Guide ZapWizard - Slot DVD Modding again -Much more detailed

Hey folks I got one more component mod done.
Fedex delivered my Pioneer Slot DVD (120S model) early, so lets have some fun.

This is a much more detailed version of my DVD modification done for me MediaPC.

This will be moved to the guides area later. (So please don't move it just yet)

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This modification gives you the following functions:

• External Eject Button
• External Activity LED
• No Disk Present LED (Lit when DVD drive is empty)
• Disk Present LED (Lit when DVD drive has a disk inside)

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First of: my virgin Pioneer Slot DVD.
The faceplate will of course be removed for vinyl dying.

Some features:

• Slot Load
• 16X DVD Speed
• Slot loads both Normal and 3inch CDs
• A firmware upgrade allows for quieter operation

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Now: lets get onto the modding.
Remove the bottom metal cover.
There are two thermal pads on the chips (Grey color) remove these and set them aside.
You will see two Printed Circuit Boards.
The smaller board contains all the parts we are interested in.
BUT the easiest way to do this modification is on the larger PCB

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If you follow the white ribbon cable connecting the small PCB to the larger one, you will find the test points above.
We will use these to solder directly to.

I have highlighted the needed connections, and added extra pointers to help you with this modification.

I recommend highlighting the solder points you will be using with a red sharpie marker to help with locating the points later when you will solder to them.

The labels at the right give you the details to the solder points.

• [DGND] = Digital Ground (Or normal case ground)
• [EJECT-] = Eject (Active low, connect to ground to eject)
• [TRAYOUT -] = No Disk present inside the drive (Active Low)
• [TRAYIN-] = Disk is present inside the drive (Active Low)
• [LED-] = Activity LED (Negative side of LED, Active Low)
• [5VA2] = +5 Volts

Notes:

• Active Low means the point will be grounded when active.
• The [TrayOut-] and [TrayIn-] are connected directly to ground via a switch, they can handle ~100mA of power.
• The Activity LED or [LED-], is also grounded when active, but directly though the controller.
• I would not push more then 40mA though this connection.
• Make sure your source voltage for your LEDs is not more then +5volts, or you will risk damaging the controller on the PCB.

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In order to make this mod easy you should remove this PCB from the drive.

Locate the brown holders that hold the ribbon cables in place.
Carefully pull these slightly out, then tilt them up.
The golden ribbon cable doesn't have a holder though; it just pulls out.
Be careful not to crimp any of these cables, as they break VERY easily.
I recommend using tweezers, or needle nose pliers for this step.

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With the board removed you can flip it over, and see a nice empty area at the left side of the headers.

We will be adding our own custom header to this area.

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First some tools and supplies.

• Hot Glue Gun
• Super Glue
• Exacto Knife
• Snappable Header (6x2 pin grid needed)
• Wire
• Solder
• Wire cutters and wire strippers.
• Three 100 Ohm resistors (Or what ever value your LEDs are rated at)

Remove the last two pins on each end of the header.
This give you more surface area to keep the header attached to the PCB.
You should have a 4x2 grid of pins after this.

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Super-glue the header in place, and make sure it will not fall off while soldering.
We are now ready to start soldering onto the header.

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First off, having knowledge of the circuit you are working on can save you a lot of time, and trouble.
For example I used a continuity meter to find another spot to get +5 volts from.
The trace highlighted above gets +5volts directly from the Molex power connector on the drive.

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Using an exacto knife CAREFULLY scrape the green coating from off the copper trace.
Very little pressure is needed, take your time.
Make sure not to scrape any other traces, as solder will stick to any exposed copper.

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Now in order to make this modification very easy to use, I choose to directly hot-glue current limiting resistors inside the DVD Drive. (100 Ohm)
This allows connection of most super-bright LEDs directly to the drive headers.

Glue them as close to the header as possible, to reduce the risk of hitting mechanical parts inside the DVD drive.

Also note the large ground area below the header.
I scrapped a little circle off in order to provide the grounding needed for the eject button to work.

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Each wire is then soldered one by one; from the header to the test point on the back of the PCB.
A continuity meter is then used to make sure there are no shorts between any of the wires, or pins.

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Now the problem with a header like this, is that the pins will push right out of the plastic when pressure is applied.

So to fix this you inject a generous amount of hot glue over the pins, and around the header.
This both locks the pins in place, and prevents any bending of the wires, and holds the header in place.

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Now the PCB is ready to be re-installed into the DVD drive.

BUT there is a plastic wall in the way of the header.

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Simply cut this out, and you will have space for the new header.
(I have tested this, and no mechanical parts inside will hit the header or wires either)
Push the PCB back into place, and carefully re-connect the flat ribbon cables.

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Once installed the DVD can be powered and the header tested.
Do not leave the DVD on for very long without the bottom cover, as it is a heatsink for two of the chips on the board.

Replace the gray thremal pads onto the chips, and re-assemble the DVD drive.

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I then labeled the back of my DVD drive so wiring up LEDs later will be easy.

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Simply plug in headers into the DVD, at the other end connect your LEDs and eject switch to get extra functionality with your Pioneer DVD drive.

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Notes:

• The TRAYOUT, and TRAYIN signals are perfect for dual-color LEDs, and can provide an instant indicator as to whether a disk is inside your drive or not.
• If the activity LED you connect is dimmer then normal, then you need to remove the drives normal green Activity LED on the smaller PCB.
• When removing the smaller PCB, that there is a belt connected one of the motors.
  To re-install this, remove the top plate, push the drive tray back, and you should have easy access to the motor and gear to put the belt back on.

Have fun, and I am not responsible if you fry your DVD Drive while attempting this modification

 

Now that is definitely a bitchin' mod. I might have to consider something similar for my combo drive (2 bi-colors: cd/no cd + read/write).

BTW, how did you get those max current figures for the status pins? Were there SMT transistors that you simply looked at the datasheet for or were they driven directly by the controller IC?

 

Sweet work Zap! I hope my 303S (SCSI) is the same.

 

The figures are an educated guess.
The switch is connected directly to ground, so any current flow on the TRAYOUT and TRAYIN pins will go straight to ground.
Don't use a higher voltage then 5volts as a source though, as those signal pins are also connected to the controller.
(This info has now been added to the guide above)

 

Re: ZapWizard -DVD Modding again -Much more detailed

Whoah... brainstorming... very nice! Lots of fun things to do with that signal ^_^.

 

Great guide, Zap. Very detailed and easy to understand. Perfect for n00bs like me.

 

Shouldn't these be at the top?

Great guide. It almost seems like that hole in the PCB was made for this.

...I'm at school! SHHH!

 

you oughta get one of those LED's that turn red at one voltage and green at another for your empty/filled DVD LED. be much easier in the dark, instead of memorizing which LED is which. another color for the drive activity LED, maybe a really bright white one...

 

The problem with BI or TRI state LED’s is that they may not fit into the overall colour scheme of the mod. In this instance several of the same colour LED’s would be better. That said remembering all the combinations, if many, could prove troublesome.

Great mod..

 

you could alwies use sevral leds grooped areound a acrilic light pipe, just like they use for the two color on and standby leds they have in monitors,sience only one will moast likely be on at a time things would be perfect for a setup, i have a pionelot siting here grosely unmodded as i cant make up my mind when it comes to the mod i have in mind. maby i will have to dive this a try, yet again another idea that we all get to rip off the trend seter, zapwizard

 

thanx zap u saved my day. thats on the point what i needet. now i only have to wait until my drive is here and on the mod.



_________Projekt FuturePrimitive is about to beginn___________

 

aaah the red x's save me from the red x's!!

 

Fixed, I moved stuff on my site a while back.
Direct link for the guide is: http://www.zapwizard.com/Guides/DVD/Eject/

 

Nice Mod! I should try doing that to my CD Burner/Drive.

 

Excelent step by step mod. But way out my modding league. Where do you learn to do all these electrical mods?

 

Yeahhh! Another big big big thread resurrection!!!!