GUIDE: Use a PC-CDROM lens in your Dreamcast

[elmagicochrisg]

Also, wouldn't modifiying Dreamcast using a PC-CDROM lens allow Dreamcast to read Windows 98/2000/XP games?

No. The Dreamcast can already read CD-R's as is. Assuming the Dreamcast chipset is fine with reading PC games due to Windows CE compatibility, it's probably due to BIOS coding of some sort. You know, that strange ring on the disc, near the hole in the centre.

It should be fine reading CD-Rs as it is. It just doesn't know what to do with them since DCs are not designed to process the kind of information that is on them. Some games have been ported though. There's this one trilogy from the makers of Halo that got ported. Marathon. You can even play it with the keyboard. You can't save though. So good luck with that... lol

[Alec1382]

No. The Dreamcast can already read CD-R's as is. Assuming the Dreamcast chipset is fine with reading PC games due to Windows CE compatibility, it's probably due to BIOS coding of some sort. You know, that strange ring on the disc, near the hole in the centre.

It should be fine reading CD-Rs as it is. It just doesn't know what to do with them since DCs are not designed to process the kind of information that is on them.

Yeah, that's what I meant.

[atreyu187]

Anyone happen to still have this guide with pictures?

[MrAlextov]

It looks like pictures are f*** up. The original pictures replaced with fake.

[SMiTH]

Once I get another broken dreamcast,

I am going to try and swap the lens another way... (not using the replacement pc cd rom ribbon cable etc.) Since it is very hard to find a PC CD-ROM ribbon cable that matches the DC's ribbon cable. And I dont want to cut the replacement ribbon cable to fit the laser assembly. This is what makes it hard to find a compatible laser lens to swap.

I have some laser lenses that I have removed from a few 1999-2003 PC CD-ROM drives. (there is a cable and there are 2 magnets holding the laser lens in place)

If you look at the actual laser lens, after you remove it from the cable and magnets... you can see that there are 4 solder points.

I am simply going to solder the new pc cd rom laser lens at those 4 points to the dc laser lens assembly. Then adjust the potentiometer.

It should work??

IF it does I will post an update.

[WildCard]

Once I get another broken dreamcast,

I am going to try and swap the lens another way... (not using the replacement pc cd rom ribbon cable etc.) Since it is very hard to find a PC CD-ROM ribbon cable that matches the DC's ribbon cable. And I dont want to cut the replacement ribbon cable to fit the laser assembly. This is what makes it hard to find a compatible laser lens to swap.

I have some laser lenses that I have removed from a few 1999-2003 PC CD-ROM drives. (there is a cable and there are 2 magnets holding the laser lens in place)

If you look at the actual laser lens, after you remove it from the cable and magnets... you can see that there are 4 solder points.

I am simply going to solder the new pc cd rom laser lens at those 4 points to the dc laser lens assembly. Then adjust the potentiometer.

It should work??

IF it does I will post an update.

Interesting... let us know how it turns out for sure.

[Jinx]

[redacted]

[MrAlextov]

And I Thinked almost the same thing. Dreamcast for Homebrew games. At the top I would add Green Swirl Dreamcast logo and use it for Homebrew games/programs. Or just take the dead Dreamcast and to add an SD mod to load games from there.

[Impulse]

Updated topic with correct tutorial images. Thanks to drmcst for re uploading the correct images to the web!

[SMiTH]

Well I finally got around to swapping a pc cd rom laser lens for dreamcast laser lens. I tried 3 different pc cd rom drives until i finally got one to work perfectly. I used an old NEC pc cd rom drive and had to tweak the potentiometer a bit but it works perfectly for retail GD-ROM games and backups.

In fact I would have to say it works better than a stock dreamcast laser. What was nice about the NEC pc cd rom laser lens was that it fit the plastic gear piece perfectly with the stock screws. I had to remove the top portion of the stock dreamcast gd rom drive, and removed the plastic piece on top of NEC laser lens. Also as guide says the dreamcast gd-rom ribbon cable will leave 1 pin unattached.

It is nice to have a Model 0 dreamcast working like new if not better than originally manufactured. Thanks for the guide and I will try to get a few other dreamcasts fixed using this method in the future.

*You can find old pc cd rom drives at thrift stores, flea markets, etc. So this is not a bad investment for increasing the dreamcasts shelf life. Maybe this will also be beneficial in using backups and not worrying about damage to lens since it is using a superior pc cd laser lens? who knows time will tell. Next up I want to do a link83 bios mod and add ide HDD to DC