Hi Folks,
Has anyone any comments on possibilities for external CD-RW units for attaching to a laptop? DVD support is not needed, but if inevitable in order to have CD-RW then so be it. All I'm really interested in is writing CDs (there's already an internal CRDOM reader).
I suppose USB is the way to go.
One thing I'm (perhaps too theoretically) concerned about: To write a CD, the unit will need power which would be drawn from the laptop (unless the unit has an external power supply). Any known issues about this aspect of the matter? Might the laptop not be able to cope with the power demand?
Any other issues? Total ignoramus here!
Thanks, Ted.
-------------------------------------------------------------------- E-Mail: (Ted Harding) Ted.Harding@nessie.mcc.ac.uk Fax-to-email: +44 (0)870 167 1972 Date: 15-Jul-04 Time: 13:46:05 ------------------------------ XFMail ------------------------------
On Thu, Jul 15, 2004 at 01:46:05PM +0100, Ted Harding wrote:
Has anyone any comments on possibilities for external CD-RW units for attaching to a laptop? DVD support is not needed, but if inevitable in order to have CD-RW then so be it. All I'm really interested in is writing CDs (there's already an internal CRDOM reader).
I don't really know about external USB CD-RWs but you would probably want USB 2.0 to make it burn at a reasonable speed. Anyhow, you say the laptop has an internal CD-rom drive? could you not replace it with a CD-RW drive?
Adam
On 15 Jul 2004, at 14:17, adam@thebowery.co.uk wrote:
On Thu, Jul 15, 2004 at 01:46:05PM +0100, Ted Harding wrote:
Has anyone any comments on possibilities for external CD-RW units for attaching to a laptop? DVD support is not needed, but if inevitable in order to have CD-RW then so be it. All I'm really interested in is writing CDs (there's already an internal CRDOM reader).
I don't really know about external USB CD-RWs but you would probably want USB 2.0 to make it burn at a reasonable speed. Anyhow, you say the laptop has an internal CD-rom drive? could you not replace it with a CD-RW drive?
I have done it before. Just need the USB mass storage and UHCI in the kernel to be enabled (All the usual modules for CD burning).
Craig
On Thursday 15 July 2004 13:17, adam@thebowery.co.uk wrote:
I don't really know about external USB CD-RWs but you would probably want USB 2.0 to make it burn at a reasonable speed. Anyhow, you say the laptop has an internal CD-rom drive? could you not replace it with a CD-RW drive?
Adam
This would be the "nice" option.
Slimline drives are of a standard size, mounting and interface, the only physical gotcha is that there are two (very similar) faceplate mounting designs on the drawer front (the drawer front is often unique to each model/ make laptop and so you probably need to fit the old front onto the new drive)
However you also need to be careful when selecting the drive, Laptops vary as to whether the CDrom is Secondary Master or Primary Slave (most are Secondary Master) worse still most Slimline CD Drives are Primary/Secondary switchable only in firmware. Sometimes it is a different firmware build and sometimes it is a switch in the firmware upload utility (I have the tools somewhere to do Toshiba drives).
The real snag is of course that you can't speak to the drive in order to complete the firmware update unless you already have it on the right channel. The way around this is to use a slimline-IDE conversion connector and plug it into a desktop machine to do the firmware mod.
I can help with the Master/Slave thing for the price of return postage and if anybody is considering doing such a drive swap you can mail me the part number of the drive and I'll tell you the nearest fit CDRW.
To be honest if your Laptop's CD Drive is Secondary master then you needn't worry too much 90% of slimline drives are so configured.
Oh and one final thing is that I'd take care doing this trick with Consumer level Toshiba's (as in purchased from a high street store) some of them are very fussy about the models of drive they will boot from.
On Thursday 15 July 2004 12:46, Ted Harding wrote:
One thing I'm (perhaps too theoretically) concerned about: To write a CD, the unit will need power which would be drawn from the laptop (unless the unit has an external power supply). Any known issues about this aspect of the matter? Might the laptop not be able to cope with the power demand?
Assuming that both the drive and the laptop perform to USB spec this won't be an issue (apart from your Laptop's battery life)
USB spec says that any one device can consume up to 500mA at 5V and that any host should be able to provide 5V @ 500mA to a single directly connected device.
A conventional Slimline drive may consume up to 5 watts while spinning up, naturally this works out to 1 Amp....However the drives they fit into the USB caddies have modified firmware that spins up the disk more gently, and therefore uses less power. The power consumption of the laser (even when writing) is pretty insignificant compared to the power required to accelerate the disk.
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adam＠thebowery.co.uk -
Craig -
Ted.Harding＠nessie.mcc.ac.uk -
Wayne Stallwood