Inverse activity LEDs on DVD Burner

Test run for inverse activity LED lighting on a Samsung SH-S203 DVD Burner.
The LEDs are running from the 5v line on the SATA connector, 85 ohm resistors, and a PNP transistor. The stock activity LED is wired to the transistor base to switch off the LEDs.
The drive will also have a window mod, so the LEDs light up the drive, and flicker OFF on activity.
More info on this project at reki.idleentity.net

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• dvd
• optical
• cdrom
• cd
• drive
• modding
• mod
• LED
• computer
• pc
• custom

[killerob666]

WHAT"S THE POInT OF THIS?

[grahamlord86]

@killerob666 @artie2099 The drive was part of a modified custom PC. It was mounted vertically in the case, with window side panels, so the user could see the entire workings of the drive in action.

[grahamlord86]

Car analogy: The engine is hot, you shouldn't open the bonnet.

The laser in an optical drive is off unless it's reading a disc, in which case the disc is on top of the laser so you can't see it.

I've no idea how your mate managed direct exposure.

The only easy to view laser in an optical drive is the check laser, which clicks on for about a second to check if a disc is present when the drive loads. This laser is focused to about 2mm above the lens, so it's pretty hard to get direct exposure.

[mnthorpe]

i apologise for my vague synonym, i use class 5 to reprisent the 2 tired class 3 laser, a bad habbit i know. as for the class 4 yes i agree that consumor electronics are likely to be around 3A or 3B so i a happy to retract the above regarding the class in use however my point stays that i have had first hand knowledge of peoples eyesight harmed irreversably by reading laser damage. you may alos notice from the comment contrast i was in fact drunk when writing the first comment.

[artie2099]

that was rediculous

[TheYomamaLandon]

@mnthorpe

damn i never knew it was this serious thanks for posting this comment

[sonicxlc123]

that the coolest cd driver i have ever seen thumb up!

[Lokivoid]

@mnthorpe

DVD writeing diodes max at Class 3B Allso there is no such thing as a Class 5, the max rating in classification system is Class 4.

[Messerschmitt262a2a]

can you make a video how to build the activity leds? i didn´t find it on the homepage... also, does that work on hard drives (ide and sata), too?

[techforumz]

As long as you don't look straight at it, you're fine. I did that with a DVD player once, you can see a red dot on the disc, but it won't propagate much beyond that. And I was watching it from an angle.