Table of Contents
USERS MANUAL
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System Requirements ......................................................................... Page
Precautionary Measures and General Notes ..................................... Page
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9
CHAPTER 1:
Initial operation .................................................................................. Page 10
CHAPTER 2:
Installing the Writing Software ......................................................... Page 12
CHAPTER 3:
Special instructions before writing a CD ........................................... Page 12
- Preparing to write a CD ............................................................ Page 13
- Procedure for writing CDs......................................................... Page 13
- Peculiarities when writing audio CDs....................................... Page 14
- Making Data or Audio CDs ....................................................... Page 15
CHAPTER 4:
Troubleshooting ................................................................................. Page 16
FREECOM Internet Service & Support Hotline .................................. Page 18
CHAPTER 5:
Glossary ............................................................................................... Page 19
© FREECOM Technologies Berlin
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FREECOM Portable II Series
Dear user!
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Welcome to the FREECOM Portable II installation. Before you install the
device, we would like to ask you to carefully read the following items and take
them into consideration, if applicable, when making changes to your system.
With the purchase of this device you have aquired a drive that can be connected
to any PC or Mac with the appropriate interface.
FREECOM Technologies • Berlin, Germany
Warning !
Allrightsreserved.Theproductsnamedinthismanualareonlyusedforidentification
purposes and may be trademarks or registered trademarks of the respective
companies. This device was designed for home or office use.
Warning!ThisdeviceisequipmentcomplyingwithEN55022classA.Thisequipment
can cause radio disturbances in a residential area. If this is the case, the user has to
take appropriate measures and assume all responsibility and costs for. It may not
be used near or with any life-sustaing systems.
FREECOM Technologies is not liable for any damages that may occur from the use
of a FREECOM system. All rights reserved. We reserve the right to upgrade our
products in keeping with technological advances.
4
System Requirements
System Requirements
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The following hard- and software requirements must be fulfilled to ensure
trouble-free operation.
Hardware Requirements
To use the FREECOM drive, you will need:
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FREECOM Cable II Parallel, PCMCIA, CardBus, USB or IEEE 1394 (FireWire) -
depending on the port (Cables not included unless otherwise indicated on
the packaging)
Depending on the connection type, a
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parallel printer port (standard, bidirectional, EPP)
PCMCIA port (type II)
CardBus (type II)
USB port
IEEE 1394 port (FireWire/i.LINK)
A computer system with the following equipments
- for the Portale II CD:
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PC from 486DX and higher
at least 8 MB RAM
at least one disk drive and a hard disk
- for the Portale II DVD:
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PC from Pentium II and higher
at least 32 MB RAM
at least one disk drive and a hard disk alternatevily
FREECOM Cabel II PCMCIA / or FREECOM Cable II IEEE 1394
(FREECOM Cable II USB and Parallel do not support movie playback)
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To play back DVD Movies’s, a DVD-Movie decoder is needed. This can be a
hardware decoder or a software decoder. Hardware decoders are available
as PCI or PCMCIA card and are available in the computer shop.
A Software DVD-Movie playback application is included with the Traveller II
DVDdrives.WerecommendtousethissoftwareonlyonaPentiumII400Mhz
with 64 MB RAM or higher.
This drive is RPC-2 (Regional Protection Coding II) enabled. Your Region will
need to be set before DVD Movies can be played.
Note: Please note that the regional code may not be changed more than
five times.
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FREECOM Portable II Series
- for the Portable II CD-RW:
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a computer system with the following equipment
PC:
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Pentium Processor I or higher
at least 16 MB RAM
at least 40 MB of free hard disk space
at least one disk drive and a hard disk
(Recommended: Pentium Processor II, 32 MB RAM, 800 MB free hard disk space)
Mac:
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iMac, iBook, Mac G3/G4 or Power Book G3
(only with FREECOM Cable II USB or Cable II IEEE 1394)
- for the Portable II Combo CD-RW / DVD:
see FREECOM Portable II CD-RW and Portable II DVD
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Software Requirements
Software Requirements
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The FREECOM Portable II / Portable II Premium has is to be used with the
following operating systems:
- for the Portable II CD:
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DOS, Windows 3.x
Windows 95/98/ME
Windows NT 4.0
Windows 2000
- for the Portable II DVD:
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Windows 95/98/ME
Windows NT 4.0 (DVD version: data mode only, no DVD Video playback
capability)
•
Windows 2000
- for the Portable II CD-RW:
PC:
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Windows 95/98/ME
Windows NT 4.0
Windows 2000
Mac:
MacOS 8.6.x or higher
•
(dependingonthewritingsoftwareincluded. Seecompatibilitytableonthe
packing)
- for the Portable II Combo CD-RW / DVD:
see FREECOM Portable II CD-RW and Portable II DVD
•
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FREECOM Portable II Series
Media Formats
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- for the FREECOM Portable II CD / Portable II DVD:
TheFREECOMPortableIIreadsformatsaccordingtothemodelCDsand/orDVDs,
which were written with the following standards:
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MS-DOS data CDs (High Sierra, Mode 1 & Mode 2 complying with ISO 9660)
Data – CDs (Joliet)
CD ROM XA
Mixed Mode CDs
Kodak Photo CDs (single and multisession)
UDF (Universal Disc Format)
Audio CDs
- additionaly only for the Portable II DVD:
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DVD ROM
DVD Video (see hardware requirements)
DVD-R, CDI, CD-Midi, CD-R, CD-RW
DVD Media
- for the Portable II CD-RW:
TheFREECOMPortableIIreadsandwritesaccordingtothefollowingstandards:
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MS-DOS data CDs (High Sierra, Mode 1 & Mode 2 complying with ISO 9660)
Data – CDs (Joliet)
CD ROM XA
Mixed Mode CDs
Kodak Photo CDs (single and multisession)
UDF (Universal Disc Format)
Audio CDs
Mac: Volume, Files & Folders, Mac/ISO Hybrid
The drive can read CD-RW disks, write and rewrite them, additionaly to saving
of data to CD-R media. The capacity of the CD-RW is 650/700 MB. CD-RW disks
are only read-compatible with multiread-capable CD-ROMs, DVD-ROMs as well
as CD-RW drives.
- for the Portable II Combo CD-RW / DVD:
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See FREECOM Portable II DVD and Portable II CD-RW
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Precautionary Measures and General Notes
Precautionary Measures and General Notes
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After transport, particularly at low outside temperatures, condensation can
form which can lead to malfunctioning. For that reason, you should not
begin operation until the drive and CDs have reached room temperature.
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FREECOM systems must be connected to or disconnected from a computer
only when power has been switched off.
OperatetheFREECOMdriveonlyinahorizontalposition,topreventdamage
to the media or the mechanical parts.
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Operate the device only at temperatures ranging from 5 - 50 °C.
Do not use the device in a dusty and humid environment.
Protect the drive from shocks and other mechanical effects!
The device should not be operated in the vicinity of strong electromagnetic
radiation sources (loudspeakers, mobile telephones etc.).
•
Due to the high data transfer rates, the cable length should not exceed 1 m.
Error-free transmission cannot be guaranteed for longer cables.
Cable II Parallel:
•
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Trouble-free operation cannot be ensured with dongles because the printer
port signals often interfere with the dongle or the drive.
PleasedonotuseFREECOMsystemsinconjunctionwithmanualswitchboxes
for the printer port. Many of these devices cause voltage spikes during
switching which may damage the electronic components in the FREECOM
system.
9
FREECOM Portable II Series
CHAPTER 1: Initial Operation - Brief Description
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1
1. Turn off your computer and all equipment attached to it.
2. Connectthepowercablesuppliedtothedesignatedpowerconnectoronthe
FREECOM drive. Do not yet plug the power supply into the power outlet.
3. Connect the drive plug of the FREECOM Cable II to the FREECOM device and
connect the other end to your computer.
4. Plug the power supply of the FREECOM drive into the power outlet.
5. To complete the rest of the installation procedure, refer to the manual for
the relevant Cable.
Drive plug
Cable II Parallel
(printer port)
Cable II PCMCIA (type II)
Cable II CardBus (type II)
Cable II USB
(USB port)
Cable II IEEE 1394
(FireWire/i.LINK)
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Initial Operation - Brief Description
1.1 Assigning the Drive Letter under Windows 95/98
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After successfully installing the FREECOM drive, a new drive letter is auto-
matically assigned (the first available letter after the internal hard drives). This
can shift the drive letter of an internal CD-ROM drive (for example, 'D' to 'E'). If
this leads to problems, it is possible to change the drive letter assignment as
follows.
1. Click "Start" - "Settings" - "Control Panel".
2. Click "System".
3. Click "Device Manager" and then click "CD-ROM".
4. Click the FREECOM drive, and then "Properties" - "Settings". (The currently
assigned drive letter as well as the reserved drive letters will then be
displayed).
5. Under "Reserved drive letter" enter a drive letter, for example, 'F' for the
FREECOM device as the "Start drive letter" and 'F' again as the "End drive
letter".
6. Confirm your selection with"OK“. When you restart your computer, the
FREECOM drive will be assigned the letter F in "My Computer".
1.2 Operating the FREECOM drives
The FREECOM drives are just as easy to use as an internal device.
OnebigadvantageofFREECOMdevicesistheirportability. Byconnectingtothe
cable interface, it is very easy to use the drive with various computer systems. All
you have to do is install the driver on each system as described in the user’s
manualfortheFREECOMCableII.InorderfortheFREECOMdrivetobecorrectly
recognized, you must reboot the system.
Toinsertandremovemedia(CDs, DVDs, CD-Rs, CD-RWs), presstheejectbutton.
It is only active when the drive is ready for operation.
Wheninsertingthemedium, pleasemakesurethattheprintedsideisfacingup.
Donottouchthebottomsideofthemedium.Fingerprintscanleadtoreaderrors
or even make your medium unusable.
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FREECOM Portable II Series
ONLY PORTABLE II CD-RW / COMBO CD-RW / DVD
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CHAPTER 2: Installing the Writing Software
AfterinstallingtheCable software,yourFREECOMPortableCD-RW/ComboCD-
RW / DVD is now able to read CD-ROMs.
To record a blank CD, you must first install the writing software (for the
masteringorthepacketwritingprocedure).Werecommendusingthesoftware
which has been provided with your drive.
The installation guide for the software is supplied on the same CD as the
software. After installing the recording software, the drive is fully operational.
Note: If you wish to use other software, please find out from the
supplier whether his products support the FREECOM Portable CD-RW /
Combo CD-RW / DVD.
CHAPTER 3: Special Instructions before Writing a CD
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•
•
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YoushouldrealizethatwritingCDsisprincipallyacompactdatatransmission
procedurewhichcanbedisruptedbyeventhesmallestmechanicaldisturbance.
Never cleantheCD-R/CD-RWdrivewithacommerciallyavailableCDoraCD-
ROM cleaning set. This can damage the drive.
Recordable CDs (blanks) are more sensitive than commercially available CDs.
Use only a solvent-free, non-abrasive marker when writing on a CD.
Do not stick any conventional labels on the CD-Rs, since the adhesive can
attack the medium. Special labels for CD-R media are available in retail
computerstores. NeverremovealabelfromaCD-Rmediaotherwiseyouwill
damage the protective layer and make the CD-R unusable.
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The drive recognizes the medium as soon as it is placed into the drive. CD-R
mediaarecompatiblewiththevastmajorityofCD-ROMdrivesandCDaudio
players and work in most DVD-ROM drives.
Note: For optimal results, use high quality CD-Rs, like FREECOM CD-R
80 min / 700 MB only.
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Special Instructions before Writing a CD
3.1 Preparing to write a CD
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Before creating a CD:
1. Byclicking "Start"-"Programs"-"Accessories"-"SystemTools"-"Scandisk"
check your hard disk with the Scandisk program.
2. By clicking "Start" - "Programs" - "Accessories" - "System Tools" - "Disk
Defragmenter" defragment your hard disk.
Note: Under Windows NT 4.0 you will need an additional software tool
for „Defragmentation“.
other preparations:
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No sleep mode setting / no multitasking
Closing all open windows and other running programs (Anti Virus)
Deactivating automatic recognition of CDs
(in the Device Manager under Windows 95/98/ME/2000)
Deactivating the screen saver
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Log out of the network before starting the writing procedure (if applicable)
Deactivate your modem
Note (FREECOM Cable II Parallel): For 4x writing speeds a fast EPP mode
is required.
3.2 Procedure for writing CDs
There are two procedures for creating and writing your CDs.
Mastering
Packet Writing
3.2.1 The Mastering procedure
is a procedure for creating data CDs according to industry standards. Data is
compiled onto a "Master CD" in one (session) or several (multisession) writing
procedures. During these procedures, the data is made compatible according to
various industry norms, allowing, for example, audio CDs to be read by any CD
player. The standards for new technology (for CD, video etc.) are prepared for
data storage in special readable formats. Special programs such as "Easy
Creator" are necessary to convert data into these specified formats. This type of
program is necessary for writing data CDs in ISO 9660 and Joliet formats as well
as for writing audio CDs, Mixed Mode CDs and Photo CDs.
Note: DataCDsinJolietformatareonlyreadableunderWindows95/98/
ME, Windows NT 4.0 and Windows 2000.
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FREECOM Portable II Series
3.2.2 The Packet Writing procedure
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can be used to create CDs without starting a special mastering program
beforehand. The Packet Writing procedure allows you to use blanks in
combination with the Universal Disc Format (UDF) as an additional hard disk or
floppy disk. Standard software for packet writing, e.g. „Direct CD“ (Roxio).
You can write files directly from any Windows application (WinWord) to the CD
using the same procedure as when writing to the hard disk. You can also copy
files to the CD using Windows explorer.
Note: We recommend using the software which has been provided with
your drive. If you wish to use other software, please find out from the
supplier whether his products support the FREECOM Portable CD-RW /
Combo CD-RW / DVD.
Afterwards, you can start the writing procedure by simply dragging the file to
be written in the Explorer/File Manager (Drag&Drop Principle), assuming there
is a UDF-formatted blank disk in your CD-RW drive.
A medium can only be written once with the CD-R drive and previously written
files can be deleted but not overwritten. The great advantage of the CD-RW
drive in conjunction with a CD-RW medium is that it allows you to rewrite the
medium.
Note: Please note that the mastering procedure and the packet writing
procedure can only be used seperately, therefore a mixing of these
procedures on one CD-RW is not possible.
3.3 Peculiarities when writing audio CDs
Please note that some older CD player models principally cannot read self-
written CDs.
Note: Audio files must have the proper format (stereo, 16 bit and 44.1
kHzsamplingfrequency)andmustbesupportedbythewritingsoftware,
for example, *.wav. Some programs offer conversion functions.
Soundcards and the software that come with them can also be used.
Please note that *.wav files cannot or have supported formats such as:
mono, 8 bit.
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Making Data or Audio CDs
3.4 Making Data or Audio CDs
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The easiest way to make an audio or data CD is using the "CD Guide". The "CD
Guide" appears when you first start "Easy CD Creator" and guides you step-by-
step to make a simple data or audio CD.
Note: Detailed information on working with Easy CD Creator is to be
found in the enclosed brief descriptions and in the software's Help
Topics on the CD-recording software CD.
15
FREECOM Portable II Series
CHAPTER 4: Troubleshooting
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4
General problems (depending on the type of connection)
If you still have problems getting your FREECOM drive to function properly
despite having installed it correctly, then please check whether
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the FREECOM Cable II is properly connected to your FREECOM drive
the drive is being supplied with power
the tray can be opened and closed
your system meets the hardware requirements (see pages 5/6)
If the computer crashes during the software installation or when trying to run
the software from the disk
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do not use any memory manager such as QEMM
disable the system's Power Management.
check if all the requirements contained in the instructions on the disk have
been fulfilled.
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check if the FREECOM device is properly connected to the Cable
check if the drive is being supplied with power when you boot your system
If audio playback does not work, please check if
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the loudspeaker is properly connected
the cables are firmly connected
the loudspeaker control on the amplifier or on the active loudspeakers is
correctly set
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the audio software is correctly installed.
If your FREECOM drive appears to have problems accessing a CD after a long
period of time, please use a lens cleaning set which you can purchase at your
local computer retailer.
Note:PleasenotethatCD-RWdrives (FREECOMPortableCD-RW/Combo
CD-RW / DVD) must never be cleaned with a lens cleaning set!
16
Troubleshooting
In addition, for the parallel port
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Use a slower transmission mode (EPP)
If possible, switch the parallel port to another mode or to another address.
If the printer is not working correctly, please check if
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the printer has been properly connected
the FREECOM System was switched on
the printer software is set to unidirectional communication
Note: When installing a printer for the first time under Windows 95/98
and DOS/Windows 3.x, the printer should be directly connected to
the PC.
17
FREECOM Portable II Series
FREECOM Internet Service
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FREECOM Technologies makes the following service available in the Internet
under www.freecom.com
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Online information about technical problems
current product information
Drivers, driver updates and software information
Support Hotline
The following hotlines are available if you still are unable to get your FREECOM
device to work properly after reading the manual and the suggestions for
correcting errors:
Hotline
Email
France & Belgique (F)
Nederland & België (N)
Schweiz (D)
+31 (0) 15 888 0110
+41 (0) 848 88 99 10
+41 (0) 848 88 77 10
Suisse (F)
All other countries:
Please apply to your local FREECOM Reseller or email to:
If possible, try to call from a phone near your computer.
Please have the following information on hand for your call:
•
the serial number on the rear side of your FREECOM drive and the serial no
of the Cable II
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the revision no. of the Cable driver disk/CD
information on the power supply
the version number of your operating system and the software you are
having problems with
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the precise error description or error message displayed
the name and the model of your computer and, in case it is needed, the
installed hardware
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Is the problem reproduced every time?
Has this problem occurred before? If it is a new one, have you recently
changed your system configuration?
18
Glossary - List of key words
CHAPTER 5: Glossary - List of key words
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Audio CD
See CD-DA
Bridge Disk
CDs which can be read by CD-ROM/XA drives and CD-I players, for example a
Kodak Photo CD.
Blue Book
Specification for CD-Extra (formerly CD-Plus)
Buffer underrun
When the write memory of the drive is empty, the writing procedure will be
terminated The flow of data from the system to the drive was insufficient.
Either the transfer rate is too low for the writing speed or there was an
interruption in the data flow.
CD-DA
CD-DA stands for "CD Digital Audio" and is the known audio CD standard
described in the Red Book. It contains audio data – that is to say music – and can
be played back in CD-ROM drives which support audio CDs as well as in normal
CD players in stereo systems.
The audio data is stored as so-called "frames" with a length of 1/75 of a second.
44,100 audio signal samples are stored per second. Each sample uses two bytes
(16 bit), and two channels are stored (left and right). This results in a sector size
of 44,1000 x 2x 2 /75 = 2352 bytes per frame which corresponds to the size of a
physical block on a CD.
CD-I
CD-Interactive, special CD format defined in the Green Book The CD-I track is
not entered into the TOC (CD directory). Thus, the audio tracks can be listened
to on a normal CD player. To access a CD-I track, an appropriate drive is required.
Some older CD players incorrectly recognize the CD-I track as an audio track
and attempt to play it back accordingly.
CD-R
CompactDisc-Recordable, designation for recordable CDs
CD-ROM (Single and Multisesssion)
CD-ROM describes a CD which contains computer data much like a hard disk.
CD-XA
XA stands for "Extended Architecture" and is a standard for Multimedia CDs
containing audio and computer data.
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FREECOM Portable II Series
Defragmenting
A hard disk can be defragmented using the DOS command 'defrag' or a similar
tool from other operating systems. Due to the fact that files are constantly
deleted and new ones written to the hard disk, files are no longer grouped
together in physically contiguous blocks but instead are scattered, i.e.
fragmented, over the entire hard disk. Defragmentation rewrites the files so
that they are „put back“ together again. This does not affect the directory
structure or the data contents. The advantage of defragmentation is that it
allows files to be accessed quicker by simplifying the searching process. We
strongly recommend defragmenting your hard disk before writing a CD.
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Disc-at-Once
Not all drives support the procedure of writing a CD in a single process. As soon
as the disc/CD is complete, it can no longer be written to (single session CD).
EPP
EPP stands for Enhanced Parallel Port and refers to an extended standard of
the parallel interface which allows higher data transfer rates and makes it
possible to connect several devices.
ECP
stands for Extended Capability Port and is a more powerful version of the EPP.
Finalizing/ End disc / Close disc
Completely finishing a CD. Necessary (according to Red Book regulations) for
audio CDs which cannot be read by normal reading devices (CD players) if they
have not been finalized. Also, the definitive end of a data CD. It is not possible
to write anything else on a finalized CD.
Finalization consists of a lead-in and a lead-out (as with fixing) with a final
table of contents. Because only one lead-in and one lead-out are permitted on
an audio CD, any fixing here will automatically finish the CD.
Fixing
Writing a lead-in and lead-out area for a session. This concludes the session. All
data from the session and from any previous sessions can be read by normal CD-
ROMs.Thisprocessrequiresanenormousamountofspace,usingupapproximately
15 MB. This space is definitively lost for other recordings. This means that less
data can be written on multisession CDs than on single session CDs.
20
Glossary
Green Book
Specification for CD-I.
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5
High Sierra/High Sierra Format
The Hotel in Nevada, USA where in 1985 the foundation was laid for determining
the file systems for CDs. The efforts of the group which came to be known as
the "High Sierra Group" led to the standard ISO 9660, the most common file
system for CDs. A CD that conforms to this standard is at times still referred to
as a "High Sierra" CD. The original High Sierra format has almost died out; as a
rule, ISO 9660 is used instead.
Image File
see physical image
ISO 9660
ISO 9660 describes the requirements a CD file system has to fulfill. This allows a
CD to be used universally.
Only the capital letters from A to Z, the digits 0 to 9 and the underscore symbol
are permitted for file and directory names. Diacritical marks (Ä, Ö, Ü), foreign
characters and punctuation marks (ß, ?, ! etc.) as well as hyphens are not
permitted. The filename can have a max. of 8 characters, the extension only up
to 3. The filename must be at least one character in length, for example 'A'. A
version number (1 to 32767) can be appended (for example 'A.B;1'). A maximum
directory hierarchy of eight levels is permitted whereby the root is considered
the first level. The ISO 9660 employs specifications of the High Sierra Group
and is for that reason also called the High Sierra format. There are also other
file systems ( for example, Joliet for Win95 or HFS for Apple Macintosh) which,
however, can only be recognized on these types of systems.
Joliet
CD file system that supports long filenames and can be used under Windows
95. For full compatibility to DOS, an ISO 9660 file system must be created. This
is a part of the complete Joliet system.
Lead-In
The lead-in is a data area at the beginning of a CD-R session. This area contains
the directory (table of contents TOC) of a session. The lead-in is written together
with the lead-out of a session. Every lead-in uses 4500 sectors (approx. 9 MB) on
the CD.
Lead-Out
The lead-out marks the physical end of a session and does not contain any data.
Itiswrittentogetherwiththelead-in.Thefirstlead-outofaCDuses6750sectors
(approx. 13 MB), all following ones 2250 sectors (approx. 4 MB).
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FREECOM Portable II Series
Mixed Mode CDs
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A CD which contains both computer data and audio data is known as a Mixed
Mode CD. The computer data is stored on the first track. All the other tracks
contain audio data. Modern CD players do not reproduce the first track. Older
models, however, will try to "play back" the computer data which, in some
cases, can cause damage to the stereo system.
Multisession
A data CD can be written in several sessions. This must be set accordingly while
writing. Typical instances where multisession CDs are used are regular backups
and Photo CDs which are gradually filled up.
Multitasking
Windows allows you to open several windows simultaneously. This is known as
multitasking. When writing CDs, only the writing software window should be
open (running), for full and exclusive use of the computer's resources. Screen
savers, modems and network functions should be deactivated as they all use up
computer resources which, in extreme cases, may disrupt the writing process.
On-the-Fly
Writing directly onto a CD-R without creating a physical image. If it is not possible
to gain fast access to the source files, the writing process cannot be carried out
successfully ("Buffer Underrun"). Only small amounts of data with simple data
structure should be written On-the-Fly. The source files should be copied onto
the hard disk.
Orange Book
The Orange Book contains the specifications for CD-R (recordable CDs). These
CDs contain no information other than some special data (ATIP Codes), and
they can be written according to any of the other color book standards.
Manufacturers of blank CDs have to abide by the regulations in the Orange
Book.
Packet Writing
A method of writing CDs which makes it possible to write data in smaller blocks
(packets)thanisthecasewiththeusualTrack-at-OnceorDisc-at-Onceprocedures.
This procedure allows data blocks to be written onto the CD-R without having
tofinishtheparticulartrack.AfurtheradvantageofPacketWritingisthesimple
updating of existing files. Data can be simply added without having to rewrite
the file directory each time.
22
Glossary
Physical Image
Before writing a CD, an identical 1:1 copy of the new CD is created on the hard
disk. The file will be the size of the record (i.e. up to 650 MB). Creating a physical
image requires a certain amount of processing which is not necessary for writing.
For the writing procedure, only the file to be written is transferred. The CPU
load ( C entral P rocessing U nit) remains small and cannot cause disruption.
When creating several identical CDs, the physical image is less time-consuming
because the processing mentioned above only has to be carried out once.
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"Raw" Files
A "raw" file contains data which is already in CD format. It can be directly
written without further modification. One "raw" file corresponds to one track.
For example, a "raw" audio file can be used as the contents of one CD-DA
track. Image files are "raw" files.
Red Book
Specification for audio CDs.
Session
A session is one sitting with the recorder. Audio CDs are always single sessions.
Data CDs can be recorded over several sittings and the CDs can be used right
from the start (multisession). However, the CDs can only be recognized by
reading devices once they have been fully recorded and fixed.
Single session
The CD is recorded in one sitting (session). Audio CDs are always single session
CDs.
Thermal Calibration
Procedure for adapting hard disks to the effects of thermal expansion. The hard
disk cannot be accessed while it is calibrating. This can be a sufficient amount of
time to empty the driver's buffer space. This leads to a 'buffer underrun' which
will interrupt the writing procedure and will render the blank disc unusable. It
is not possible to control the moment at which calibration takes place. If no
calibration occurred beforehand but happens during writing, even a test-run of
the drive can occur. This type of hard disk is unsuitable as a source drive (or for
physical and virtual images).
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FREECOM Portable II Series
TOC
Table of Contents, Directory of the CD. The table of contents documents not
only the number of tracks but also their starting position and the total length
of the data area of the disc.
GB
5
Track
a track is a section of the CD. Every audio title has its own track. In contrast, all
the data of a data CD is contained within a single track. A Mixed-Mode CD has
a data track (track 1) and audio tracks. The data track cannot be played back
with an audio player. Older devices can produce a whistling sound which can
damage your stereo system. The data track for CDs conforming to the Blue
Book standard (CD-Extra, CD-Plus) is located at the end of the CD.
Track-at-Once
"Track-at-Once"isamethodofwritingbywhichalltracksarewrittenindividually.
FordataCDsthereisnosignificantdifferenceto"Disc-at-Once";however,agap
of two seconds is appended to every track of an audio CD.
Some CD recorders can only write according to this method.
Virtual Image
The data structure of a CD is different to those of other media. The writing
program must first convert the data in to an appropriate form before it sends it
to the recorder. The virtual image is constantly updated during the writing
procedure. This requires a computer system with enough power to handle the
complexity of the data. The virtual image requires approx. 30MB of free hard
disk space. It is automatically deleted after the writing procedure. Writing with
virtual images is also known as "On-the-Fly." If problems occur (insufficient
data transfer rates), you should use physical images to separate the image
creation and data transfer/writing processes.
Yellow Book
Specification for CD-ROM (data CDs) and CD-ROM XA.
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