CD32: How do you know if it is PAL or NTSC?

[CodeHunter]

Not reading the disc?  Maybe something needs to be cleaned, or the motor is stuck?  Just guessing, good luck!

No. The "CD" logo on the boot menu does do the animated spin, meaning that it can not read the disc. Mind you these are the original, genuine discs (both DIGGER and the actual audio CD, Iron Maiden). I am baffled...

EDIT:
I thought maybe the system is not getting enough power to spin the CD drive, so I went ahead and soldered a two pronged (NEMA type), plug into the original PAL brick and plugged in the setp-up converter (transformer):
The system boots up, but just like before, the CD does not spin at all. The CD access light does not lit up.

Questions:

1) Is the lens supposed be emitting some sort of light? Since I don't see anything.
2) Unlike the modern laptop CD-DVD drives, where you can feel and hear a "click" when you insert the disc, the CD32 seems to not have any "lock" mechanism, you just place the CD on the drive. Is this normal?
3) I have a feeling that the guy indeed defrauded me. After spending $475 for the system, plus $50 for the step-up transformer and other accessories, the darn thing does not work. What should I do?

[CodeHunter]

The CD drive seems to be dead. I opened my CD32 system, and could not find any loose connection or anything at all. The guy indeed defrauded me for $500.

Be it a lesson to me, to NOT buy a darn system, unless it is powered right in front of my eyes, and tested.

Is a CD drive replacement available for sale anywhere?

[CodeHunter]

I see. Thanks for your comment. I am exhausted and wasted a lot of time on this darn thing.

[CodeHunter]

I see, many thanks for your kind remarks. I might pursue a spare CD drive in the next couple of weeks or so, as I am very frustrated and exhausted by this horrid experience. I am sure the guy who cheated me, would repay back in another shape or form in life.

[CodeHunter]

Here are images of my opened CD32:








I really don't know why the drive does not work. I have unplued the cables and turned the system on, I even took the CD drive completely out (even removed the data cable), and the CD32 turned on, but it did not complain about lack of optical drive. I did not see any sign of tampering, looked pristine and brand new. I am baffled as to why a brand new system should not work!:shocked

It is the motor that is dead I think. I don't see any faint light coming out from the lens also. If I could properly diagnose it, I wouldn't mind spending more and obtaining the right parts to fix it, it screams to be brought back to life!




More image:


http://www.flickr.com/photos/90510403@N03/

[CodeHunter]

Perhaps there's some diagnostic program one can run from floppy?

I don't have the floppy drive unit for CD32 unfortunately.

[CodeHunter]

I see, thanks for your comments.

[CodeHunter]

Yeah amen to CLASS 1 LASER PRODUCT, the sticker is there for a reason. Value your eyes over any machine.
But a photodiode could be used to detect the beam.

I would also check if the rotation motor work (does it even have power?), that the sled motor that moves to the head to the right track can move and have power too etc..

No mechanical movement in my CD32. No light emitting form the Lens either.

[CodeHunter]

Make sure you have a CD on the spindle when you test it. Without a disk there, drives generally do nothing.

Sure, I had an audio CD, original Diggers game CD, etc. Nothing works.

[CodeHunter]

have you made sure the little tab on the lower right front of the lid is still there...the one that goes into the interrupter circuit within the CD32 to indicate the lid is closed and hence try to read a disc?

Is there a picture of this? I am not sure, but I can absolutely hear no mechanical noise, or whirring coming from the CD drive. My PS1, SEGA Dreamcast, Saturn, they all make noticeable read-access noises.

[CodeHunter]

open the lid, an watch the laser lens as you power on it should vibrate immediately as you power on,if it does then power is getting to the cd module.

No, it does not do anything when I power the unit on. No movement at all.

The laser might be burnt out, you can try teeking the laser potentiometer (yellow pot under the lens)slightly mark its position first with a black marker,the turn it (2 minute intervals ) anitclockwise to see if that helps to read the cd.

OK, I might do that.