Anonymous CD-ROM

I pulled a quite modern (2 years) optical drive from an old Win PC. I posted its model number on Google and found the manufacturer to be someone named Generic , made in China, Hotlink Corporation. There is no brand name on the unit's case, nor is it actually identified as a CD-ROM. Its retail price new is US$4.75!!!

I connected the 'bare' drive to my Mac via IDE-USB adaptor. The unit powered on, the drive bay opened, I inserted a commercial music CD, and ... absolutely nothing. I tried different connection sequences, no joy. I can only assume the unit worked in the Win environment.

Not that it's vitally important, and the unit will finish up at the recycling centre anyway, but can anyone shed light on why it doesn't work? [I have 4 other 'bare' units, Lite-On, Matshita and Pioneer, all pulled from dismantled computers, they all work via the adaptor.]

About the only thing I can think of - it isn't receiving enough power from the USB connection to turn on the optical light??

Regards.

Thank you chsaq, it's a mains-powered unit. It would appear that the CD-ROM needs cable connection out to a sound card (as it was in its original configuration). I thought the USB factor would take care of that, but apparently not.

Ah. Yea, I remember now I had an older "Generic" (no name made in China) drive in a desktop PC I used for awhile. It came with a small two wire cable which hooked to the sound card. But that was ages ago. I would have thought a recent (two years old) drive had no need for a sound cable and could function without it by using the digital signal.

Regards.

chscag said:

I would have thought a recent (two years old) drive had no need for a sound cable and could function without it by using the digital signal.

Click to expand...

Agreed, which is why I posted the question, even though the drive is destined for recycling. I couldn't fathom why such a modern unit (Oct 06) simply would not work. Must be something in the controller that requires interface with a sound card (which is also destined for lesser things). The IBM machine from which the components came is old, perhaps ten years. See http://www.mac-forums.com/forums/anything-goes/132475-what-do.html
Cheers!