Quick Step Trouble Shooting Guide
This manual was designed to help trouble shoot any problems that may occur with the Yamaha CD Recorder. As new bugs are found, and new trouble shooting techniques are developed, they will be included into later releases of this manual. This manual will help you debug your system by first attempting to determine that your CD Recorder is operational, and then by attempting to debug any possible configuration or Mastering Software issues.
Step 1 -
Determine if the Yamaha Recorder is operating properly, and does not have any Hardware damage or defect.
This step will determine if the Yamaha recorder may have a defective spindle motor; alignment problem, or power issue. By the end of Step 1, you will have determined if the drive is defective due to Hardware.
We must first determine if the Yamaha Recorder is responding properly. The following is a very basic and yet informative test sequence.
For Internal & External units:
A) Disconnect everything from the back of the Yamaha Recorder except for the Power Cable. (If you do not disconnect everything but power, you invalidate the diagnostics process.)
B) Power up the Yamaha Recorder.
C) Be sure the DISC light lights up an AMBER/ORANGE. (If no light comes on, check your power cable connection. If the connection is solid, the drive may have a weak solder joint or blown circuit board. In either case the drive must come in for Repair or Replacement. (This is with no CD in the Recorder)
When power is turned on for the Yamaha recorder, both the DISC and the READ/WRITE lights will briefly light up amber, before going out and and then only the amber DISC light should be on. (This is with no CD in the Recorder)
If, upon powering up your system, you find both the DISC light and the READ/WRITE light both remain a solid AMBER/ORANGE, read the note below…
(Note: both the DISC light and the READ/WRITE light should not be solid AMBER/ORANGE. If they are, you must attempt an upgrade to the FlashRom on the drive. You can get the latest firmware release for the Yamaha Recorder at Yamaha’s web site
If the drive still has the solid AMBER/ORANGE on both the DISC & READ/WRITE lights after your attempt at upgrading the firmware, the drive must go in for Repair or Replacement.)
Once you have power to the Yamaha Recorder, insert two different CD’s into the drive. It can be a Data & Audio; Data & Blank CD; or Audio & Blank CD. Then follow the steps below…
Watch the DISC light on the front of the drive as the disc you inserted spins up to speed. You want to see the DISC light blink GREEN a number of times until it turns a SOLID GREEN, once the disc comes up to speed. Once it turns solid green, wait for 1 minute to be sure the drive does not eject the disc. ( If you suspect heat related problems, let the drive sit overnight with the CD inside. If there is a heat related problem, the CD will be ejected the next day).
If the DISC you inserted spins up to a solid green DISC light, you should now insert the other CD and be sure the drive responds in the same fashion. If it does, the drive is operating properly and will be seen by your SCSI Controller and/or Operating System (If one CD is readable on our drive, but the other is not, you may have a defective media.). If your system still is unable to see the Yamaha Recorder, it is not due to a defective Recorder, but more likely a configuration issue with the SCSI Card and/or the Yamaha Recorder. (Move on to Step 2)
However, if the DISC light blinks GREEN a number of times but then turns a SOLID AMBER/ORANGE, you have a defective Recorder and it must be sent in for Repair/Replacement. (Possible bad spindle motor, or optical head will not focus)
If the DISC light blinks GREEN a number of times; turns a SOLID GREEN; then the READ light comes on for a few seconds; and then the drive ejects the media. You have a defective Recorder and it must be sent in for Repair/Replacement. (Possible bad optical head alignment)
Step 2 –
Determine if you have the proper configuration for your SCSI Card; check for driver conflicts; check termination, ID Selection, Parity, etc.…, and check to be sure our drive is being properly recognized by your system.
Now that you know the drive is working properly, at least hardware wise, you must now check your systems configuration for possible problems. The Yamaha Recorder can not seen as a writer or reader unless the SCSI Controller is loading properly.
SCSI-Model
How to Configure Your SCSI Card:
SCSI ID – Default on the Yamaha Recorder is SCSI ID 3. The Yamaha Recorder will not work with any SCSI card set to SCSI ID 8 or higher.
Termination – Make sure that you have only the last drive physically in the chain is terminated.
Jumper Settings (internal units only) – You must have PARITY enabled at all times (Default is Enabled). The Yamaha Recorder will not be seen by any SCSI Card unless you have Parity enabled (closed).
Once you are sure the drive is physically configured properly on the system. Boot up the system and make sure the SCSI Card sees the drive upon boot up .(If you have a SCSI Card that does not have a Boot-Bios support, such as the Adaptec AVA-1505, the SCSI card will not see our drive upon boot-up).
If the SCSI Card is unable to see the Yamaha Recorder, but the drive passed STEP 1 with no problems, you must have one of the following problems…
Once you are positive the Yamaha Recorder is being seen by the SCSI Controller, we must check that Windows 95/98 or NT is loading the SCSI Card and the Yamaha Recorder properly.
For Windows 95/98:
Once your system has booted up, go to your Control Panel-System-Device Manager. Look under SCSI, and see if your SCSI card is loading properly. If you have a yellow ‘?’, a yellow ’!’, or red ‘X’ next to your SCSI Card, it is not loading properly. Either there is a configuration conflict for the SCSI Card, you have old or corrupted drivers, or your SCSI Card is defective. First go to the Properties-Resources for the SCSI Card, located within the Device Manager. Do you see any configuration conflicts in the window below? If so, you must resolve the conflict you find listed there. If no conflicts are listed, you must have an old or corrupted driver. Go to the SCSI Card’s Manufacturer’s Web site and download the latest drivers for the SCSI Card. If this also fails, contact the SCSI card's Manufacturer for help or replace the SCSI Card.
For Windows NT 4.0:
Once your system has booted up, go to your Control Panel-SCSI Adapter. Look under SCSI Adapter, and see if your SCSI card is loading properly. If you have a yellow ‘?’, a yellow ’!’, or red ‘X’ next to your SCSI Card, it is not loading properly. Either there is a configuration conflict for the SCSI Card, you have old or corrupted drivers, or your SCSI Card is defective. First go to the Resources for the SCSI Card, and see if you can determine if there is any conflict with other devices configured on your system. If you are unable to find any resource conflicts, try downloading the latest drivers for your SCSI Card under NT 4.0. You will find the drivers you need on your SCSI Card’s Manufacturers web site. If this also fails, you should contact the SCSI Card’s manufacturer for help, or try a new SCSI Card.
For the Macintosh:
The Mac is pretty much plug and play. Just be sure to check your SCSI ID settings for conflicts and follow the rules for termination. You must first load the CD-ROM reader for our drive to be able to use it as a CD-ROM unit. Your mastering software will include the CD-ROM reader. Such as the Toast CD-ROM Reader, which must be loaded in your Extensions folder, and then your computer must be rebooted for the driver to load.
If you have the G3/G4 that require an Add-On SCSI Card, be sure to properly install your SCSI card and its PowerDomain Drivers before connecting our drive.
EIDE-Model
Important: Avoid connecting the Yamaha CD Recorder to the same Primary IDE connector as the hard disk drive, if possible. But if you must, be sure there is only one device selected as MASTER and all other devices selected as SLAVE.
Yamaha Recommended Configuration:
Yamaha has determined that the best configuration for its IDE CD Recorders is to have the Yamaha IDE CD Recorder connected up to the SECONDARY IDE BUS, set to MASTER. And to have your IDE CD-ROM Drive, if you have one, connected up to the PRIMARY IDE BUS, set to SLAVE. See below for specifics.
Setting the jumper:
A jumper is provided on the rear panel of your CDR/CRW drive to configure it to work in various situations.
Slave - For most standard computers the jumper should be installed in the SLAVE position. See the following paragraphs for exceptions.
Master - Set the jumper to the MASTER position if:
CSEL (Cable SELect) - CSEL is a function that automatically selects the correct MASTER/SLAVE setting. Not all computers support CSEL. Use the CSEL position only if you're sure your computer supports CSEL.
For Windows 95/98:
Once your system has booted up, go to your Control Panel-System-Device Manager. Look under CD-ROM, and see if your CD Recorder is loading properly. If not re-check your cables and jumper selections.
For Windows NT 4.0:
Once your system has booted up, go to your Control Panel-CD-ROM.
Step 3 -
Once your Yamaha Recorder is configured properly, and your computer sees the drive upon boot up. And you are able to use our drive as a CD-ROM reader. It is now time to install the mastering software and begin your writes. As long as Step 1 and Step 2 have been completed successfully, there is absolutely no reason for your Mastering Software not to see your Yamaha Recorder. The only reason could be that the software does not support that model drive. If you did pass Step 1 & 2, but the mastering software you have is unable to see our drive, you must contact the mastering software developer for driver support.
Step 4 –
Errors during write operation. For this portion, refer to the Sense Code Error List posted on this web site.
Quick Step Trouble Shooting for CDR100(CDE100-II) & CDR102(CDE102):
This manual was designed to help trouble shoot any problems that may occur with the Yamaha CD Recorder. As new bugs are found, and new trouble shooting techniques are developed, they will be included into later releases of this manual. This manual will help you debug your system by first attempting to determine that your CD Recorder is operational, and then by attempting to debug any possible configuration or Mastering Software issues.
Step 1 -
Determine if the Yamaha Recorder is operating properly, and does not have any Hardware damage or defect.
This step will determine if the Yamaha recorder may have a defective spindle motor; alignment problem; or power issue. By the end of Step 1, you will have determined if the drive is defective due to Hardware.
We must first determine if the Yamaha Recorder is responding properly. The following is a very basic and yet informative test sequence.
For Internal & External units:
Power-Up Error Sequence
Note: All the following symptoms only apply to units that have power only going to the drive. Before using this Power-up chart to diagnose your problems, be sure you have only power connected to the unit. Disconnect any other cables from our Yamaha Recorder before continuing. It is also recommended to use both a Data CD and Audio CD for the following test.
Correct Power-Up Process:
The proper power up sequence for the Yamaha recorder is for the 2x and 4x light to come on for a very brief second, and then the 2x light will go out and the 4x light will remain on. This is the correct sequence of lights upon powering up the Yamaha Recorder. (If this process fails, go to the section labeled "Failed Power-Up Process", and determine the cause.)
If the above test passed, insert a (blank, Data, or Audio) CD into the Yamaha Recorder and see if the disc spins up to a solid green DISC Light, and remains green even if you walk away for an hour or two. If it does, move on to Step 2, if not go to section "Failed Power-Up Process" to determine cause.
Failed Power-Up Process:
Symptom: Upon powering up the unit, you have both the 2x & 4x lights on dimly.
Meaning: You have a blown fuse, return unit to your Direct Retailer.
Symptom: After powering up the unit, you attempt to insert a Caddy with a disc inside and the drive ejects the Caddy right away, before it even has a chance to drop down and be read.
Meaning: You have a bad Caddy actuator switch, or a bad Caddy motor. Drive needs to be returned through your direct retailer.
Symptom: After powering up the unit, you insert a Caddy with a disc inside and the Caddy drops down into the recorder. The "DISC" light starts to blink and you can hear the disc start to spin up. While the "DISC" light is still blinking, the "Read" light starts to blink a few times, and then the drive kicks out the Caddy.( The proper sequence of lights would have been for the "DISC" light to blink until the disc came up to the proper speed and then go solid (stop blinking), and then the "READ" light will come on and blink for a few seconds before going out. The Caddy would remain in the drive.)
Meaning: Possible bad spindle motor or your power source is fluctuating. If you have an External drive you may want to remove it from the chassis and try an alternative power source. If you try an alternative power source and the drive still shows the same symptoms, then the drive needs to be returned for repair through your Direct Distributor or Reseller.
Symptom: After powering up the unit, you insert a Caddy with a disc inside and the Caddy drops down into the recorder. The "DISC" light starts to blink and you can hear the disc start to spin up. While the disc is spinning up to speed, you hear a loud noise from the drive as the disc spins up faster and faster until it finally spins back down and ejects the disc (and the noise stops). The "DISC" light never stopped blinking and the "READ" light never came on before the Caddy was ejected. (If the noise does not stop coming from the drive and you have an External unit, then the fan on the back of the drive is causing the noise and may need to be replaced, but as long as the fan turns you'll be okay.)
Meaning: The drive has a possible bad spindle motor.
Symptom: After powering up the unit, you insert a Caddy with a disc inside and the Caddy drops down into the recorder. The "DISC" light starts to blink and you can hear the disc spin up. The "DISC" light stops blinking and becomes solid, and then the "READ" light starts to blink as the drive attempts to read the media. After 2 to 8 seconds of the "READ" light blinking as it attempts to read the media, the drive spins down and ejects the media.
Meaning: This can be caused by "Tracking Alignment" problems or poor media. Be sure to test it with both a Data and Audio CD.
Symptom: After powering up the unit, you insert a Caddy with a disc inside and the Caddy drops down into the recorder. The "DISC" light starts to blink and you can hear the disc spin up. The "DISC" light stops blinking and becomes solid, and then the "READ" light starts to blink as the drive attempts to read the media. At the same time as the "READ" light starts to blink, you see the "WRITE" light blink once or twice.
Meaning: The drive is defective and needs to be returned for repair. Return the unit through your Direct Distributor or Reseller. (The "WRITE" light should never come on unless you are starting a write session.)
Step 2 -
Determine if you have the proper configuration for your SCSI Card; check for driver conflicts; check termination, ID Selection, Parity, etc…, and check to be sure our drive is being properly recognized by your system.
Now that you know the drive is working properly, at least hardware wise, you must now check your systems configuration for possible problems. The Yamaha Recorder can not seen as a writer or reader unless the SCSI Controller is loading properly.
Internal units:
SCSI ID - Default on the Yamaha Recorder is SCSI ID 3.
Termination – Make sure that you have only the last drive physically in the chain is terminated.
Jumper Settings (internal units only) - You must have PARITY enabled at all times (Default is Enabled).
Once you are sure the drive is physically configured properly on the system. Boot up the system and make sure the SCSI Card sees the drive upon boot up. (If you have a SCSI Card that does not have a Boot-Bios support, such as the Adaptec AVA-1505, the SCSI card will not see our drive upon boot-up).
If the SCSI Card is unable to see the Yamaha Recorder, but the drive passed STEP 1 with no problems, you must have one of the following problems…
Once you are positive the Yamaha Recorder is being seen by the SCSI Controller, we must check that Windows 95/98/NT, or Mac if applicable, is loading the SCSI Card and the Yamaha Recorder properly.
For Windows 95:
Once your system has booted up, go to your Control Panel-System-Device Manager. Look under SCSI, and see if your SCSI card is loading properly. If you have a yellow ‘?’, a yellow ’!’, or red ‘X’ next to your SCSI Card, it is not loading properly. Either there is a configuration conflict for the SCSI Card, you have old or corrupted drivers, or your SCSI Card is defective. First go to the Properties-Resources for the SCSI Card, located within the Device Manager. Do you see any configuration conflicts in the window below? If so, you must resolve the conflict you find listed there. If no conflicts are listed, you must have an old or corrupted driver. Go to the SCSI Card’s Manufacturer’s Web site and download the latest drivers for the SCSI Card. If this also fails, contact the SCSI card's Manufacturer for help or replace the SCSI Card.
For Windows NT 4.0:
Once your system has booted up, go to your Control Panel-SCSI Adapter. Look under SCSI Adapter, and see if your SCSI card is loading properly. If you have a yellow ‘?’, a yellow ’!’, or red ‘X’ next to your SCSI Card, it is not loading properly. Either there is a configuration conflict for the SCSI Card, you have old or corrupted drivers, or your SCSI Card is defective. First go to the Resources for the SCSI Card, and see if you can determine if there is any conflict with other devices configured on your system. If you are unable to find any resource conflicts, try downloading the latest drivers for your SCSI Card under NT 4.0. You will find the drivers you need on your SCSI Card’s Manufacturers web site. If this also fails, you should contact the SCSI Card’s manufacturer for help, or try a new SCSI Card.
For the Macintosh:
The Mac is pretty much plug and play. Just be sure to check your SCSI ID settings for conflicts and follow the rules for termination. You must first load the CD-ROM reader for our drive to be able to use it as a CD-ROM unit. Your mastering software will include the CD-ROM reader. Such as the Toast CD-ROM Reader, which must be loaded in your Extensions folder, and then your computer must be rebooted for the driver to load.
If you have the G3/G4 that require an Add-On SCSI Card, be sure to properly install your SCSI card and its PowerDomain Drivers before connecting our drive.
Step 3 -
Once your Yamaha Recorder is configured properly, and your SCSI Card sees the drive upon boot up. And your able to use our drive as a CD-ROM reader. It is now time to install the mastering software and begin your writes. As long as Step 1 and Step 2 have been completed successfully, there is absolutely no reason for your Mastering Software not to see your Yamaha Recorder. The only reason could be that the software does not support that model drive. If you did pass Step 1 & 2, but the mastering software you have is unable to see our drive, you must contact the mastering software developer for driver support.
Step 4 -
Errors during write operation. For this portion, refer to the Sense Code Error List given to you by Yamaha.
Reader Driver Support:
DOS or Windows 3.11 - For DOS or Windows 3.11, you can use the generic CD-ROM drivers that come with your SCSI Card.
For example if you had an Adpatec AHA-2940 Card:
Config.sys File:
DEVICE=C:\SCSI\ASPI8DOS.SYS
DEVICE=C:\SCSI\ASPICD.SYS /D:ASPICD0
Autoexec.bat File:
C:\DOS\MSCDEX.EXE /M:12 /D:ASPICD0
Windows 95/98 - In most cases the Reader driver for our drive under Windows 95/98 will come from your mastering software.
Windows NT 4.0 & 3.51 - No reader Driver support Available. Can only be used as a reader in this environment.
Macintosh - In most cases your mastering software will include driver support for our drive. Or you can use Third Party driver software from FWB, Charismac, or Micronet.
Apple CD-ROM driver support - Apple’s CD-ROM driver 5.3.1 will support the Yamaha CDR100 & CDR102 series recorder as a SINGLE SESSION reader. This means it will only mount the very first session written to the CD. For all other session on the same CD, the Apple operating system will report a message asking if you would like to ERASE or Eject. You can not erase of course, but you can click on either erase or eject and get the same result. Apple’s CD-ROM driver 5.4 will not support our drive at all. And will cause conflicts with the Toast or Charismac drivers on occasion.