CD - DVD pinouts

Is the pinout for CD-ROM & DVD devices in laptops standardized? Can I replace a CD-ROM with a
different manufacturers recordable CD device?

 

In my limited experience of swapping maybe half a dozen 1/2" optical drivers, the pinouts (and the chassis) are standard. Individual manufacturers then use their own plug adaptors and fixing brackets.

The one possible issue with interchangeability is that the IDE channel used by the ODD is set in the firmware. In the majority of notebooks the ODD uses the secondary IDE channel and does not share it with any other device, in which case it does not matter if it is master or slave. However, on some notebooks the ODD shares an IDE channel with another device in which case any replacement has to have the same setting as the existing ODD.

John

 

Is there a compatability list of various manufaturers somewhere?

I did find this: http://pinouts.ru/DiskCables/cdrom_40to50_pinout.shtml

From this sheet it looks like pins 49 & 50 may be a problem. Is this right or have I missed something?

TIA

 

So pins 49 and 50 might be a problem, but the rest is standardised.

All the notebook ODDs I've encountered have a socket like the attached, to which the notebook vendors make their own connector or adaptor plug. (I've checked - there are 50 contacts in that socket).

There is a high level of compatibility and interchangeability between these notebook ODDs. As with HDDs, the notebook manufacturers want stand interchangeable components so that they can swap parts according to availability and price while retaining (or improving) the overall equipment specification.

John