On Thu, 21 Feb 2008 07:50:37 -0000, "N Cook" put
finger to keyboard and composed:

Franc Zabkar wrote in message
.. .
On Tue, 19 Feb 2008 12:26:46 -0000, "N Cook" put
finger to keyboard and composed:

N Cook wrote in message
...
Franc Zabkar wrote in message
...
On Mon, 18 Feb 2008 15:52:51 -0000, "N Cook" put
finger to keyboard and composed:



Maybe I'm confused, but I think you'll find that's Cirrus Logic. In
1991 Cirrus Logic acquired Crystal Semiconductor.

all electros check out
27MHz oscillation at the crystal oscillator and 5V is passed through the
gatekeeper KIA70 31AP and 3.3V rail is continuous to the Crystal chip

Sorry, I don't have a reference design circuit for that chip. All I
can suggest is to disconnect the IDE cable from the DVD drive to see
if that is hanging up the machine.

- Franc Zabkar


Standard linearised graphic logo of Crystal on the main chip

Yes, already tried disconnecting the deck. The owner seemed cagey , when I
asked about any precepitatory events. I don't know anything about DVDs , I
have no personal use for the things either.
I get the impression it is possible to download software fudges to disable
regionalisation etc. If the owner did this with some corrupted source could
that action have caused a hardware latch-up, or do manufacturer's
deliberately put a close-down function in there. ?

Most region free procedures involve a key sequence on the remote
control. Others require a disc.

If the owner botched a firmware upgrade, then I don't know how you
would recover from it, unless the machine had a removeable EEPROM or
EPROM, in which case you could reprogram it in a device programmer.
Otherwise, if your chipset is anything like my Sunplus chipset, then
you would force the CPU into "boot trap mode" (by means of a jumper)
and then use an RS232C serial dongle to upload the correct firmware.

I can see there is a disc in the drive, but I've not dismantled to remove
it, (no mechanical functions, switch responses or display).
If I dismantle it and find a home-blown disc , what could I infer from that?

You should be able to test the IDE DVD loader in a PC. If faulty, then
try replacing it with a standard IDE DVD-ROM drive, if you can make it
fit. BTDT.

- Franc Zabkar
--
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