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Plextor 1PK DVD+- RW 12X PX- 712SA- BPS

1. 63 Testing Your CDs and 0 5 64 Measuring Read Transfer Rate eee 64 viii PX 712 Installation and Users Manual Table of Contents Measuring Write Transfer Rate 222 2 2 2 67 Measuring Q Check C1 C2 CU 4 42042222 69 Measuring Tracking and Focus 101 73 Making Q Check Jitter Beta TI Measuring Q Check PI PO Errors 81 Advantages of Buffer Underrun Proof Technology 83 6 Maintenance and Troubleshooting 2 0 85 Cleaning the PX 712 Drive 85 Upgrading Firinware x t eee eR Ren 86 Emersency EJect u iei ooi oU ae UR 87 87 Make Sure the Drive Is Recognized 224422 87 Using the PX 712A Self Test Diagnostics 89 7 Frequently Asked 8 0 40400 93 Appendix A PX 712 222442 95 Specifications for All PX 712 Drives sese 95 Specifications for the PX 712A Internal ATAPI Drive 104 Specifications for the PX 712SA Internal SATA Drive 107 Appendix B Technical 5
2. DMA jumper usually leave empty for Ultra DMA Figure 4 Factory settings for mode jumper at the rear of the internal drive 16 PX 712 Installation and Users Manual Section 2 Installing the PX 712A Internal ATAPI Drive Changing to a Master Slave or Cable Select The Master Slave Cable Select setting for the drive is determined by the mode jumper The jumper is placed over one of the sets of mode pins To change the drive from Master to Slave or to Cable Select you must move the jumper For example to change the drive to be a Slave move the jumper to the middle set of mode pins leaving the other pins uncovered To change the drive for Cable Select move the jumper to the left set of mode pins Note that if any device is jumpered as Cable Select then both devices connected to that cable must be jumpered as Cable Select In addition the cable you use must be a special Cable Select cable Changing Jumper Settings To remove a jumper pull it off with your fingers or a pair of needle nose pliers e To install a jumper push it onto the jumper pins CAUTION Ensure power to the drive is OFF before installing or removing a jumper Install jumpers this way DO NOT install jumpers this way Vertically Horizontally Figure 5 Install the mode jumper across vertical pairs of pins CAUTION Install the mode jumper across the pins as shown vertically Do not connect one pin switch to another by installing the
3. 01 44 4 109 How to Contact Plextor Technical Support 110 Before You E mail Log On FAX Call for Support 110 Returns aere 111 Contacting Plextor s RMA Department 111 Packing Y our Drive eire 112 Shipping Your Drive to Plextor esee 112 Appendix C 2 2 2 113 If You re Outside the U S or 114 EE 115 PX 712 Installation and Users Manual iX Table of Contents This page intentionally left blank X PX 712 Installation and Users Manual 1 Getting Started Congratulations Thank you for purchasing the Plextor PX 712 a reliable high performance recordable DVD and 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 DVD and 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 in
4. 1 About this Manual 1 Meet Your 125 eon re rh REDE 2 What the PX 712 Does 2 Features of the PX 712 err irit n etae 3 Minimum Configuration to Use the 712 6 What You Can Do with the PX 712 sese 6 About SOWA e Hs cero rh rH etre rtt ENTE EP 7 7 Where to Go From Here 8 2 Installing the PX 712A Internal ATAPI Drive 9 PX 712A Drive Features and Controls esses 9 Front Panel PX 7124A Internal Drive 9 Rear Panel PX 712A Internal Drive eese 10 What Else Is In the PX 7124A Box eee 11 Save Your Box siete 12 Mount the 712 Drive 12 PX 712A QuickStart Installation esee 13 Open the Computer and Prepare for Installation 13 Determine Your Existing IDE Configuration 14 Set the Drive s Mode Jumper sese 15 Changing the Mode Jumper on Your PX 712A Drive 16 Select an IDE Configuration sees 18 About Cable Sel
5. PX 712 Installation and Users Manual 75 Section 5 Advanced Features and PlexTools Professional 6 To end measurement click the Stop button or wait for the measurement to stop by itself You see a graph of the errors recorded by the application PlexTools Professional also tells you if the media is safe to write at highest speed or if you need to reduce speed to write safely What the Measurements Mean Recordable and rewritable discs can be manufactured with widely varying quality and a failure to write a disc without errors can be caused by either the drive or by the media Variations in the reflective layer polycarbonate thickness eccentricity that is if the spindle hole is not in the exact center of the disc and the quality and thickness of the dye layer are all factors that determine if the laser accurately burns the data on to the disc PoweRec can reduce the drive speed during recording to ensure a higher quality recording but the reduction in speed may be perceived as a problem with the drive when compared against a drive without PoweRec The FE TE graphing capability of the Plextor PX 712 drive displays the mechanical characteristics of the disc by indicating how consistently the laser tracks across the surface of the disc and how accurately the focus is maintained on the recording dye layer To be specific e Focus error 15 a measure of how accurately the laser is focused on the disc surface That is how roun
6. The position of the DMA jumper on or off doesn t matter Don t change it 5 Install an extra jumper so that both the CABLE SELECT and SLAVE positions are jumpered as shown in Figure 41 6 If you removed the drive for access to the cable and mode jumpers slide it back into the computer and connect the power cable to the drive 7 Replace the computer s cover and re connect the computer s power cord to the power source CAUTION Turning on the computer power without first replacing the cover can be dangerous to the computer s components and also to you Be aware of the danger of electric shock and do not touch any components inside the computer 8 While pressing the eject button on the PX 712A turn the computer power on The LED indicator blinks green then amber and the tray ejects 90 PX 712 Installation and Users Manual Section 6 Maintenance and Troubleshooting CABLE SELECT MASTER DMA SLAVE Figure 41 Place jumpers across both the SLAVE and CABLE SELECT pins to perform the self test diagnostics on the PX 712A 9 Insert a blank Plextor recommended DVD R or CD R disc Be sure to use only media of the type recommended by Plextor Ifthe LED indicator blinks amber three times the loaded disc is not a blank DVD R or CD R disc Remove the disc and insert a blank Plextor recommended DVD R or CD R disc 10 The drive begins the diagnostic routine Up
7. E GigaRec Rate Model Mode2Form2 MSF 7 Enable GigaRec Maximum Capacity Normal Rate 703MB 797 MB 7299 71 0 6 407 464 MB 46 24 65 07 481 MB 547 MB 54 48 47 0 8 555 531 MB 63 12 30 1 2 850 MB 354 MB 96 47 36 1 3 924 MB 1047MB 1051113 1 4 998 MB 1130 MB 113 35 01 Disc Info Blank CD R 79 59 71 15 x Figure 30 Selecting the GigaRec writing capacity Ready 4 To enable GigaRec place a check mark in the Enable GigaRec box 62 PX 712 Installation and Users Manual Section 5 Advanced Features and PlexTools Professional 5 Move the slider to one of the GigaRec Rate numbers to select the capacity For example choosing 1 2x increases the disc s writing capacity by 20 percent So the capacity of a 703 MB disc is increased to 850 megabytes Mode 1 or about 96 minutes NOTE MSF stands for minutes seconds frames This is the structure of the CD 2048 bytes per frame 75 frames per second 60 seconds per minute 6 Using a disc at once DAO recording application such as PlexTools Professional CD DVD ROM Maker or AudioCD Maker record data on the CD R disc 7 To disable GigaRec and return to normal writing clear the Enable GigaRec check box How GigaRec Works CD R and CD RW discs are manufactured with special information about manufacturer model name disc features and maximum write capacity written to a narrow strip along the inner margin of the disc The Plextor
8. audio up to 99 minutes 59 seconds in length or a data disc up to 875 megabytes in capacity PX 712 Installation and Users Manual 5 Section 1 Getting Started Minimum Configuration to Use the PX 712 Here s what you ll need in order to install and use the PX 712 drive Computer Pentium III 800 MHz CPU or faster Pentium 4 1 6 GHz or faster recommended Minimum RAM 128 MB Interface Q Model PX 712A requires IDE ATAPI interface Model PX 712SA requires Serial ATA 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 GB of free space For a DVD 6 GB of free space is recommended For more accurate guidelines see the help files or documentation for the recording software you re using Operating System Q Model PX 712A requires Windows XP 2000 Me or 98SE Q Model PX 712SA requires Windows XP or Windows 2000 NOTE You cannot use the PX 712A with early versions of Windows 98 if you are using Windows 98 it must be Windows 98SE Second Edition What You Can Do with the PX 712 Just look at some of the things you can do with your PX 712 Record slide shows or digital video onto DVD R R RW and RW discs Play DVD R DVD RW DVD R and DVD RW discs 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 or DVD sneakernet to share i
9. cable connections PX 712A 31 PX 712SA 42 cable select 14 22 23 105 cable for 23 27 configuring PX 712A for 23 identifying 24 master 24 PX 712A installation 22 setting mode jumper 17 signal 23 slave 24 CD formats supported 96 reading speed 99 recording modes 5 96 write methods 5 96 CD cleaning disc don t 8 CD reading speed 99 CD G 5 CD DA reading speed 2 PX 712 Installation and Users Manual 115 Index CD R compatibility 5 media 43 97 reading speed 2 writing 47 writing speed 2 100 CD R RW software 7 CD ROM playing 43 CD RW compatibility 5 high speed 100 media 43 97 normal speed 100 reading speed 2 ultra speed 100 writing 47 writing speed 2 100 CD TEXT 5 cleaning disc 46 cleaning your drive 85 precautions 8 85 closing tray 45 compatibility CD R 5 CD RW 5 DVD 4 DVD R 93 DVD RW 93 computer minimum 6 PX 712A 104 7125 107 configuration cable select 23 minimum 6 PX 712A minimum 104 PX 712SA minimum 107 types of IDE 15 connection digital audio 105 sound board 32 connector 116 PX 712 Installation and Users Manual analog audio output 11 31 105 digital audio 10 32 IDE interface 11 30 36 105 power 11 31 36 41 SATA interface 41 connectors and jumpers PX 712A rear panel 104 connector
10. Digital amp udio Extraction AudioCD Maker CD DVD ROM Maker CD DVD Copy CD DVD Rw Functions CD Test Read Transfer Rate Test Write Transfer Rate Test Q Check C1 C2 Test Q Check Beta Jitter Test Q Check PI PO Test Ready IV Show FE Show TE Elapsed Time 23 28 Preferences px Figure 36 Q Check FE TE Test window 74 PX 712 Installation and Users Manual Section 5 Advanced Features and PlexTools Professional 3 Click the Preferences button to view or change the preferences You can change the scale the start position and the end position x freedb Transfer Rate Test Q Check C1 C2 Test General Digital Audio Extraction CD DVD CD DVD ROM Maker Recording Options Q Check FE TE Test 0 Beta vitter Test Q Check PI PO Test CD Graph Options Scale Limit Time Length Indication 100 Minutes Start Position 000 00 00 MSF End Position 099 00 00 MSF r DVD Graph ptions Scale Limit 100 E Time Length Indication 5 GB Start Position 0 LBA End Position 2621440 LBA Figure 37 Changing preferences for graphing focus error and tracking error 4 Click OK to exit the Preferences window and return to the Q Check FE TE Test window 5 To begin measurement in the FE TE Test window click the Start button You see the traces representing focus error FE and tracking error TE
11. Molex connector L G G R Output 3 standard Output voltage max volume 0 55V rms 1V Load impedance 10 k ohms S N ratio Min 80dB Total harmonic distortion noise Max 0 08 1kHz Dynamic range Typically 75dB 1kHz Channel separation Typically 70dB 1kHz Frequency response 20Hz to 20kHz 008 5dB Digital Audio Digital audio output for input to SPDIF or Digital In Output input Mode Jumper Master default slave cable select CSEL DMA Jumper Open no jumper Ultra DMA mode 0 2 default Short jumper installed Multiword DMA mode 0 2 Dimensions and Weight PX 712A Internal ATAPI Drive Dimensions 5 75 x 1 63 x 7 48 W H D 146 mm x 41 3 mm x 190 mm excluding front panel Weight lt 2 2 Ibs 1 0 kg PX 712 Installation and Users Manual 105 Appendix A PX 712 Specifications Host Interface PX 712A Internal ATAPI Drive Type PIO Transfers Multiword DMA Transfers Ultra DMA Transfers ATAPI Command Set Inquiry string ATA ATAPI 5 compliant Modes 0 4 Modes 0 2 Modes 0 2 Ultra DMA33 Refer to the Plextor ATAPI command manual PLEXTOR sp DVDR sp sp sp PX 712A sp sp where sp is one space 106 PX 712 Installation and Users Manual Appendix A PX 712 Specifications Specifications for the PX 712SA Internal SATA Drive Minimum System Requirements PX 712SA Internal SATA Drive Computer Minimum RAM Hard Disk Size Interface Operating
12. This test is conducted on blank media to determine the capabilities of the drive media combination To measure write response 1 Place a blank recordable or rewritable disc in the Plextor PX 712 drive You can use a blank DVD R or RW disc a DVD R or RW disc or a CD R or CD RW disc 2 From the PlexTools menu bar select Write Transfer Rate Test You see the Write Transfer Rate Test window with a graph for write speeds 3 Select the speed pulldown menu and choose the desired transfer speed PX 712 Installation and Users Manual 67 Section 5 Advanced Features and PlexTools Professional 1 5 Professional V2 12 ioj xi Options Help IDE Interface 0 10 0 712 10 1 CD DVD ATAPI B e IDE Interface 1 10 0 Bigfoot 8 10 1 ZIP 100 40x gt 32 24 56 x 48X General Information Drive Settings Drive Information CD DVD Info Multimedia Player 16X AudioCD Player Digital Audio Extraction AudioCD Maker 8x CD DVD ROM Maker CD DVD Copy CD DVD RW Functions 0x CD Test 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 30 100 Read Transfer Rate Test Write Transfer Rate Test ias eS 7 v Q Check 1 2 Test HEE MSF 18X 2700KB s Q Check FE TE Test End LBA Q Check Beta Jitter Test X ante Q Check PI PO Test Current Ready Figure 33 Write Transf
13. results may be poor Mitsubishi Chemical Verbatim Ricoh Mitsubishi Chemical Verbatim NOTE All CD RW media are rewritable up to 1 000 times PX 712 Installation and Users Manual 97 Appendix A PX 712 Specifications Performance Specifications Read Speed Speed Stamped DVD R DVD RW DVD DVD DVD R DVD RW Disc Disc 6 16X Yes Single lt CAV layer disc 5 12X Yes Single Yes Yes CAV or dual layer disc 3 8X Yes Single Yes Yes CAV or dual layer disc 2 5 Yes Single Yes Yes CAV or dual layer disc 2X Yes Single Yes Yes or dual layer disc NOTE When a DVD Video with CSS copy protection via the Content Scrambling System is loaded the PX 712 slows its playback speed to reduce drive noise 98 PX 712 Installation and Users Manual Appendix A PX 712 Specifications Performance Specifications continued Read Speed Speed Mode 1 Mode 2 CD DA CD Discs Discs Discs 20 48X Stamp R CAV CD ROM Mode 1 48X with SpeedRead default is 40X 17 40X Stamp R Stamp R CAV RW RW CAV RW RW RW CAV RW RW RW RW RW RW 4X CLV Stamp R Stamp R Stamp R RW RW RW NOTE Stamp indicates commercially pressed silver discs Write Speed Speed DVD R RW Write Speed Speed DVD R DVD RW DVD R RW 6 8X PCAV 6X CLV 4X CLV 2X CLV 1X CLV PX 712 Installation and Users Manual 99 Appendix A PX 712 Specifications Performance Specifica
14. 712 can read and write either media format That is it supports all these types of DVD media e Digital Video Discs You can immediately play pre recorded DVD discs including movies and other DVDs DVD R DVD R Recordable DVD You can record on these discs but only once You can also read them DVD RW DVD RW ReWritable DVD You can record and re record up to 1 000 times on these discs You can also read them CD ROM Media In addition you can use these types of CD media e CD ROM You can immediately play or read prerecorded compact discs such as audio CDs and data discs CD R Recordable CD You can record on these discs but only once You can also read them CD RW Normal Speed High Speed and Ultra Speed ReWritable CD These discs support recording and re recording up to 1 000 times You can also read them PX 712 Installation and Users Manual 43 Section 4 Using Your PX 712 To achieve a certain writing speed you must use the appropriate media To achieve 48X CD R writing speed you must use certified 48X media and to achieve 24X CD RW writing speed you must use Ultra Speed CD RW media Remember e Using Normal Speed CD RW discs that is NS RW media you can rewrite at 4X e Using High Speed CD RW discs HS RW media you can rewrite at 10X e Using Ultra Speed CD RW discs US RW media in this drive you can rewrite at up to 24X You can write to Ultra Speed CD RW discs only on drives that support this
15. 712SA 38 mounting rails 29 40 MPC compliant audio cable 33 Index MSF 63 MTBF 103 multiword DMA PX 712A set to 24 N noise specification 102 normal speed CD RW write speed 100 0 OPC 59 See optimum power control opening the computer 13 operating system 6 712 104 7125 107 optimum power control 5 optional cable connections PX 712A 26 orange book 5 overburn 5 compared to GigaRec 64 P packing for shipment 112 password protection 5 55 password lost 58 performance specifications 98 99 PI PO error measurement 64 81 PIO support 3 106 playing DVD 47 PlexTools Professional 7 beta measurement 64 77 C1 C2 CU error measurement 64 69 focus error measurement 64 73 GigaRec 61 PX 712 Installation and Users Manual 119 Index installing 51 jitter measurement 64 77 PI PO error measurement 64 81 read transfer rate test 64 SecuRec 55 silent mode 52 tracking error measurement 64 73 VariRec 58 write transfer rate test 67 plug and play support for 3 position mounting 26 38 46 102 power cable 27 connecting cable 31 41 connector 11 31 36 41 PX 712A 104 7125 107 PoweRec 3 59 precautions 7 primary IDE port 14 PX 712A achieving best performance 18 19 cable connections 31 configuration examples 18 connectors and jumpers rear panel 10 content
16. CD TEXT CD I CD G UDF DVD R Disc at once DAO multi session incremental DVD RW Random access write sequential write DVD R DAO incremental recording multi border recording DVD RW DAO multi border recording incremental recording restricted overwriting DRT DM Track at once TAO DAO packet write variable and fixed session at once SAO CD MRW Mount Rainier 96 PX 712 Installation and Users Manual Appendix A PX 712 Specifications Recommended Media DVD R 12X DVD R 8X 6X 4X 2 4X DVD RW 4X 2 4X DVD R 8X 6X 4X 2X DVD RW 4X DVD RW 1X 2X CD R 4X 48X CD R 4X 16X CD RW 24X CD RW 4X 10X Taiyo Yuden Ricoh Maxell NOTE This media is rated at 8X PoweRec determines if 12X speed is possible and sets the optimal write speed 12X writing may not be possible on media other than this recommended media Mitsubishi Chemical Verbatim Taiyo Yuden Ricoh Maxell Mitsubishi Chemical Verbatim Ricoh NOTE All DVD RW media are rewritable up to 1 000 times Mitsubishi Chemical Verbatim Taiyo Yuden Maxell TDK Victor Mitsubishi Chemical Verbatim Victor Mitsubishi Chemical Verbatim TDK NOTE All DVD RW media are rewritable up to 1 000 times Maxell Mitsubishi Chemical Verbatim Taiyo Yuden Maxell Mitsubishi Chemical Verbatim Taiyo Yuden Ricoh NOTE You can disable PoweRec With PoweRec disabled you can write at any speed although your
17. Click the Activate Protection button The Protection Status field shows that protection is Active 7 Use a disc at once DAO recording application such as CD DVD ROM Maker in PlexTools Professional or any other DAO recording application to record your data onto a CD R disc Once protected with SecuRec the disc can t be read by a non SecuRec drive unless the correct password is entered 56 PX 712 Installation and Users Manual Section 5 Advanced Features and PlexTools Professional Reading a Password Protected Disc To read a disc that has been password protected with SecuRec 1 Make sure you have PlexTools Pro or SecuViewer on your computer Insert the password protected CD R disc into a PX 712 or Plextor Premium drive You only need these drives if you are using PlexTools Professional software With SecuViewer you can use any drive In PlexTools Professional choose Drive Settings and choose the SecuRec tab You see the SecuRec window or Launch SecuViewer Enter the password in the Password field Click the Activate Protection button The Protection Status field shows that protection is Active You can now read the contents of the disc using Windows Explorer Important Facts about SecuRec SecuRec burning is applicable to data ISO 9660 CDs only SecuRec supports data CD R discs written by disc at once DAO techniques If you are distributing a SecuRec disc to others please remember to provide them
18. Europe Safety CE EN60950 Laser CE EN60825 1 EMC CE EN55024 EN50022 Class B Taiwan EMC BSMI CNS13438 Class B Korea EMC MIC Australia NZ EMC C Tick AS NZS3548 Class B PX 712 Installation and Users Manual 103 Appendix A PX 712 Specifications Specifications for the PX 712A Internal ATAPI Drive Minimum System Requirements PX 712A Internal ATAPI Drive Computer Minimum RAM Hard Disk Size Interface Operating System Pentium Ill 800 MHz CPU or equivalent minimum Pentium 4 1 6 GHz or equivalent suggested 128 MB 1 GB of free space to write to a CD in image mode or 6 GB of free space to create DVD images For more accurate guidelines see the help files or documentation for the recording software you re using IDE ATAPI supported Windows XP 2000 Me or 98SE Rear Panel PX 712A Internal ATAPI Drive Power Supply Typical standby current Typical DVD read current DVD 12X Typical CD read current CD 48X Typical DVD write current DVD R 12X Typical write current CD R 48X Typical pause current Peak current 104 PX 712 Installation and Users Manual Appendix A PX 712 Specifications Rear Panel PX 712A Internal ATAPI Drive continued Power Average 17 4W for DVD read write Consumption IDE Interface IDE bus 40 pin flat ribbon type Interface complies Connector with ATA ATAPI 5 Maximum total cable length cannot exceed 18 in 45 7 cm Analog Audio Stereo analog output
19. PX 712 can ignore and even overwrite this information which extends the disc capacity Important Facts about GigaRec e When you enable GigaRec it is active for all recording functions e With GigaRec writing speed is fixed at 4X or 8X e You can use only CD R discs with GigaRec e Only disc at once DAO recording in which all tracks are written in a single operation is supported GigaRec does not support session at once SAO recording e Buffer Underrun Proof Technology is turned off during GigaRec operation Writing stops if a buffer underrun occurs PX 712 Installation and Users Manual 63 Section 5 Advanced Features and PlexTools Professional e disc recorded with GigaRec is playable in all Plextor PX 712 drives However because GigaRec is out of the limits for Orange Book and Red Book recording the recorded disc many not be playable in all CD players For a list of players that are compatible with GigaRec discs see www plextor com e The PX 712 also supports overburn which is different from GigaRec When you overburn a disc the drive reads the disc s information then writes to the disc vendor s stated maximum capacity and a little beyond Overburn provides smaller increases in disc capacity than are capable with GigaRec Testing Your CDs and DVDs The Plextor PX 712 achieves high quality recording on virtually any media To confirm operation you can use the PlexTools Professional software to measur
20. Packard Dell Ricoh Yamaha and other manufacturers DVD R DVD RW and DVD RAM are also supported by Plextor as well as Panasonic Toshiba Apple Computer Hitachi NEC Pioneer Samsung and Sharp No matter which format a DVD disc is recorded in it can be read by most commercial DVD ROM players Q What is recommended media A Recommended media are recordable or rewritable CD and DVD media that have been tested by Plextor and found to operate well consistently from one manufacturing lot to another For each drive Plextor engineers test media from many different manufacturers and manufacturing facilities creating a recommended media list and determining the optimum write strategy for that particular media type The results are listed as recommended media and are also assembled into a media catalog and stored in firmware in Plextor drives See page 96 for a list of recommended media for the PX 712 at the time this manual was printed and see the Plextor web site at www plextor com for an updated list From time to time the media catalog is updated with new manufacturers and part numbers as Plextor tests additional media When this happens Plextor makes new drive firmware available You can download this new firmware and update your drive PX 712 Installation and Users Manual 93 Section 7 Frequently Asked Questions This page intentionally left blank 94 PX 712 Installation and Users Manual Appendix A PX 712 Sp
21. System Pentium 800 MHz CPU or equivalent minimum Pentium 4 1 6 GHz or equivalent suggested 128 MB 1 GB of free space to write to a CD in image mode or 6 GB of free space to create DVD images For more accurate guidelines see the help files or documentation for the recording software you re using Serial ATA supported Windows XP 2000 only Rear Panel PX 712SA Internal SATA Drive Power Supply Power Consumption Typical standby current Typical DVD read current DVD 12X Typical CD read current CD 48X Typical DVD write current DVD R 12X Typical write current CD R 48X Typical pause current Peak current Average 19W for DVD read write PX 712 Installation and Users Manual 107 Appendix A PX 712 Specifications Dimensions and Weight PX 712SA Internal SATA Drive Dimensions 5 75 x 1 63 x 7 87 W H D 146 mm x 41 3 mm x 200 mm excluding front panel Weight lt 2 4 lbs 1 1 kg Host Interface PX 712SA Internal SATA Drive Type Serial ATA Generation 1 Data Serial ATA Power 15 pins signal 7 pins Connector Serial ATA 1 5 Gbps 150MB sec Transfers ATAPI Refer to the Plextor ATAPI command manual Command Set Inquiry string PLEXTOR sp DVDR sp sp sp PX 712A sp sp where sp is one space 108 PX 712 Installation and Users Manual Appendix B Technical Support Store Plextor s e mail web site phone and fax numbers in a convenient location Keep your drive s se
22. VariRec with DVD R or CD R discs e VariRec writes in either Track at Once TAO Disc at Once DAO mode e VariRec writes data or CD DA digital audio on recordable media at lower speeds for example 4X or 8X for CD R rather than at the full speed of the drive For this reason data or audio recording using VariRec takes substantially longer than a standard audio recording Using GigaRec GigaRec lets you change the capacity of a standard CD R disc from 60 percent up to 130 percent of its standard capacity You can use GigaRec for CD DA or data writing at 4X and 8X disc at once DAO The most obvious advantage of GigaRec is that it extends the capacity of a standard CD R disc For instance a Type 80 CD normally allows 700 megabytes of data and 80 minutes of recording But with GigaRec you can get up to 913 megabytes of data on a single Type 80 CD GigaRec also lets you burn a disc at lower than rated capacity Say you re making an audio master that is only 490 megabytes in size By using GigaRec to record at 0 7x normal capacity you stretch that data to utilize the same physical space that 700 megabytes would normally occupy on the disc This changes the actual length of the pits and lands used for data bits increasing the accuracy and response of the data and resulting in a truer burn In order to use the GigaRec feature you need e CD R drive such as the Plextor PX 712 that supports GigaRec e Recording softwar
23. and outer face of the rail when attaching Typically the smooth side of the rail faces away from the drive s chassis Figure 15 Installing mounting rails if needed PX 712 Installation and Users Manual 29 Section 2 Installing the PX 712A Internal ATAPI Drive 6 Plug one connector of the IDE cable into the IDE connector on the rear panel of the drive before you insert the drive into your computer Then thread the cable through the front of the open bay and back toward the motherboard The drive should slide smoothly into the bay If it does not check for obstructions in the bay and ensure the side rails are attached properly 7 not already connected attach the other end of the IDE ribbon cable to the connector on the motherboard m Pin 1 red wire Connect one end of the B cable to the motherboard and the other end to a drive If your Plextor drive is the A only drive on the cable attach Maximum cable length 18 in it at the end of the cable leaving the center connector free Figure 16 Connecting the IDE ribbon cable CAUTION With some IDE ribbon cables it is easy to accidentally plug your IDE cable upside down into both your drive and the motherboard Be sure you match the red stripe along one side of the IDE cable to Pin 1 on the motherboard and Pin 1 on the drive Pin 1 on the drive is closest to the power connector Note that each connector on most ribbon cables also has a k
24. cable connections that you must make are e SATA cable e Power cable To mount the PX 712SA drive 1 Before proceeding make sure the power to your computer and any external peripherals is OFF and your computer is UNPLUGGED from its power source 2 Remove your computer s cover following 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 the cover See the illustration below for an example 38 PX 712 Installation and Users Manual Section 3 Installing the PX 712SA Internal SATA Drive p Figure 20 Removing a typical computer s cover 3 Remove the cover panel from the bay that will hold the drive To remove the cover panel pop it out by pressing outward lightly In some older computers you may have to remove screws that hold the panel in place Available bay with cover panel removed Figure 21 Removing the cover panel from a bay PX 712 Installation and Users Manual 39 Section 3 Installing the PX 712SA Internal SATA Drive 4 Determine if you must install mounting rails on the sides of your drive To do so insert the drive into the open bay If the drive fits tightly with little or no clearance on either side of the drive you will not have to use mounting rails The drive can be mounted directly into your computer Go to step 6 NOTE Plextor does not provide rails If y
25. jumper lengthwise horizontally Doing so could result in damage to the drive PX 712 Installation and Users Manual 17 Section 2 Installing the PX 712A Internal ATAPI Drive Select an IDE Configuration Set the jumper according to the desired configuration as shown in the tables and illustrations on the next few pages NOTE For best DVD RW and CD RW performance try to connect the PX 712A to the IDE port that is not connected to the hard disk drive or to a DVD or CD ROM drive In most cases this will be the secondary IDE port NOTE For best results set the PX 712A to be the Master if possible Before PX 712A Installation Hard disks connected as Master and Slave devices on primary IDE port DVD ROM or CD ROM drive connected as Master device on secondary IDE port Hard disk connected as master Primary IDE Port Connect Plextor drive as master Secondary IDE Port How to Install the PX 712A Remove the DVD ROM or CD ROM drive change it to Slave and re connect it to the secondary IDE port Set the mode jumper to Master and connect the PX 712A as Master device to the secondary IDE port Hard disk connected as slave Connect DVD Set Plextor drive s or CD ROM jumper to drive as slave CS S M Figure 6 How to install the PX 712A if your computer is originally set up in configuration A 18 PX 712 Installation and Users Manual Section 2 Inst
26. media Drives that are capable of writing to Ultra Speed ReWritable media such as the Plextor PX 712 are identified by a Compact Disc ReWritable Ultra Speed logo oise dice ReWritable 5 2 Figure 24 The logo identifies the type of CD RW media See Recommended Media on page 95 for a list of Plextor approved media at the time this manual was printed and see the Plextor web site at www plextor com for an updated list 44 PX 712 Installation and Users Manual Section 4 Using Your PX 712 Tray Loading and Operation To load and unload the tray 1 While the drive is powered up push the eject button on the front panel The tray drawer slides out in 3 4 seconds Figure 25 Loading the tray 2 Lay a CD or DVD disc in the depression in the tray label side up 3 Press the eject button again and the tray will slide shut within seconds NOTE Always use the eject button to close the tray in a smooth and secure manner Closing the tray by pressing the front of the drawer using your hand is not recommended and risks damage or premature wearing of the mechanism Handling DVD and CD Media Take care when handling blank CD and DVD media Dust scratches and fingerprints on either side of the disc can cause write errors during recording When picking up or holding blank media you can either place your fingers along the outer edge of the disc or place one finger through the center hole and one finger on the oute
27. speed e Reads CD RW audio media at up to 32X speed 2 PX 712 Installation and Users Manual Section 1 Getting Started Features of the PX 712 Choice of interfaces Q ATAPI interface The PX 712A easily installs in virtually any PC with an E IDE ATAPI interface Q Serial ATA interface The PX 712SA takes advantage of the benefits of the new Serial Advanced Technology Attachment interface with its smaller more flexible cables and faster interface speed High speed transfers Supports Ultra DMA33 DMA Mode 2 and PIO Mode 4 PoweRec Plextor Optimized Writing Error Reduction Control PoweRec adjusts laser power and writing speed so they re at the optimum settings for that particular disc For example when you re writing a DVD PoweRec checks to see if the maximum 12X speed is possible and sets the optimum write speed You can enable and disable PoweRec VariRec Lets you change the write strategy to record at highest quality on different types of discs Also provides user adjustment of the recording power above or below a default level This adjustment lets you customize the optimum laser power to your own needs Silent Mode Unique technology that sets the drive for super silent operation By controlling access speed read write speed and tray opening and closing speed you reduce drive noise to a whisper MMC compliance Supports the MMC 4 command set Flash memory Allows upgrading the PX 712 to the latest firmwa
28. the initials SATA on the cable connector should be up 8 Connect a power cable from the computer to the power connector of the drive In most computers you will find free power connectors that are ready for your use CAUTION The power connector on the cable and the receptacle on the drive are keyed Do not force the power connector into the drive or the drive and or the computer could be damaged PX 712 Installation and Users Manual 41 Section 3 Installing the PX 712SA Internal SATA Drive Rear of Plextor drive To computer ge Serial ATA cable power N To SATA connector m d on computer motherboard Figure 23 Cable connections for an internal SATA drive 9 Mount the PX 712A drive in the computer using the four screws that were supplied with your drive Use only these screws CAUTION Do not mount your drive in your computer using screws other than those supplied by Plextor You may damage the drive if you insert screws that are too long or the wrong thread type 42 PX 712 Installation and Users Manual 4 Using Your PX 712 This chapter explains how to use your PX 712 drive and how to load handle and care for your DVDs and CDs What Media to Use Use the right media Your PX 712 drive s capabilities change depending on which type of compact disc you use DVD Media DVD recordable media is available in two different non compatible formats e DVD R and DVD RW DVD R and DVD RW Your PX
29. the reader driver on another disc or have them download the reader driver from the Plextor web site at http www plextor com english support downloads reader html Only data CD R discs recorded in DAO mode can be password protected with SecuRec DVD discs audio CD DA discs or data CDs written by track at once TAO or multi session cannot be protected PX 712 Installation and Users Manual 57 Section 5 Advanced Features and PlexTools Professional e Discs protected with SecuRec using older versions of PlexTools Professional may not be readable with the current version e Remember your password Plextor has no way to retrieve data from discs for which the password has been lost or forgotten For this reason Plextor assumes no responsibility for lost passwords or data NOTE Use of this function is at your own risk If you forget your password your data will not be retrievable Plextor cannot be held liable for any damage unreadable discs or loss of data If you do not agree please do not use this function Using VariRec This drive is equipped with VariRec Variable Recording technology a unique feature offered by Plextor that allows you to manually adjust the drive s laser power during the recording process VariRec operates both for DVD and CD recording NOTE In order for you to actually perform the adjustment VariRec must be supported by the recording software you re using PlexTools Professional is one recordi
30. write transfer rate test 67 simulating 68 writing a CD image 6 104 107 writing response measuring 69 Index writing speed writing to CD RW 47 achieving 44 writing to DVD R 47 CD R 2 100 writing to DVD RW 47 CD RW 2 100 DVD R 2 99 Y DVD RW 99 DVD R 2 99 yellow book 96 DVD RW 99 GigaRec 63 Z monitoring 48 silent mode 52 zero link 4 VariRec and 3 61 writing to CD R 47 PX 712 Installation and Users Manual 123 Index This page intentionally left blank 124 PX 712 Installation and Users Manual Notes PX 712 Installation and Users Manual 125 Plextor CORP Phone 510 440 2000 48383 Fremont Blvd 800 886 3935 Suite 120 Fax 510 651 9755 Fremont CA 94538 6509 E mail infoGplextor com www plextor com
31. 80 Q Check Beta Jitter Test 3 Preferences Q Check PI PO Test Ern Ready Figure 34 Q Check 2 Test window 3 Click the Preferences button to view or change the preferences You can change the scale limit and the time length indication and you can choose to include all tracks on the disc or only selected tracks 70 PX 712 Installation and Users Manual Section 5 Advanced Features and PlexTools Professional Q CheckFE TE Test 0 0 Tes General Digital Audio Extraction CD DVD CD DVD ROM Maker Recording Options freedb Transfer Rate Test Q Check C1 C2 Test Graph Options Scale Limit 2nd Time Length Indication 100 Minutes gt Track Selection C Include All Tracks Include Selected Tracks Figure 35 Changing preferences for graphing C1 C2 errors 4 Click OK to exit the Preferences window and return to the Q Check C1 C2 Test window 5 To begin measurement in the C1 C2 Test window click the Start button You see the error counts representing the result of error measurement BLER and C2 error measurement E22 If the disc is defective you may also see a trace for CU error The test halts if a CU error is detected 6 To end measurement click the Stop button or wait for the measurement to stop by itself Your window shows the test result
32. Connect Set Plextor drive s or CD ROM Plextor drive mode jumper to drive as slave as master CS S M Secondary IDE Port Figure 9 How to install the PX 712A if your computer is originally set up in configuration D 22 PX 712 Installation and Users Manual Section 2 Installing the PX 712A Internal ATAPI Drive About Cable Select The Cable Select jumper position sets the PX 712A drive to use the CSEL signal from the IDE interface for configuration purposes This signal automatically selects the correct Master Slave setting for the drive CABLE SELECT MASTER DMA SLAVE OUO L Figure 10 Configuring the 712 drive for Cable Select To use CSEL you must have e A computer that supports CSEL e A special CSEL Cable Select cable for IDE NOTE The IDE cable supplied by Plextor does not support CSEL To use CSEL and Cable Select you ll have to purchase a CSEL cable or use one that may be supplied with your CSEL configured system PX 712 Installation and Users Manual 23 Section 2 Installing the PX 712A Internal ATAPI Drive Identifying Whether Your System Uses Cable Select If you are unsure whether or not your system has a Cable Select cable installed either look at the cable see the illustration on page 27 or look at the jumpers on the DVD ROM or CD ROM drive If any device is jumpered as Cable Select then both d
33. D Maker re Test CD DVD ROM Maker CD DVD Eject CD DVD Rw Functions CD Test Read Transfer Rate Test Write Transfer Rate Test Q Check C1 C2 Test O Check FE TE Test Reset Values Save Changes To Drive Q Check Beta Jitter Test Q Check PI PO Test Ready Figure 27 Silent Mode options in PlexTools Professional 6 To slow disc access by the drive making spinup and spindown slower and quieter select the Access Time drop down menu and make a new selection Choose Fast for a rapid access time 60 milliseconds Middle for a medium access time 80 milliseconds and Slow for a low access time 120 milliseconds The quietest setting is Slow 7 Use the Tray Speed Loading and Eject sliders to adjust the loading and eject speed Set a slider to the left to reduce the speed making the drive quieter Set the slider to the right to increase the speed 8 To test the tray speed click the Test button 9 Select Save Changes to Drive to save any Silent Mode changes to the drive 10 To return Silent Mode to the factory defaults maximum speed click the Reset Values button This also turns Silent Mode off PX 712 Installation and Users Manual 53 Section 5 Advanced Features and PlexTools Professional Important Facts about Silent Mode When first started the Plextor PX 712 drive is set with Silent Mode off When Silent Mode is active the drive s maximum speed is always restricted Any speed se
34. E UR RUE 46 Mounting Posion c ioi eee RR UU RR EUR ud 46 Playin DVDS ecce ir ete ete Renee ten a 47 Writing to DVD 2 0 47 Specifying R RW or 2 22 2 222 47 Writing to CD R and CD RW Media 2 2222222 47 Using the LED Indicator e eerte ria 48 Switching to SpeedRead for Video 49 5 Advanced Features and PlexTools Professional 51 Loading PlexTools Professional Software 51 Using Silent Mode 52 Turning On Silent 52 Important Facts about Silent Mode 54 Using nne RO ERR 55 Password Protecting a Disc with 55 Reading a Password Protected 2 21 2 57 Important Facts about 57 Using Vai Rec been edd 58 How the Default VariRec Setting Is Determined 58 Changing the VariRec Setting sese 59 Important Facts about VariRec 61 Using 26 6 Burning a Disc with 001 62 How GigaRec 63 Important Facts about 1 1 6
35. PX 12 Model PX 712A Internal ATAPI Drive Model PX 712SA Internal SATA Drive DVD R RW CD R RW DRIVE INSTALLATION AND USERS MANUAL PLEXTOR APRIL 2004 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 2004 Plextor Corp First edition April 2004 Licenses and Trademarks Plextor and the Plextor logo are registered trademarks of Plextor Corp 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 har
36. PX 712A QuickStart Installation For Experienced PC Users Only If you ve installed computer peripherals before use this QuickStart installation to get up and running quickly Typical Scenario 1 You have a PC with an IDE interface installed you have Windows 98SE Me 2000 or XP and you have nothing installed on the secondary IDE port What to do Leave the PX 712A s jumper set to Master attach it to the secondary IDE port and go Windows will recognize the drive automatically Typical Scenario 2 You have a PC with an IDE interface installed you have Windows 98SE Me 2000 or XP the primary IDE port already has two devices connected and you have a CD ROM installed on the secondary IDE port What to do Change the CD ROM to Slave leave the PX 712A s jumper set to Master and attach the PX 712A to the secondary IDE port Windows recognizes the new drive automatically If neither of these situations applies to you or you re not comfortable with IDE installation read the rest of this chapter for more detailed installation instructions Open the Computer and Prepare for Installation To determine whether your PX 712A will be a Master or a Slave open your computer and examine the IDE connections to the motherboard To open the computer 1 Before proceeding make sure the power to your computer and any external peripherals is OFF and your computer is UNPLUGGED from its power source PX 712 Installation and Users Man
37. Record the serial number and TLA number of your drive on the inside front cover of this manual Mount the Drive in the Computer You can mount your internal drive in any available bay You must remove the small panel that covers the bay that you want to use NOTE The drive can be mounted horizontally or vertically If you don t have an empty bay remove the existing IDE DVD ROM or CD ROM drive and install the PX 712A You must make a minimum of two cable connections to your PX 712A The two cable connections that you must make are e IDE cable e Power cable There are also two optional cable connections e An analog audio cable connection if you are using a sound board your computer and plan to connect the PX 712A s audio output to the audio connector on the sound board e A digital audio cable connection if the sound board is equipped with SPDIF or Digital In and you wish to use the digital audio output from your PX 712A Do You Need Another IDE Ribbon Cable An IDE cable is a standard 40 pin flat ribbon cable usually with three connectors One end connects to the IDE port on your computer s motherboard and the other two connectors are free for attaching peripherals such as a hard disk DVD or CD ROM drive or a PX 712A drive 26 PX 712 Installation and Users Manual Section 2 Installing the PX 712A Internal ATAPI Drive You may need to install another IDE ribbon cable in your computer You can use the extra IDE ca
38. allation and Users Manual 121 Index reading CD ROM 99 reading CD RW 2 reading digital audio 99 reading DVD 2 98 99 reading DVD Video 2 4 49 98 writing CD R 2 writing DVD 99 writing DVD R 2 writing DVD RW 2 writing DVD R 2 writing DVD RW 2 SpeedRead 4 10 36 49 disabling 49 enabling 49 silent mode 54 spindown controlling with silent mode 52 spinup controlling with silent mode 52 stereo output signal 11 105 support 109 T See tracking error tech support ticket number 111 technical support 109 110 temperature specification 102 storage 102 testing laser operation 4 64 73 media 4 64 ticket number tech support 111 TLA code 26 38 tracking error measurement 64 73 76 transfer rate CD 101 DVD 100 tray 122 PX 712 Installation and Users Manual closing 45 front door 9 36 loading and unloading 45 loading specification 103 silent mode 52 troubleshooting 87 U ultra DMA PX 712A set to 24 ultra DMA support 3 106 ultra speed CD RW write speed 100 upgrading firmware 3 86 93 y VariRec 3 58 changing setting 59 default setting 58 write speed 61 vibration specification 102 video playback speed 4 10 36 49 98 wake mode 101 warranty 113 web site Plextor 109 weight 712 105 7125 108 write methods CD 5 96 DVD 4 96
39. alling the PX 712A Internal ATAPI Drive NOTE The configuration shown in Figure 6 can make it very difficult to write from the DVD or CD drive to the PX 712A at maximum rated speed using on the fly copying System configuration and performance will make a big difference Depending on how fast the DVD or CD ROM drive can stream data to the PX 712A it may not be fast enough to keep the buffer full In this case the buffer may become empty and a buffer underrun error may occur However because it is equipped with Buffer Underrun Proof Technology your PX 712A can still make successful copies if you use software that supports this feature All software shipped with PX 712A drive retail kits supports Buffer Underrun Proof Technology If you still have problems writing with this configuration use the image writing method that is write an image to your hard drive then write that image onto the DVD R RW or CD R RW media or record at a lower speed for best results We also recommend that DMA be enabled on your computer if your system supports it PX 712 Installation and Users Manual 19 Before PX 712A Installation Hard disk connected as Master device and CD ROM or DVD ROM drive connected as Slave on the primary IDE port nothing connected to secondary IDE port Hard disk connected as master Primary IDE Port Secondary IDE Port Section 2 Installing the PX 712A Internal ATAPI Drive How to Install the PX 712A Set the mo
40. ass 3B warning Class 2M warning Class 1 label Front of drive Detail of PX 712A Laser Caution Labels CAUTION CLASS 2M VISIBLE LASER RADIATION WHEN OPEN DO NOT STARE INTO THE BEAM OR VIEW DIRECTLY WITH OPTICAL INSTRUMENTS VORSICHT KLASSE 2M SICHTBARE LASERSTRAHLUNG TRITT AUS WENN DECKEL ODER KLAPPE GEOFFNET IST NICHT IN DEN STRAHL BLICKEN ODER DIREKT MIT OPTISCHEN INSTRUMENTEN BETRACHTEN CAUTION CLASS 3B INVISIBLE LASER RADIATION WHEN OPEN AVOID EXPOSURE TO THE BEAM VORSICHT KLASSE 3B UNSICHTBARE LASERSTRAHLUNG WENN ABDECKUNG GEOFFNET NICHT DEN STRAHL AUSSETZEN CLASS LASER PRODUCT TO IEC 60825 LASER KLASSE I PRODUKT NACH IEC 60825 Detail of PX 712SA Laser Caution Labels CAUTION CLASS 2M VISIBLE LASER RADIATION WHEN OPEN DO NOT STARE INTO THE BEAM OR VIEW DIRECTLY WITH OPTICAL INSTRUMENTS VORSICHT SICHTBARE LASERSTRAHLUNG KLASSE 2M WENN ABDECKUNG GEOFFNET NICHT IN DEN STRAHL BLICKEN ODER DIREKT MIT OPTISCHEN INSTRUMENTEN BETRACHTEN CAUTION CLASS 3B INVISIBLE LASER RADIATION WHEN OPEN AVOID EXPOSURE TO THE BEAM VORSICHT UNSICHTBARE LASERSTRAHLUNG KLASSE 3B WENN ABDECKUNG GEOFFNET NICHT DEN STRAHL AUSSETZEN CLASS LASER PRODUCT TO IEC 60825 LASER KLASSE I PRODUKT NACH IEC 60825 This page intentionally left blank Table of Contents 1 Getting Started 1
41. ble supplied with your Plextor drive Just remember if you want to use CSEL and Cable Select settings this Plextor supplied cable won t work you ll have to purchase a special cable for Cable Select Figure 12 Standard IDE ribbon cable Figure 13 Ribbon cable for Cable Select not supplied by Plextor CAUTION The length of any IDE cable cannot exceed 18 inches Do You Need a Power Cable In most computers you will find extra power connectors in the computer ready for your use When you open the computer check the cable running from your power supply to your hard disk drive and see if it has extra connectors on it If so you can plug one of these into the power connector found on the rear panel of the PX 712A If you do not find any additional connectors either because they were not supplied or they are all in use you will have to buy a splitter or a Y connector These can also be found at most retail and mail order computer stores PX 712 Installation and Users Manual 27 Section 2 Installing the PX 712A Internal ATAPI Drive To mount the PX 712A drive 1 Make sure the power to your computer and any external peripherals is turned OFF and your computer is UNPLUGGED from its power source 2 If you haven t already removed the cover from your computer remove it
42. can read the Plextor software disc 2 On the screen choose the PlexTools Professional installation If the installation doesn t start right away use Windows Explorer to navigate to the drive and double click the PlexTools Professional exe file You see the InstallShield Wizard for PlexTools Professional 3 Accept the license agreement and accept the default installation settings 4 When prompted click Finish to complete the InstallShield Wizard 5 When prompted restart your computer After installation PlexTools Professional is launched automatically unless you disable automatic running To disable automatic running at startup choose Options Preferences go to the General tab and uncheck the Automatic run box Even if PlexTools Professional is not set to run automatically you can launch it from the Start Programs menu in Windows PX 712 Installation and Users Manual 51 Section 5 Advanced Features and PlexTools Professional Using Silent Mode Although the Plextor PX 712 drive is quiet in normal operation its Silent Mode is ideal for use in environments where silence is golden Silent Mode reduces sound from the drive in several ways e Slows writing speed e Slows reading speed e Slows access spinup and spindown speeds e Reduces tray speed that is the opening and closing of the disc tray You can actually control the tray speed directly Turning On Silent Mode You can turn on Silent Mode with
43. creases for instance because of dust fingerprints scratches etc With POF errors there is a chance that the data will become unreadable 82 PX 712 Installation and Users Manual Section 5 Advanced Features and PlexTools Professional Advantages of Buffer Underrun Proof Technology PlexTools Professional software lets you enable or disable Buffer Underrun Proof Technology on the Plextor PX 712 via Drive Settings Advanced But you ll usually want to leave this feature enabled because Buffer Underrun Proof Technology guarantees that you can write discs at high speed and still use your computer for other tasks while you re writing To prevent the interruption of data during writing every CD R RW drive has a buffer a memory chip that acts as a kind of holding area Typically the buffer size is 2 to 8 megabytes However this buffer can be emptied quickly when you write at high speeds or if you use other applications like surfing the Internet or playing games or watching movies while writing Buffer Underrun Proof Technology compensates for any interruption in data flow to the disc It remembers where writing stopped on the disc when the data flow was interrupted then restarts writing in the same place once the data is available again Buffer Underrun Proof Technology in your drive means you can safely use your computer for other things while you re writing to a CD R or CD RW disc It lets you multitask freely and easi
44. d the laser dot is A good disc will show a low number of focus errors across the graph A bad disc will show a high number of focus errors across the graph or high points where the drive cannot focus the laser correctly because of poor disc quality e Tracking error is a measure of how accurately the laser tracks in the disc s pre groove area of the disc that is how well the laser follows the spiral A good disc will show low tracking error across the graph showing a fairly consistent track at all rotational speeds A bad disc will show high tracking error which is caused by eccentricity or poor quality of the manufactured media 76 PX 712 Installation and Users Manual Section 5 Advanced Features and PlexTools Professional The FE TE test result shows maximum writing speed for each media However this maximum writing speed is specific for a particular drive you cannot assume this speed applies to any other drive If your discs consistently show high rates of focus error or tracking error you should probably try a disc from a different vendor NOTE The TE FE measurements are accurate only for a blank recordable or rewritable DVD or CD If you attempt to measure a recorded or pre recorded commercially pressed DVD or CD the measurements have no meaning Making Q Check Jitter Beta Measurements This function reports on the degree of beta and jitter on the CD or DVD in the Plextor PX 712 drive This test is for use on a disc that c
45. de jumper to Master and connect the PX 712A as Master to secondary IDE port DVD or CD ROM drive connected as slave Connect Set Plextor drive s Plextor drive jumper to as master CS S M Figure 7 How to install the PX 712A if your computer is originally set up in configuration B 20 PX 712 Installation and Users Manual Section 2 Installing the PX 712A Internal ATAPI Drive Before PX 712A Installation C Hard disk connected as Master device on primary IDE port nothing connected to secondary IDE port Primary IDE Port Secondary IDE Port How to Install the PX 712A Set the mode jumper to Master and connect the PX 712A as Master to secondary IDE port Hard disk connected as master Connect Set Plextor drive s Plextor drive jumper to as master CS S M Figure 8 How to install the PX 712A if your computer is originally set up in configuration C PX 712 Installation and Users Manual 21 Section 2 Installing the PX 712A Internal ATAPI Drive Before PX 712A Installation How to Install the System uses special Cable Set the PX 712A s mode Select cables all devices are jumper to CSEL and connect jumpered for Cable Select the drive to the end of the cable from the computer s IDE interface connector Hard disk Hard disk connected connected as master as slave Primary IDE Port Connect DVD
46. drive can be returned for repair or replacement Here s how you get an RMA number and return your drive 1 Contact Plextor Technical Support You will receive assistance in troubleshooting your system If the drive is determined to be defective you will receive a Tech Support Ticket Number Locate the RMA request form at https www plextor con english support rma request form htm Complete the form providing the Technical Support Ticket number and details of the drive failure After completing the form click the Submit button IMPORTANT NOTE The RMA form will NOT be processed without the Tech Support Ticket Number 3 Plextor will then return the RMA form to you via e mail with the RMA number and shipping information included When you receive the RMA number pack the Plextor drive securely in a box and include the RMA form as a packing slip Write the RMA number in large letters on the outside of the box and ship the box and the drive to Plextor Contacting Plextor s RMA Department You can contact our RMA Department and request RMA forms at rmasupport plextor com Or by fax at 510 651 9765 Or by calling us at 800 886 3935 PX 712 Installation and Users Manual 111 Appendix B Technical Support Packing Your Drive Check the drive to make sure there is no disc inside and if possible pack your drive in the original box Some of our customers have not held on to their boxes and have had to resort to les
47. e PLEXTOR DVDR PX 712A entry underneath If you do not see this drive listed as one of the devices or if it has a yellow diamond with an exclamation point contact Plextor Technical Support See Appendix B Technical Support for the different ways you can contact us 88 PX 712 Installation and Users Manual Section 6 Maintenance and Troubleshooting Using the PX 712A Self Test Diagnostics If you have a PX 712A drive it contains a set of self test diagnostics that can help isolate trouble and determine if a problem is in the drive or elsewhere The PX 712SA does not have this feature NOTE Using the self test diagnostics requires opening the computer and removing a cable from the drive then replacing the cable at the end of the test If you previously installed the PX 712A in your computer you should have no fear of the simple procedures that are required However if you re are not comfortable with opening your PC and disconnecting cables you may want to let someone with more experience handle this aspect of troubleshooting for you To perform the tests you ll need e Tools to remove the computer s cover e An extra jumper supplied e A blank piece of Plextor recommended DVD R DVD R or CD R media See page 96 or visit our web site The self test will write to this media so you won t be able to use this disc again This tests three functions of the drive writing at maximum speed continuous playback a
48. e on Plextor s web site 32 PX 712 Installation and Users Manual Audio Connection MPC audio source Sound Blaster or compatible sound board Digital audio output Section 2 Installing the PX 712A Internal ATAPI Drive Cable Required MPC compliant audio cable Sound Blaster compatible analog audio cable Cable that s compatible with SPDIF or Digital In How Connect It Connect to MPC audio source and to analog audio output connector at the rear of the Plextor drive Connect to Sound Blaster compatible audio board and to analog audio output connector at the rear of the Plextor drive Connect to SPDIF or Digital In connector on sound board if sound board supports digital audio and to digital audio output connector at the rear of the Plextor drive PX 712 Installation and Users Manual 33 Section 2 Installing the PX 712A Internal ATAPI Drive This page intentionally left blank 34 PX 712 Installation and Users Manual 3 Installing the PX 712SA Internal SATA Drive This chapter explains how to physically install your PX 712SA internal Serial ATA drive in your computer The steps are as follows 1 Turn OFF your computer system 2 Mount the drive into an available drive bay inside the computer system 3 Make the cabling connections Serial ATA cable and power cable 4 Turn your computer system ON The following pages give more details for this procedure PX 712SA D
49. e such as PlexTools Professional that supports GigaRec e Player software that recognizes the GigaRec disc PX 712 Installation and Users Manual 61 Section 5 Advanced Features and PlexTools Professional Remember even if you can burn a disc with GigaRec your player software must be able to recognize the disc or you will not be able to play it back Burning a Disc with GigaRec To use PlexTools Professional to burn a GigaRec disc 1 Insert a blank CD R disc in the Plextor PX 712 drive You can t use DVD R RW or CD RW discs with GigaRec 2 In the PlexTools menu bar select Drive Settings You see the tabs for drive settings 3 Select the GigaRec tab You see the GigaRec window At the bottom of the GigaRec window you can see information about the disc currently in the drive The disc capacity and recording time are shown PlexTools Professional V2 11 02 E Options Help IDE Interface 0 259 10 0 PX 712A 10 1 CD DVD ATAPI E K IDE Interface 1 10 0 Bigfoot 8 10 1 ZIP 100 General Information Drive Information CD DVD Info Multimedia Player AudioCD Player Digital Audio Extraction AudioCD Maker CD DVD ROM Maker CD DVD Copy CD DVD RW Functions CD Test Read Transfer Rate Test Write Transfer Rate Test Q Check C1 C2 Test Q Check FE TE Test Q Check Beta Jitter Test Q Check PI PO Test Basic Advanced VariRec CD GigaRec Silent Mode SecuRec
50. e the laser power setting to the specific disc that is in your drive 5 The combined values of the pre defined write strategies along with the OPC test results create the default VariRec setting of zero Changing the VariRec Setting VariRec lets you increase or decrease the laser power setting by up to 4 degrees in either the positive or negative direction You can make these changes for DVD R 4X and 2 4X DVD R 2 4X and 2X and CD R 4X and 8X CD DA data writing VariRec also lets you change the write strategy to match the dye profile of your disc You can make these changes to do comparison testing with your DVD or CD player to find the setting that best suits you Changing the laser power and write strategy changes the characteristics of the audio or data being written For audio you can hear these changes during playback although what you hear will depend on speaker quality audio settings and environment To use PlexTools Professional to change VariRec settings for writing 1 Place a blank DVD R or CD R disc in the PX 712 2 In the PlexTools menu bar select Drive Settings You see the tabs for drive settings 3 Select the VariRec tab You see the VariRec window 4 To turn VariRec on for recording place a check mark in the Enable VariRec box PX 712 Installation and Users Manual 59 Section 5 Advanced Features and PlexTools Professional 5 Move the slider to adjust the laser power in either the plus or minus di
51. e and display characteristics of the drive and media you re using You can also check the operation of the drive s laser Among the measurements and tests available are e Read transfer rate for CD and DVD Write transfer rate for CD and DVD C1 C2 CU errors for CD Laser tracking and focus errors for CD and DVD Beta and jitter for CD and DVD PI and PO errors for DVD This section illustrates how to perform some of these measurements with PlexTools Professional Measuring Read Transfer Rate The Read Transfer Rate selection lets you test the transfer rate of data read from a disc This function reports the read response of the Plextor PX 712 drive and is for use on a CD or DVD that contains content that is a commercial pressed disc or a disc recorded on a DVD or CD burner 64 PX 712 Installation and Users Manual Section 5 Advanced Features and PlexTools Professional To measure read transfer rate response Place a recorded disc in the PX 712 You can use a pre recorded commercially stamped CD or DVD disc or you can use a recorded DVD R RW disc DVD R RW disc or CD R RW disc 2 From the PlexTools menu bar select Read Transfer Rate Test You see the Read Transfer Rate Test window with a graph for read speeds 2515 Options Help IDE Interface 0 15 23 10 0 712 x 10 1 CD DVD ATAPI 14x E K IDE Interface 1 10 0 B
52. ecifications This appendix shows specifications for all PX 712 drives followed by unique specifications for the PX 712A and 712 Specifications for All PX 712 Drives Front Panel Eject Eject button manual emergency eject software eject LED Indicator Yellow when initializing reading or ejecting disc Green during standby and when Buffer Underrun Proof Technology or Lossless Linking Zero Link is active Blinking amber when writing to disc Blink rate indicates writing speed Disc Loading Auto DVD Regional Setting Compatibility RPC phase 2 compatible Changing Max 5 times regional setting Other Features Data Buffer 8 MB PX 712 Installation and Users Manual 95 Appendix A PX 712 Specifications Supported Media Supported Stamped DVDs Single layer Dual layer Media DVD DVD R For general version 2 0 DVD RW Version 1 1 1 2 DVD R Version 1 2 DVD RW Version 1 2 Supported Stamped CDs Red Yellow Book compliant discs Media CD CD R Orange Book Pt Il compliant discs 74 Type 80 CD RW Orange Book Pt IIl compliant discs Supported CD 12 cm Media Size DVD 12 cm Usable Formats Logical DVD Read Write Logical CD Read Write Write Methods DVD R RW Write Methods DVD R RW Write Methods CD R RW DVD ROM DVD Video multi border multi session DVD VR DVD VR CD DA CD Extra CD ROM Mode 1 CD ROM Mode 2 CD ROM XA Photo CD Video CD multi session
53. ect uere ere e eren Ree 23 Identifying Whether Your System Uses Cable Select 24 Locating the Master Position on a Cable Select Cable 24 Set 161 24 Mount the PX 712A Drive 26 Record the Serial Number eene 26 Mount the Drive in the Computer see 26 Using Sound Boards and Audio Cables suse 32 3 Installing the PX 712SA Internal SATA 35 PX 712SA Drive Features and Controls sess 35 Front Panel PX 712S4A Internal 35 Rear Panel PX 712SA Internal SATA Drive 36 PX 712 Installation and Users Manual Vii Table of Contents What Else Is In the PX 712SA 22 2 222221 37 Save Your BOX iiic eee ees 37 Mount the PX 712SA 38 Record the Serial 2 38 Mount the Drive in the Computer 38 4 Using Your 70 43 What Media to Use ione 43 DVD Medi deinen tb bei RUE REA 43 CD ROM Medi iet RU Rote RUE 43 Tray Loading and 45 Handling DVD and CD Media eee 45 Cleaning DISCS doe eR U
54. ection 5 Begin playing the disc SpeedRead changes the default DVD read speed to 6X 16X CAV for single layer DVD discs or 3X to 8X CAV for dual layer DVD discs To manually disable SpeedRead You can manually disable SpeedRead and return to normal video playback operation for DVD Video discs with CSS in either of two ways e Eject the disc or e Turn off power to the drive NOTE You can also enable and disable SpeedRead with PlexTools Pro software Go to Drive Settings Advanced and enable or disable SpeedRead with the check box PX 712 Installation and Users Manual 49 Section 4 Using Your PX 712 This page intentionally left blank 50 PX 712 Installation and Users Manual 5 Advanced Features and PlexTools Professional The Plextor PX 712 has a number of advanced features that set it apart from other drives For instance you can operate in Silent Mode display and analyze disc errors password protect an entire disc increase a disc s capacity beyond its rated value and more To use these features you need to install software that supports them PlexTools Professional available on the Plextor CD gives you access to all these advanced features along with many other tools for controlling and monitoring your drive s operation Loading PlexTools Professional Software To load PlexTools Professional software on your computer 1 Insert the Plextor disc into the Plextor PX 712 drive or another drive that
55. er Rate Test window 4 Click the Preferences button to view or change the preferences You see the Transfer Rate Preferences window 5 In the Preferences window you can change the Write Test Options and the Write Test Graph Options Q Uncheck the Simulate box to write to the recordable CD or DVD disc or leave it checked to simulate writing If you simulate the blank disc is preserved Q Set the CD or DVD length to the capacity of your blank disc for example 5 GB fora DVD Q Specify the Data Format CD DA or Mode 1 data you can select Overburn to overburn the disc 6 Click OK to exit the Preferences window and return to the Write Transfer Rate Test window 7 To begin measurement in the test window click the Start button You see the start and current write speed 68 PX 712 Installation and Users Manual Section 5 Advanced Features and PlexTools Professional 8 To end the measurement click the Stop button or wait for the measurement to stop by itself You see a graph representing the drive write response 9 see the results select View Log You see the Test Results window that shows what color corresponds to what test You can clear all or selected tests then run more tests for comparison What the Measurement Means This test reports the writing response of the Plextor PX 712 drive The graph should display a smooth linear curve up to the limit of the disc capacity If the curve is no
56. ere may be a good reason for example a dealer may have added other components or software Carefully check the contents to ensure nothing has been removed If something is missing contact the party from whom you purchased the box for an explanation NOTE This applies to the Plextor retail box Your drive may have been shipped in a different box with other contents depending on whom you purchased the drive from and what they included inside the box If your drive came pre installed some or all of the items above may have been installed and may not be separately available See the Plextor web site for locations to purchase additional or replacement accessories PX 712 Installation and Users Manual 37 Section 3 Installing the PX 712SA Internal SATA Drive Mount the PX 712SA Drive Before proceeding to install the PX 712SA drive in your personal computer make sure you have all the cables you ll need Record the Serial Number Note the serial number and TLA number of your drive and record those numbers on the inside front cover of this manual Mount the Drive in the Computer You can mount your internal drive in any available bay You must remove the small panel that covers the bay that you want to use NOTE The drive can be mounted horizontally or vertically If you don t have an empty bay remove the existing DVD ROM or CD ROM drive and install the PX 712SA You must make two cable connections to your PX 712SA The two
57. es for the parity errors you want to check PX 712 Installation and Users Manual 81 Section 5 Advanced Features and PlexTools Professional 4 To begin measurement in the PI PO Test window click the Start button You see the error counts representing the result of PI error measurement and POF error measurement 5 To end measurement click the Stop button or wait for the measurement to stop by itself Your window shows the test results and a graph of the error counts recorded by the application What the PI PO Measurements Mean This test measures the quality of the written or pressed media by counting the number of low level errors Most of these errors are correctable by the drive PI PO is basically the DVD equivalent of C1 C2 error measurement for a CD PI indicates the number of bytes that are corrected during PI stage while POF indicates the number of uncorrectable blocks Each sector on a DVD disc has 2 366 bytes of data For error correction on a DVD the drive places 16 sectors of data into a series of rows and columns that form an error correction ECC matrix The drive checks the rows of the matrix for parity inner or PI and it checks the columns for parity outer fails or POF The existence of PI PO errors on a DVD is perfectly normal since they can be corrected by the drive s CIRC logic However these numbers should not be too high because they can create uncorrectable errors when the disc s playability de
58. es of CD RW media PX 712 Installation and Users Manual 47 Section 4 Using Your PX 712 Using the LED Indicator The color and blink rate of the front panel LED indicator give you information about the drive s operation When you are writing to a CD R or CD RW disc the color and blink rate of the front panel LED indicator indicate the speed of writing as follows Operation LED color On Off Blink Blinking interval 8X and higher 4 7X less than 4X CD R write Amber Blink 40ms 32X and higher 16 31X less than 13X 24X CD RW write Amber Blink 80ms 10 23X 10X CLV 4X Buffer Green On Underrun Proof DVD linking active 48 PX 712 Installation and Users Manual Section 4 Using Your PX 712 Switching to SpeedRead for Video Playback When you are playing a DVD Video disc that has CSS copy protection via the Content Scrambling System the PX 712 normally plays at a slow speed with a maximum of 2X CLV speed to reduce drive noise You can speed up DVD playback by turning on SpeedRead To manually enable SpeedRead and speed up DVD playback 1 Make sure the PX 712 disc tray is closed and empty 2 Press and hold the PX 712 s eject button for at least 3 seconds The LED indicator blinks green three times to indicate SpeedRead will be active for DVD Video discs with CSS copy protection 3 Release the eject button The disc tray opens 4 Insert a DVD Video disc that is equipped with CSS copy prot
59. evices on that cable should be jumpered the same Locating the Master Position on a Cable Select Cable With Cable Select Master and Slave are determined not by jumpers but by the connectors on the Cable Select cable The connectors are identified as Master or Slave Set the DMA Jumper Your PX 712A ships from the factory with no DMA jumper installed The pins are empty The empty pins mean the drive is set to Ultra DMA This setting should work in most cases so you don t have to do anything more With some personal computers usually older ones that do not have an Ultra DMA IDE chipset the computer may hang or crash with the PX 712A set to the default Ultra DMA setting If this happens change the PX 712A to Multiword DMA mode by installing the spare jumper across the two DMA jumper pins just to the left of the mode jumper pins 24 PX 712 Installation and Users Manual Section 2 Installing the PX 712A Internal ATAPI Drive LI LI LIC WO LIC Lo Mode jumper Add jumper here to change from Ultra DMA to Multiword DMA Figure 11 Add the DMA jumper if you need to change to Multivord DMA PX 712 Installation and Users Manual 25 Section 2 Installing the PX 712A Internal ATAPI Drive Mount the PX 712A Drive Before proceeding to install the PX 712A drive in your personal computer double check your jumper setting Record the Serial Number
60. ey in the middle This key should fit into a slot in the middle of each connector of the motherboard your PX 712A drive and any other internal IDE peripherals 8 Double check your work You must ensure the side of the IDE cable with the red stripe is matched to Pin 1 on the interface board and on the drive CAUTION In the case of only one IDE device you must make certain that one end of the cable is always connected to the IDE connector on the motherboard The other end of the connector must be connected to a device The end connector of the cable should never be left unconnected 30 PX 712 Installation and Users Manual Section 2 Installing the PX 712A Internal ATAPI Drive 9 Connect a power cable from the computer to the power connector DC INPUT of the drive In most computers you will find free power connectors that are ready for your use CAUTION The power connector on the cable and the receptacle on the drive are keyed Do not force the power connector into the drive or the drive and or the computer may be damaged Internal Plextor drive Power cable IDE ribbon cable Digital audio cable optional Digital In Power CD ROM audio or SPDIF supply connector on PC connector on sound board Figure 17 Cable connections for an internal IDE drive 10 Connect the analog audio cable if you want to use a sound board in your system This cable runs from the four pin analog audio output connector
61. heck C1 C2 Test General Digital Audio Extraction CD DVD CD DVD ROM Maker Recording Options Q Check FE TE Test Q Check Beta Jitter Test Q CheckPI PO Tes CD Graph Options Sample Length 5 Minutes 71 Time Length Indication 100 Minutes Beta Scale Limit 0 05 0 05 r DVD Graph ptions Time Length Indication 5 GB hs Beta Scale Limit 0 05 0 05 Sample Length Figure 39 Changing preferences for graphing beta and jitter 4 Click OK to exit the Preferences window and return to the Q Check Beta Jitter Test window 5 To begin measurement in the Beta Jitter Test window click the Start button You see the error counts representing the result of beta error measurement jitter measurement 6 To end measurement click the Stop button or wait for the measurement to stop by itself Your window shows the test results and a graph of the error counts recorded by the application PX 712 Installation and Users Manual 79 Section 5 Advanced Features and PlexTools Professional What the Jitter Measurement Means The data on the surface of a CD or DVD disc is expressed by pits burned into the recording dye and by unburned areas or lands which represent the 0 and 1 binary bits of the computer data The CD book standards prescribe these 0 and 1 pits and lands as a series of 3 to 11 pieces in sequence described as 3T to 11T The millio
62. iarize yourself with the drive s rear panel Power SATA cable connector connector Figure 19 Rear panel of the PX 712SA internal SATA drive SATA cable connector Connects to your computer s SATA interface using 7 pin SATA ribbon cable Power connector Connects to your computer s power supply to provide DC 5 volts and 12 volts to the PX 712SA 36 PX 712 Installation and Users Manual Section 3 Installing the PX 712SA Internal SATA Drive What Else Is In the PX 712SA Box What you find in your Plextor box depends on what the company that sold you the box put in or took out while the Plextor drive was in their possession Plextor currently sells the PX 712SA drive in this configuration PX 712SA DVD R RW and CD R RW drive 7 pin SATA ribbon cable 4 pin computer power cable 4 mounting screws Emergency eject tool Plextor software disc with bundled PlexTools Professional Also contains Roxio Easy CD and DVD Creator 6 Basic DVD Edition PX 712 Installation and Users Manual Save Your Box Be sure to save the box after you have installed your drive The box and its packaging material were designed and drop tested to ensure your drive can endure rough treatment and still arrive in working order If you have to ship your drive back to Plextor you ll want to send it in the original box For more details about returning your drive to Plextor see page 111 If the security sticker on top of your box is cut th
63. igfoot TX8 12X 10 1 ZIP 100 10x B General Information 8x Drive Settings Drive Information 6x CD DVD Info Multimedia Player AudioCD Player 4x Digital Audio Extraction AudioCD Maker 2 CD DVD ROM Maker CD DVD Copy CD DVD RW Functions 0 CD Test 0 1 2 B 5 Write Transfer Rate Test Q Check C1 C2 Test Q Check FE TE Test Q Check Beta Jitter Test Q Check PI PO Test Start 2 02 End Current 2 00 Figure 31 Read Transfer Rate Test window 3 Select the speed pulldown menu and choose the desired transfer speed 4 Click the Preferences button to view or change the preferences You can change the Read Test Options and the Read Test Graph Options PX 712 Installation and Users Manual 65 Section 5 Advanced Features and PlexTools Professional xl Q CheckFE TE Test Q CheckBeta JitterTest Q CheckPl PO Test General Digital Audio Extraction CD DVD Copy CD DVD ROM Maker Recording Options freedb Transfer Rate Test QCheckCi C2Tes Read Test Options 4 p Write Test Options Sample length Simulate Test every 1 Minute z Test every fi Minute x Read Test Graph Options r Write Test Graph Options Max Read Speed Indication 56 M Write Speed Indication Max DVD Read Speed Indication 16 zi Max DVD Write Speed Indication e zi CD Length Indication 100 Minutes CD Length Indicat
64. in writing by PLEXTOR c if the unit is subjected to abuse neglect lightning strike electrical fault improper packaging or accident d if the unit is installed improperly or e if the serial number of the unit is defaced or missing PLEXTOR will not under any circumstances be liable for direct special or consequential damages such as but not limited to damage or loss of property or equipment loss of profits or revenues cost of replacement goods or expense or inconvenience caused by service interruptions Under no circumstances will any person be entitled to any sum greater than the purchase price paid for the unit To obtain warranty service you must contact PLEXTOR s Technical Support Department by e mail support plextor com or by calling 800 886 3935 The Technical Support Department will attempt to diagnose and correct your problem If the unit does not function properly they will give you instructions on obtaining a Return Material Authorization RMA number You may be asked to furnish proof of purchase to confirm that the unit is still under warranty All product returns must be authorized in advance by PLEXTOR Authorization is confirmed by issuance of the RMA number which must be written prominently on the outside of the box in which the defective unit is returned to PLEXTOR PX 712 Installation and Users Manual 113 Appendix C Warranty drives returned to PLEXTOR must be securely packaged and shipped
65. ion 100 Minutes DVD Length Indication 5 GB 7 DVD Length Indication 5 GB Data Format Internal Buffer Mode Overbum 095 00 00 Figure 32 Transfer Rate Test Preferences window 5 Click OK to exit the Preferences window and return to the Read Transfer Rate Test window 6 To begin measurement in the test window click the Start button You see the amount of recorded data represented in minutes the start speed and current speed 7 To end measurement click the Stop button or wait for the measurement to stop by itself You see a graph representing the drive read response 8 To see the results select View Log You see the Test Results window that shows what color corresponds to what test You can clear all or selected tests then run more tests for comparison 66 PX 712 Installation and Users Manual Section 5 Advanced Features and PlexTools Professional What the Measurement Means This function reports the read response of the Plextor PX 712 drive The graph should display a smooth linear curve up to the limit of the recorded data If the curve is not linear or smooth repeat the test with another piece of recorded media Most read transfer failures are caused by poor quality or damaged media Measuring Write Transfer Rate The Write Transfer Rate selection lets you test the transfer rate of data written to a disc The function reports the writing response of the Plextor PX 712 drive
66. l 15 degrees Vertical Front side up or down 15 degrees 5 to 40 degrees Celsius 20 to 80 non condensing 40 to 60 degrees Celsius 20 to 95 non condensing Playing balanced disc Maximum 45dB Playing unbalanced disc Maximum 45dB Tray ejecting Maximum 50dB Sine sweep 5 minutes CD DVD read 0 15Go ex 5 300Hz CD R write 0 15Go px 5 300Hz CD RW rewrite 0 1060 5 300Hz DVD write 0 10Go px 5 300 2 Sine sweep 5 minutes 2 0Go px 5 300 2 Power off without disc 11msec half sine 10 sec interval CD read 5 0Go px 5 300 2 DVD read 5 0Go px 5 300Hz CD R write 1 5Go px 5 300 2 CD RW rewrite 0 5Go px b 300Hz DVD R RW write 0 5Go px 5 300Hz 102 PX 712 Installation and Users Manual Appendix A PX 712 Specifications Environmental Conditions continued Shock Non Permissible velocity Minimum 62G operating Permissible velocity change Minimum 220cm sec Power off without disc Electrostatic 8KV aerial discharge Discharge 4KV contact discharge Both with no hard errors no damage Reliability MTBF 60 000 hours Tray Loading 50 000 load unload cycles Read Error CD ROM Mode 1 1 block 10 bits Rate CD ROM Mode 2 1 block 10 bits Safety Laser and EMC Standards Country Type Agency Standard Region USA Safety UL UL 1950 Laser FDA FDA 21 CFR 1040 10 and 1040 11 EMC FCC FCC Part15B Class B Canada Safety UL C UL CSA 22 2 No 950 EMC IC ICES 003 Class B
67. leaners Also do not use an air compressor because the high pressure blast can damage the drive ANOTHER CAUTION Do not use a CD cleaning disc Cleaning discs that use a felt pad can scratch the laser lens surface and render the drive inoperable Cleaning discs with brushes may also scratch the lens Moreover these cleaning discs are often out of balance making their operation very noisy PX 712 Installation and Users Manual 85 Section 6 Maintenance and Troubleshooting Upgrading Firmware Plextor creates firmware revisions to meet the particular needs of large computer manufacturers It is rare that these will impact the performance or operation of your drive However we advise that our customers always update drives with the latest available firmware Before troubleshooting a possible problem with your PX 712 drive please visit our web site at www plextor com to check if you have the latest firmware To obtain new firmware for your drive 1 Go to the Plextor web site at www plextor com 2 Look for firmware upgrades in the Support area on the Downloads page There is a description of the latest firmware revision and its intended use 3 Download the firmware to your computer To upgrade firmware in your drive s flash memory Run the executable file that you downloaded from Plextor s web site 2 Accept all defaults by continuing to click on the Next button until you see the message Firmware update ha
68. ly and lets you successfully create CDs on the first attempt PX 712 Installation and Users Manual 83 Section 5 Advanced Features and PlexTools Professional This page intentionally left blank 84 PX 712 Installation and Users Manual 6 Maintenance and Troubleshooting This chapter explains maintenance and troubleshooting procedures for your PX 712 drive With proper maintenance you can prevent problems If trouble arises you can often solve many simple problems on your own rather than wait for assistance from a Plextor representative Cleaning the PX 712 Drive Plextor drives are sealed against external contamination so in a normal computer environment and with normal use your drive should not require internal cleaning However if your drive has been in use for some time and has just recently started to exhibit read write problems it is possible that dust has accumulated on the laser lens In this case e If your drive is still in warranty and you are experiencing problems send the drive to Plextor See Returns on page 111 e If your drive is out of warranty before returning the drive for repair you may want to try a short blast of canned air aimed at the center of the drive Use only electronics grade canned air sterile filtered and moisture free If you notice no improvements after this step you will need to return the drive for repair CAUTION Do not attempt to clean your drive using any solvent based c
69. mful 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 num rique 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 e Do not open the optical pickup housing e Obtain service only from Plextor authorized personnel CAUTION To disconnect the internal DVD CD drive from an electrical current pull out the computer s power plug Top View of Internal Drive Showing Caution Label Location Cl
70. ndure rough treatment and still arrive in working order If you have to ship your drive back to Plextor you ll want to send it in the original box For more details about returning your drive to Plextor see page 111 If the security sticker on top of your box is cut there may be a good reason for example a dealer may have added other components or software Carefully check the contents to ensure nothing has been removed If something is missing contact the party from whom you purchased the box for an explanation NOTE This applies to the Plextor retail box Your drive may have been shipped in a different box with other contents depending on whom you purchased the drive from and what they included inside the box If your drive came pre installed some or all of the items above may have been installed and may not be separately available See the Plextor web site for locations to purchase additional or replacement accessories Mount the PX 712A Drive Installation steps are as follows 1 Turn OFF your computer system 2 Set the jumpers for your new PX 712A drive if necessary 3 Mount the drive into an available drive bay inside the computer system 4 Make all necessary cabling connections IDE cable power cable and audio cable Turn your computer system ON The following pages give more details for this procedure 12 PX 712 Installation and Users Manual Section 2 Installing the PX 712A Internal ATAPI Drive
71. nformation with colleagues just use software such as Roxio s DirectCD to drag and drop files onto DVD R DVD RW CD R or CD RW media then continue adding files and sharing the same disc Archive images and video to DVD or CD Master new software programs on DVD or CD 6 PX 712 Installation and Users Manual Section 1 Getting Started About Software In order to record on DVD R RW and 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 PlexTools Professional is a powerful application software package that lets you take full advantage of the CD DVD functions of the PX 712 drive When installed on your computer this software lets you use your Plextor PX 712 to burn CD R CD RW and DVD discs It also lets you take advantage of all the unique new features found in the Plextor PX 712 drive You can also use Roxio s Easy CD Creator M 6 Basic DVD Edition to burn DVDs and CDs The software lets you burn and share anything on CD or DVD including music photos and videos You can also back up your critical data to a CD or DVD One component of Easy CD Creator is Drag to Disc which makes the Plextor PX 712 drive as easy to use as a hard disk drive For more information about Easy CD Creator install this application and examine the help files For details on othe
72. ng multi border recording for DVD R and multi border recording incremental recording restricted overwriting DRT DM for DVD RW SpeedRead For DVD Video discs equipped with CSS copy protection you can enable fast playback SpeedRead or leave at the factory default for quiet video playback 4 PX 712 Installation and Users Manual Section 1 Getting Started CD R and CD RW Features Variety of recording modes Supports track at once disc at once session at once multi session variable and fixed packet writing and CD MRW Mount Rainier Buffer Underrun Proof Technology Eliminates buffer underrun errors 0 you can safely use your computer for other tasks while you re writing to a CD R or CD RW disc Wide compatibility Wide CD R and CD RW media compatibility Orange Book compatibility Compatible with Orange Book Parts II and III OPC and ROPC Optimum Power Control and Running Optimum Power Control which adjust the laser power for the optimum write strategy CD TEXT CD G Supports CD TEXT and CD G writing GigaRec Variable capacity recording that lets you change CD R disc capacity over a range from 60 percent to 130 percent of the rated value You can get much more data onto a CD Or decrease disc capacity while gaining improved audio quality SecuRec Security protection that lets you make your CDs readable only by persons with the correct password Overburn Another way of burning more information onto a CD
73. ng application that supports VariRec Being able to adjust the laser power during the recording process can have some definite advantages For instance depending on the capabilities of your specific audio equipment you may be able to change the sound quality of your recordings to suit the equipment Or you may be able to correct compatibility problems that occur when playing discs on certain audio players or older CD ROM drives How the Default VariRec Setting Is Determined In most cases you don t have to worry about setting VariRec The setting is 0 zero by default and this usually works best This default setting is determined by a combination of steps 1 First we test many types of recordable DVD R and CD R media in our factory to determine the best write strategy laser power and other factors for that media 58 PX 712 Installation and Users Manual Section 5 Advanced Features and PlexTools Professional 2 We include a table of the tested media and their write strategy in your drive s firmware This table is updated when you update your drive by downloading new firmware from the Plextor web site 3 When you insert a recordable disc into your drive Plextor s PoweRec technology automatically identifies the manufacturer model and special features of the media then adjusts the laser power and writing speed so they re at the optimum settings for that disc 4 The drive uses OPC Optimum Power Control to further fine tun
74. now following 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 the cover See Figure 3 for details 3 Remove the cover panel from the bay that will hold the drive To remove the cover panel pop it out by pressing outward lightly In some older computers you may have to remove screws that hold the panel in place Available bay with cover panel removed Figure 14 Removing the cover panel from a bay 28 PX 712 Installation and Users Manual Section 2 Installing the PX 712A Internal ATAPI Drive Determine if you must install mounting rails on the sides of your drive To do so insert the drive into the open bay If the drive fits tightly with little or no clearance on either side of the drive you will not have to use mounting rails The drive can be mounted directly into your computer Go to step 6 NOTE Plextor does not provide rails If you need rails you can obtain them from the computer manufacturer or from a computer supply retail or mail order store If you must use mounting rails fasten the rails to the lower pair of holes as shown in Figure 15 In some instances you may need to fasten the rails to the upper set of holes After fastening the rails check their positioning by sliding the drive into the bay before you mount the drive or connect any cables Be sure not to mistake the inner
75. ns of 3T data segments on the recorded media actually contain minute variations in length with practically no individual 3T segment matching another This variation distribution is called the jitter ratio and is a measurement of the variation of the prescribed length of the 3T segment against what is actually written on the disc A lower jitter value indicates better uniformity of 3T data which means the recording is of a higher quality The book standard regulates jitter value at no more than 35 nanoseconds Using PlexTools Professional and the Plextor drive you can use the Q Check Beta Jitter Test to determine the quality of writing on a disc The test graph displays an average rate for jitter occurring between 3T and 11T When you select the sample length you actually specify a range of addresses that represent anywhere from 15 seconds to 5 minutes on the disc This test lets you check for the relative amounts of jitter in different media brands or compare a specific media brand recorded on different drives What the Beta Measurement Means Beta is a representation of the balance between pit and land If the laser power is too high the pit becomes too pronounced If power is too low the land becomes too pronounced In either case data will not be accurately reproduced In the Beta Jitter Test window the beta measurement is displayed as a red line on the graph and also reported as an absolute value When the Plextor PX 712 con
76. nternal ATAPI Drive Emergency eject hole If the automatic eject button does not work insert the emergency eject tool paper clip or other thin rigid object in this hole to eject tray Turn OFF power before using this feature Eject button Push once to eject tray Push again to insert the tray back into the PX 712A To prevent wear on the drive always use the eject button to insert the tray This button also enables SpeedRead for DVD Video discs with CSS protection To enable SpeedRead with the disc tray empty press and hold the eject button for 3 seconds then insert a DVD Video disc The disc is played back at an accelerated speed Rear Panel PX 712A Internal Drive Also familiarize yourself with the drive s rear panel Mode E IDE cable Power jumper connector connector DMA jumper Digital Analog audio audio output output connector connector Figure 2 Rear panel of the PX 712A internal ATAPI drive Digital audio output connector Outputs a digital stereo signal Use this to connect to a sound board that supports Sony Philips Digital Interface SPDIF or Digital In 10 PX 712 Installation and Users Manual Section 2 Installing the PX 712A Internal ATAPI Drive Analog audio output connector Outputs an analog stereo signal Use this to connect to a sound board or audio amplifier Use a standard MPC 3 type 4 pin connector Mode jumper Use the mode jumper to select operation as an IDE master or slave o
77. on completion of the diagnostic you see the results If there was no problem the disc is ejected automatically If there was a problem the disc is not ejected and you see the LED indicator blink green One green blink indicates a write or read error Two green blinks indicate an initialization error PX 712 Installation and Users Manual 91 Section 6 Maintenance and Troubleshooting 11 If the disc was not ejected automatically press the eject button to eject the disc 12 Turn off the computer power 13 Reset the mode jumper at the rear of the PX 712A to its original setting as noted in Step 4 above Also remove the extra jumper you installed 14 Reconnect the IDE cable to the PX 712A drive If you removed the drive to gain access to the cable or jumpers replace the drive in the computer Then replace the computer cover If you discover a problem with the PX 712A drive do not attempt to service the drive yourself Contact us to get an RMA number and take steps to return the drive to Plextor See Returns on page 111 for details 92 PX 712 Installation and Users Manual 7 Frequently Asked Questions Which is better DVD R and DVD RW Or DVD R and DVD RW A Neither is better or worse They re just different standards like English versus metric measurement Different manufacturers support different standards The DVD R and DVD RW formats are supported by Plextor Philips Sony Hewlett
78. on the rear panel of your drive to the CD ROM audio connector on the PC or your sound board See Using Sound Boards and Audio Cables below for more information about audio cables PX 712 Installation and Users Manual 31 Section 2 Installing the PX 712A Internal ATAPI Drive 11 Connect a digital audio cable if your sound board is equipped with the Sony Philips Digital Interface SPDIF or Digital In and you wish to use the digital audio output from your PX 712A This cable runs from the digital audio output connector pins on the PX 712A back panel to the sound board This cable is not supplied by Plextor 12 Mount the PX 712A drive in the computer using the four screws that were supplied with your drive Use only these screws CAUTION Do not mount your drive in your computer using screws other than those supplied by Plextor You may damage the drive if you insert screws that are too long or the wrong thread type Using Sound Boards and Audio Cables Whichever category your sound board falls into you will find that the best source of information about installing the sound board in your computer is the board s manual Once you have successfully installed the sound board in your computer you can continue below for a description of the different cable connections that need to be made If you need audio cables you will have to purchase them Refer to the table below A list of several vendors who offer audio cables is availabl
79. ontains content that is a commercial pressed CD or DVD or a disc recorded on a CD or DVD drive To measure jitter and beta 1 Place a pressed or recorded CD or DVD in the PX 712 2 From the PlexTools menu bar select Q Check Beta Jitter Test You see the Q Check window with a graph for beta and jitter PX 712 Installation and Users Manual 77 Section 5 Advanced Features and PlexTools Professional _ PlexTools Professional 2 12 Options Help IDE Interface 0 29 10 0 712 10 1 CD DVD ATAPI E K IDE Interface 1 10 0 Bigfoot TX8 10 1 ZIP 100 General Information Drive Settings Drive Information CD DVD Info Multimedia Player AudioCD Player Digital amp udio Extraction AudioCD Maker CD DVD ROM Maker CD DVD Copy CD DVD Rw Functions CD Test Read Transfer Rate Test Write Transfer Rate Test Q Check Beta Jitter Test Q Check PI PO Test Ready High Show Beta Show Jitter LBA 287232 Figure 38 Q Check Beta Jitter Test window 3 Click the Preferences button to view or change the preferences You can change the sample length the length of one sample the time length indication of the graph and the limit of the beta measurement scale 78 PX 712 Installation and Users Manual Section 5 Advanced Features and PlexTools Professional xi freedb Transfer Rate Test Q C
80. ort DVD or CD ROM drive connected as the Master device on secondary IDE port e Configuration B Hard disk connected as Master device and DVD or CD ROM drive connected as Slave on the primary IDE port nothing connected to secondary IDE port Configuration C Hard disk connected as Master device on primary IDE port nothing connected to secondary IDE port e Configuration D System uses special Cable Select cables all devices are jumpered for Cable Select Set the Drive s Mode Jumper You specify your drive s Master Slave or Cable Select setting before installing it You do this by changing the position of a jumper on the mode jumper block at the rear of the drive Your drive ships from our factory with its mode jumper set to operate the PX 712A as a Master This will work in most custom system configurations If your computer is from a large OEM system manufacturer such as IBM Hewlett Packard Gateway or Compaq you will need to pay particular attention to whether the computer uses the Cable Select scheme PX 712 Installation and Users Manual 15 Section 2 Installing the PX 712A Internal ATAPI Drive Changing the Mode Jumper on Your PX 712A Drive The drive arrives from the factory with its mode jumper set to Master A function is ON if the jumper is installed and OFF if the jumper is removed CABLE SELECT MASTER SLAVE O LI LI LITE uper Mode jumper
81. other disc The drive plays both single layer and dual layer discs The first time A code on each DVD allows it to be played only on players designed for a certain regional area such as North America Europe etc When the drive ships from the factory there is no region code set The first time a DVD that has a region setting is inserted into the drive the drive is automatically set to that region code If you later insert a DVD with a different region code you are prompted to either accept changing the new region code or not If you don t accept the change then that DVD will not play If you do accept the change then the region code setting is changed But remember you can change the drive s region code only 5 times After that you can t change it any more Writing to DVD Media You need special software that supports writing to DVD R and DVD RW discs or to DVD R and DVD RW discs The Roxio Easy CD Creator DVD Edition on the CD that accompanies your PX 712 contains this software Specifying R RW or R RW You don t need to specify whether to write to R RW or R RW The selection is automatically made for you based on the media you insert in the drive Writing to CD R and CD RW Media In conjunction with your drive mastering and packet writing software such as Easy CD Creator and DirectCD allow you to write audio video data or other information to writable CD R or rewritable CD RW media The PX 712 writes to all typ
82. ou need rails you can obtain them from the computer manufacturer or from a computer supply retail or mail order store If you must use mounting rails fasten the rails to the lower pair of holes as shown in the illustration below In some instances you may need to fasten the rails to the upper set of holes After fastening the rails check their positioning by sliding the drive into the bay before you mount the drive or connect any cables Be sure not to mistake the inner and outer face of the rail when attaching Typically the smooth side of the rail faces away from the drive s chassis Figure 22 Installing mounting rails if needed 40 PX 712 Installation and Users Manual Section 3 Installing the PX 712SA Internal SATA Drive 6 Plug one connector of the SATA cable into the SATA connector on the rear panel of the drive before you insert the drive into your computer Then thread the cable through the front of the open bay and back toward the motherboard The drive should slide smoothly into the bay If it does not check for obstructions in the bay and ensure the side rails are attached properly 7 If not already connected attach the other end of the SATA ribbon cable to the Serial ATA connector on the computer motherboard or on a PCI board if that is how the Serial ATA interface is provided in your computer When connecting the Serial ATA cable note that cable connectors are keyed and will fit only one way For example
83. pabilities 43 DRT DM See distributed real time defect management media 97 writing speed 99 zero link 4 DVD Video reading speed 2 4 49 98 E Easy CD Creator 7 editing DVD RW 4 eject emergency 10 36 87 methods for 95 eject button 10 36 closing tray 45 used for PX 712A self test 90 electrostatic discharge specification 103 EMC standards 103 emergency eject hole 10 36 87 emergency eject tool 10 36 87 environmental conditions 102 error rate specification 103 F FAQs 93 FE See focus error features 3 CD R 5 DVD 4 firmware 59 obtaining 86 upgrading 3 86 93 flash memory 3 86 focus error measurement 64 73 76 PX 712 Installation and Users Manual 117 Index formats 96 CD 5 96 DVD 4 93 96 frequently asked questions 93 front panel controls 95 712 9 PX 712SA 35 G GigaRec 5 61 Buffer Under Run Error Proof technology 63 compared to overburn 64 disc compatibility 64 operation of 63 requirements for 61 63 selecting writing capacity with 62 writing speed 63 H hard disk size 6 104 107 high speed CD RW media 43 write speed 100 host interface PX 712A 106 PX 712SA 108 humidity specification 102 storage 102 I IDE configuration determining for PX 712A 14 examples 18 selecting for PX 712A 18 types of 15 118 PX 712 Installation and User
84. plies to bytes in a frame 24 bytes per frame 98 frames per block and is an indication of the drive s attempt to use extended error correction to recover the data Even a few C2 errors can be an indication of poor media quality or a drive s inability to write or read correctly e CU error correction applies to uncorrectable errors or errors that are present after C2 level correction No CU errors are allowed in a recorded disc CU errors are usually a result of damage to a disc and represent unrecoverable data Discs with CU errors quite often cannot be read at all 72 PX 712 Installation and Users Manual Section 5 Advanced Features and PlexTools Professional The quantity of these errors are a measure of media and drive quality High quality media combined with a high quality drive will have recorded data with some errors and no C2 errors Poor quality media or media with scratches fingerprints or other defects in the disc surface or written on a drive that has poor write quality will show a higher number of errors and perhaps some C2 errors The best method to determine media quality is to compare your media against media from Plextor s list of recommended media vendors See page 96 If your discs consistently show a high number of C1 C2 errors you should try another brand of media If the graph reports CU errors the disc is defective and should be discarded Because the Plextor PX 712 can report the number of C2 erro
85. postage prepaid The drive will be returned to the customer at Plextor s expense when originating within the United States For a drive originating outside of the United States the customer is responsible for shipping costs in both directions NOTE Warranty validity is limited to that applicable in the location where the drive was originally purchased If You re Outside the U S or Canada Note that the warranty and RMA policy only apply to the United States and Canada If you are in South America contact your dealer or reseller for all warranty and RMA claims 114 PX 712 Installation and Users Manual Index A access time 101 silent mode and 52 achieving best performance PX 712A 18 19 analog audio cable 26 31 output connector 11 31 33 105 ATAPI command set 106 108 audio analog 11 105 digital 105 audio cable 32 B background format DVD RW disc 2 bay cover panel 28 39 beta measurement 64 77 80 black tray 3 BLER See block error rate block error rate 72 box contents 712 11 PX 712SA 37 buffer 5 83 95 Buffer Under Run Error Proof GigaRec 63 Buffer Underrun Proof Technology 5 83 LED indicator and 9 36 95 C1 C2 CU error measurement 64 69 72 cable analog audio 26 audio 32 cable select 23 27 digital audio 26 IDE 26 27 30 MPC 33 power 26 38 power for drive 27 SATA 38 Sound Blaster 33 SPDIF 33
86. r edge Once you have finished creating a disc label it by writing on the top using permanent ink CAUTION We recommend using a non toxic marker such as a Sharpie pen that conforms to the ASTM D 4236 standard Some permanent markers will damage the media Also do not press too hard when writing on the disc PX 712 Installation and Users Manual 45 Section 4 Using Your PX 712 NOTE We do not recommend placing self sticking CD R labels on the disc The weight of the label may unbalance the disc and cause write errors during recording or read errors during reading Also attempting to remove the label may permanently damage the disc Cleaning Discs For proper read and write performance your discs must be clean Trying to record on a dirty disc may result in a failed session and ruin the disc To clean the disc wipe the disc using a clean soft cotton cloth to remove surface dirt such as fingerprints Use a straight line motion wiping from the center out Do not wipe the disc in a circular motion Figure 26 Wipe the disc from the center outward HINT Keep your frequently used discs in jewel cases at all times to prevent them from becoming dirty or damaged Mounting Position You can operate your internal PX 712 drive in either a horizontal or a vertical position 46 PX 712 Installation and Users Manual Section 4 Using Your PX 712 Playing DVDs To play a digital video disc insert the DVD as you would any
87. r for cable select In general leave this jumper at its factory setting which is master and ensure that any other device on the bus is jumpered as slave DMA jumper Use the DMA jumper to convert between Ultra DMA Mode 0 2 no jumper default and Multiword DMA Mode 0 2 with jumper installed In general leave this jumper at its factory setting which is Ultra DMA that is no jumper installed IDE cable connector Connects to your computer s IDE ATAPI interface using 40 pin IDE flat ribbon cable Power connector Connects to your computer s power supply to provide DC 5 volts and 12 volts to the PX 712A What Else Is In the PX 712A Box What you find in your Plextor box depends on what the company that sold you the box put in or took out while the Plextor drive was in their possession Plextor currently sells the PX 712A drive in this configuration PX 712A DVD R RW and CD R RW drive 40 pin IDE ribbon cable 1 piece of approved DVD R media 4 mounting screws Extra jumper Emergency eject tool Plextor software disc with bundled PlexTools Professional Also contains Roxio Easy CD and DVD Creator 6 Basic DVD Edition PX 712 Installation and Users Manual PX 712 Installation and Users Manual 11 Section 2 Installing the PX 712A Internal ATAPI Drive Save Your Box Be sure to save the box after you have installed your drive The box and its packaging material were designed and drop tested to ensure your drive can e
88. r of the disc and proceed to the outer edge Do not attempt to clean your drive using solvent based cleaners or an air compressor Do not attempt to clean your drive using a CD cleaning disc These discs can damage your drive permanently Where to Go From Here If you have a PX 712A internal ATAPI drive see Chapter 2 beginning on page 9 to install it If you have a PX 712SA internal drive with the new Serial ATA interface see Chapter 3 beginning on page 35 to install it 8 PX 712 Installation and Users Manual 2 Installing the PX 712A Internal ATAPI Drive This chapter explains how to physically install your PX 712A internal ATAPI drive in your computer PX 712A Drive Features and Controls Before proceeding become familiar with the controls and features of your Plextor drive Match the parts of your drive to the illustrations below Front Panel PX 712A Internal Drive SD Prextor PX 712A e LED Eject indicator button Tray front door Emergency eject hole Figure 1 Front panel of the PX 712A internal ATAPI drive e LED indicator Illuminated yellow for disc initializing reading and ejecting Illuminated amber for writing Blink rate indicates writing speed Illuminated green during standby and when Buffer Underrun Proof Technology is operational e Tray front door Attached to tray drawer PX 712 Installation and Users Manual 9 Section 2 Installing the PX 712A I
89. r software that is available for writing to DVDs or CDs please visit the web sites of the companies whose software you are interested in refer to their user s manuals or look at the help option within the software A list of various software that you can use with your Plextor drive can be found in the Support Compatibility section of www plextor com Precautions Like the rest of your computer system your PX 712 requires reasonable care in its installation and use e Keep the area around your drive clean from dust smoke and other contaminants PX 712 Installation and Users Manual 7 Section 1 Getting Started Do not allow moisture or liquids including water or cleaning fluids to touch the drive Thinner benzene or alcohol based solvents can mar your drive s surface Do not drop or jolt the drive Do not move carry or transport a disc in the drive because this can cause damage Do not attempt to open the drive and service it yourself Removing the cover may expose you to harmful electrical voltages or the laser beam For your safety entrust service to experienced service personnel only Keep your DVDs and CDs free of dirt or other contaminants by storing them in jewel cases Use only industry standard discs Do not insert dirty warped poorly balanced or cracked discs into the drive Do not clean discs using a circular motion Instead using a soft dry cloth wipe gently in a radial motion start at the cente
90. re 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 PX 712 Installation and Users Manual 3 Section 1 Getting Started Self test diagnostics for ATAPI model The PX 712A has a self test diagnostic function for easy troubleshooting Q Check tests The Plextor PX 712 achieves high quality recording on virtually any DVD or CD media To see for yourself use the Q Check features to check laser operation or measure and display characteristics of the media you re using DVD Features Lossless linking for DVD R RW Allows DVD RW discs to be edited and still play on DVD ROM players Zero Link for DVD R RW Has 0 byte gap between sessions so the discs are compatible with all players This allows DVD RW discs to be edited and still play on DVD ROM players Wide DVD R RW and DVD R RW media compatibility Compatible with a wide range of DVD R and DVD RW media Multiple DVD types Supports DVD ROM DVD Video multi border multi session DVD VR for read and write Versatile recording modes for DVD R RW Including disc at once DAO multi session and incremental write for DVD R random access write and sequential write for DVD RW Recording versatility for DVD R RW too Including DAO incremental recordi
91. rection 6 Click the Recording Speed drop down menu to choose the recording speed for example 8X or 4X for a CD R 7 Click the Recording drop down menu to choose the recording strategy for example Default Azo Cyanine Phthalocyanine A B C or D PlexTools Professional V2 11 02 Options Help IDE Interface 0 mm A x 10 1 CD DVD ATAPI B IDE Interface 1 10 0 Bigfoot TX8 10 1 ZIP 100 General Information Drive Information CD DVD Info Multimedia Player AudioCD Player Digital amp udio Extraction AudioCD Maker CD DVD ROM Maker CD DVD Copy CD DVD RW Functions CD Test Read Transfer Rate Test Write Transfer Rate Test Q Check C1 C2 Test Q Check FE TE Test Q Check Beta Jitter Test Q Check Test Basic Advanced VariRec GigaRec Silent Mode SecuRec Enable VariRec Recording Speed fe 1200 KB s Recording Default m Ready Figure 29 Changing the VariRec parameters 8 Use AudioCD Maker or CD DVD ROM Maker from PlexTools Professional to create a disc layout 9 necessary in the list of recording options make sure the Enable VariRec box is checked and continue recording Your disc is recorded with the new laser strategy 60 PX 712 Installation and Users Manual Section 5 Advanced Features and PlexTools Professional Important Facts about VariRec e Use
92. rial number and a copy of your sales receipt handy as well If you experience a problem while installing or operating your drive please refer first to the relevant sections of this manual regarding setup and installation Chapters 1 3 If you do not uncover the solution there please refer next to the maintenance and troubleshooting chapter that begins on page 85 You may also wish to refer to the Frequently Asked Questions FAQ section of our web site to assist you in troubleshooting the problem on your own NOTE We encourage you to go the Plextor web site www plextor com before attempting to contact Technical Support The answers to the most common questions callers ask can be found quickly in the support area Select PlexHelper for online troubleshooting or FAQs for answers to common questions If you have not been successful in your quest our Technical Support Department will help you solve problems that relate specifically to your PX 712 drive In many cases a problem that appears to be caused by your Plextor drive actually originates in another part of your computer In such instances our technical support staff will try to help you identify the part at fault and will refer you to the manufacturer of that part for further assistance PX 712 Installation and Users Manual 109 Appendix B Technical Support How to Contact Plextor Technical Support There are several ways for you to contact Plextor s Technical Support Depar
93. rive Features and Controls Before proceeding become familiar with the controls and features of your Plextor drive Match the parts of your drive to the illustrations below Front Panel PX 712SA Internal Drive IC Prextor PX 712SA LED Eject indicator button Tray front door Emergency eject hole Figure 18 Front panel of the PX 712SA internal SATA drive PX 712 Installation and Users Manual 35 Section 3 Installing the PX 712SA Internal SATA Drive LED indicator Illuminated yellow for disc initializing reading and ejecting Illuminated amber for writing Blink rate indicates writing speed Illuminated green during standby and when Buffer Underrun Proof Technology is operational Tray front door Attached to tray drawer Emergency eject hole If the automatic eject button does not work insert the emergency eject tool paper clip or other thin rigid object in this hole to eject tray Turn OFF power before using this feature Eject button Push once to eject tray Push again to insert the tray back into the PX 712SA To prevent wear on the drive always use the eject button to insert the tray This button also enables SpeedRead for DVD Video discs with CSS protection To enable SpeedRead with the disc tray empty press and hold the eject button for 3 seconds then insert a DVD Video disc The disc is played back at an accelerated speed Rear Panel PX 712SA Internal SATA Drive Also famil
94. rs audio extraction applications can use this reporting to guarantee that the extracted audio matches the original NOTE This function measures C1 C2 errors in all kind of discs and recording modes even if they were recorded on another drive It is however recommended to use this measurement on CD R media recorded by DAO Disc at once Measuring Tracking and Focus Error Supported in PlexTools Professional software this function reports on the mechanical characteristics of the DVD or CD you re using in the Plextor PX 712 drive It actually measures the amplitude of the laser focus error and tracking error and displays the results This function tests blank CDs and DVDs PX 712 Installation and Users Manual 73 Section 5 Advanced Features and PlexTools Professional To use PlexTools Professional to measure tracking and focus error 1 Place a blank DVD R RW a DVD R RW or a CD R or CD RW disc in the PX 712 Don t use a pre recorded commercially stamped disc 2 From the PlexTools menu bar select Q Check FE TE Test You see the Q Check window with a graph for focus error and tracking error PlexTools Professional V2 12 xl Options Help IDE Interface 0 100 29 10 0 712 10 1 CD DVD ATAPI E K IDE Interface 1 10 0 Bigfoot 8 10 1 ZIP 100 General Information Drive Settings Drive Information CD DVD Info Multimedia Player AudioCD Player
95. s 712 rear panel 107 content scrambling system 4 10 36 49 98 controls front panel 95 712 9 7125 35 cover panel bay 28 39 CSEL See cable select CSS See content scrambling system D data buffer 83 95 diagnostics 4 diagnostics PX 712A 89 digital audio output 105 connector 10 32 33 105 Digital In connector 10 32 33 105 dimensions 712 105 7125 108 disc cleaning gt 46 labels 46 loading 95 password protecting with SecuRec 55 testing 4 64 testing with Q Check 69 disc capacity GigaRec 62 disc capacity changing 5 61 disc tray controlling speed with silent mode 52 silent mode 52 distributed real time defect management DVD RW 2 DMA jumper 11 24 DMA support 3 106 drive recognizing in Windows 87 DRT DM See distributed real time defect management DVD compatibility 4 formats compared 93 formats supported 4 96 media 43 97 playing 47 reading speed 2 98 99 recording modes 4 96 regional setting 47 95 write methods 4 96 writing speed 99 DVD R compatibility 93 media 43 97 software 7 writing 47 writing speed 2 99 DVD RW background format 2 compatibility 93 editing 4 media 43 97 software 7 writing 47 writing speed 99 DVD VR 2 DVD R 93 drive capabilities 43 media 97 Index writing speed 2 99 DVD RW 93 drive ca
96. s and a graph of the error counts recorded by the application PX 712 Installation and Users Manual 71 Section 5 Advanced Features and PlexTools Professional What the Measurements Mean CDs are written via a non contact optical technology resulting in errors on the written disc Error correction is therefore an important component of drive quality Audio written to a disc contains no major error correction Missing audio bytes are interpolated replaced by an approximate value in the drive and the reproduced output is generally very close to the original Differences are usually detectable only by an audiophile If there are large numbers of missing bytes due to poor media scratches fingerprints etc these are reproduced as pops or crackles in the audio output but the media will still play Data non audio content is much more sensitive to errors The data blocks on the recorded disc contain extensive embedded error correction as part of the data stream This error correction is derived from the actual content of the original computer data and is used to reconstruct the original data if needed when the disc is read Every CD has two layers of error correction called C1 and C2 e Cliserror correction for the block error rate BLER which consists of bit errors at the lowest level BLER is normally given in errors per second The typical maximum BLER for quality recording is 220 errors per second e C2error correction ap
97. s Manual IDE interface connector 11 30 36 105 IDE ports 14 IDE ribbon cable 26 cable select 27 connecting gt 30 standard 27 initialization time 101 inquiry string PX 712A 106 PX 712SA 108 installation examples 18 PlexTools Professional 51 PX 712A 9 12 20 21 26 PX 712SA 35 38 interface ATAPI 6 PX 712A 104 PX 712SA 107 J jitter measurement 64 77 80 jumper DMA 11 24 105 mode 11 15 105 L label disc 46 laser adjusting power with VariRec 58 59 testing 4 64 73 laser standards 103 LED indicator 9 36 95 blink rate 48 Buffer Underrun Proof Technology 95 color 48 95 lossless linking 4 M maintenance 85 master 18 105 cable select 24 PX 712A 15 setting drive 15 setting in BIOS 88 setting mode jumper 17 master PX 712A 14 media 43 care and handling 45 CD R 43 97 CD RW 43 97 DVD 43 97 DVD R 97 DVD RW 43 97 DVD R 97 DVD RW 97 recommended 93 97 size 96 supported 5 96 memory minimum 6 104 107 minimum cable connections PX 712A 26 PX 712SA 38 minimum computer 6 minimum configuration 6 minimum 6 104 107 MMC 4 command set 3 mode jumper 11 105 changing 16 17 105 setting 15 motherboard BIOS setup program 88 Mount Rainier CD 5 96 mounting position 26 38 46 102 mounting PX 712A 26 28 mounting PX
98. s completed 3 Restart your system 86 PX 712 Installation and Users Manual Section 6 Maintenance and Troubleshooting Emergency Eject If the computer power is turned off or the automatic eject button at the front of the drive does not work use this procedure to open the drive To use the emergency eject hole to open the drive 1 Make sure power to the drive is OFF That is turn off your computer 2 Atthe front of the drive insert the emergency eject tool or a paper clip or other thin rigid object into the emergency eject hole 3 Push the tool or other object straight in until the disc tray clicks open 4 Carefully continue to slide the disc tray open 5 Remove the CD from the disc tray 6 Carefully push the disc tray shut Troubleshooting If you have problems during or right after installation of your drive first make sure the drive is recognized If you still have problems visit the Plextor web site for tips and troubleshooting help Make Sure the Drive Is Recognized If you re having trouble after installation make sure the PX 712 drive is recognized by your computer To check whether the drive is recognized To see if the drive is recognized in Windows 1 Turn the computer ON After the computer boots up you should see the Windows display 2 Open Windows Explorer or My Computer and ensure there is an icon for the Plextor drive the hard disk and another DVD or CD ROM drive if presen
99. s of 11 controls front panel 9 determining IDE configuration for 14 dimensions 105 DMA jumper setting 24 host interface 106 inquiry string 106 installation 9 12 20 21 installation examples 18 installation cable select 22 interface 3 6 104 120 PX 712 Installation and Users Manual minimum computer 104 minimum configuration 104 mode jumper 15 mounting 26 operating system 6 optional cable connections 26 rear panel connectors gt 10 104 selecting IDE configuration 18 self test diagnostics 89 system requirements 104 weight 105 PX 712A minimum computer 107 PX 712A power requirements 104 PX 712Aoperating system 104 PX 712SA cable connections 42 connectors rear panel 36 contents of 37 controls front panel 35 dimensions 108 host interface 108 inquiry string 108 installation 35 38 interface 3 6 107 minimum configuration 107 mounting 38 operating system 6 quickstart installation 13 rear panel connectors 36 107 system requirements 107 weight 108 PX 712SA power requirements 107 PX 712SAoperating system 107 Q Q Check 4 64 69 questions frequently asked 93 quickstart installation 7125 13 R rails 29 40 RAM minimum 6 104 107 read response measuring 67 read specification CD 99 DVD 98 99 read transfer rate test 64 reading speed CD R 2 CD RW 2 controlling for
100. s than secure methods to get drives back to us CAUTION Never ship the drive with a CD or DVD disc inside it If you did not receive a box for example your drive came pre installed in a computer we recommend you pay a packaging store such as Mail Boxes Etc to ship your drive If you don t have a packaging store in your area ask for packaging pointers when you contact us to get an RMA number before returning any drive Shipping Your Drive to Plextor Be sure to write the RMA number on the outside of the shipping box Any drive sent to Plextor without an RMA number will not be accepted NOTE The RMA number must be clearly visible on the outside of the shipping box Drives must be sent postage prepaid We recommend that you insure your shipment as Plextor cannot be held responsible for any damage that may occur during shipment 112 PX 712 Installation and Users Manual Appendix C Warranty PLEXTOR CORP Plextor warrants your PX 712 drive 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 period PLEXTOR will at its option repair or replace the defective unit This warranty is void a if the unit is operated or stored under abnormal use and or conditions b if the unit is repaired modified or altered unless such repair modification or alteration is expressly authorized
101. software applications that have been written to make use of this technology One of these applications is the PlexTools Professional software To use PlexTools Professional to control Silent Mode 1 In the PlexTools Professional menu bar select Drive Settings You see the tabs for drive settings 2 Select the Silent Mode tab You see the Silent Mode window 3 To enable Silent Mode check the Enable Silent Mode box 4 To slow writing speed making this process quieter select the Max Write Speed drop down menu and make a new selection Smaller numbers mean quieter operation but take longer to write a disc 5 To slow reading speed making this process quieter select the Max Read Speed drop down menu and make a new selection Smaller numbers mean quieter operation but slow disc reading 52 PX 712 Installation and Users Manual Section 5 Advanced Features and PlexTools Professional PlexTools Professional 2 12 Aal xd Options Help E IDE Interface 0 ES Basic Advanced Varitec GigaRec Silent Mode SecuRec 10 1 CD DVDIATAPI IDE Interface 1 5 10 0 Bigfoot TX8 Enable Silent Mode 10 1 ZIP 100 Max Write Speed 20 48 X P CAV 4 gt Read Speed 17 40 CAV General Information Access Time Fast A Drive Information CD DVD Info 1 Multimedia Player Low High AudioCD Player Digital Audio Extraction Loadi lt AudioC
102. sword protect a disc so it is readable by any Plextor PX 712 drive assuming the user enters the correct password or by any drive using the Secu Viewer To password protect a disc with SecuRec 1 Insert a blank CD R disc in the Plextor PX 712 drive 2 Inthe PlexTools menu bar select Drive Settings You see the tabs for drive settings 3 Select the SecuRec tab You see the SecuRec window PX 712 Installation and Users Manual 55 Section 5 Advanced Features and PlexTools Professional OPlexTools Professional 2 11 02 Acl xl Options Help IDE Interface 0 29 10 0 PX7124 Advanced VariRec GigaRec Silent Mode SecuRec x 10 1 E K IDE Interface 1 ET 10 0 Bigfoot TX8 10 1 ZIP 100 Protection Settings Password General Information Drive Information Verify Password CD DVD Info Multimedia Player AudioCD Player Digital amp udio Extraction AudioCD Maker CD DVD ROM Maker CD DVD Copy CD DVD RW Functions CD Test Read Transfer Rate Test Write Transfer Rate Test Q Check C1 C2 Test Q Check FE TE Test Disc Info Blank CD R 79 59 71 Q Check Beta Jitter Test Q Check PI PO Test Ready Protection Status ACTIVE Figure 28 Password protecting a disc with SecuRec 4 Enter the desired password in the Password field 5 Retype your password in the Verify Password field 6
103. t The Plextor icon may be D or E or another designator PX 712 Installation and Users Manual 87 Section 6 Maintenance and Troubleshooting 3 If the PX 712 drive is not recognized in Windows reboot the computer and use your computer s setup program to program the BIOS to recognize it NOTE Refer to the computer s documentation for information on how to run the motherboard BIOS setup program For the PX 712A use the motherboard BIOS setup program to set up IDE Master and Slave designations as needed for your configuration on the primary or secondary IDE bus If the IDE interface is disabled on your computer you will need to enable it If a Master or Slave device is set to disable or none or a similar designation change it as appropriate to enable or auto or something similar depending on your setup program 4 Save and exit your CMOS setup to restart your computer with the new settings 5 In Windows 98SE or Me once the system comes up click the Start button then Settings then Control Panel then double click on System icon then click on Device Manager tab Click the sign next to the DVD CD ROM drives heading and look for the PLEXTOR DVDR PX 712A entry underneath or In Windows 2000 or XP right click on the My Computer icon and select Properties Click on the Hardware tab then click on the Device Manager button Click the sign next to the DVD CD ROM drives heading and look for th
104. t linear or smooth repeat the test with another piece of media or media from a different vendor Most write transfer failures are caused by poor quality media or media that is not rated for the maximum speed of the drive Measuring Q Check C1 C2 CU Errors This function reports on the C1 C2 and CU errors on the current CD in the Plextor PX 712 drive This test is for use on a CD that contains content that is a commercial pressed CD or a CD recorded on a CD R RW drive It s not for DVD discs To measure C1 C2 CU error 1 Place a pressed CD ROM disc or a recorded CD R or CD RW disc in the PX 712 2 From the PlexTools menu bar select Q Check C1 C2 Test You see the Q Check window with a graph for C1 C2 and CU errors PX 712 Installation and Users Manual 69 Section 5 Advanced Features and PlexTools Professional O PlexTools Professional 2 12 ci xi Options Help IDE Interface 0 29 10 0 PX 712A 10 1 CD DVD ATAPI E K IDE Interface 1 10 0 Bigfoot TXB 180 10 1 ZIP 100 General Information Drive Settings Drive Information 804 CD DVD Info Multimedia Player AudioCD Player Digital amp udio Extraction 407 AudioCD Maker CD DVD ROM Maker CD DVD Copy CD DVD RW Functions 0 CD Test 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 30 100 Read Transfer Rate Test write Transfer Rate ShowCi 7425 31 25 05 1024xCav Q Check FE TE Test Show 52 140 LBA 1413
105. t maximum speed and random access To perform the self test 1 Turn the computer s power OFF unplug it from its power source and open the computer to gain access to the rear of the PX 712A drive Typically this involves loosening or removing several screws on the back panel of your computer and sliding off the cover See Figure 3 for an example CAUTION Before you attempt to open your computer be sure to properly ground yourself by wearing an anti static wristband This will help prevent static damage to your computer system 2 You should be able to see the back of the PX 712A drive connected to the ATAPI cable power connector and optionally an analog sound cable PX 712 Installation and Users Manual 89 Section 6 Maintenance and Troubleshooting NOTE You may have to remove the drive from the computer to perform the next two steps 3 Hold the ATAPI cable at or near the base of its connection to the PX 712A drive Carefully remove the ATAPI cable from the drive by pulling the cable gently rearward 4 Note the position of the mode jumper at the rear of the 712 A jumper will be installed on either the CABLE SELECT SLAVE or MASTER position Write down this jumper position You ll need to replace the jumper after the test Then Q If the jumper 15 on the MASTER position move it to the SLAVE or CABLE SELECT position for this test Q If the jumper is on the SLAVE or CABLE SELECT jumper leave it in place
106. tions continued Write Speed CD R RW DVD Transfer Rate 99280 22160 12X 8310 16620 6925 16620 CAV PCAV 8310 11080 4709 11080 CAV PCAV 8310 CLV 2909 6925 5540 CLV 3324 CLV CLV 100 PX 712 Installation and Users Manual Appendix A PX 712 Specifications Performance Specifications continued CD Transfer Rate Initialization Time Access Time Sleep Mode Wake Mode Write Kbps Read Kbps 3180 7200 CAV 3180 7200 CAV 2710 6000 3180 4800 PCAV 2170 4800 CAV 1600 3600 CAV 1 600 CLV Time measured from power on until disc is available to read DVD lt 13 sec typical lt 15 sec max CD 13 sec typical lt 15 sec max Time measured from command phase until bus free no disconnect DVD lt 150 msec typical lt 180 msec max CD lt 100 msec typical lt 130 msec max Entered after 2 minutes of no access to drive default setting lt 5 sec max to start drive after sleep PX 712 Installation and Users Manual 101 Appendix A PX 712 Specifications Environmental Conditions Mounting Position Operating Temperature Operating Humidity Storage Temperature Storage Humidity Acoustic Noise Vibration Operating Vibration Non Operating Shock Operating Horizontal or vertical orientation Horizonta
107. tment Visit our web site www plextor com for answers to Frequently Asked Questions Send us e mail at support plextor com Include your telephone number and the hours during which you can be reached Be as detailed as possible in describing your problem Please include system configuration hardware and software as well as versions of drivers used Call 800 886 3935 and select the tech support option Before You E mail Log On FAX Call for Support Please gather as much of the following information as possible before contacting us The serial number and TLA top level assembly number of your PX 712 drive Your serial number and TLA number appear both on the drive label and on a sticker at the rear of internal drives The latest version of firmware you loaded onto the drive if applicable The version of the Windows operating system you are using The brand name and model number of your computer e g Dell 466 NP Hewlett Packard Pavilion 752n etc The type of Super or other graphics board you use Brand name and model number of any other peripherals you have installed or connected to your computer e g CD ROM scanner fax board network board 110 PX 712 Installation and Users Manual Appendix B Technical Support Returns In the unlikely event that you need to return a drive to Plextor you need an RMA Returned Materials Authorization number You need this number before any Plextor
108. to 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 PX 712 Installation and Users Manual 1 Section 1 Getting Started Meet Your PX 712 The PX 712 is a DVD ReWritable CD ReWritable drive that provides professional quality DVD and CD performance for writing rewriting and reading What the PX 712 Does For DVDs the PX 712 e Writes DVD R recordable DVD plus format media at up to 12X speed on recommended 8X media e Writes DVD R recordable DVD dash format media at up to 8X speed e Writes DVD RW re writable DVD plus format media at up to 4X speed e Writes DVD RW re writable DVD dash format media at up to 4X speed Supports DVD VR and DVD VR real time editing Reads DVD discs at up to 16X Reads DVD Video discs with CSS at up to 2X CLV Supports DVD RW DRT DM Distributed Real Time Defect Management For CDs the PX 712 e Writes to CD R recordable CD media at up to 48X speed e Writes to CD RW re writable CD media at up to 24X speed e Reads all CD ROM CD RW and CD R data media at a maximum of 48X speed e Reads CD DA audio and CD R audio media at up to 40X
109. trols its write strategy using VariRec the resulting strategy will be the best balance of the lowest jitter and the appropriate laser power for a quality recording 80 PX 712 Installation and Users Manual Section 5 Advanced Features and PlexTools Professional Measuring Q Check PI PO Errors This function reports on the PI parity inner and POF parity outer fails on the current DVD disc in the Plextor PX 712 drive This test is for use on a DVD that contains content that is a commercial pressed DVD or a disc recorded on a DVD burner To measure PI PO error 1 Place a pressed DVD disc or a recorded DVD R DVD RW DVD R or DVD RW disc in the PX 712 2 From the PlexTools menu bar select Q Check PI PO Test You see the Q Check window with a graph for PI and POF errors eT m Professional V2 12 5 Options Help IDE Interface 0 S 10 0 712 x 10 1 CD DVD ATAPI B e IDE Interface 1 10 0 Bigfoot T8 10 1 ZIP 100 n General Information Drive Settings Drive Information CD DVD Info Multimedia Player AudioCD Player Digital amp udio Extraction AudioCD Maker CD DVD ROM Maker CD DVD Copy CD DVD Rw Functions CD Test Read Transfer Rate Test Write Transfer Rate Test Q Check C1 C2 Test Q Check FE TE Test Q Check Beta Jitter Test Ready Show Pl Show POF 302252 0 Figure 40 Q Check PI PO Test window 3 Place check marks in the box
110. ttings specified by other applications will be overridden When saved into the drive s flash memory Silent Mode remains active even if you power down the computer or the drive To clear Silent Mode settings select the Reset Values button If SpeedRead is enabled with Silent Mode on default read speed is 40X speed maximum If you are playing a digital audio CD DA disc using an application such as Windows Media Player playback is at 4X CLV no matter the Silent Mode setting During DVD video playback of CSS discs playback is automatically slowed down for quieter video playback This is different from the control you have with Silent Mode To enable SpeedRead for DVD Video discs with CSS press the eject button for 3 seconds For more details see page 49 54 PX 712 Installation and Users Manual Section 5 Advanced Features and PlexTools Professional Using SecuRec The Plextor PX 712 s SecuRec function lets you write on a CD R disc and protect the data with a password To view the contents of password protected disc or even to see a catalog of files the user must enter the correct password The password can be entered via PlexTools Professional software or with SecuViewer software SecuViewer software is easily available to any user simply by downloading it from the Plextor web site at http www plextor com english support downloads reader html Password Protecting a Disc with SecuRec You can choose to pas
111. ual 13 Section 2 Installing the PX 712A Internal ATAPI Drive 2 Remove your computer s cover following 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 the cover See Figure 3 for an example Figure 3 Removing a typical computer s cover Determine Your Existing IDE Configuration With your computer open determine the existing IDE configuration You can do this by looking at the 40 pin IDE ribbon cable or cables there may be two and seeing what is connected to them One end of the IDE cable is connected to a port on the computer s motherboard and the other end is connected to one or two peripheral devices such as a hard disk or CD ROM drive If there are two devices one is configured as Master and the other the Slave as indicated by the position of jumpers on the back of the drive In the case of the Cable Select bus both devices must be jumpered as Cable Select This configuration requires a special Cable Select cable If there are two IDE ports one is for the primary IDE bus and the other is for the secondary bus 14 PX 712 Installation and Users Manual Section 2 Installing the PX 712A Internal ATAPI Drive Before you install your PX 712A your computer s IDE configuration is usually one of the following e Configuration A Hard disks connected as Master and Slave devices on primary IDE p
112. video playback 4 controlling with silent mode 52 digital audio 99 DVD 2 DVD Video 2 4 49 98 silent mode 52 SpeedRead 49 rear panel connectors PX 712A 10 PX 712SA 36 recognizing the PX 712 drive in Windows 87 recommended media definition 93 recording modes CD 5 96 DVD 4 96 red book 96 region code 47 95 regional setting 47 95 reliability 103 returns 12 37 111 RMA number 12 37 111 112 See running optimum power control running optimum power control 5 Index S safety standards 103 SATA interface connector 41 screws mounting 32 42 secondary IDE port 14 SecuRec 5 55 lost password 58 security sticker 12 37 selecting an IDE configuration 18 self test diagnostics gt 4 self test diagnostics PX 712A 89 serial number recording 26 38 shipping your drive 12 37 111 112 shock specification 102 silent mode 3 52 SpeedRead 54 slave 18 105 cable select 24 setting drive 15 setting in BIOS 88 setting mode jumper 17 slave 712 14 sleep mode 101 software 7 CD R RW 7 DVD R 7 DVD RW 7 Easy CD Creator 7 PlexTools Professional 7 Sony Philips digital interface See SPDIF Sound Blaster compliant audio cable 33 sound board connections to 32 SPDIF cable 33 connector 10 32 33 105 specifications 95 98 speed monitoring 48 reading CD R 2 PX 712 Inst

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