Plextor PX-W4012TSe User manual

INSTALLATION AND USERS MANUAL
SCSI CD-R/CD-RW DRIVE
APRIL 2003
Models:
PX-W4012TS (Internal)
PX-W4012TSe (External)

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 ©2003 Plextor Corp. Third edition, April 2003.
Licenses and Trademarks
Plextor and the Plextor logo are registered trademarks of Plextor Corp; and PlexWriter,
PoweRec is a trademark of Plextor Corp. Other brands and products are trademarks of their
respective holders.
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

FCC NOTICE
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Subpart B digital device,
pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against
harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio
frequency energy, and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful
interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee interference will not occur in a
particular installation. If this equipment causes harmful interference to radio or television reception, which
can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the
interference by one or more of the following measures:
• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
• Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
• Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is
connected.
• Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.
Any changes or modifications should be approved by the party responsible for compliance with FCC
Rules; otherwise, the user loses authority to operate the equipment.
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 or the bottom of the external
drive. The label reads:
“CAUTION – CLASS 3B INVISIBLE LASER RADIATION WHEN OPEN. AVOID EXPOSURE TO
THE BEAM.”
Detail of Laser Caution Labels Top View of Internal Drive or
Bottom View of External Drive
Showing Location of
Laser Caution Labels
The laser beam emitted from the optical pickup is invisible. Accordingly:
• Do not open the optical pickup housing.
• Obtain service only from experienced personnel.
CAUTION: To disconnect the CD drive from an electrical current, pull out the power plug.

Ü
G-Vfg.243
VORSICHT: DIE TRENNUNG VOM NETZ ERFOLGT DURCH ZIEHEN DES NETZSTECKERS.
Zur Einhaltung der Funk-Entstörung von nicht selbständig betreibbaren
Hochfrequenzgeräten (periphere Anlagenkomponenten).
Dieses Gerät entspricht als Einzelgerät den Funk-Entstöranforderungen der
Postverfügung Nr. 243/1991.
Wird das Gerät innerhalb einer Anlage zusammen mit anderen Geräten
betrieben, so muss bei Inanspruchnahme der “Allgemeinen (Betriebs-)
genehmigung”nach der BMPT-AmtsblVfg Nr. 243/1991 die gesamte
Anlage folgenden Richtlinien entsprechen:
• Grenzwertklasse B der EN55022
• Auflagen nach §2 der BMPT-AmtsblVfg 243/1991
Dies ist bei der Zusammensetzung einer Anlage (z.B. Computersystem) aus nur einzeln geprüften Geräten
nicht immer erfüllt.

PlexWriter 40/12/40S Installation and Users Manual v
Table of Contents
1. Getting Started.................................................................................................1
About this Manual..............................................................................................1
Meet Your PlexWriter 40/12/40S ......................................................................1
What the PlexWriter 40/12/40S Does............................................................1
Features of the PlexWriter 40/12/40S............................................................2
Minimum Configuration to Use the PlexWriter 40/12/40S ...........................2
What You Can Do with the PlexWriter 40/12/40S........................................3
What's in the Box............................................................................................... 3
Save Your Box!.............................................................................................. 3
PlexWriter Drive Features and Controls............................................................4
Front Panel—Internal SCSI Drive ................................................................. 4
Front Panel—External SCSI Drive ................................................................ 4
Rear Panel—Internal SCSI Drive ..................................................................6
Rear Panel—External SCSI Drive ................................................................. 7
About Software.................................................................................................. 8
Precautions.........................................................................................................8
2. Installing Your PlexWriter.............................................................................. 9
Quickstart SCSI Installation—For Experienced PC Users Only....................9
Set SCSI Drive Jumpers..................................................................................... 10
Do I Have to Change My PlexWriter’s SCSI ID Number?............................ 10
Do I Have to Change My PlexWriter’s SCSI Termination Setting?..............12
Do I Have to Change Other PlexWriter SCSI Settings? ................................ 13
Setting Jumpers on a PlexWriter Internal SCSI Drive................................... 14
Setting Switches on a PlexWriter External SCSI Drive................................. 17
Install a PlexWriter Internal SCSI Drive............................................................ 18
Record the Serial Number and TLA Code..................................................... 18
Mount the PlexWriter Internal SCSI Drive....................................................18
Install a PlexWriter External SCSI Drive........................................................... 24
Connect a Single External SCSI Drive ..........................................................25
Connect Multiple External SCSI Drives........................................................26
Starting an External PlexWriter .....................................................................27
Using Sound Boards and Audio Cables............................................................. 27
What Else Do I Need?........................................................................................28
Recording Software........................................................................................ 28
SCSI Adapter Drivers ....................................................................................28
3. Using Your PlexWriter.................................................................................... 29
What Media to Use ............................................................................................ 29
Achieving Maximum Rated Writing Speed...................................................29
Writing at Lower Speeds................................................................................29
Tray Loading and Operation.............................................................................. 30
Handling CD Media....................................................................................... 30
Cleaning Discs ...............................................................................................31
Using the Writing Speed Indicators ................................................................... 31

Table of Contents
vi PlexWriter 40/12/40S Installation and Users Manual
Advantages of BURN-Proof Technology ..........................................................32
Advantages of VariRec Technology ..................................................................32
How the Default VariRec Setting Is Determined...........................................32
Changing the VariRec Setting........................................................................33
When You Write with VariRec......................................................................33
4. Maintenance and Troubleshooting.................................................................35
Upgrading Firmware..........................................................................................35
Troubleshooting .................................................................................................35
Using the Self-Test Diagnostics.........................................................................36
Performing the Self-Test on an Internal Drive...............................................36
Performing the Self-Test on an External Drive..............................................38
After the Self-Test..........................................................................................40
Appendix A: PlexWriter Specifications..............................................................41
Appendix B: Technical Support..........................................................................47
How to Contact Plextor Technical Support........................................................47
Before You E-mail/Log On/FAX/Call...............................................................48
Returns ...............................................................................................................48
Contacting Plextor’s RMA Department.........................................................49
Packing Your Drive........................................................................................49
Shipping Your Drive to Plextor......................................................................49
Appendix C: Warranty........................................................................................51
If You’re Outside the U.S. or Canada ................................................................52
Index......................................................................................................................53

PlexWriter 40/12/40S Installation and Users Manual 1
1. Getting Started
Congratulations! Thank you for purchasing the Plextor®PlexWriter™40/12/40S, a
reliable, high-performance CD rewriter, recorder and reader that connects to your
computer with a SCSI cable. We appreciate the confidence you have shown in us.
Our goal is to put you—and keep you—on the leading edge of CD technology.
About this Manual
This manual explains how to connect and use your internal or external PlexWriter
40/12/40S drive. The installation process is simple. And if you have problems,
Plextor’s technical support staff is here to help.
Please read this manual carefully and keep it handy for easy reference. Use the
manual for installation, operation and troubleshooting. See your dealer or call
Plextor’s Technical Support Department if your drive needs service. And if you run
into a problem that doesn't seem to be covered, please contact us. (See “Appendix B:
Technical Support”for the different ways you can contact 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 repair to them.
But we will never know unless you contact us.
Meet Your PlexWriter 40/12/40S
The PlexWriter 40/12/40S is a CD-ReWritable drive that provides professional
quality CD performance for writing, rewriting and reading. It is available as an
internal drive or an external drive, with an internal or an external SCSI interface,
respectively.
What the PlexWriter 40/12/40S Does
The PlexWriter 40/12/40S:
• Writes data and CD-DA (digital audio) to CD-R (recordable CD) media at up to
40X speed.
• Writes to high speed CD-RW (rewritable CD) media at up to 12X speed.
(Naturally, the drive can also write to conventional CD-RW media at 4X speeds.)
• Reads all CD-ROM and CD-R media at a maximum of 40X speed with an
average access time of less than 120 milliseconds. (Maximum read speed of
CD-RW media is 32X.)

Section 1. Getting Started
2PlexWriter 40/12/40S Installation and Users Manual
Features of the PlexWriter 40/12/40S
• Ultra SCSI-3 interface: Small Computer Systems Interface (SCSI) lets you
connect up to seven devices on the same line.
• Orange Book compatibility: Compatible with Orange Book, Parts II and III.
• MMC compliance: Supports the MMC-3 command set.
• Variety of recording modes: Supports track-at-once, disc-at-once, session-at-
once, and multi-session, as well as variable and fixed packet writing.
• UDF support: UDF file system implemented through packet writing.
• Plug and Play: Supports Windows Plug and Play.
• Flash memory: Allows upgrading the PlexWriter to the latest firmware revision
(available from the Plextor web site) without opening the computer or physically
accessing the drive.
• OPC and ROPC: Optimum Power Control and Running Optimum Power
Control, which adjust the laser power for the optimum write strategy.
• PoweRec: Plextor Optimized Writing Error Reduction Control (PoweRec)
extends OPC and ROPC to adjust laser power and writing speed so they’re at the
optimum settings for that particular disc.
• VariRec: Lets you record at low speeds (1X and 4X) for highest quality, while
providing 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.
• BURN-Proof: With 4-megabyte buffer, eliminates buffer underrun errors, so you
can safely use your computer for other tasks while you’re writing to a CD-R or
CD-RW disc.
• Mt. Rainier (MRW) functionality: Ready for Mt. Rainier.
• Self-diagnostics: The drive can actually determine if it is working properly, an
invaluable feature for troubleshooting.
Minimum Configuration to Use the PlexWriter 40/12/40S
• Computer: Pentium II 300-MHz CPU or faster.
• Minimum RAM: 64 MB.
• Interface: Ultra SCSI-3, 50-pin.
• Hard disk size: To write to a CD in image mode (that is, to write an image of a
CD to your hard disk), you need 1 GB of free space.

Section 1. Getting Started
PlexWriter 40/12/40S Installation and Users Manual 3
What You Can Do with the PlexWriter 40/12/40S
Just look at some of the things you can do with your PlexWriter 40/12/40S:
• Record data or audio onto writable or rewritable CD media.
• Play music CDs.
• Save photos and other images on rewritable or writable CDs.
• Share information with colleagues—just use software such as Roxio’s DirectCD
to drag and drop files onto CD-R or CD-RW media, then continue adding files
and sharing the same CD disc.
• Archive images and video to CD.
• Master new software programs on CD.
What's in the 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.
NOTE: This applies to the Plextor retail box. Your box’s contents may be different.
In the box you’ll find:
• PlexWriter 40/12/40S CD-RW drive
• SCSI cable
• Emergency eject tool
• 4 mounting screws (internal drive only)
• Quick install guide
• Extra jumpers for setting drive options (internal drive only)
• 1 piece of approved CD-R media
• Plextor CD with authoring software bundle
• PlexWriter 40/12/40S Installation and Users Manual
• AC power cord (external drive only)
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.
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 everything is
present. If something is missing, contact the party from whom you purchased the
box.
Save Your Box!
Be sure to save the box after you have
installed your PlexWriter drive. The
box and its packaging material were
designed and drop tested to ensure your
PlexWriter 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 48.)

Section 1. Getting Started
4PlexWriter 40/12/40S Installation and Users Manual
PlexWriter Drive Features and Controls
Use these illustrations to become familiar with your drive’s controls and features.
Front Panel—Internal SCSI Drive
Figure 1: Front Panel of the PlexWriter 40/12/40S Internal Drive
Front Panel—External SCSI Drive
Figure 2: Front Panel of the PlexWriter 40/12/40S External Drive