>
> At 11:45 PM 10/16/96 +0000, you wrote:
> >Hello members of the piclist,
> >
> >I am wondering if it is possible to use one of those ATAPI CD-ROM
> >drives (usually used in PCs) as a stand-alone audio-CD-player,
> >controlled by a PIC. I know that some CD-ROM drives play audio
> >totally stand-alone by pressing a button on the front panel but that
> >is far away from the flexibility and possibilities I have in mind.
>
> I don't see why not.  There are quite a few problems tho.
>
> 1) you have to get the IDE spec (the 40 pin cable) so that you can
> communicate with the CD-ROM drive (there was some talk about IDE drives on
> this list a while ago).

pinout
http://www.datatechnology.com/dtc/support/pins.htm

Wads and wads of specs for ATA
http://www-iist.scu.edu/IIST/documents/ata2_spec



>
> 2) you would have to figure out how mscdex.exe works (ie. you need the low
> level routines to communicate with the drive to initiate the audio controls).

Easier route might be the linux source code, for the IDE driver.

>
> 3) You have to fit all this code into a PIC some how. (the 16c84 cause it
> has eeprom to store playlists, etc...)
>
> It sounds like a great leaning project (semi-portable CD - player) since
> there is no shortage of 1X drives cost shouldn't be too much of a problem.
>

Hmm, wonder if with a little buffering you could add a front panel to you'r
CDROM?


> MD
>
>
> --
> Martin Darwin   a.k.a Rambo (see you at quake.mgl.ca)
> s721099@uottawa.ca             3rd year Computer Engineering
> http://aix2.uottawa.ca/~s721099         University of Ottawa
>


--
Ian Stirling.                        |  http://www.mauve.demon.co.uk/
AKA Caeser, Bolonewbie.              |  With information on the PDA I'm making.