CDROM - No Digital Audio Outpt?

Computer Hardware
#1

I have a Teac cd-540E to play music CDs from the digital output
connector on the back of the drive.

Only problem is – no signal.

I have told Win98SE’s Media Control’s CD Autio Device to enable digital in
case this is a firmware setting on the drive itself. It reports back digital is
enabled after a re-boot. Doesn’t seem to matter on my other drive.

For testing I first installed a yard-sale drive made by "Top Glory
Electronics - Dong Guan Ltd Then a two pin connector, one end
connected to the drive’s digital outputs, and the other to a scope. I
adjust the output waveform .2v/div --1 us/div to get a nice visible signal.
This drive drive works fine.

Next I swap in the Teac. No digital output signal but it plays just fine
through Media Player. I download new firmware and update from 1.0 to
3.0 and use the Teac utility to check speed and spin down time. All is well
but still no signal. Change to a second 1.0 drive and same story.

Go back to my yard sale special and get a nice signal.

Boy do I feel dumb. Can’t get a digital out no matter what.

Anybody have any suggestions???

#2

For Windows, “digital audio” refers to taking digital audio through the IDE cable, not through the 2-pin connector on the back of the drive. In order to get digital audio through that cable, you need to connect it to a digital input on your sound card, and enable that source in your audio mixer. There’s no compelling reason to use that connector, unless you have a specific reason to want the direct input to your sound card. Using digital through the IDE cable is effectively the same.

#3

Exactly, these days there is not much need more for this…

#4

Thanks for the input. The reason to use the digital out is to play around with some external DACs unmolested by downstream electronics.

I’ll tear into the Teac and see if there is some sort of defect.