Plextor PX-712UF Installation And User Manual Download

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DVD±R/RW, CD-R/RW DRIVE

INSTALLATION AND USERS MANUAL

JUNE 2004

Model PX-712UF External

USB/FireWire Drive

Summary of Contents for PX-712UF

Page 1: ...DVD R RW CD R RW DRIVE INSTALLATION AND USERS MANUAL JUNE 2004 Model PX 712UF External USB FireWire Drive...

Page 2: ...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 fo...

Page 3: ...nterference 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 00...

Page 4: ...iv PX 712UF Installation and Users Manual Bottom View of External Drive Showing Caution Label Location Detail of PX 712UF Laser Caution Labels...

Page 5: ...External Drive 13 What Else Is In the PX 712UF Box 15 Save Your Box 15 Mount the PX 712UF Drive 16 Determine Your Computer s Operating System 17 Determine What Interface to Use 17 Connect the PX 712UF...

Page 6: ...Rec 37 Password Protecting a Disc with SecuRec 37 Reading a Password Protected Disc 39 Important Facts about SecuRec 39 Using VariRec 40 How the Default VariRec Setting Is Determined 40 Changing the V...

Page 7: ...cs 69 What You ll Need 69 Performing the Self Test 69 What the Self Test Results Indicate 70 6 Frequently Asked Questions 71 Appendix A PX 712UF Specifications 73 Appendix B Technical Support 85 How t...

Page 8: ...Table of Contents viii PX 712UF Installation and Users Manual This page intentionally left blank...

Page 9: ...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 t...

Page 10: ...ewritable DVD plus format media at up to 4X speed Writes DVD RW rewritable 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 depending o...

Page 11: ...e 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 opt...

Page 12: ...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 se...

Page 13: ...range 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 writ...

Page 14: ...ding software you re using Operating System PC Windows XP 2000 Me 98SE Macintosh For FireWire and USB 1 1 OS 9 1 or higher recommended For USB 2 0 OS X is required NOTE You cannot use the PX 712UF wit...

Page 15: ...nd 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 information w...

Page 16: ...atures found in the Plextor PX 712UF drive Roxio s Easy CD Creator 6 Basic DVD Edition also lets you burn DVDs and CDs You can burn and share anything on CD or DVD including music photos and videos an...

Page 17: ...lf 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...

Page 18: ...Section 1 Getting Started 10 PX 712UF Installation and Users Manual This page intentionally left blank...

Page 19: ...connect your PX 712UF external drive to your computer PX 712UF Drive Features and Controls Before proceeding you should become familiar with the controls and features of your Plextor drive Match the...

Page 20: ...ork turn the power switch to OFF then insert the emergency eject tool paper clip or other thin rigid object in this hole to eject the disc tray manually Power indicator Illuminated blue when the PX 71...

Page 21: ...ff for normal operation or set it to the left ON to execute the self test diagnostic routine To execute a self test 1 Disconnect the USB or FireWire cable 2 turn the drive power switch OFF 3 set the S...

Page 22: ...t interface USB IEEE 1394 This allows you to connect the drive to either interface depending on the requirements of your computer If you change interfaces with this switch you must also cycle the PX 7...

Page 23: ...rop 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...

Page 24: ...ndows web site to bring your system up to date If you have Windows 98SE and you are using USB you ll need to install a set of Plextor provided drivers to bring your system up to date 2 Determine which...

Page 25: ...ot running one of these operating systems you cannot use the PX 712UF You cannot use the PX 712UF with early versions of Windows 98 it must be Windows 98SE Second Edition Determine What Interface to U...

Page 26: ...e a computer with Windows XP Windows 2000 or Windows Me use the following procedure to install your PX 712UF drive Windows 98SE users see page 21 then come back here after you have updated your Window...

Page 27: ...USB or FireWire cable The drive should be automatically recognized by the computer In some cases you may have to reboot turn the computer off then on again for the PX 712UF to be recognized CAUTION Th...

Page 28: ...FireWire Drive 20 PX 712UF Installation and Users Manual Identifying Cables and Ports This illustration will help you identify the cables and computer ports and make the necessary connections Figure 4...

Page 29: ...242975 Japanese http support microsoft com default aspx scid kb ja 242975 2 Install the Windows patch according to the instructions provided with it 3 Install the PX 712UF drive as detailed on page 18...

Page 30: ...s attached to the PX 712UF 1 Ensure the interface cable for the desired USB or IEEE 1394 interface is attached to the PX 712UF and to the computer 2 At the rear of the PX 712UF set the interface switc...

Page 31: ...he Macintosh computer The Macintosh automatically recognizes the PX 712UF if the base extensions are loaded and you should be ready to use the drive as a CD ROM To use the recording capabilities of th...

Page 32: ...Section 2 Installing the PX 712UF External USB FireWire Drive 24 PX 712UF Installation and Users Manual This page intentionally left blank...

Page 33: ...VD media 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 th...

Page 34: ...discs HS RW media you can rewrite at 10X 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...

Page 35: ...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 e...

Page 36: ...sc 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...

Page 37: ...drive when it is operated in a vertical position Even in the cradle the drive can accidentally be knocked over Playing DVDs To play a digital video disc insert the DVD as you would any other disc The...

Page 38: ...eed 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 712UF contains this software...

Page 39: ...follows Operation Indicator color On Off Blink Blinking interval No disc Off Eject Amber On Loading Off Initialize Amber On Standby Green On Read Amber On DVD write 8X and higher Amber Blink 40ms DVD...

Page 40: ...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 e...

Page 41: ...the Plextor disc into the Plextor PX 712UF drive or another drive that can read the Plextor software disc 2 On the screen choose the PlexTools Professional installation If the installation doesn t st...

Page 42: ...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 PlexT...

Page 43: ...dium 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...

Page 44: ...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...

Page 45: ...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 Dis...

Page 46: ...rd in the Verify Password field 6 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 Mak...

Page 47: ...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 applica...

Page 48: ...ording software you re using PlexTools Professional is one recording application that supports VariRec Being able to adjust the laser power during the recording process can have some definite advantag...

Page 49: ...You can make these changes for DVD R 4X and 2 4X DVD R 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 ma...

Page 50: ...Recording drop down menu to choose the recording strategy for example Default Azo Cyanine Phthalocyanine A B C or D Figure 11 Changing the VariRec parameters 8 Use AudioCD Maker or CD DVD ROM Maker fr...

Page 51: ...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...

Page 52: ...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...

Page 53: ...gin of the disc The Plextor PX 712UF can ignore and even overwrite this information which extends the disc capacity Important Facts about GigaRec When you enable GigaRec it is active for all recording...

Page 54: ...ansfer 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...

Page 55: ...ation and Users Manual 47 Figure 13 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 preferenc...

Page 56: ...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 measurem...

Page 57: ...fer 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 712UF drive This test is conducted on b...

Page 58: ...tions 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 Set the CD or DVD length to the capacity of...

Page 59: ...up to the limit of the disc capacity If the curve is not 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...

Page 60: ...nstallation and Users Manual Figure 16 Q Check C1 C2 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...

Page 61: ...asurement in the C1 C2 Test window click the Start button You see the error counts representing the result of C1 error measurement BLER and C2 error measurement E22 If the disc is defective you may al...

Page 62: ...ection 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 Ev...

Page 63: ...hod to determine media quality is to compare your media against media from Plextor s list of recommended media vendors See page 74 If your discs consistently show a high number of C1 C2 errors you sho...

Page 64: ...tually measures the amplitude of the laser focus error and tracking error and displays the results This function tests blank CDs and DVDs To use PlexTools Professional to measure tracking and focus er...

Page 65: ...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...

Page 66: ...ce of the disc and how accurately the focus is maintained on the recording dye layer To be specific Focus error is a measure of how accurately the laser is focused on the disc surface That is how roun...

Page 67: ...Q Check Jitter Beta Measurements This function reports on the degree of beta and jitter on the CD or DVD in the Plextor PX 712UF drive This test is for use on a disc that contains content that is a co...

Page 68: ...igure 21 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 wi...

Page 69: ...alue 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...

Page 70: ...s 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...

Page 71: ...ly 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 DV...

Page 72: ...uffer 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 appli...

Page 73: ...ens In this case If your drive is still in warranty and you are experiencing problems send the drive to Plextor See Returns on page 87 If your drive is out of warranty before returning the drive for r...

Page 74: ...F 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...

Page 75: ...7 Carefully continue to slide the disc tray open 8 Remove the CD from the disc tray 9 Carefully push the disc tray shut Troubleshooting If you have problems during or right after installation of your...

Page 76: ...has a yellow diamond with an exclamation point contact your PC or motherboard manufacturer for help and to troubleshoot your controller for driver compatibility or conflicts It may just be a matter o...

Page 77: ...rforming the Self Test This tests three functions of the drive writing at maximum speed continuous playback at maximum speed and random access To perform the CD write read test 1 Unplug the USB or Fir...

Page 78: ...re was a problem the disc is not ejected and you see the disc busy indicator blink green One green blink indicates a write or read error Two green blinks indicate an initialization error 7 If the disc...

Page 79: ...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 det...

Page 80: ...Speed 12 Mbps max IEEE 1394 FireWire 400 Mbps max Actual transfer rates in the real world depend on the type of media and software you re using and on the type of data being transferred Q Can I get U...

Page 81: ...ate guidelines see the help files or documentation for the recording software you re using Interface USB 1 1 or 2 0 supported IEEE 1394 FireWire supported On board USB 2 0 or IEEE 1394 FireWire contro...

Page 82: ...s DVD R RW DVD R DAO incremental recording multi border recording DVD RW DAO multi border recording incremental recording restricted overwriting DRT DM Write Methods CD R RW Track at once TAO DAO pack...

Page 83: ...VD RW media are rewritable up to 1 000 times DVD R 8X 6X 4X 2X Mitsubishi Chemical Verbatim Taiyo Yuden Maxell TDK DVD RW 4X Victor Mitsubishi Chemical Verbatim DVD RW 1X 2X Victor Mitsubishi Chemical...

Page 84: ...c 6 16X CAV Yes Single layer disc 5 12X CAV Yes Single or dual layer disc Yes Yes 3 8X CAV Yes Single or dual layer disc Yes Yes 2 5X CAV Yes Single or dual layer disc Yes Yes 2X CLV Yes Single or dua...

Page 85: ...Stamp R RW Stamp R 14 32X CAV Stamp R RW Stamp R RW Stamp R RW 10X 24X CAV Stamp R RW Stamp R RW Stamp R RW 8X CLV Stamp R RW Stamp R RW Stamp R RW 4X CLV Stamp R RW Stamp R RW Stamp R RW NOTE Stamp...

Page 86: ...Media High Speed CD RW Media Normal Speed CD RW Media 48X CAV Yes 32X PCAV Yes 24X PCAV Yes 16X CLV Yes 10X CLV Yes 8X CLV Yes 4X CLV Yes Yes DVD Transfer Rate Speed Write Kbps Read Kbps 16X 9280 2216...

Page 87: ...5 sec max Access Time Time measured from command phase until bus free no disconnect DVD 150 msec typical 180 msec max CD 100 msec typical 130 msec max Sleep Mode Entered after 2 minutes of no access t...

Page 88: ...eak current 2 6A 2 6A Power Switch Turns power on and off Power OFF is O power ON is 1 1394 USB Switch Interface switch switches the PX 712UF drive to operate with a different interface USB or IEEE 13...

Page 89: ...front panel 7 24 x 2 05 x 10 43 184 mm x 52 mm x 265 mm Weight 3 8 lbs 1 7 kg Host Interface Type USB B type IEEE 1394 6pin 4pin Data Connector USB B type IEEE 1394 6pin 4pin USB 2 0 Transfers Hi Spee...

Page 90: ...alanced disc Maximum 45dB Playing unbalanced disc Maximum 45dB Tray ejecting Maximum 50dB Vibration Operating Sine sweep 5 minutes CD DVD read 0 15G0 Pk 5 300Hz CD R write 0 15G0 Pk 5 300Hz CD RW rewr...

Page 91: ...F 60 000 hours Tray Loading 50 000 load unload cycles Read Error Rate CD ROM Mode 1 1 block 1012 bits CD ROM Mode 2 1 block 10 9 bits Safety Laser and EMC Standards Country Region Type Agency Standard...

Page 92: ...Appendix A PX 712UF Specifications 84 PX 712UF Installation and Users Manual This page intentionally left blank...

Page 93: ...ur 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...

Page 94: ...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...

Page 95: ...lish 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...

Page 96: ...lled 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 g...

Page 97: ...ny 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 expen...

Page 98: ...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 wher...

Page 99: ...ed 74 reading speed 77 recording modes 5 74 write methods 5 74 CD cleaning disc don t use 9 CD reading speed 77 CD G 5 CD DA reading speed 2 CD R compatibility 5 media 25 75 reading speed 2 writing 30...

Page 100: ...th silent mode 34 silent mode and 34 disc busy indicator 12 79 blink rate 31 Buffer Underrun Proof technology and 79 color 31 79 self test and 70 distributed real time defect management DVD RW 2 drive...

Page 101: ...21 firmware 40 obtaining 66 upgrading 3 66 71 flash memory 3 66 focus error measurement 46 56 58 formats 74 CD 5 74 DVD 4 71 74 frequently asked questions 71 front panel controls 11 79 G GigaRec 5 43...

Page 102: ...75 DVD R 75 DVD RW 75 recommended 71 75 size 74 supported 5 74 memory minimum 6 73 minimum computer 6 73 minimum configuration 6 73 minimum RAM 6 73 MMC 4 command set 3 Mount Rainier 5 74 mounting po...

Page 103: ...equently asked 71 R RAM minimum 6 73 read response measuring 49 read specification CD 77 DVD 76 77 read transfer rate test 46 reading speed CD R 2 CD RW 2 controlling for video playback 4 controlling...

Page 104: ...ilent mode 34 spinup controlling with silent mode 34 support 85 system requirements 73 T TE See tracking error tech support ticket number 87 technical support 85 86 temperature specification 82 storag...

Page 105: ...Wire and 21 Plextor USB drivers for 21 73 updating for FireWire 21 USB and 21 write methods CD 5 74 DVD 4 74 write transfer rate test 49 simulating 50 writing a CD image 6 73 writing response measurin...

Page 106: ...Index 98 PX 712UF Installation and Users Manual This page intentionally left blank...

Page 107: ...PX 712UF Installation and Users Manual 99 Notes...

Page 108: ...Notes 100 PX 712UF Installation and Users Manual...

Page 109: ...Notes PX 712UF Installation and Users Manual 101...

Page 110: ...Notes 102 PX 712UF Installation and Users Manual...

Page 111: ...Notes PX 712UF Installation and Users Manual 103...

Page 112: ...Plextor CORP 48383 Fremont Blvd Suite 120 Fremont CA 94538 6509 Phone Fax E mail 510 440 2000 800 886 3935 510 651 9755 info plextor com www plextor com...

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