Let's hear it for the MXD-D40 - PCLink *and* Opti-Out

[sfbp]

I recently purchased a second-hand CD/MD deck, the MXD-D40. This deck tends to be in the shadow of the later MXD-D400, mainly because of the lack of Optical Out and also the fact that it is Type-R. The MXD-D400 is the last Sony combo deck, and has Type-S as well as Optical out, and can play MP3 CD's (though *not* Atrac CD's, more's the pity).

However, the D40 has one important feature that never made it into the later deck, namely the ability to control from PC via a PS/2 keyboard cable which is the output of the PCLink USB box. This allows one to record and edit MDs from the comfort of the computer (using M-Crew); although upload to the PC is not possible, this is not the end of the world.The RH1 is great for uploading edited disks, but don't try and use any portable for editing titles (and SonicStage is hopeless for actual editing of tracks, they have to be uploaded to MD, and the editor is almost impossible to use).

I actually purchased this deck as a backup for my marvellous CMT-PX3 (sometimes known as DHC-MD595, but even the manuals calling it that, clearly show the "PX3" designation on the front). Why? Because the drive in the D40 is the same exact one used by the PX3, and these are relatively unusual - different because, I suppose, they have that extra logic to allow the external control from the PC. Either way (swapping drives, or decks) I have a second deck on which I can do easy editing from the PC.

So if one could add Optical out to the D40 (somewhere else I already noted that the JE640, which is Type-R actually sounds quite good with its optical out into an external DAC or amplifier - ie. the Type-S has more to do with the D->A conversion than with any special coding on or off the disk), life might be very good indeed. The D40 is actually quite a bit more available and cheaper than the D400 for the reasons noted above.

This is something of a work in progress - I am not ready to share pictures until the optical socket has been properly mounted, and the wiring tidied up a bit. But it's incredibly simple - you hook the optical out to the output of the MD ("BD board") before it goes to the D->A converter.

The only small catch is that if you want to play CD's through optical out you either have to mount a second optical out, or put the MD section into "REC" mode where it acts as a pass-through of digital signal. I elected to do the latter, naturally, since none of the later decks have the JE510's well known problem of always turning once record is pressed. So far so good.

I will post an update in due course. But I thought the addicts afficionados here might want to hear about this.

Stephen

[PhilippeC]

A question about PC-Link

I don't have PC link but as my JB980 (like your's) has a NetMD function, I can edit MDs AFTER recording with Sonic Stage (and you know I started recently to do that!).

I use to copy and past tags in SS from a text editor, it is rather fast even if I dream to do it in one shot only (yes I know I can use Net-MD files transfer but I record my MDs in real time and mostly in SP mode).

When I record several MDs one after the other, I would preffer to edit DURING the recording. It is possible directly with the PS/2 keyboard to do it during the recording but you have to write letters & numbers entirely by hand.

Does PC-link allow you the edit the MD DURING a real time recording (copy-past of long chain text, not keyboard only) ?

[sfbp]

A question about PC-Link

Does PC-link allow you the edit the MD DURING a real time recording (copy-past of long chain text, not keyboard only) ?

It's M-Crew+PCLink, of course, but the answer is yes. But there's no such functionality on the JB980, sadly. For JB940, yes.

You've got me curious, though. As far as I can tell the circuitry to enable PCLink is there on the JE640. But I am pretty sure that I tried it, and it doesn't work. Odd, because it (640) does have Control-A1 functionality, which does most of the same things and is (also) connected to the I2C data/clk lines.

[PhilippeC]

But there's no such functionality on the JB980, sadly. For JB940, yes.

Because JB940 have a "PC-Link kit, the PCLK-MN10"... But about your "the circuitry to enable PCLink is there on the JE640. But I am pretty sure that I tried it, and it doesn't work. Odd, because it (640) does have Control-A1 functionality, which does most of the same things and is (also) connected to the I2C data/clk lines", I am

[sfbp]

Sorry, don't understand your comment.

[PhilippeC]

Too much "technical", like speaking only with acronyms.

[sfbp]

Too much "technical", like speaking only with acronyms.

I'm sorry. This is a technical subject though, not sure what I really can tone down. The Control A1 connection is simply an implementation of the internal I2C (or IIC bus, you can look it up here) which is the same that PCLink uses. The JB940 supports PClink, the JE640 does not - yet both seem to have very similar circuitry and both (also) have the Ctrl-A1 socket.

As to the protocol that all these Sony devices speak, they mostly reduce to a sparsely-documented set of specifications known as SIRCS (for Sony InfraRed Control System) which is the basis of all Remote and M-Crew operation. It in turn grew out of "Control-S" specification.

[PhilippeC]

You are right Stephen, it is a technical subject. Maybe pictures could help sometimes.

Pham Cu has a Sony MDX-D400 deck. He hacked already one MDS-W1 to make copy (keeping original MD full) without using any tricks, maybe he would be able to do something special on another deck.

[sfbp]

I will do pictures as soon as the whole thing is finalized. Meantime I am considering trying a more-readily-available 5V diode (the original ones are 3.3) for output on another deck.

[camroncamera]

I've had a Sony MXD-D5C 5-CD Changer / Minidisc deck - quite similar to your MXD-D40 in many respects - for over ten years, and have always been frustrated by the lack of digital audio output on this unit. Although I don't listen to a lot of MD's anymore, this deck is my primary CD Player in my aging home audio rack. I'm gearing up for a home theater upgrade (I will be retaining this deck, I love the 5-CD changer), and am attempting to add a TOSLINK optical output myself. Having read the "hacking" pages of Minidisc.org many years ago, I know there still are how-to articles online for adding TOSLINK outputs to Minidisc decks which have none:

http://www.meyer-piening.ch/robert/je330/

http://minidisc.org/sony_mdsje440_optical_out_mod.html

http://frank.mtsu.edu/~hhw2b/470mod.html

I've ordered a Toslink Connector TOTX173 Fiber Optic Transmitter Module from ebay, approx. US$5.00, which arrived yesterday. Today I finally opened up my MXD-D5C deck to see if the modification would be as easy as the links above have described. Unfortunately, my unit does not have a "T" ("Transmit") SPDIF digital out socket on the audio board. I have had my nose buried in the schematics of the service manual, but have yet to identify an easy-to-tap SPDIF contact on the audio board. Ideally, I would like to tap into one SPDIF output that will carry both the CD and MD SPDIF signal, rather than have two separate optical outputs.

I am very eager to see your progress on this project, and to find out if the audio board on your unit is similar to mine.

Thanks!

[sfbp]

Good to hear from you. Fear not! I too have a D5C.

The first problem so far is that it may not be quite so easy to find a signal spot. But in principle the circuit is just the same as the D40. Can you live with it turning the MD into pass through mode? (also it's definitely possible to hack into the CD only, separately)

Second problem is that the 173 needs +5V. I am hopeful the SPDIF signal will be ok (ie will drive the 173).

We can talk more privately if you wish

Stephen

[sfbp]

Well I will let camron comment further - but "we" appear to have got the D5C converted too (he did the work and I sat and directed traffic from the back seat, though I am sure he could have done it without help). I plan on doing almost the same to my MXD-D5C. However the D40 is still a bit of a mess (functioning perfectly though), and I don't want to have two decks ripped apart at the same time.

Here you go, the link is added, and I think it's totally appropriate for it to be in a new thread, after all it's a different piece o' hardware.

[camroncamera]

Stephen and I have been in close communication this past week, and I cannot tell you how constructive his dialog has been for my MXD-D5C TOSlink optical output project... Thank you very much! My new thread devoted to the MXD-D5C Minidisc Recorder / 5CD Changer project can be found (with links to youtube videos of the work-in-progress).

[paperclip]

Sfbp: do you really have that JB940 running off of M-Crew? I'd love to run mine that way but so far have had no luck getting M-Crew to recognize the deck. The PC3 worked great until it died, and also connected to a JE470, no problem.

[sfbp]

Sfbp: do you really have that JB940 running off of M-Crew? I'd love to run mine that way but so far have had no luck getting M-Crew to recognize the deck. The PC3 worked great until it died, and also connected to a JE470, no problem.

No I don't, as I don't have one. But the circuitry should be there. I am disappointed to hear that you cannot get it to work. If you look at page 32 of the service manual it very clearly shows the keyboard port connected to both I2C clk/data as well as keyboard clk/data.

And this is clearly backed up by the wording at http://minidisc.org/...MDS-JB940.html.

I have no idea if it's possible to make a signal converter between the Control-A1 and I2C. Maybe there isn't any, it just has to be hooked up. This is a question for Jim Hoggarth.

However inspection of the manual doesn't mention PCLink. Weird. This page seems to indicate that both D5C and JB940 should work with PCLink. But I am certain my D5C does not. However the gold-coloured D5C made in Japan actually says "PCLink" on it. But neither does Camron's (I asked him) or mine, they each have that same connector labeled "Keyboard". Conclusion: the Japan-only version differs. The service manual for US/Canada D5C doesn't show any connections for I2C in the way that the JB940 service manual does.

If I had to guess I would say you probably need to go BACK to the earliest version of M-Crew, rather than FORWARD to the latest which supports your MDS-PC3 and the combo decks such as MXD-D40. In the final event it may be more about cutting wires in that connector than making extra ones.

One more thought: could it be that you have to set to Japanese keyboard? (Page 46 of the user manual)

[paperclip]

I'm pretty sure they won't work as is, thanks for the reply!