Model PX-230A ATAPI CD-R/RW DRIVE INSTALLATION AND USERS MANUAL JULY 2005 Plextor reserves the right to make improvements in the products described in this manual at any time without prior notice. Plextor makes no representation or warranties with respect to the contents hereof and specifically disclaims any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for any particular purpose. Further, Plextor Corp. reserves the right to revise this manual and to make changes in its content without obligation to notify any person or organization of such revision or change. This manual is copyrighted, all rights reserved. It may not be copied, photocopied, translated, or reduced to any electronic medium or machine-readable form without Plextor's prior permission. Manual copyright ©2005 Plextor Corp. Second edition, July 2005. Licenses and Trademarks Plextor and the Plextor logo are registered trademarks of Plextor Corp; and PlexWriter is a trademark of Plextor Corp. All other licenses and trademarks are property of their respective owners. Record Your Serial Number For future reference, record the serial number and the TLA code (found on your drive's label) in the space provided below. TLA/Firmware Revision Number FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION STATEMENT This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) This device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation. CAUTION: Any changes or modifications not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance could void the user's authority to operate the equipment. CANADIAN DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATIONS STATEMENT This digital apparatus does not exceed the Class B limits for radio noise emissions from digital apparatus set out in the Radio Interference Regulations of the Canadian Department of Communications. This class B digital apparatus complies with Canadian ICES-003. Cet appareil numérique de la classe B est conforme a la norme NMB-003 du Canada. LASER INFORMATION These products have been designed and manufactured according to IEC 60825-1 on the Safety of Laser products. This product comes under "Class 1 Laser Products." CAUTION: Use of controls or adjustments or performance of procedures other than those specified herein may result in hazardous radiation exposure. A Laser Caution Label is attached on the top of the internal drive model. The laser beam emitted from the optical pickup is visible and invisible. Accordingly: · Do not open the optical pickup housing. · Obtain service only from Plextor-authorized personnel. CAUTION: To disconnect the internal CD drive from an electrical current, pull out the computer's power plug. PX-230A Installation and Users Manual iii Top View of Internal Drive, Showing Caution Label Location Detail of PX-230A Laser Caution Labels iv PX-230A Installation and Users Manual Table of Contents 1. Getting Started ..............................................................................1 About this Manual...........................................................................1 Meet Your PlexWriter PX-230A.....................................................1 What the PX-230A Does.............................................................1 Features of the PX-230A .............................................................2 Minimum Configuration to Use the PX-230A ............................3 What You Can Do with the PX-230A .........................................3 About Software ...............................................................................4 Precautions ......................................................................................4 Where to Go From Here..................................................................5 2. Installing the PX-230A Internal ATAPI Drive ...........................7 PX-230A Drive Features and Controls............................................7 Front Panel--PX-230A Internal Drive........................................7 Rear Panel--PX-230A Internal Drive.........................................8 What Else Is In the PX-230A Box ..................................................9 Save Your Box!...........................................................................9 Mount the PX-230A Drive ............................................................10 PX-230A QuickStart Installation ..............................................11 Open the Computer and Prepare for Installation ...........................12 Determine Your Existing IDE Configuration................................13 Inspect Your Computer's Cables...................................................14 Do You Have Cable Select? ......................................................15 Do You Need a Power Cable?...................................................16 Set the Drive's Mode Jumper ........................................................16 Changing the Mode Jumper on Your PX-230A Drive ..............17 Select an IDE Configuration .........................................................19 About Cable Select........................................................................24 Mount the PX-230A Drive ............................................................25 Record the Serial Number .........................................................25 Mount the Drive in the Computer .............................................25 Using Sound Boards and Audio Cables ........................................30 PX-230A Installation and Users Manual v Table of Contents 3. Using Your PX-230A .................................................................. 33 What Media to Use ....................................................................... 33 Tray Loading and Operation ......................................................... 34 Handling Blank CD Media ....................................................... 35 Cleaning Discs .......................................................................... 35 Mounting Position......................................................................... 36 Writing to CD-R and CD-RW Media ........................................... 36 Using the Disc/Busy Indicator ...................................................... 36 4. Maintenance and Troubleshooting............................................ 37 Cleaning the PX-230A Drive........................................................ 37 Upgrading Firmware..................................................................... 38 Emergency Eject ........................................................................... 39 Troubleshooting ............................................................................ 40 Make Sure the Drive Is Recognized.......................................... 40 Further Troubleshooting ........................................................... 41 5. Frequently Asked Questions ...................................................... 43 Appendix A: PX-230A Specifications............................................ 45 Appendix B: Technical Support .................................................... 55 How to Contact Plextor Technical Support................................... 56 Before You E-mail or Call for Support......................................... 56 Returns .......................................................................................... 57 Contacting Plextor's RMA Department.................................... 57 Packing Your Drive .................................................................. 57 Shipping Your Drive to Plextor ................................................ 58 Appendix C: Warranty................................................................... 59 If You're Outside the U.S. or Canada ........................................... 60 Index................................................................................................. 61 vi PX-230A Installation and Users Manual 1. Getting Started Congratulations! Thank you for purchasing the Plextor® PlexWriter PX-230A, a reliable, high-performance recordable CD writer, rewriter, and player. We appreciate the confidence you have shown in us. Our goal is to put you--and keep you--on the leading edge of CD technology. About this Manual Please read this manual carefully and keep it handy for easy reference. Use the manual for installation, operation and troubleshooting. If your drive needs service, see your dealer or call Plextor's Technical Support Department. In this manual you should find all the information you need to successfully install, operate and troubleshoot your drive. If you run into a problem that doesn't seem to be covered, however, please contact us. (See "Appendix B: Technical Support" for the different ways you can reach us.) You will be connected to our friendly, helpful band of tech support engineers. What might seem like an uncooperative drive to you could very well be a 30-second fix to them. But we will never know unless you contact us. Meet Your PlexWriter PX-230A The PlexWriter PX-230A is a CD ReWritable drive that provides professional quality performance for CD writing, rewriting and reading. What the PX-230A Does · Writes to CD-R (recordable CD) media at up to 52X speed. · Writes to CD-RW (rewritable CD) media at up to 32X speed. · Reads all CD-ROM, CD-RW, and CD-R data media at a maximum of 52X speed. · Reads CD-DA (audio) and CD-R audio media at up to 52X speed. · Reads CD-RW audio media at up to 40X speed. PX-230A Installation and Users Manual 1 Section 1. Getting Started Features of the PX-230A · ATAPI interface: The PX-230A easily installs in virtually any PC with an E-IDE ATAPI interface. · High speed transfers: Supports Ultra DMA Mode 2, Multiword DMA Mode 2, and PIO Mode 4. (DMA mode switching is handled by the operating system software.) · MMC compliance: Supports the MMC-3 command set. · Flash memory: Allows upgrading the PX-230A to the latest firmware revision (available from the Plextor web site) without opening the computer or physically accessing the drive. · Black tray: Reduces the effect of optical distortion by absorbing reflections from the laser beam, enhancing read quality. · Plug and Play: Supports Windows Plug and Play. · Variety of recording modes: Supports track-at-once, disc-at-once, session-at-once, multi-session, variable and fixed packet writing, CD-MRW (Mount Rainier), and raw writing. · Buffer Underrun Proof Technology: Eliminates buffer underrun errors, so you can safely use your computer for other tasks while you're writing to a CD-R or CD-RW disc. · High-quality DAE: The PX-230A provides extraordinarily highquality digital audio extraction. · Wide compatibility: Wide CD-R and CD-RW media compatibility. · Orange Book compatibility: Compatible with Orange Book, Parts II and III. 2 PX-230A Installation and Users Manual Section 1. Getting Started · OPC: Optimum Power Control, which adjusts the laser power for the optimum write strategy. · CD-TEXT, Karaoke CD: Supports CD-TEXT and Karaoke CD (VCD format) writing. · Small form factor: To maximize space inside your computer, depth of the PX-230A without its bezel is just 6.8 inches (172.5 millimeters). Minimum Configuration to Use the PX-230A Here's what you'll need in order to install and use the PX-230A drive. · Computer: Pentium III, 500-MHz or faster CPU. · Minimum RAM: 128 MB. · Interface: Model PX-230A requires an IDE ATAPI interface. · Hard disk size: To write to a CD in image mode (that is, to write an image of a CD to your hard disk), you need 1 GB of free space. (For more accurate guidelines, see the help files or documentation for the recording software you're using.) · Operating System: The PX-230A operates under Windows XP, 2000, Me, 98SE (Second Edition), or 98. NOTE: Roxio Easy Media Creator 7 software requires Windows 2000/XP. What You Can Do with the PX-230A Just look at some of the things you can do with your PX-230A: · Record data or audio onto writable or rewritable CD media. · Play music CDs. · Save photos and other images on rewritable or writable CDs. · Create a CD "sneakernet" to share information with colleagues--just use software to drag and drop files onto CD-R or CD-RW media, then continue adding files and sharing the same disc. · Archive images and video to CD. · Master new software programs on CD. PX-230A Installation and Users Manual 3 Section 1. Getting Started About Software In order to record on CD-R/RW discs you will need to have mastering, packet writing, or duplication software installed on your computer system. If you purchased a retail kit from Plextor, you'll get software packages that include such software. For details on other software that is available for writing to CDs, please visit the web sites of the companies whose software you are interested in, refer to t ...