MDS JE-480 Digital Optical Out Modification

[tmsnyder]

Success! And without using the Sharp GP1F32T (which is no longer available).

If there's any interest in this I'll put together a webpage. Any way to get it on the construction projects page of www.minidisc.org?

Todd Snyder

tmsnyder@buffalo.edu

[raintheory]

I'd like to see this project posted myself. I have been looking into getting a deck with MDLP that I could modify to include an optical out. I've seen the JE-480 quite often in my searching for a deck...

[Ishiyoshi]

Success!  And without using the Sharp GP1F32T (which is no longer available).

If there's any interest in this I'll put together a webpage.  Any way to get it on the construction projects page of www.minidisc.org?

Todd Snyder

tmsnyder@buffalo.edu

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Welcome to MDCF, tmsnyder.

We would definitely love to see your project in detail. Please feel free to update this thread with indepth information regarding the optical modification; and if there's ever a need, you are most welcome to upload the pictures in the gallery section.

[bland10000]

I, too, would like to see it...thinking of doing it to my 480.

[tmsnyder]

I'd like to see this project posted myself.  I have been looking into getting a deck with MDLP that I could modify to include an optical out.  I've seen the JE-480 quite often in my searching for a deck...

←

Awesome, let me get a webpage assembled and I'll put the link here in this thread.

[atrain]

if you need the hosting just create a new thread & upload the pics to the gallery which we can sticky/archive.

[tmsnyder]

Awesome, let me get a webpage assembled and I'll put the link here in this thread.

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So would I write out a list of instructions, and post it with the photos to a new thread?

[Ishiyoshi]

That would be ideal - start a new thread (which will be pinned accordingly) with in-depth guide and pictorial and this thread can remain open for further discussion.

[saaron]

That would be very cool. I'm already considering a JE 980 for dubbing purposes, but I'd prefer to copy JE480-980 rather than the other way around.

Hopefully the soldering skills needed aren't too extreme (it's been awhile and that was only converting PS1 joypads into arcade controllers).

[tmsnyder]

That would be very cool.  I'm already considering a JE 980 for dubbing purposes, but I'd prefer to copy JE480-980 rather than the other way around.

Hopefully the soldering skills needed aren't too extreme (it's been awhile and that was only converting PS1 joypads into arcade controllers).

←

The soldering is not very fine, it sounds like you are more than able to do it.

Laying out and drilling holes is probably the toughest part of this. I actually clamped the board in a Bridgeport vertical milling machine to drill the holes for the transmitter. But laying them out by hand carefully with a small ruler and drilling them with a pistol drill is probably fine.

[tmsnyder]

If there's any interest in this I'll put together a webpage. Any way to get it on the construction projects page of www.minidisc.org?

Todd Snyder

tmsnyder@buffalo.edu

tms

(link fixed 15.2.2011)

[Ishiyoshi]

Thanks for setting up the guide, tmsnyder. I have pinned the guide accordingly. Thanks again.

[joemango]

Could you tap that pin 9 and send it (and ground) directly to a coax output without mucking about with the capacitor and extra soldering? Or is it just ttl and not strong enough to drive a coax without further circuitry?

Great work BTW.

EDIT:

Never mind. I RTFM. thanks again.

Edited August 15, 2005 by joemango

[tmsnyder]

Could you tap that pin 9 and send it (and ground) directly to a coax output without mucking about with the capacitor and extra soldering?  Or is it just ttl and not strong enough to drive a coax without further circuitry?

Great work BTW.

EDIT:

Never mind.  I RTFM.  thanks again.

←

Thanks,

I thought it was a cool project since the JE480 is the only one readily available new from SONY now, so anyone looking to get their .wav's off MD would either have to go analog or get an old deck of ebay. So for $150 and a little drilling and soldering you end up with a brand new deck with the dig-out.

I'd be afraid of taking that pin 9 outside the case. Who knows what would happen if you shorted it out or snapped it with some static electricity.

Here's the schematic from http://www.meyer-piening.ch/robert/je330/ to show how to get the coax output:

[attachmentid=681]

Schematic diagram for coax output.

It looks to be even easier than adding the optical out. Hardly any drilling of the main board

[n5gar]

To be sure I understand this - - -

If I have old MD disks I recorded with a microphone or line in, play them back on a modified JE-480, and connect its optical output to the input of a "music" CD recorder, will this work to record a "music" CD?

Could I then take the audio from the "music" CD and copy it to my computer for additional audio editing of my contents?

Thanks

Here's the schematic from http://www.meyer-piening.ch/robert/je330/ to show how to get the coax output:

[attachmentid=681]

Schematic diagram for coax output.

It looks to be even easier than adding the optical out. Hardly any drilling of the main board

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[taterwa]

I'm trying to find an appropriate TOSLINK module, but searching this forum and googling for GP1FA551TZ hasn't turned up anything useful (google just produces a laundry list of places that deal in bulk parts). Any advice as to where I should be shopping?

Edit - duh...I re-read the instructions, and realised that that Digi-Key is a parts retailer that sells to end users.

Edited October 6, 2005 by taterwa

[jty2]

I did the mod over the weekend. It works. Thanks, Todd and MDCF!

I finger-drilled the holes in the board because I was too cheap to buy a real drill. I bought the bits and twirled it on the PCB to make the holes. It took a while but the results were good and I didn't have to worry about wielding a heavy drill on a populated PCB.

The biggest pain was with making a hole in the back plate. I had to ask a friend with a real drill to make the holes in the metal for the optical transmitter. Then I used a Dremel to corner-out the round hole into a square. I'm still not sure how the really nice square holes in pictures were made.

[It's not a Trick...]

Success! And without using the Sharp GP1F32T (which is no longer available).

If there's any interest in this I'll put together a webpage. Any way to get it on the construction projects page of www.minidisc.org?

Todd Snyder

tmsnyder@buffalo.edu

Can I use this transmitter ?: http://www.reichelt.de/?;ACTION=3;LA=4;GRO...576bfd1b3d39ad4

Datasheet: http://www.reichelt.de/?;ACTION=7;LA=6;OPE...576bfd1b3d39ad4

Do I have to use an 0.1μF capacitor as said in the datasheet of the toshiba?

THX

P.S.: I'm from Germany. Don't worry

[Jamesy]

Can I use this transmitter ?: http://www.reichelt.de/?;ACTION=3;LA=4;GRO...576bfd1b3d39ad4

Datasheet: http://www.reichelt.de/?;ACTION=7;LA=6;OPE...576bfd1b3d39ad4

Do I have to use an 0.1μF capacitor as said in the datasheet of the toshiba?

THX

P.S.: I'm from Germany. Don't worry

Yes that transmitter looks fine - it is a 5V part which is correct.

You may find that it'll work fine without the cap but it would be much better practice to put one in. Digital parts like these switch very quickly so need (relatively) large transient currents. If you don't put a cap there you'll probably introduce more digital noise into the power supplies than if you do put one there, and that's never a good thing. It doesn't need to be 0.1uF though, if that's what you're asking. Datasheets usually list the smallest possible capacitor that you should use, *generally* speaking a bigger one is never a bad thing, but they cost more and manufacturers don't like to make their parts look like they need expensive parts to work properly.