Synopsis
The Compact Disc (CD), as a standardized information carrier, has become one of the most successful consumer products ever marketed. Although the original disc was intended for audio playback, its specific advantages opened very quickly the way towards various computer applications. The standardization of the Compact Disc Read-Only Memory (CD-ROM) and of all succeeding similar products, like Compact Disc interactive (CD-i), Photo and Video CD, CD Recordable (CD-R), and CD Rewritable (CD R/W), has substantially enlarged the range of possible applications. The plastic disc represented from the very beginning a removable medium of large storage capacity. The advent of the personal computer accompa nied by the increasing demand for both data distribution and exchange have strongly marked the evolution of the CD-ROM drive. The number of sold CD-ROM units exceeded 60 millions in 1997 when compared to about 2.5 millions in 1992. As computing power continuously improved over the years, computer pe ripherals have also targeted better performance specifications. In particular, the speed of CD-ROM drives increased from the so-called 1X in 1984 to dou ble speed in 1992, and further to 32X at the beginning of 1998. The average time needed to access data on disc has dropped from about 300 ms to less than 90 ms within the same period of time.
From the Publisher
The CD-ROM Drive is the first to describe all the system aspects of CD-ROM drive design, discussing all the building blocks from optics to host interface. The various subsystems of CD-ROM drives and their functions are described separately and all relevant aspects are covered, from mechanical, optical and electrical to control and information processing. In addition, new aspects relating to high- and very high-speed drives are introduced and discussed. All these points, as well as those relating to drive benchmarking and performance, combine to make this book a unique contribution to the field. The CD-ROM Drive, although dedicated to the CD-ROM system, is also a valuable reference for other compact disc systems such as CD-Recordable or Digital Versatile Disc (DVD). Containing more than fifty figures and a comprehensive list of references, the book is an invaluable source for specialists in the field and designers of CD-ROM drives. It will also appeal to students interested in combined mechatronics subjects. (Copyright 1998, Kluwer Academic Publishers)
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