reciever par has some IC’s. So I choose to focus on the transmitter part.

I tested all transistors and diodes and found that TR14 is not recognized by my component tester (so might be faulty) and D8 is short circiut.

Here is a picture of the placement (D8 is removed when I took the picture)

The placement of D8 is not the same as shown on the PCB layouts in the MKI service manual.

Now I will try to source these components and see if replacing them makes a difference.

Any insights as tho why the might have gone faulty are very welcome if I am overlooking something.

 

Location: Denmark

[Madskp]

Guy wrote:

Then cleaned up yet another Beo4 remote and must have been on auto-pilot because I didn’t spot the obvious mistake until re-assembled!

that is perfect as a IR command converter then ?

Location: Denmark

[Madskp]

Guy wrote:

Battery acid corrosion had broken the negative terminal in my Video Terminal’s battery compartment, so I made a new terminal using a re-purposed picture hook.

great job of re purposing other materials for these repairs. At some point there might not be enough donor remotes for spare parts anymore.

Location: Denmark

[Madskp]

Die_Bogener wrote:

Usually some caps in the power supply are the cause…

Is it those orange 10 uf caps here, C8, C9, C14?

Location: Denmark

[Madskp]

Blokkenpiloot wrote:

At the handbook they refere to pin 7 with the “braided shield”, on my cable it’s the other way around. Pin 2 has the shield and 7 the other ground. I can try to change it around, but since it’s working with this cable on my Beosytem 3, i don’t think it’ll work. But it’s easy to try!

that might have something to say.

With original powerlink cables this behaviour can also differ from product to product depending on the type of powerlink cable used

Location: Denmark

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