16 Sep
2006
16 Sep
'06
12:35 p.m.
On Sat, 16 Sep 2006 07:31:05 -0400, shoppa_classiccmp at trailing-
edge.com (Tim Shoppa) wrote:
[...]
This brings up what is probably a more on-topic issue:
I've never had
a CD burner (SCSI, IDE, whatever) last more than a year or two.
Even if
only lightly used. Inevitably I just toss it and buy a faster one for
less $ than the first one cost.
Once or twice I opened it up and removed dust-bunnies but this never
helped.
Is there something I should be doing to preserve "classic" computer
CD readers/burners?
I will admit that I have vengefully destroyed some very classic CD
readers (e.g. RRD50) purely out of spite for how dreadfully poor
performing they were. (A RRD50 is very optimistically "0.5X"). I
did the same with lots of RD5x MFM drives in the late 80's/early 90's,
oh how I despised RQDX/MFM hardware compared to the Emulex/Dilog/
CMD/etc. clones!
Tim.
------------------------------
The basic problem with commercial CD burners/players is that they
keep the laser diodes on when powered, although at the low power
required for reading. The life of run-of-the-mill laser diodes is on
the order of 10,000 (10.000) hours. Consequently, if you keep your
system on all the time you can expect one to two years of useful life
from the beast (some longer, some shorter). Industrial
class machine
monitor the output power of the diode and power it on only when
used.
With feedback they are able to correct the loss of output and
consequently extend the useable lifetime. From <http://www.wtec.org/
loyola/opto/ad_rohm.htm>:
"Rohm representatives pointed out that the LDs used in datacomm
applications have more stringent lifetime requirements than those in
CD players. For CD players, lifetimes of 10 4 hours are acceptable,
while lifetimes approaching 10 5 hours are required in datacomm
lasers. At the time of the JTEC visit, Rohm guaranteed laser diodes
with lifetimes of 10 5 hours at 60 deg. C"
I have several CD burners that have been operating for over 8 to 10
years (slow...). These are external units to my boxen which are
powered on only when used. I too find that most of my readers in my
old equipment are dead having been run continuously for may years.
Besides run-time, temperature is also a factor. If you can power off
the unit and keep it cool, you should effectively extend its useful
lifetime.
CRC
16 Sep
16 Sep
2:56 p.m.
On Saturday 16 September 2006 03:35 pm, CRC wrote:
On Sat, 16 Sep 2006 07:31:05 -0400, shoppa_classiccmp
at trailing-
edge.com (Tim Shoppa) wrote:
[...]
This is the best argument I've seen for keeping this in the external box, and
not putting it into the computer...
I just realized that the unit was switched on (and is not being used) and
reached up there and hit the power switch to turn it off.
It'll also no doubt stay cooler when not at the top of a stack of
heat-generating drives, as well.
--
Member of the toughest, meanest, deadliest, most unrelenting -- and
ablest -- form of life in this section of space, a critter that can
be killed but can't be tamed. --Robert A. Heinlein, "The Puppet Masters"
-
Information is more dangerous than cannon to a society ruled by lies. --James
M Dakin
This brings up what is probably a more on-topic
issue: I've never had
a CD burner (SCSI, IDE, whatever) last more than a year or two.
Even if only lightly used. Inevitably I just toss it and buy a faster one
for less $ than the first one cost.
Once or twice I opened it up and removed dust-bunnies but this never
helped.
Is there something I should be doing to preserve "classic" computer
CD readers/burners?
I will admit that I have vengefully destroyed some very classic CD
readers (e.g. RRD50) purely out of spite for how dreadfully poor
performing they were. (A RRD50 is very optimistically "0.5X"). I
did the same with lots of RD5x MFM drives in the late 80's/early 90's,
oh how I despised RQDX/MFM hardware compared to the Emulex/Dilog/
CMD/etc. clones!
Tim.
------------------------------
The basic problem with commercial CD burners/players is that they
keep the laser diodes on when powered, although at the low power
required for reading. The life of run-of-the-mill laser diodes is on
the order of 10,000 (10.000) hours. Consequently, if you keep your
system on all the time you can expect one to two years of useful life
from the beast (some longer, some shorter). Industrial class machine
monitor the output power of the diode and power it on only when used.
With feedback they are able to correct the loss of output and
consequently extend the useable lifetime. From <http://www.wtec.org/
loyola/opto/ad_rohm.htm>:
"Rohm representatives pointed out that the LDs used in datacomm
applications have more stringent lifetime requirements than those in
CD players. For CD players, lifetimes of 10 4 hours are acceptable,
while lifetimes approaching 10 5 hours are required in datacomm
lasers. At the time of the JTEC visit, Rohm guaranteed laser diodes
with lifetimes of 10 5 hours at 60 deg. C"
I have several CD burners that have been operating for over 8 to 10
years (slow...). These are external units to my boxen which are
powered on only when used. I too find that most of my readers in my
old equipment are dead having been run continuously for may years.
Besides run-time, temperature is also a factor. If you can power off
the unit and keep it cool, you should effectively extend its useful
lifetime.
CRC 
17 Sep
17 Sep
4:48 a.m.
CRC <technobug at comcast.net> wrote:
The basic problem with commercial CD burners/players
is that they
keep the laser diodes on when powered, although at the low power
required for reading. The life of run-of-the-mill laser diodes is on
the order of 10,000 (10.000) hours. Consequently, if you keep your
system on all the time you can expect one to two years of useful life
from the beast (some longer, some shorter).
You know, one to two years is almost exactly what I see for lifetime!
Back in the days of using external SCSI CD-RW's (this is going back
to the mid 90's so on-topic) turning the power to the writer on and off
as needed made sense. But IDE hardware doesn't seem to handle this
nearly so nicely. This pretty much guarantees they'll go bad in a year
or two, I guess. Sucks!
I have several CD burners that have been operating for
over 8 to 10
years (slow...). These are external units to my boxen which are
powered on only when used.
I'm guessing SCSI? My SCSI writers seemed to last a little longer than
my modern IDE ones, but I kept them on almost all the time too.
Tim.
6673
days inactive
6673
days old
2 comments
3 participants
participants (3)
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rtellason＠verizon.net -
shoppa_classiccmp＠trailing-edge.com -
technobug＠comcast.net