Philips ROLLITE ROLLATOR 65100 User Manual

A new addition to the Philipsintelligent drivefeatures,  
Seamless Link acts to manage and minimise  
the effects of buffer under run (BUR), a common cause  
of wasted discs during the CD writing process.  
INTRODUCTION  
Today, burning discs with a CD writer has become a common method of storing and  
distributing data, text, video and audio files for PC users. With advances in writer speeds  
and performance, greater ease of use, improved writing application software with  
drag-and-dropfunctionality, and simple Graphical User Interfaces (GUI),  
users today require less time and hassle when burning their first disc.  
Other advances in CD writing are related to write integrity, and ensuring optimal writing  
on nearly all media, as example, with Philips Thermo Balanced Writing (TBW) and Self  
Learning strategies.  
However, even with exponential strides in ease of use, and a mainstream place in new PC  
systems for CD writers, users, especially those with older systems, still face an occasional  
buffer under run error message. A less frequent error for users of new PC systems,  
BUR is still an annoying problem.  
While first addressing the problem via a software solution (Ultra-Buffer in co-operation  
with AHEAD), Philips now takes the solution a step further, by placing the solution  
on boardthe CD writer. For both users of new and older systems, Philips Seamless Link  
on boardoffers an excellent management solution for BUR without tying users to a  
specific application software provider.  
ABOUT BUFFER UNDER RUN (BUR)  
Buffer under run can occur when the usersPC or a host PC cannot supply a steady and uninterrupted flow  
of data from the data source, typically a CD ROM or HDD, to the internal DRAM buffer of the CD writer  
(writer buffer) (Fig. 1). If this transfer of data to the drive writer buffer is interrupted, then the buffer is not  
kept full (Fig. 2). If the interuption is long enough, the "writer buffer" gets empty, the writing process stops  
and the disc is ruined (Fig. 3). Buffer under run occurs most frequently when users are writing to a CD-R or  
CD-RW disc in either Track-at-Once (TAO) or Disc-at-Once (DAO) mode.  
The causes of BUR have been numerous and are related to the PC system, the system configuration or set up,  
and the CD writer itself. Most sources of BUR have been reduced in newer PC systems (with faster CPUs  
and HDDs with transparent Thermal Recalibration), and by improvements in both  
CD writer and the application software.  
Fig. 1, Typical CD writing process: The data that needs to be written on the disc is transferred from the  
source over the system bus, and is put into the DRAM buffer of the CD writer. From this buffer, the data  
is put onto a disc in the writing process.  
CD writer  
Internal DRAM buffer,“writer buffer”  
compensates for short interruptions  
in the data stream  
Fig. 2, Typical CD writing process: Short interruptions in the transfer of the data over the IDE bus will cause  
the writer buffer level to drop.  
CD writer  
If the data stream is interrupted, the speed at which  
the data is sent to the writer is lower than the speed  
at which the data is written to the CD  
=> the level of the writer buffer  
will drop.  
After the interruption, the writer  
buffer level will rise again  
Fig. 3, Typical CD writing process: Buffer under run occurs and results in writing failure, disc is ruined.  
CD writer  
Writer buffer level drops to 0%  
· No more data available to write to the CD  
·Writing stops => BUR  
BUR occurs when this  
stream is interrupted  
Several primary sources of BUR are:  
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
Insufficient PC processing power (low speed CPU, DRAM size, no DMA support)  
System configuration not optimal (DMA switched off)  
Too much user interaction during CD writing (launching or running additional applications)  
Insufficient performance of the source drive (CD ROM or HDD in user system or network)  
Insufficient performance from the mastering software, espec. at higher recording speeds  
Insufficient performance of the writer (not enough internal memory or buffer)  
Scratched or dirty media (source drive needs multiple retries to successfully read)  
BUR MANAGEMENT FROM PHILIPS!  
Seamless Link, the Philips solution, is a BUR management solution that is on boardthe drive and prevents  
a lost disc when a buffer under run occurs during TAO or DAO writing. Detecting the clues of a imminent  
BUR ahead of time, Seamless Link pauses the writing in a controlled way, and restarts the writing when the  
danger of the BUR is gone. The result is effective with most older systems, when proper system set-up is done,  
and Seamless Link works transparently with most writing application software.  
The primary benefits to users of both new and older PC systems are:  
·
·
The Philips "intelligent drive" pro actively manages the consequences of a BUR during CD writing  
The solution allows users greater ability to launch and run other applications..., or surf the web,  
while burning a CD.  
Although Seamless Link is an excellent tool for managing the impact of BUR when it occurs, Seamless Link  
does not improve writing quality.  
For improvements in writng quality, refer to the Philips' Thermo-Balanced Writing (TBW) white paper.  
HOW SEAMLESS LINKWORKS  
The Seamless Link algorithm (Fig. 4), constantly monitors the writer buffer level. If the writer buffer level  
drops below a threshold value, the algorithm concludes that a BUR is imminent and stops the writing process  
in a controlled way. This means that the data stream from the buffer to the disc is halted, and allows the  
buffer to be filled up again.  
The exact location where the writing stopped is stored in the drives internal memory. In the meantime,  
the buffer level is continuously monitored and as soon as the buffer is full again, the algorithm will let the  
drive seek to the location where the writing stopped. It then resumes the writing process as soon as the laser  
is on the exact spot where the writing stopped. This type of writing eliminates the gap, which occurs between  
two individual writing operations during traditional writing. Hence the name Seamless Link.  
Fig. 4, The Seamless Link algorithm:  
SUMMARY  
Seamless Link offers excellent management of BUR incidents when writing CD discs in Track-at-Once (TAO)  
or Disc-at-Once (DAO) mode. By utilising the Seamless Link algorithm to monitor the CD writer buffer,  
chances of a ruined or wasted disc are made remote.  
In addition, Seamless Link gives end users greater confidence in running other applications during the CD  
writing process, AND freedom from the time and frustration of retries due to a buffer under run incident.  
© Philips Optical Storage N.V. 2001  
All rights are reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part is prohibited without the prior written consent of the copyright owner.  
The information presented in this document does not form part of any quotation or contract, is believed to be accurate and reliable and may be changed  
without notice. No liability will be accepted by the publisher for any consequence of its use.Publication thereof does not convey nor imply any license  
under patent- or other industrial or intellectual property rights.  
Date of release: July 2001  
Document order number: 3104 145 50609  
Printed in The Netherlands  

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