No part of this manual, including the products and software described in it, may be
reproduced, transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system, or translated into any
language in any form or by any means, except documentation kept by the purchaser for
backup purposes, without the express written permission of ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC.
(“ASUS”).
Product warranty or service will not be extended if: (1) the product is repaired, modified or
altered, unless such repair, modification of alteration is authorized in writing by ASUS; or (2)
the serial number of the product is defaced or missing.
ASUS PROVIDES THIS MANUAL “AS IS” WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER
EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES
OR CONDITIONS OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
IN NO EVENT SHALL ASUS, ITS DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES OR AGENTS BE
LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES
(INCLUDING DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF PROFITS, LOSS OF BUSINESS, LOSS OF USE
OR DATA, INTERRUPTION OF BUSINESS AND THE LIKE), EVEN IF ASUS HAS BEEN
ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES ARISING FROM ANY DEFECT OR
ERROR IN THIS MANUAL OR PRODUCT.
SPECIFICATIONS AND INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS MANUAL ARE FURNISHED
FOR INFORMATIONAL USE ONLY, AND ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE AT ANY TIME
WITHOUT NOTICE, AND SHOULD NOT BE CONSTRUED AS A COMMITMENT BY ASUS.
ASUS ASSUMES NO RESPONSIBILITY OR LIABILITY FOR ANY ERRORS OR
INACCURACIES THAT MAY APPEAR IN THIS MANUAL, INCLUDING THE PRODUCTS
AND SOFTWARE DESCRIBED IN IT.
Products and corporate names appearing in this manual may or may not be registered
trademarks or copyrights of their respective companies, and are used only for identification or
explanation and to the owners’ benefit, without intent to infringe.
Electrical and audio specifications ............................. 26
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Notices
Federal Communications Commission Statement
This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the
following two conditions:
•This device may not cause harmful interference, and
•This device must accept any interference received including interference that
may cause undesired operation.
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B
digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to
provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential
installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency
energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with manufacturer’s
instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However,
there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If
this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception,
which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is
encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following
measures:
•Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
•Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver
•Connect the equipment to an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the
receiver is connected.
•Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.
WARNING! The use of shielded cables for connection of the monitor to the
graphics card is required to assure compliance with FCC regulations. Changes
or modifications to this unit not expressly approved by the party responsible for
compliance could void the user’s authority to operate this equipment.
Canadian Department of Communications Statement
This digital apparatus does not exceed the Class B limits for radio noise emissions
from digital apparatus set out in the Radio Interference Regulations of the
Canadian Department of Communications.
This class B digital apparatus complies with Canadian ICES-003.
4
ASUS CRW-5232AS-U external CD-RW
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ASUS contact information
ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. (Asia-Pacific)
Address150 Li-Te Road, Peitou, Taipei, Taiwan 112
Telephone+886-2-2894-3447
Web sitewww.asus.com.tw
Address44370 Nobel Drive, Fremont, CA 94538, USA
Fax+1-510-608-4555
E-mailtmd1@asus.com
Web siteusa.asus.com
Technical Support
Telephone (General)+1-502-995-0883
(Notebook)+1-510-739-3777
Support fax+1-502-933-8713
Support e-mailtsd@asus.com
ASUS COMPUTER GmbH (Germany and Austria)
AddressHarkort Str. 25, D-40880 Ratingen, Germany
Telephone+49-2102-95990
Fax+49-2102-959911
Online contactwww.asuscom.de/sales
Technical Support
Telephone+49-2102-95990
Fax+49-2102-959911
Online supportwww.asuscom.de/support
Web sitewww.asuscom.de/news
ASUS COMPUTER (Middle East and North Africa)
AddressP.O. Box 64133, Dubai, U.A.E.
Telephone+9714-283-1774
Fax+9714-283-1775
Web sitewww.ASUSarabia.com
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Safety information
Observe the following precautions before installing and using the drive!
Installation Notices
Do not place this device in an
unstable position, or in one that
vibrates.
Do not place this device in areas
where there is direct sunlight,
high humidity, or damp condition.
Do not use or place this device
near magnetic fields, televisions,
or radios, where there is
interference that may affect the
performance of the drive.
Do not attempt to disassemble or
repair the drive. Opening the drive
may result to exposure to laser
radiation.
6
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Page 7
Using the device
•Use of any controls, adjustments, or procedures other than those
specified in this manual may result to hazardous radiation exposure.
•Do not attempt to disassemble the drive.
•Do not move the device from a cold to a warm or hot environment.
Drastic change of temperature is harmful to the device.
•Before moving or uninstalling the drive, remove disc from it, if any.
•Prevent liquids or any metal to get into the device. If this situation
occurs, contact your retailer for help.
•Do not use any evaporating solvents to clean the device. If you
accidentally sprayed any solvent on the device, use a clean cloth to
wipe it. You may also use a neutral cleaner to dilute the solvent to
easily wipe it from the device.
•Try not to interrupt the supply of power while the device is in reading or
writing mode.
•Do not place damaged or warped discs inside the device. A warped
disc may break while in use and damage the device.
•Do not place discs into the device immediately if they came from a cold
environment, specially during cold seasons. Wait until the discs have
reached room temperature.
Conventions used in this guide
To make sure that you perform certain tasks properly, take note of the
following symbols used throughout this manual.
WARNING/DANGER: Information to prevent injury to yourself
when trying to complete a task.
CAUTION: Information to prevent damage to the components
when trying to complete a task.
IMPORTANT: Information that you MUST follow to complete a
task.
NOTE: Tips and additional information to aid in completing a task.
ASUS CRW-5232AS-U external CD-RW
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Package contents
Upon opening your ASUS CRW-5232AS-U external CD-RW package,
check if all the following items are present and in good condition. If any of
the items is damaged or missing, contact your retailer immediately.
•ASUS CRW-5232AS-U external CD-RW drive
•ASUS external CD-RW drive stand
•USB 2.0 cable
•Power cable and adapter
•Emergency eject pin and instruction
•User guide
•Multi-language quick installation poster
•Software CD (includes Windows® 98SE USB 2.0 driver)
The above items are available in retail boxes only.
8
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Welcome!
Thank you for buying the ASUS CRW-5232AS-U external drive!
To ensure proper installation and use of this device, read the instructions
and other important information contained in this manual.
Product introduction
Specifications
Speeds
CD-R Write Speed52x, 48x, 40x, 32x, 24x,16x, 8x, 4x
CD-RW Write Speed32x, 24x, 16x, 12x, 10x, 8x, 4x
Read Speed52x max (CAV)~7800 KB/Sec
DAE Speed52x max (CAV)~7800 KB/Sec
Random Access Time100 ms
InterfaceUSB 2.0
Technology support
Buffer memory size2 MB
Application discs12cm or 8cm diameter, 1.2mm thick
Writing modeTrack-at-Once, Disc-at-Once,
Dimensions155.6 (w) x 226 (d) x 50 (h) mm
Mass1398 g (3.08 lbs)
FlextraSpeed
FlextraLink
Double Dynamic Suspension System II (DDSS II)
CAV Recording Technology
Refer to the section “Technical information” on page 26 for detailed
specifications.
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Features
The ASUS CRW-5232AS-U is an external CD-RW drive with 52x Write,
32x ReWrite, and 52x Read capabilities. The drive complies with the
Universal Serial Bus 2.0 (USB 2.0) specifications and comes equipped
with the latest innovative technologies in CD recording.
ASUS External CD-RW drives are accentuated by the latest innovations in
CD-recording technology, namely:
(Double Dynamic Suspension System II) and the Constant Angular
Velocity (CAV) recording method.
The following sub-sections describe these technologies in detail.
FlextraSpeed
TM
,
FlextraLink
TM
, DDSS II
FlextraSpeed™ technology
The ASUS
ensure quality recording when using discs that require flexible speeds. The
drive employs this technology that allows automatic recording speed
adjustment based on the recording media.
In addition to the fact that there are low and high quality recording media,
various other factors such as dye layer, temperature, humidity, dust,
fingerprints, etc., affect the recording characteristics of CD-R and CD-RW
discs. Due to these factors, some discs may not be able to stand the highspeed capabilities of the latest CD-RW drives. The
technology solves this problem by automatic assessment of the disc
quality and recording capability. The recording speed is based on these
factors. If you use a high quality recording disc, you can maximize the
recording capability of the drive and get the best quality output. If you use
a low quality disc, the drive speed adjusts to the level that is most
appropriate for the disc, still optimizing the disc recording capability.
The
because of the controlled motor rotation speeds and reduced noise
caused by spindle air, thus prolonging the drive motor’s life and ensuring
high-quality recording.
FlextraSpeed
FlextraSpeed
™ technology provides the optimum solution to
FlextraSpeed
™ technology also helps maintain the CD-RW drive
™
10
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FlextraLink™ technology
The ASUS
FlextraLink
™ technology provides a seamless combination of
flexibility and ultra-reliable recording quality.
FlextraLink
™ incorporates a flexible strategy that prevents buffer underrun
problems caused by an empty data buffer. This CD-RW drive technology
allows continuous monitoring of the data buffer status during the write
process. Once the available data drops to approximately 1% of the total
buffer capacity, the drive stops recording and marks the last write position.
When new data is received from the host, it is loaded to the data buffer,
and the laser is repositioned to link the new data with the data already
written.
FlextraLink
™ uses minimal system resources so that your PC
remains fully operational throughout the writing process, and available for
other applications.
The diagram below shows the advantage of the
FlextraLink
™ recording
technology.
Conventional
Recording
Data
Buffer
Write Data
Memory
Recording with
FlextraLink™
Technology
Data
Write Data
Data
Write Data
Data transfer
slows down
Buffer
Memory
Write process
continues
Data transfer
slows down
Buffer
Memory
Write process stops;
waits until there is
enough data for writing
Data
Buffer
Memory
Empty
Data
Write Data
Data transfer slower
than write process
Bad disc results
Data transfer continues
and fills buffer with
sufficient data for writing
Buffer
Memory
Write process continues
until writing is complete
FlextraLink™ Technology Solution
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Double Dynamic Suspension System (DDSS II)
The DDSS II is an enhanced follow-up to the DDSS anti-vibration system
developed by ASUS. The DDSS CD-ROM technology is designed to
reduce the vibration generated from spindle rotation of over 8900 rpm of
40X CD-ROM drives. The DDSS II improves this feature by handling up to
over 10,000 rpm of the new 50X drives. In addition, the DDSS II stabilizes
the pick-up head of the drive in both horizontal and vertical directions,
making tracking and focusing even more precise.
Like the DDSS, the DDSS II vibration absoption structure contains a
“dynamic mass” that can absorb the vibration caused by high revolution of
spindle motor. However, the DDSS II moves the dynamic mass to be
suspended to the chassis, thus providing more stability and accuracy
when accessing data from the disc.
The following diagram illustrates the DDSS/DDSS II design structure.
12
DDSS / DDSS II Design Structure
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Constant Angular Velocity (CAV) recording
52x
The drive employs the Constant Angular Velocity (CAV) recording method.
With CAV recording, the drive spindle motor rotates the disc at the same
speed regardless of the radial position of the pickup head. This means that
there is a higher transfer rate when writing data to the outer tracks of the
disc than to the inner tracks, as the head traverses a longer linear path on
the outer than the inner part of the disc.
Although the transfer rates vary, and may not be at maximum, depending
on the part of the disc being written to, the CAV method allows faster
recording speed because the rotation speed does not have to change
when the head writes data to different areas of the disc.
Speed
48x
40x
32x
24x
16x
8x
0x
CAV Recording Method
ASUS CRW-5232AS-U external CD-RW
Time
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Page 14
Front panel
®
12
Recordable
Recordable
Recordable
Rewritable
High Speed
354
W
52X32X52X
R
6
78
1. Headphone jack
This jack allows you to connect a headphone with a stereo mini-plug. If
you enable the
digital CD audio properties
for this device, the audio out
function of this jack is disabled.
2. Headphone volume dial
To adjust volume of headphone connected, turn dial to the left to
decrease volume; turn to the right to increase volume.
3. Disc tray
This tray holds the disc.
4. WRITE indicator (red LED)
This LED flashes while data is being written on the disc.
5. READ indicator (green LED)
This LED is ON when a disc is present in the drive tray. The LED
flashes while data is being read from the disc.
6. Emergency eject pinhole
To manually eject the tray and the disc. See page 24 for details on
using the emergency eject pinhole.
7. PLAY/SKIP button
This button has two functions. If the drive is idle, pressing this button
will start playing a loaded audio disc from the first track. While in the
PLAY mode, pressing this button skips to the next track on the disc.
8. STOP/EJECT button
This button has two functions. Pressing this button at any time ejects
the disc tray. While in PLAY mode, pressing this button stops playing
the disc loaded in the drive.
14
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Rear panel
9 10 11
9. USB connector
A standard Universal Serial Bus (USB 2.0) plug and play interface.
10. Power switch
Turns the power supply ON or OFF. Switching to “|” icon means ON
and switching to “O” side means OFF.
11. Power jack
This jack is for the AC adaptor power cable.
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Installation
System requirements
Before installing and using the drive, make sure that your computer
system meets the following requirements.
•IBM-compatible Pentium® II - 333 MHz or higher PC
•Windows® 98SE/ME/2000/XP operating system
•At least 64MB RAM (128MB recommended)
Do not use damaged or warped disc in the drive. The disc may break apart
during use and cause potential body injury or damage to your drive.
Drive placement
1. Remove the external CD-RW drive and all the package contents
from the box. Place them next to your computer.
2. Place the external drive stand on a stable
surface.
3. Slide the drive into the stand, aligning the
side groove to the rectangular slot on the
stand.
4. Make sure that the drive is securely in place.
16
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Connecting the drive cables
1. Connect the USB cord B series plug to the USB 2.0 connector on the
drive.
2. Connect the USB cord A series plug to the USB 2.0 connector on your
PC.
3. Connect the adapter cable to DC IN power connector.
4. Connect the adapter power cord to the AC adapter.
5. Connect the adapter power cord to a power source.
All the cable plugs are slotted so that they fit in only one orientation. If a plug
does not fit in completely, try reversing it. DO NOT use too much force when
fitting the cable plugs!
PC
CD-RW drive
Power outlet
5
Adapter
Adapter power
cord and plug
Power plug types may vary in different countries or regions around the world.
ASUS CRW-5232AS-U external CD-RW
4
DC IN power
connector
series plug
USB 2.0
connector
Adapter
power cable
3
USB A
USB B
series plug
Power
switch
2
1
17
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Installing the device driver
(for Windows® 98/98SE/ME users)
Windows® 98/98SE/ME users need to install the device driver for the PC to
recognize the new hardware installed. A device driver is the program that
makes a device work within the operating system (OS).
Follow these steps to install the driver:
1. Make sure all cable connections to the drive and the PC are properly
connected.
2. Boot PC.
3. Insert the bundled software CD in the drive.
4. Turn on the drive.
5. After booting, the OS detects
the new hardware. Follow the
wizard to copy the driver files to
your system.
Click Next.
6. Windows® 98/98SE/ME
automatically searches the best
driver for the device. Select the
(Recommended) option.
Click Next.
7. Specify the location of the driver
.INF file then click Browse.
18
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Page 19
8. Locate the folder
“USB_RW_DRIVER” in the CD.
Click OK.
9. The specific location of the drive
appears on the combo list box.
Click Next.
10. After searching, the location of
the driver appears.
Click Next.
11. Click Finish to start using your
external drive!
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Checking the drive in the System Properties
To make sure that the drive is recognized by the computer, follow these
steps to check the system properties.
1. Right-click My Computer icon on your desktop.
2. On the pop-up menu, click Properties.
3. Click the Device Manager tab on the system properties dialog box.
4. Click on CD-ROM from the list to display the device that you installed.
20
Screen display may vary depending on the operating system (OS) version.
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Unplugging the device properly
Make sure that you properly unplug or disconnect the device from the
computer to avoid computer crash or possible data loss.
Follow these steps to safely unplug the drive.
1. Locate the Unplug or EjectHardware icon found in the
taskbar.
Double-click on the icon.
2. Select the name of the hardware
device to unplug.
Click Stop.
3. Select the device to be stopped
when prompted.
Click OK.
4. You may now safely unplug the
device from the system.
Click OK.
5. The screen display goes back to the Unplug or Eject Hardware
dialog box. Click on Close.
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CD-RW drive basics
Placing a disc into the drive
1. Press the eject button on the front of the drive to eject the tray.
HORIZONTAL VERTICAL
2. When the drive tray ejects out of the drive, place the disc on the tray
with the label side facing up.
HORIZONTAL
22
VERTICAL
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Page 23
If you are using a 12-cm disc, place it on the tray making sure that it fits the
outer circular border. This border helps hold the disc in place. If you are using
an 8-cm disc, place it on the inner circular border on the tray. However, you may
use 8-cm discs only when your drive is in a horizontal position.
HORIZONTAL
12-cm disc
8-cm disc
3. Press the drive eject button or lightly push the center of the drive tray
to load the tray back into the drive.
HORIZONTAL VERTICAL
Ejecting a disc from the drive
1. Press the eject button on the front of the drive to eject the tray.
2. Carefully remove the disc from the tray.
3. Press the drive eject button or lightly push the center of the drive tray
to load the tray back into the drive.
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Using the emergency eject pinhole
The emergency eject pinhole on the front of the drive allows you to
manually eject the drive tray and remove a disc from the drive in the
following instances:
•supply of power to the computer is cut due to electrical power outage
•the drive malfunctions
Use the manual method only as a last resort when the eject button does not
work. Make sure that you have turned off your CD-RW drive before ejecting the
drive tray. Locate the power switch button on the rear panel to turn off the drive.
Follow these steps to eject the drive tray using the emergency pinhole.
1. Insert the eject pin that came with the drive package. You may also use
a paper clip or any pointed rod small enough to fit into the emergency
pinhole.
HORIZONTAL VERTICAL
2. Carefully pull the tray out and remove the disc.
HORIZONTAL VERTICAL
Do not force the tray open; wait until the eject pin has dislodged the tray to
avoid breaking the tray panel.
24
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Using compact discs
Take note of the instructions in this section when using compact discs.
These instructions will help you avoid damaging discs and your CD-RW
drive.
Cleaning a disc
Spray the disc with compressed air for about five seconds to get rid of the
dust on a disc.
Handling a disc
Hold a disc by the edges. Do not touch the disc surface.
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Technical information
Environmental specifications
TemperatureOperation0°C < to < 45°C
Storage- 20°C to < 60°C
HumidityOperation20% to 80% non-condensing
Storage15% to 85% non-condensing
VibrationOperation0.3G peak at 5 ~ 500 Hz
Storage2.0G peak at 10 ~ 500 Hz
ImpactNon-operation1 oct/min – no damage
Less than 50G –
(at 11ms/half sine wave,
3 shock/each side)
Packaged1 oct/min – no damage
91 cm high – (1 corner,
3 edges, 6 surfaces)
AcousticAccess mode47.5 dB TYP
Read mode45 dB TYP
ReliabilityMTBF100,000 power on hours
ODC (Read)20% of power on time
ODC (Write)1% of power on time
Mean Time To Repair (MTTR)30 minutes
*ODC - Operating Duty Cycle
Electrical and Audio specifications
Power sourceInput Linear Voltage100/240 V AC
Input Linear Frequency50/60 Hz
Input Linear Current1.2 A
I/O terminalUSB terminalUSB B type (High Speed)
AudioNo. of channels2 (stereo)
Sampling frequency44.1 kHz
Quantization16 bits
Distortion0.2% max. (at 1 kHz)
S/N ratio70 dB
Output: Headphone0.7 V rms (typical)