User manual PLEXTOR PL-MAN2

[. . . ] ---- CHAPTER 8 ---- Hardware Installation By itself, your CD-ROM drive is incapable of communicating with your computer. You must use a hardware link that enables your drive to ``talk'' with the rest of your computer. Plextor's 4PleX drives use a SCSI interface as their link. If you own a PC, there are four ways in which you can make the SCSI connection: 1) Use a separate 8-bit or 16-bit SCSI interface board. [. . . ] 3) Soundboards that have a SCSI CD-ROM drive interface built onto the board (e. g. , Media Vision Spectrum 16, Diamond SonicSound, Prometheus Aria 16SE). Any SCSI CD-ROM drive can be attached to this type of soundboard and should work if the proper device drivers are used. If you own a soundboard that falls into category #1 or #2 and want to use it with your 4PleX drive, you also must buy a separate SCSI interface board (e. g. , Future Domain TMC-1610, Adaptec AHA-1515). You should follow the directions starting on page 21 regarding the installation of a SCSI interface board. Then, check the diagrams given on the following page to see how you should connect your audio cable. If you own a soundboard from category #3, you probably do not have to buy a separate SCSI interface board. The only time when you might need a separate SCSI interface board ---- even though you have a category #3 soundboard ---- is if you have multiple SCSI peripherals (e. g. , hard disk, scanner, printer) attached to your computer. In such a case you probably will want to buy a separate 16-bit SCSI interface board. This is because most soundboards with a built-in SCSI interface use only an 8-bit SCSI interface, which probably would not provide adequate performance if multiple SCSI peripherals were attached to it. (This is true even if you buy a ``16-bit'' soundboard. 32 PX-43CH/PX-45CH OPERATION MANUAL CHAPTER 8 ---- Hardware Installation The ``16-bit'' refers to the audio channel, not the SCSI data channel. The soundboard probably has only an 8-bit SCSI interface on it. ) No matter which category your soundboard falls into, you will find that the best source of information about installing the soundboard in your computer is your soundboard's manual. Once you have successfully installed your soundboard in your computer, you can continue to the next section, which describes the different cable connections that need to be made. Audio Cables Yes, they drive us crazy, too. There is nothing more frustrating for our tech support staff than to encounter customers who have done a beautiful job installing their CD-ROM drive and soundboard, but can't make the two ``talk'' to one another for want of a measly audio cable. Why haven't we included an audio cable with the 4PleX drive?BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW WHAT KIND OF SOUNDBOARD YOU PLAN TO USE!(Unless, of course, you purchased a soundboard kit from Plextor. Then we know what kind of soundboard you will use and supply the appropriate cable. ) There are dozens of soundboards on the market, and it seems that each of them uses a different audio connector. Although there has been some discussion of all the soundboard companies agreeing to use a common connector, thus far that happy day has not arrived. Until it does, you will have to purchase an audio cable separately. We can help by recommending several vendors (see listing, p. 65) who offer audio cables, and can get them to you quickly at a reasonable price. Call our Technical Support Department directly at 800- 886-3935. [. . . ] (If your board already was installed and running, your SCSI interface board should already be selected, and there is no need for you to change this entry. ) In the ``CD-ROM Drive'' field, select ``Texel 3024/5024" or ''Texel 3028/5028. " Then, select ``Install'' and insert the OS/2 floppy disks when requested. After rebooting, your CD-ROM drive should appear in the ``Drives'' folder. OS/2 2. x Troubleshooting Tip: If you have difficulty getting OS/2 to recognize your CD-ROM drive and SCSI interface board, you first should verify that all of your hardware is operating properly. If your system also does not work under DOS, you probably have a hardware problem that needs to be resolved before you can go any further. Refer to the Troubleshooting guide in Chapter 13. [. . . ]