The Commodore CD1200 was a prototype external CD-ROM drive for the Amiga 1200. When I watched the YouTube video "Beth Richard and the Amiga CD1200 tear down" by PixelFix (
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYGhOuIysVU&t=0s), the first thing I noticed was that the CD-ROM drive was not the same as the one used in the CD32. This piqued my curiosity, and I wanted to find out whether it also used different IC components. So I asked PixelFix if he could take high-resolution pictures of the board.
My suspicion was correct. The optical unit is a Philips CDM12.1, and it includes the Philips TDA1301T digital servo processor (DSIC2), the Philips TDA1302T data amplifier and laser supply circuit, and two Philips TDA7073A dual BTL power drivers. Interestingly, however, they retained the Sony CXD2500BQ digital signal processor, just like in the CD32.
After these discoveries, I became curious about what kind of microcontroller was on the board. Based on my research, it’s likely that the CD controller uses a Philips 8051 microcontroller. The details suggest a design tailored for compatibility with the Philips components.
If you want to better understand the circuitry of the CD1200, take a look at the schematics of the Atari Jaguar CD (
https://wiki.console5.com/wiki/Atari_Jaguar_CD), which uses many of the same IC components. Instead of the Sony CXD2500BQ, it uses the Philips SAA7345GP (CD6). Yes, you guessed it — Philips was also heavily involved in the development of the Atari Jaguar CD.
Anyway, without further ado, here are the pictures of the top and bottom of the board and the optical unit.
All pictures are copyright © 2024 Retro Computer Museum in Leicester, UK.
Top
Bottom
CDM12.1:
