- DL manuals
- Plextor
- Recording Equipment
- PlexWriter 8/20
- Operation Manual
Plextor PlexWriter 8/20 Operation Manual
Summary of PlexWriter 8/20
Page 1
Operation manual model px-r820ti internal and px-r820te external cd recorder/reader march 1999.
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Fcc notice this equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a class b digital device, pursuant to part 15 of the fcc rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses, and...
Page 3: Px-R820Ti Internal
Cd recorder/reader px-r820ti internal px-r820te external.
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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 particu...
Page 5: Table of Contents
Table of contents 1. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2. Box contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 internal drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 external drives . . . . . . . . ...
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9. Software device driver installation . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 10. Using cd-rom/cd-r discs and trays . . . . . . . . . . 35 tray loading and operating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 handling cd-r media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 cleaning...
Page 7: Introduction
Px-r820t operation manual 1 introduction thank you for purchasing the plextor plexwriter 8/20, a high performance and reliable cd reader/recorder. 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. To get you there, we fir...
Page 8: Box Contents
2 px-r820t operation manual box contents your task: check the contents of the box. Your objective: make sure you got everything you paid for. Your method: compare what you find in the box with the tables on the following pages. What you find in your plextor box depends on two factors: 1) what config...
Page 9: Px-R820Ti Internal Drives
Px-r820t operation manual 3 drive software kit scsi kit cd-r drive x x 4 mounting screws x x approved cd-r media (1 piece) x x plextor cd with bundled software, plextor manager, and cd res-q x x scsi interface board and manual* x audio cable* x (2) scsi cable* x plextor operation manual* x x warrant...
Page 10: Px-R820Te External Drives
4 px-r820t operation manual drive software kit scsi kit cd-r drive x x approved cd-r media (1 piece) x x plextor cd with bundled software, plextor manager, and cd res-q x x scsi interface board and manual* x audio cable* x power cable x x scsi cable* x plextor operation manual* x warranty registrati...
Page 11: A Gentle Reminder. . .
Px-r820t operation manual 5 a gentle reminder. . . Your task: save your box (if you received one). Your objective: have a secure container in which to ship your drive back to plextor, if necessary. Your method: find an empty space in your home/office and fill it with the plextor box. If you received...
Page 12: What Else Do I Need?
What else do i need? Your task: review the software and hardware installed in your current computer system. Your objective: determine what else you may need to operate your cd-r drive. Your method: inventory your current computer system; check list below. If you purchased a plextor box labeled drive...
Page 13: Internal Cables
If you need to purchase a scsi cable, note the following: internal cables you may already have a scsi ribbon cable. If you are removing an existing internal scsi device and installing the plexwriter 8/20, you can use the same cable. If you are not removing an existing internal scsi device, you may n...
Page 14: Precautions
8 px-r820t operation manual precautions your task: read the list of precautions below. Your objective: avoid any undo harm coming to you or your drive. Your method: review the list and use common sense. Your new plexwriter 8/20 is a precision electromechanical device. Like the rest of your computer ...
Page 15: Drive Features
Px-r820t operation manual 9 drive features your task: get to know your drive. Your objective: learn how to operate different features of the drive. Learn what goes where. Learn some terms that will be used elsewhere in the manual. Your method: match the parts of your drive to the diagrams below. Fro...
Page 16
10 px-r820t operation manual ➅ ➅ on/read indicator: green when power is on and no disc is in drive. Green flashing when disc is being accessed. ➆ ➆ disc indicator: green when disc is in the drive and power is on. ➇ ➇ volume control: controls volume of headphone jack. This control has no effect on th...
Page 17
Px-r820te external drive—rear panel ➀ ➀ dip switches: use to select parity, termination, test, block size, or eject lock. Leave these jumpers at their factory settings unless one or more of the following situations pertain to you: termination: review chapter 7 to determine if you need to turn your t...
Page 18: Your Task:
— chapter 6 — 12 px-r820t operation manual drive switch/jumper/dial settings your task: find the locations of the jumpers (internal drive), the switches, and the rotary dial (external drive). Check their settings. Change them, if necessary. Your objective: to ensure that your new cd-r drive can coex...
Page 19: Px-R820Ti Internal Drive
Px-r820t operation manual 13 px-r820ti internal drive factory setting of jumper block the functions shown are on if the jumpers are installed and off if the jumpers are removed. The jumpers are set by the factory as follows: installing and removing jumpers ensure power to the drive is off before ins...
Page 20: Scsi Id Number
14 px-r820t operation manual scsi id number it is possible to chain (using a daisy chain cable) scsi peripherals to a single scsi interface board, or to the scsi port of an apple computer — up to seven devices with the plexwriter 8/20. Daisy chaining a few drives together should be possible with no ...
Page 21: Off
Px-r820t operation manual 15 changing the scsi id: px-r820ti the scsi id number of the px-r820ti is determined by the placement of jumpers on pins 1, 2, and 3. To find the location of pin 1, pin 2, and pin 3, refer to the diagram on page 13. To change the scsi id number, follow the chart below. Jump...
Page 22: Px-R820Te External Drive
16 px-r820t operation manual px-r820te external drive scsi id number please see description page 15. It is also applicable to the external drive. Factory setting of dial and dip switches caution: turn the drive’s power off before changing the setting of the dial or dip switches. The scsi id number o...
Page 23: Px-R820Ti/px-R820Te
Px-r820t operation manual 17 other switch/jumper settings— px-r820ti/px-r820te the remaining switches (external drives) and jumpers (internal drives) are: parity leave this on. The parity check provided by the on setting enhances the reliability of the scsi bus. Set to off only if your computer syst...
Page 24: Termination
18 px-r820t operation manual termination your task: find the location of the scsi termination jumper or switch. Your objective: determine if you must disable the scsi termination. Your method: your drive was shipped with termination enabled. If necessary, remove the termination jumper or turn the sc...
Page 25: Internal Termination
Px-r820t operation manual 19 remember: only the last scsi peripheral in a daisy chain should have termination enabled. If you have any scsi devices chained after your plexwriter, you must disable or turn off the plexwriter’s termination using the following instructions: internal termination the plex...
Page 26: Hardware Installation
20 px-r820t operation manual hardware installation by itself, your plexwriter 8/20 is incapable of communicating with your computer. You must use a hardware link that enables your drive to “talk” with the rest of your computer. Plexwriter 8/20 uses a scsi interface as its link. Plextor strongly reco...
Page 27: Board Installation
Px-r820t operation manual 21 board installation your task: install a scsi interface board in your computer. Your objective: provide the hardware link needed to enable your cd-r drive to communicate with your computer. Your method: remove your computer’s case. Install board and attach necessary cable...
Page 28
22 px-r820t operation manual to remove your computer’s cover, follow the directions provided by your computer’s manufacturer. Typically, this involves loosening or removing several screws on the back panel of your computer and sliding off your computer’s cover. Carefully remove the scsi interface bo...
Page 29
Px-r820t operation manual 23 chapter 8 — hardware installation once you have successfully inserted the board, fasten it in place using the cover plate screw that you removed earlier..
Page 30: Drive Positioning
24 px-r820t operation manual drive positioning your task: determine where you want to install your drive. Your objective: position the drive in the proper manner so that it operates correctly. Your method: if you have an internal drive, find an open bay in your computer. If you have an external driv...
Page 31: Mounting An Internal Drive
Px-r820t operation manual 25 chapter 8 — hardware installation note: the following section is only for those installing internal drives. If you have an external drive, skip to page 29. Mounting an internal drive your task: mount your internal drive inside your computer. Your objective: a securely po...
Page 32: Check Your Jumper Settings
26 px-r820t operation manual if you must use mounting rails, install them as shown below: note: plextor does not provide rails. If rails are necessary, it is up to the computer/chassis manufacturer to provide them. There are four holes provided on each side of the drive. To mount an internal drive i...
Page 33: Cable Connections
Px-r820t operation manual 27 chapter 8 — hardware installation cable connections you must make a minimum of two cable connections to your cd-r drive. A third cable connection will need to be made if you are using a soundboard in your computer and plan to connect the plexwriter’s audio output to the ...
Page 34
28 px-r820t operation manual the easiest way to install your scsi cable is to plug it into the scsi connector on the rear panel of the drive before you insert the drive into your computer. Then you can thread the cable through the front of the open bay you plan to use and back toward the scsi interf...
Page 35: External Drive Installation
Px-r820t operation manual 29 chapter 8 — hardware installation installation of your internal drive is now complete. Skip to page 32. External drive installation your task: connect cables from your external drive to your pc or mac. Check to see if switch, dial, and terminator settings need to be adju...
Page 36: Pc Connection
30 px-r820t operation manual pc connection chapter 8 — hardware installation scsi cable scsi interface board personal computer y ac power supply px-r820te rear panel.
Page 37
Px-r820t operation manual 31 if you are installing more than one px-r820te external drive (or one px-r820te and other external scsi peripherals), connect them as shown below: note: performance of scsi devices may suffer if total cable length in daisy chain plus cabling in external case exceeds 1.5 m...
Page 38: Audio Cables
32 px-r820t operation manual regarding soundcards and audio cables whichever category your soundboard falls into, you will find that the best source of information about installing the soundboard in your computer is your soundboard's manual. Once you have successfully installed the soundboard in you...
Page 39: Software Device Driver
Px-r820t operation manual 33 software device driver installation your task: install the correct version of software device drivers into your computer system. Your objective: enable your cd-r drive to communicate with the rest of your computer system. Your method: insert the floppy disk containing th...
Page 40
34 px-r820t operation manual your scsi host adapter was released recently, it may not be supported by your release of windows 95/98 and nt. In this case, you should contact the host adapter manufacturer who should have provided the required .Mpd file. If you bought a plexwriter kit with a scsi host ...
Page 41: Using Cd-Rom/cd-R
Px-r820t operation manual 35 using cd-rom/cd-r discs and trays your task: learn how to handle, load, and care for your discs. Your objective: protect your discs. Insert and eject discs properly so your drive operates without interruption. Your method: practice loading discs into trays. Tray loading ...
Page 42: Handling Cd-R Media
36 px-r820t operation manual handling cd-r media care should be taken when handling cd-r media. Dust, scratches, and finger prints on the data side of the disc can cause write errors during recording. When picking up or holding cd-r media, you can either place your fingers only on the outer edge of ...
Page 43: How to Play Audio Cds
Px-r820t operation manual 37 how to play audio cds on your drive your task: learn how to use your cd-r drive so that it can also play audio cds. Your objective: increase functionality of your drive. Provide musical accompaniment for presentations. Goof off at work. Your method: you may choose from a...
Page 44
38 px-r820t operation manual control volume level of the signal from the rear panel audio outputs. Please refer to the plextor manager manual for information regarding this function. Chapter 11 — how to play audio cds on your drive.
Page 45: Px-R820Ti Or Px-R820Te
Px-r820t operation manual 39 stereo mini-plug (to headphone jack) audio amplifier audio input rca-type plugs (to audio out) rca-type plugs audio amplifier audio input px-r820ti or px-r820te px-r820te chapter 11 — how to play audio cds on your drive.
Page 46: Troubleshooting
40 px-r820t operation manual troubleshooting your task: review some of the common problems you may encounter when installing or operating your plexwriter drive. Your objective: gain a better understanding of how your drive operates. Attempt to prevent problems before they occur. Quickly fix many sim...
Page 47: Upgrading Firmware
Px-r820t operation manual 41 upgrading firmware the plexwriter 8/20 has the ability to upload new firmware to the drive. Typically, plextor creates new firmware revisions to meet the peculiar needs of large computer manufacturers. It is rare that these will impact the performance or operation of you...
Page 48: Symptoms
42 px-r820t operation manual if after further sleuthing you cannot solve the issue, please contact plextor’s technical support department (see chapter 13). 12.1 pc compatibles: initial installation symptoms additional symptom • no sound when running a • no sound when playing an audio cd program poss...
Page 49: Improper/missing Audio Cable
Px-r820t operation manual 43 cannot hear sound when you play a cd-rom disc, you may have configured your soundboard incorrectly. Check the troubleshooting section of your soundboard manual for further advice. If you have a soundboard, but you cannot hear an audio cd when it is played, check the foll...
Page 50: Symptoms
44 px-r820t operation manual symptoms • cannot view photocd discs • can read only first session of a multisession disc • receive error messages while reading photocd images your plexwriter drive is capable of reading kodak photocd multisession discs if you use the appropriate device drivers and you ...
Page 51: Improper Mscdex Installation
Px-r820t operation manual 45 if the scsi device driver cannot be loaded properly, either a software or hardware conflict exists. Software conflicts are generally caused by memory managers; hardware conflicts by two peripherals vying for the same address space. Please read the next two sections on so...
Page 52: Symptom
46 px-r820t operation manual scsi interface board not properly seated if the scsi interface board is not fully seated into the computer’s expansion slot, the device driver software will not recognize it. Inspect the interface board where it seats into the connector on your computer’s motherboard. Th...
Page 53: Symptoms
Px-r820t operation manual 47 c:\tscsi\mscdex.Exe /d:tslcd /m:10 in this example, c:\tsci is the path to mscdex.Exe. The path name will vary depending on the type of scsi device driver software you use. The d:tslcd refers to the device. Change only the path of this line in your autoexec.Bat file so t...
Page 54: Symptom
48 px-r820t operation manual symptom additional symptom • cdr101 – not ready • all commands sent to the drive reading drive [x] result in cdr101 error possible causes and solutions defective cd-rom or cd-r disc a fingerprint, contaminants, or deep scratches on the disc’s surface may prevent the driv...
Page 55: Symptoms
Px-r820t operation manual 49 12.2 pc compatibles: existing installations symptoms additional symptom • invalid drive specification • interface board driver fails to • no device found recognize the cd-r drive • drive not responding possible causes and solutions drive is not on if you have a plexwrite...
Page 56: Defective Cd-Rom/cd-R Disc
50 px-r820t operation manual improper scsi bus termination ensure that only the last peripheral on the scsi bus is terminated (see chapter 7). Some peripherals have a setting marked “termination power” instead of “terminator.” ensure that termination power switches are set correctly. Defective cd-ro...
Page 57: Symptom
Px-r820t operation manual 51 symptom additional symptom • cdr101—not ready • all commands sent to the drive reading drive [x] result in cdr101 error possible causes and solutions audio cd disc in the drive plextor cd-rom drives are capable of playing high-quality audio when used with appropriate aud...
Page 58: Symptom
52 px-r820t operation manual symptom additional symptom • cdr103—not high • occurs regardless of the discs used sierra format possible causes and solutions incorrect jumper setting you might have the block jumper set to on. (if you have an internal drive, see page 13. If you have an external drive, ...
Page 59: Cd-R Drive Set to Test Mode
Px-r820t operation manual 53 cd-r drive set to test mode turn this switch off. The test mode is for factory use only. Always turn the drive power off before changing the setting of the switches (see chapter 6). Cd-rom/cd-r disc is poorly balanced poorly manufactured discs that are out-of-balance or ...
Page 60: 12.3 Apple Macintosh
54 px-r820t operation manual if not, this will cause the drive to eject the cd. An incorrectly written cd-r disc, or a damaged, scratched, or otherwise unreadable cd will cause this same symptom. Inserting a known good disc will correct this problem. 12.3 apple macintosh symptoms • invalid drive spe...
Page 61: Symptom
Px-r820t operation manual 55 symptom • low performance of cd-rom application software possible cause and solution system set for virtual memory if your macintosh is using system 7 and is in virtual mode, it may exhibit slow performance during real-time graphics and animation. This is because your ha...
Page 62: Contacting Plextor’S
56 px-r820t operation manual contacting plextor’s technical support department your task: learn the variety of methods you can use to contact plextor’s technical support department. Learn what information you should gather before contacting plextor’s technical support department. Your objective: kno...
Page 63: How to Contact Us
Px-r820t operation manual 57 possess psychic or telepathic powers. Therefore, their ability to help you depends a great deal on your ability to help them. You must act as their eyes and ears as they try to diagnose and fix your problem. If you gather the infor- mation requested below before you cont...
Page 64: Returns
58 px-r820t operation manual ✓ the brand name and model number of your computer (e.G., dell 466/np, micron p66pci powerstation, alr evolution v, apple macintosh, performa 575). ✓ the type of vga, super vga, or other graphics card you use. ✓ brand name and model number of any other peripherals you ha...
Page 65: Helpful Contacts
Px-r820t operation manual 59 helpful contacts company phone fax bbs, web , and/or product email address adaptec 408-945-8600 408-262-2533 scsi interface boards & cd-r software www.Adaptec.Com advansys 800-525-7443 408-383-9612 408-383-9540 scsi interface boards www.Advansys.Com amc 800-390-9328 425-...
Page 66: Specifications
60 px-r820t operation manual specifications px-r820ti/e internal/external disc useable formats cd-da; cd-rom (mode 1); cd-rom (mixed mode); read and write cd-rom & cd-da; cd-rom xa; mode 2 form 1 and form 2; mode 2 mixed form, cd-i; photo cd; cd-extra disc type iso 9660-hfs; rockridge; photocd, vide...
Page 67: Front Panel
Px-r820t operation manual 61 front panel eject auto eject; manual emergency eject lights disc in; on/busy; write; l.H. Disc loading auto headphone jack stereo minijack, 0.8v at 32 ohms volume control wheel knob cd-audio controls play/track advance; stop/eject rear panel power supply internal: dc +5v...
Page 68: Windows 95/98
62 px-r820t operation manual windows 95/98 installation guide quick install windows 95/98 should automatically recognize and support your scsi controller and plextor cd-r drive. Microsoft has included a generic cd-rom device driver in the operating system. This driver also supports the plexwriter as...
Page 69: Configured Automatically.
Px-r820t operation manual 63 these features. Your scsi controller must also be scam capable. It may sound like a con game, but actually scam stands for scsi configured auto magically (sure it sounds hokey, but we didn’t make it up). Others may refer to it as scsi configured automatically. Any combin...
Page 70: Configuration Identification
64 px-r820t operation manual configuration identification the first thing you want to do is figure out exactly what your configuration is and what you are trying to accomplish. Review the following descriptions and then go to the appropriate section of this manual. 1) you have purchased a new scam c...
Page 71: Plug and Play Installation
Px-r820t operation manual 65 plug and play installation install hardware you should be able to simply install your scsi controller, cd-rom drive, and all cabling without any concern for things like scsi id selection. First, turn off your computer system, then review chapter 8. You should also famili...
Page 72: Reboot Your Computer
66 px-r820t operation manual than inserting the windows 95/98 disk. If you do not have this disk (or cannot find it among all the other disks you have), you can try using the files provided by windows 95/98, but we cannot guarantee you will get scam support. Reboot your computer reboot your machine ...
Page 73
Px-r820t operation manual 67 3) it is also possible that the scsi controller you may have purchased separately is not really scam capable. Not to worry, though. You simply need to deal with scsi id selection. First turn off your computer. Review the discussion of scsi id selection (chapter 6) and th...
Page 74: Install Hardware
68 px-r820t operation manual this floppy may be available on plextor’s web site. If you do not locate the files on our web site, contact technical support by following the instructions in chapter 13. They can help you locate the files or send them to you via email. Note: we encourage you to visit ou...
Page 75: Reboot Your Computer
Px-r820t operation manual 69 automatically detect and configure your scsi controller. If you have just installed it, windows 95/98 will then recognize that it does not have the right driver available. A dialog box named new hardware found appears, followed immediately by a dialog box named insert di...
Page 76
70 px-r820t operation manual applicable windows 95/98 subdirectory: copy d:\*.Mpd c:\windows\system\iosubsys reboot again and everything should work fine. 2) the second likely cause is that you neglected to disable the plug and play capabilities on your scsi controller. Turn off your computer. Revie...
Page 77: Non-Scam Installation
Px-r820t operation manual 71 scsi controller manufacturer. If you cannot reach them, or they cannot help you, contact plextor’s technical support department. Non-scam installation install hardware refer to chapter 8 for instructions on installing your scsi controller, cabling, and cd-rom drive. If y...
Page 78: Reboot Your Computer
72 px-r820t operation manual controller, windows 95/98 will recognize that it does not have the right driver available. A dialog box named new hardware found appears, followed immediately by a dialog box named insert disk. At this point, click on ok in the insert disk dialog box and a second new har...
Page 79: Upgrading to Windows 95/98
Px-r820t operation manual 73 first) to determine the location of the disable switch. Double-check for proper termination. Restart your computer. 3) finally, you may have failed to set a unique scsi id for each of your peripheral devices connected to your controller. Turn off your computer. Review sc...
Page 80: Install Windows 95/98
74 px-r820t operation manual or, from your program manager in windows, choose file and run, and enter the following on the command line: a:\install install windows 95/98 insert your windows 95/98 cd into your new plextor cd-r drive and follow microsoft’s instructions for upgrading. During the instal...
Page 81: Disable Plextor Manager
Px-r820t operation manual 75 • if your plextor provided scsi controller is supported by windows 95/98, it will automatically install non-scam capable 32-bit support for your scsi board. If your scsi controller was not scam capable, this would present no problem. However, since you purchased a scam c...
Page 82: Add New Hardware
76 px-r820t operation manual this displays all the scsi controllers currently installed in your system. In the box called driver status, the message should be this device is working properly. If you get this message, you can now make full use of your cd-r drive with the windows 95/98 32-bit support....
Page 83: About Plextor
Px-r820t operation manual 77 about plextor plextor is a subsidiary of the shinano kenshi company (skc), ltd. Skc’s roots stretch back to 1918, when it began to manufacture textiles in japan’s northern prefecture of nagano. (nagano, incidentally, was the site of the 1998 winter olympics.) skc’s invol...
Page 84: Plextor Cd-Rom Drives
78 px-r820t operation manual plextor cd-rom drives data access buffer model introduced transfer rate time size 1st generation dm-3020/5020 1990 150kb/sec 430ms 64k 2nd generation dm-3021/5021 1991 150kb/sec 340ms 64k 3rd generation dm-3024/5024 1992 300kb/sec 265ms 64k 4th generation dm-3028/5028 19...
Page 85: Warranty Information
Px-r820t operation manual 79 warranty information plextor corp. (“plextor”) warrants your plexwriter 8/20 against any defect in material and workmanship, under normal use, for a period of one year following its date of purchase. In the event this product is found to be defective within the warranty ...
Page 86
80 px-r820t operation manual.
Page 88: Chuou-Ku, Tokyo, Japan 103
Plextor (u.S.A.) 4255 burton drive, santa clara, ca 95054 web site: www.Plextor.Com email: support@plextor.Com phone: 408-980-1838 fax: 408-986-1010 bbs: 408-986-1569 toll free: 800-886-3935 plextor (japan) 8f kyodo-building 1-4-21 yaesu chuou-ku, tokyo, japan 103 web site: www.Plextor.Co.Jp phone: ...