[HELP] Sony PCGA-CD51 PCMCIA CD ROM Drive

Hache · 20 November 2023, 20:35

Hi, I need help.
I've purchased a Sony PCGA-CD51 PCMCIA CD-ROM drive and I have some problems:

1. Drive recognizes the CDs (both audio and data) but when I try to play a CD Music, I can't hear the audio through the Amiga. (However, I can hear it through the headphones output of the CD drive, but it sounds very low in volume)
2. Upon installing the CD drive drivers (and once it is working), I can no longer use the CF to PCMCIA adapter. Turning on the machine with the adapter, it load for some senonds and the freezes on black screen before the OS appears.
If I delete the installed drivers for the CD, everything returns to normal and the PCMCIA works correctly again.

Here is a picture of the Cd Drive:
https://amitopia.com/wp-content/uplo...pportamiga.jpg

These are the drivers I'm using:
https://aminet.net/package/driver/media/PcmciaCD

https://aminet.net/package/disk/cdrom/amicdfs240

My Setup:
Amiga 1200
Roms 3.1
Classic Wb 3.1
ACA 1232: 030/128mb

Help please?

Thank you!

Nor Bert · 20 November 2023, 22:02

AUDIO from the CD is not mixed with the Amiga sound.
You are only left to listen via headphones or via a connected external amplifier and speakers.
It is best to switch on the CD0 mountlist after starting Workbench, then when you need to read from the CD

thomas · 20 November 2023, 22:04

I'd say both is normal and expected behaviour. Amiga CD player programs always only send an "play audio" command to the CD drive and the drive then plays back the CD through its analogue connector. In order to read digital audio from the CD and play it through Paula you need special software and a rather powerful CPU. I remember a program called SongPlayer which could do that. And my own DAPlayer can do it, too.

For the second issue I would suggest to move the drivers out of Devs/DosDrivers (for example to Storage/DosDrivers) and only activate one at a time when needed.

Kin Hell · 21 November 2023, 14:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hache

Hi, I need help.
I've purchased a Sony PCGA-CD51 PCMCIA CD-ROM drive and I have some problems:

1. Drive recognizes the CDs (both audio and data) but when I try to play a CD Music, I can't hear the audio through the Amiga. (However, I can hear it through the headphones output of the CD drive, but it sounds very low in volume)
2. Upon installing the CD drive drivers (and once it is working), I can no longer use the CF to PCMCIA adapter. Turning on the machine with the adapter, it load for some senonds and the freezes on black screen before the OS appears.
If I delete the installed drivers for the CD, everything returns to normal and the PCMCIA works correctly again.

Here is a picture of the Cd Drive:
https://amitopia.com/wp-content/uplo...pportamiga.jpg

These are the drivers I'm using:
https://aminet.net/package/driver/media/PcmciaCD

https://aminet.net/package/disk/cdrom/amicdfs240

My Setup:
Amiga 1200
Roms 3.1
Classic Wb 3.1
ACA 1232: 030/128mb

Help please?

Thank you!

Quote:

Originally Posted by thomas

<snip>

For the second issue I would suggest to move the drivers out of Devs/DosDrivers (for example to Storage/DosDrivers) and only activate one at a time when needed.

Isn't this a Drive id issue? - IE, Master Slave; - AKA - Different file system used for CD over HD via the PCMCIA port??

Nor Bert · 21 November 2023, 15:13

It doesn't matter. (master, slave)
This is a different .device

Kin Hell · 21 November 2023, 16:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nor Bert

It doesn't matter. (master, slave)
This is a different .device

Exactly! - So why is it screwing up with the Drivers installed?

derSammler · 21 November 2023, 16:26

Quote:

2. Upon installing the CD drive drivers (and once it is working), I can no longer use the CF to PCMCIA adapter. Turning on the machine with the adapter, it load for some senonds and the freezes on black screen before the OS appears.
If I delete the installed drivers for the CD, everything returns to normal and the PCMCIA works correctly again.

It should be obvious that you can not have two pieces of software using the PCMCIA port at the same time. Once the CD drive stuff is installed, it may block the PCMCIA port. Check startup-sequence, user-startup and WBStartup to see what it installs there. Also, move the CD0 mountlist out of Devs/DOSDrivers and into Storage/DOSDrivers so that it is not automatically mounted at boot.

Also, make sure you do the PCMCIA reset fix, which is pretty much required when wanting to swap PCMCIA cards.

Kin Hell · 21 November 2023, 17:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by derSammler

It should be obvious that you can not have two pieces of software using the PCMCIA port at the same time. Once the CD drive stuff is installed, it may block the PCMCIA port. Check startup-sequence, user-startup and WBStartup to see what it installs there. Also, move the CD0 mountlist out of Devs/DOSDrivers and into Storage/DOSDrivers so that it is not automatically mounted at boot.

Also, make sure you do the PCMCIA reset fix, which is pretty much required when wanting to swap PCMCIA cards.

https://eab.abime.net/showpost.php?p...61&postcount=2

supaduper · 22 November 2023, 04:16

I use IDEfix with my PCMCIA drive and it works well

Nor Bert · 22 November 2023, 11:05

What part of Idefix are you using with pcmcia? Cachecdfs or .device?

supaduper · 22 November 2023, 13:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nor Bert

What part of Idefix are you using with pcmcia? Cachecdfs or .device?

I use the PCMCIA.device on Aminet the same as you use, I just put it into the Devs drawer before I install IDEfix so it will find the Drive when it searches for drives, and the file system is cachecdfs the one that comes with IDEFix

Hache · 01 December 2023, 04:37

Hi again!
First of all, thank you all for your comments and help.
I have another question/issue. The CD Drive works well, it reads CDs, and I can see the CD icon in Workbench once the CD is inserted. Also I can listen to music with a CD Player (To be able to listen to the audio, I have connected the audio output from the CD drive to some speakers).

Now, the problem is this: I have tried a few games and it seems that none of them accept pcmciacd.device to play music from the CD.
Errors like "Bubble Heroes is unable to open the specified device. CD audio Tracks cannot be played" (Bubble Heroes in this case).

It seems that games are not compatible with this .device to play audio CD. Is there anything that can be done to fix this?

I'm using AmiCDFS as CD file system:
https://aminet.net/package/disk/cdrom/amicdfs240

Thanks!

20 November 2023, 20:35	#1
Hache Registered User Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Buenos Aires, Argentina Posts: 256	[HELP] Sony PCGA-CD51 PCMCIA CD ROM Drive Hi, I need help. I've purchased a Sony PCGA-CD51 PCMCIA CD-ROM drive and I have some problems: 1. Drive recognizes the CDs (both audio and data) but when I try to play a CD Music, I can't hear the audio through the Amiga. (However, I can hear it through the headphones output of the CD drive, but it sounds very low in volume) 2. Upon installing the CD drive drivers (and once it is working), I can no longer use the CF to PCMCIA adapter. Turning on the machine with the adapter, it load for some senonds and the freezes on black screen before the OS appears. If I delete the installed drivers for the CD, everything returns to normal and the PCMCIA works correctly again. Here is a picture of the Cd Drive: https://amitopia.com/wp-content/uplo...pportamiga.jpg These are the drivers I'm using: https://aminet.net/package/driver/media/PcmciaCD https://aminet.net/package/disk/cdrom/amicdfs240 My Setup: Amiga 1200 Roms 3.1 Classic Wb 3.1 ACA 1232: 030/128mb Help please? Thank you! Last edited by Hache; 20 November 2023 at 20:40. Reason: Adding my Amiga setup

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20 November 2023, 22:02	#2
Nor Bert Norbert Join Date: Jan 2022 Location: Poland Posts: 126	AUDIO from the CD is not mixed with the Amiga sound. You are only left to listen via headphones or via a connected external amplifier and speakers. It is best to switch on the CD0 mountlist after starting Workbench, then when you need to read from the CD

20 November 2023, 22:04	#3
thomas Registered User Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Germany Posts: 7,001	I'd say both is normal and expected behaviour. Amiga CD player programs always only send an "play audio" command to the CD drive and the drive then plays back the CD through its analogue connector. In order to read digital audio from the CD and play it through Paula you need special software and a rather powerful CPU. I remember a program called SongPlayer which could do that. And my own DAPlayer can do it, too. For the second issue I would suggest to move the drivers out of Devs/DosDrivers (for example to Storage/DosDrivers) and only activate one at a time when needed.

21 November 2023, 15:13	#5
Nor Bert Norbert Join Date: Jan 2022 Location: Poland Posts: 126	It doesn't matter. (master, slave) This is a different .device

22 November 2023, 04:16	#9
supaduper Registered User Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Krypton Posts: 1,214	I use IDEfix with my PCMCIA drive and it works well

22 November 2023, 11:05	#10
Nor Bert Norbert Join Date: Jan 2022 Location: Poland Posts: 126	What part of Idefix are you using with pcmcia? Cachecdfs or .device?

01 December 2023, 04:37	#12
Hache Registered User Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Buenos Aires, Argentina Posts: 256	Hi again! First of all, thank you all for your comments and help. I have another question/issue. The CD Drive works well, it reads CDs, and I can see the CD icon in Workbench once the CD is inserted. Also I can listen to music with a CD Player (To be able to listen to the audio, I have connected the audio output from the CD drive to some speakers). Now, the problem is this: I have tried a few games and it seems that none of them accept pcmciacd.device to play music from the CD. Errors like "Bubble Heroes is unable to open the specified device. CD audio Tracks cannot be played" (Bubble Heroes in this case). It seems that games are not compatible with this .device to play audio CD. Is there anything that can be done to fix this? I'm using AmiCDFS as CD file system: https://aminet.net/package/disk/cdrom/amicdfs240 Thanks!

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