Plextor PLEXTOOLS PROfessional, Reference Manual

Page 1: ...SOFTWARE FOR DVD AND CD R CD RW DRIVES APRIL 2003 PlexTools Professional Reference Guide...

Page 2: ...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 tr...

Page 3: ...ng 14 Changing Silent Mode Settings 15 Changing SecuRec Settings 16 Procedure for Making a SecuRec Disc 16 Getting Drive Information 17 Drive Information General 17 Drive Information CD Read 18 Drive...

Page 4: ...Errors 56 Measuring Q Check Focus Error and Tracking Error 57 FE TE Test Preferences 58 Procedure for Measuring TE FE 58 Measuring Beta Jitter 59 Beta Jitter Preferences 60 Customizing General Prefere...

Page 5: ...when Plextor SCSI devices are installed or operational IDE interface when a Plextor ATAPI device is used Installed ASPI layer with updated 32 bit device drivers for Windows when Plextor devices are in...

Page 6: ...Section 1 System Requirements 2 PlexTools Professional Reference Guide This page intentionally left blank...

Page 7: ...e of your system is enabled the installation procedure should launch automatically Please follow the instructions shown on the startup menu In other cases start the installation by executing the setup...

Page 8: ...Section 2 Installing PlexTools Professional 4 PlexTools Professional Reference Guide This page intentionally left blank...

Page 9: ...n To change startup settings see page 52 PlexTools Professional will start and will scan all your SCSI and ATAPI devices to retrieve information about connected devices After a short time the retrieve...

Page 10: ...ate hard disk drives empty CD ROM drives and any CD ROM drives with discs inserted The currently selected device is highlighted Right clicking right mouse button on a device allows options such as Ref...

Page 11: ...tem information Plextor s Technical Support staff can use this information to help you solve certain problems Email Information Sends your system information to Plextor Technical Support Preferences G...

Page 12: ...bar Figure 5 PlexTools Professional Help Windows PlexTools Professional Help or F1 Starts the windows help system for PlexTools Professional PlexTools Professional Manual Opens this manual System Inf...

Page 13: ...eneral information Vendor Manufacturer of the drive Product Name of drive Firmware Version Current version of firmware loaded into the drive Serial Number Shows the drive s serial number Buffer Capaci...

Page 14: ...d more information about an adapter select it and choose the General Information option Figure 7 General Information Window for an Adapter Host Adapter Type Shows the type of the selected adapter ASPI...

Page 15: ...n the General tab Selecting Basic Drive Settings Figure 8 Basic Drive Settings CD Read Speed Setting Changes the reading speed to the selected value DVD Read Speed Setting Changes the reading speed to...

Page 16: ...cted by the user CAUTION If the disc is written faster than is recommended by PoweRec you may experience write errors or the resulting CD may have playback difficulties in some CD drives Enable DMA En...

Page 17: ...riRec Slider Increases or decreases laser power by up to 4 degrees in either the positive or negative direction from the default Recording Speed Selects recording speed Recording Strategy Selects a re...

Page 18: ...MB disc is increased to 843 MB or 95 minutes and 59 seconds Procedure for GigaRec Recording 1 Insert a blank Type 74 650 MB 74 min or Type 80 700 MB 80 min CD R disc in the PlexWriter Premium drive Yo...

Page 19: ...ter operation but slower disc reading Access Time Slows disc access by the drive making this process quieter Choose Fast for a high access time 65 milliseconds Middle for a medium access time 130 mill...

Page 20: ...at http www plextor com english support downloads reader html Figure 13 SecuRec Drive Settings Window Password Enter the desired password Activate Protection Enables SecuRec for password protected re...

Page 21: ...et Shows the audio write offset which is the location on the track where the audio data starts after the TOC Interface Shows the interface type of the selected Plextor drive Access Time Shows the aver...

Page 22: ...ons 18 PlexTools Professional Reference Guide Drive Information CD Read Figure 15 CD Read Drive Information Window This window shows all possible read speeds for each type of CD It also shows addition...

Page 23: ...s PlexTools Professional Reference Guide 19 Drive Information CD Write Figure 16 CD Write Drive Information Window This window shows all possible write speeds for each type of CD It also shows additio...

Page 24: ...ools Professional Reference Guide DVD Read This window is available only for Plextor DVD readers Figure 17 DVD Read Drive Information Window Shows all possible read speeds for each type of DVD Note Sh...

Page 25: ...Professional Reference Guide 21 DVD Write This window is available only for Plextor DVD writers Figure 18 DVD Write Drive Information Window Shows all possible write speeds for each type of DVD Note S...

Page 26: ...ons Indicates the number of tracks sessions CD R W Manufacturer Indicates the name of the CD R W manufacturer UPC EAN Code LBA MSF Changes between indication in logical blocks LBA or minutes seconds f...

Page 27: ...ses Type Label Indicates the DVD type and label Capacity Shows the capacity of the disc in sectors and MB megabytes Copyright Protection Shows the copyright protection being used on the DVD Track Path...

Page 28: ...select the file you want to play with Multimedia Player You can play pause playing stop rewind and fast forward the file The total time and elapsed time will be displayed Volume and balance can also b...

Page 29: ...Media Player from Microsoft Some of the possibilities are All supported formats Can play the most common audio and video files available Video for Windows Plays AVI Video files MIDI sequencer Plays M...

Page 30: ...from the selected directory to the playlist List Adds a playlist m3u or pls to the current playlist List Load Loads a playlist only m3u and pls List Save Saves the current playlist to m3u or pls List...

Page 31: ...dio CD Player Window Get CD TEXT from CD Uses the CD TEXT information if available and your drive supports this feature on the CD to display the Disc Title Track Title and Artist name Get CD TEXT from...

Page 32: ...it the file track name in the Track window by clicking on the track name you want to change and entering the new name Output Path Selects the directory to which the files will be saved Can be changed...

Page 33: ...cks Edit Track Allows the name of the track to be altered Select Start Stop position Lets you enter the position where the extraction of the selected track should start and stop Filename options Allow...

Page 34: ...d here Figure 27 Digital Audio Extraction Progress Window Print Prints extraction data together with information about operating system and controllers Save Saves extraction data to a file together wi...

Page 35: ...window select Preferences Figure 28 Digital Audio Extraction Preferences Filename Options Spaces Indicates the options for the automatically assigned filenames Include Include spaces in the filename R...

Page 36: ...rea will be read again for a number of times retries at the selected speed in order to find an error free reading Allow Speed Down Optional choice to achieve better results at lower speed 4 Recover th...

Page 37: ...he lame_enc dll to your Windows or PlexTools Professional directory Extra Options Brings up extra options for this type of digital audio extraction Figure 29 L A M E Extraction Window For more informa...

Page 38: ...www vorbis com Pause Check Pause When enabled PlexTools Professional will locate the pause between tracks Include Pause Includes pause in the audio extraction log file and wav file The tracks on an a...

Page 39: ...o add tracks then select one or more wav mp3 ogg and ape files These files will be added after the selected track You can also drag and drop files to the AudioCD Maker window The order of the tracks c...

Page 40: ...r add CD TEXT information for this disc Artist Change or add CD TEXT information for this disc UPC EAN Alter the UPC EAN code Set Artist for all tracks The current Artist name is set for each track Tr...

Page 41: ...status of overburn VariRec Indicates status of VariRec Silent Mode Indicates status of Silent Mode SecuRec Indicates status of SecuRec for this disc Write options Simulate Simulates burning process bu...

Page 42: ...Reference Guide Creating the CD Create CD Writes to the CD using the selected options Audio CD Maker Progress During writing you will see a progress indicator If any errors occur they will be displaye...

Page 43: ...olders into the window then starting the write process Figure 36 CD ROM Maker Window Project Creates a new project or opens an existing one Options Displays the options window to select options Prefer...

Page 44: ...ifies a system that can recognize and act on logical sectors 0 through 15 While ISO 9660 specifies that this is what the System Identifier is used for it does not specify what is in sectors 0 through...

Page 45: ...9660 will also be used for Joliet Dates Figure 38 CD ROM Maker Dates Window Volume Creation Specifies the date and time at which the volume was created Volume Modification Specifies the date and time...

Page 46: ...cifies that the filename cannot contain more than 31 characters Write Joliet File System on CD When enabled the Joliet File System will be written on the CD View Mode Specifies which character set is...

Page 47: ...rst be created from the source disc You select the source drive then select an image file usually on the hard disk as the destination You can specify name and location by using the folder icon After t...

Page 48: ...stem resources and performance If on the fly copying results in errors it may be safer to disable this type of copying When on the fly copying is disabled the source disc will be read into a temporary...

Page 49: ...tle Specifies CD TEXT title to use for disc Artist Specifies artist for the disc Set artist for all tracks Uses the specified disc artist as CD TEXT entry for all disc tracks Tracks Track Shows number...

Page 50: ...lect Preferences to display the CD Copy Preferences window 6 If desired specify the recording options Select Options then choose the Recording Options tab 7 In the CD Copy window click the Start butto...

Page 51: ...copy of the source disc Audio Read Error Recovery 1 Report Errors only no recovery action Causes errors to be reported without any recovery action This strategy can be used when the source disc is err...

Page 52: ...or log Creates error log during burning process The resulting log page can be completed and sent to Plextor Technical Support for assistance in solving problems Please do not forget to fill in your pe...

Page 53: ...source disc to be ejected after the completed copy task Eject destination disc after completion Causes the recorded disc to be ejected after the completed copy task Play a sound when finished When th...

Page 54: ...remains on the disc but becomes inaccessible Quick erase takes about 2 minutes at 2X writing speed Full Erase Erases everything on the disc This can take up to 40 minutes at 2X writing speed NOTE Newe...

Page 55: ...e Guide 51 Performing a CD Test This function will scan the complete disc and detect read errors It is for use on pressed or recorded media that contains content Figure 46 CD Test Window Print Prints...

Page 56: ...ransfer rate of data read from a disc This test is for use on pressed or recorded media that contains content Figure 47 Read Transfer Rate Test Window Speed pulldown menu Displays and allows selection...

Page 57: ...f data written to a disc This test is conducted on blank media to determine the capabilities of the drive media combination Figure 48 Write Transfer Rate Test Window Speed pulldown menu Displays and a...

Page 58: ...CD Length Indication Specifies the total length of the visible CD graph Write Test Options Simulate Enables simulation non destructive testing instead of actually writing to the disc Test every Speci...

Page 59: ...d or recorded media that contains content Figure 50 Q Check C1 C2 Test Window Show C1 Shows C1 errors in the graph Show C2 Shows C2 errors in the graph Show CU Shows CU errors in the graph MSF Indicat...

Page 60: ...C2 Test 3 Click the Preferences button to view or change the preferences 4 Exit the Preferences window and return to the Q Check C1 C2 Test window 5 To begin measurement in the C1 C2 Test window clic...

Page 61: ...e amplitude of the laser focus error and tracking error and displays the results This test is conducted on blank media to determine the capabilities of the drive media combination Figure 52 Q Check FE...

Page 62: ...Measuring TE FE 1 Place a blank CD R or CD RW disc in the PlexWriter NOTE The test requires a blank disc If you use a CD R disc discard the disc after the test 2 In PlexTools Professional select the...

Page 63: ...ly the focus is maintained on the recording dye layer NOTE The TE FE measurements are accurate only for a blank CD R or CD RW disc If you attempt to measure a recorded commercially pressed CD the meas...

Page 64: ...e Guide Beta Jitter Preferences Figure 55 Q Check Beta Jitter Test Preferences Window Graph Options Sample Length Specifies the length of one sample Time Length Indication Specifies the time length in...

Page 65: ...ced in your Windows System Tray Startup minimized maximized Specifies the window size at start up Minimized Specifies that only the icon in the System Tray is visible at startup When you double click...

Page 66: ...n is activated Autoplay audio CD s Specifies that when you insert a disc into a drive the system will automatically start playing audio CDs with the CD player utility provided by the Windows operating...

Page 67: ...cifies that PlexTools Professional will look first in the local database for CD information then will look in the freedb database AutoSave to user database Specifies that the retrieved freedb informat...

Page 68: ...t via e mail Save to user database Saves your freedb submission to your own user database as well Hide freedb status window Hides the freedb status window Default is to show the window User email addr...

Page 69: ...ls Professional will use a proxy server to connect to the freedb database server User User name for proxy logon Password Password for proxy logon Server Proxy server Port Port number freedb Database S...

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Page 71: ...der Run Error Proof This technology avoids buffer underrun errors by suspending the write process at a known location when the buffer empties and then restarting the write process when the writing dri...

Page 72: ...quals an increase of 150 KB s in data transfer speed PlexTools Professional allows you to change the speed settings which may help you to overcome problems for example the reading of scratched or unba...

Page 73: ...ve keeps spinning When a CD ROM is accessed the drive will read a file or directory and after a while stop spinning in a power down mode This saves energy and lowers spindle motor wear When you set sp...

Page 74: ...Appendix A Glossary 70 PlexTools Professional Reference Guide This page intentionally left blank...

Page 75: ...t try to re install the older full version and after that install the upgrade Errors on Startup No ASPI layer was installed or it is not working This error may occur on two occasions 1 If ASPI softwar...

Page 76: ...TO RECOVER TABLE OF CONTENTS 025300 NOT READY MEDIA LOAD EJECT FAILED 030014 MEDIUM ERROR AUDIO PLAY OPERATION STOPPED DUE TO ERROR 030200 MEDIUM ERROR NO SEEK COMPLETE 030280 MEDIUM ERROR SERVO SEEK...

Page 77: ...UDIO PLAY OPERATION ABORTED Write Function Error Codes 017301 RECOVERED ERROR PCA ALMOST FULL 023004 NOT READY CANNOT WRITE MEDIUM UNKNOWN FORMAT 023005 NOT READY CANNOT WRITE MEDIUM INCOMPATIBLE FORM...

Page 78: ...057204 ILLEGAL REQUEST EMPTY OR PARTIALLY WRITTEN RESERVE TRACK 057203 ILLEGAL REQUEST INCOMPLETE TRACK IN SESSION 098000 VENDOR UNIQUE ILLEGAL MEDIA 098001 VENDOR UNIQUE ILLEGAL WRITE PAGE PARAMETER...

Page 79: ...e checkbox in the Preferences selection of the Options menu may make PlexTools Professional more stable Windows NT Windows 2000 Windows XP without ASPI layer for SCSI devices The use of ASPI software...

Page 80: ...manual of your computer or motherboard and for the drive installation please refer to the drive operation manual Audio CD CD TEXT is recognized but no CD TEXT information is shown If you have unchecke...

Page 81: ...th America Plextor Technical Support can be contacted by telephone on weekdays except U S holidays between 7 30AM and 6 30PM Mountain Time Ways to contact Plextor Technical Support include Visit our w...

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Page 83: ...PlexTools Professional Reference Guide 79 Notes...

Page 84: ...PLEXTOR CORP 48383 Fremont Blvd Suite 120 Fremont CA 94538 6509 Phone Fax 510 440 2000 800 886 3935 510 651 9755 E mail info plextor com http www plextor com...