Pico Getting Started Guide
Instructions to get your Pico duplicator
set up, powered, and running with a Mac
Setting up the equipment
The Disc Makers Pico duplicator is both Mac and PC compatible, engineered
for easy setup and simple use. These instructions cover the setup and use of the
Pico with a Macintosh computer that meets the minimum hardware and software
requirements (refer to Meeting the setup requirements for details). To use the Pico
with a PC, refer to the Discmakers Pico User’s Guide in the PC installation package.
The procedures in this guide explain how to connect the duplicator to a Mac, connect all components, install the software, run the Discribe Robot program for the
first time, and perform a simple disc copy operation. Once you have completed the
steps in this guide, refer to the Mac User Guide for Pico for more information about
using your duplicator.
Choosing a setup location
Set up the duplicator on a sturdy work surface that is level and isolated from sources of shock or vibration. The precision robotics function optimally when isolated
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from any physical disturbances, such as accidental jarring or sharp impact. The
duplicator should only be operated in areas protected from airborne contaminants
and away from strong electromagnetic fields. Avoid setup locations exposed to
direct sunlight or very strong artificial light; the optical sensors inside the unit may
not operate properly if ambient light levels are too high.
For consistent duplication results, whether attended or unattended, we strongly
recommend the use of an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) for isolating the duplication system from the effects of AC power fluctuations or brief power outages.
An AC power strip with line filtering and surge protection offers some protection if
you do not use a UPS device.
Meeting the setup requirements
The Pico duplicator performs most effectively when used in combination with a
computer system that meets or exceeds the following requirements:
Computer hardware requirements Operating system requirements
Minimum: A tower Macintosh system
powered by a G5 processor
Mac OS X Version 10.4.3 or higher
Minimum: 7200 rpm 40-Gigabyte hard
drive with 70-percent free space
512MB memory
One available USB 2.0 port
Note: Under most conditions, optimizing the hard disk drive is not necessary to
ensure efficient disc duplication with the Pico. If you are running Mac OSX 10.3
Panther or above, a process known as Hot-File Adaptive-Clustering automatically
defragments any discontinuous files.
Installing the media adapters
1 Install the four pillars into the circular slots of the input bin so that the bin will
accommodate a standard size disc. The curved guides of each pillar should be
rotated until they are flush with the outer perimeter of the disc bin, as shown in
the following figure.
Pico for Mac Getting Started Guide 3
Note: The pillars can also be rotated to suppot business-card size CDs and 80-millimeter
mini-discs. Refer to the Pico User’s Guide for complete instructions.
Attaching the input bin
1 Place the input bin on the selected work surface with the two attachment pins facing
toward the Pico .
2 Lower the Pico onto the input bin. The attachment pins on the input bin should slide
easily into the two recesses on the base of the Pico.
3 Push gently until the input bin and Pico cabinet are flat against the work surface.
Make sure the unit is stable and flat against the work surface so that the robotic arm
will not cause it to shift or tilt during operation.
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Connecting the duplicator to a computer
1 Power down the selected host computer.
2 Plug one of end of a USB cable into the USB connector on the back of the
duplicator cabinet. Plug the other end of the cable into a USB 2.0 port on the
selected Macintosh host computer.
Note: USB 1.0 interfaces cannot handle the data transfer rates required for disc
duplication tasks. If your system only has USB 1.0 ports, you must upgrade to USB
2.0 to use the duplicator.
Connecting the power cable
1 With the Pico power switch turned off (“0” position), at the back of the duplicator
cabinet, connect the AC power cord to the unit.
2 Connect the other end of the power cord to a UPS device, AC power strip, or AC wall
outlet.
3 Turn the power switch to the on position (“1”). The Pico fan begins to turn and you
can now proceed with the installation of the software.
Note: The Pico duplicator uses a three-prong power connector and must be used with a
properly grounded AC receptable. Under no circumstances should you try to defeat the
third “ground” prong. The duplicator must be grounded for proper operation as well as
safety reasons.
Pico for Mac Getting Started Guide 5
Installing the software
The Macintosh software installation disc included with the Pico duplicator includes:
• Discribe Robot software, an application that manages the disc duplication
process.
• Disc Makers Autoloader Software, the drivers and utilities that operate the
duplicator
To install the software
Complete the installation procedures as described in the following steps. You must
have rights as administrator of the Mac to perform the installation.
1 Power on the Macinstosh computer and insert the installation disc into the com-
puter disc drive.
2 Double-click the Discribe for Disc Makers mpkg icon. The installer application
appears.
3 Click Continue to display the License terms. If you agree to the terms of the license
agreement, click Agree and then Continue to advance to the Select Destination window.
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4 Choose the volume on which the software will be installed. Click Continue to begin
the installation on the designated volume.
5 Enter the administrator password when prompted.
6 Select the installation type—Custom or Easy Install. If you select Custom, check the
components that you want to have installed. Click Install to continue.
7 To finish up the installation process, click Restart when prompted. While the computer
is powered down and preparing to restart, start up the duplicator as described in the
following steps.
Powering on the duplicator
1 With all cables securely connected to the duplicator, press the power switch on the
back of the Pico duplicator cabinet to the “1” position.
2 Press the power switch at the rear of the cabinet once. The system fan starts spinning
and the disc activity LED illuminates on the face of the cabinet.
3 If the Disc Makers Autoloader Software has been properly installed and the duplicator
is connected to the computer and powered on, the equipment will be recognized by
Discribe Robot once the Mac restarts.
Copying a master with Discribe Robot
1 Select the Discribe Robot folder from the Applications options and start the Discribe
Disc Makers program. The Quick Start window appears.
Pico for Mac Getting Started Guide 7
2 Click the Copy a CD/DVD button. Discribe displays the CD/DVD Copy dialog box.
3 Place a master disc—either a CD or DVD that is not copy protected—into one of the
available disc drives in your system. Select the Source location for the master from the
options displayed in the drop-down list. Discribe displays the size of the copy operation as soon as the program reads the disc.
4 Place a blank recordable disc in the input bin. Click the Burn button to start the write
operation. Discribe displays the Write Options window.
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5 Accept the default options and click the Start button. Discribe gives you the option to
copy the master disc contents to a file before continuing. Depending on whether the
Source disc is the drive in the Pico or another system disc drive, Discribe begins the
copy operation according to your instructions. Once the source content is available
for mastering (either from disc or file), the program clears the robot, if necessary, and
then uses the robot arm to select the blank disc from the input bin and transfers it to
a disc recorder. The program then displays the Write Progress window, indicating the
percentage of completion as the files are recorded to disc. When the write is complete, Discribe uses the robot arm to remove the disc from the recorder and transfers
it to the output bin.
6 Remove the disc from the output bin and insert it in a Macintosh disc drive to exam-
ine the file contents. If the disc is readable on the computer, you have successfully
recorded a data disc.
Note: In the future, you can verify the contents of the disc following a write by selecting
the Verify After Write option in the Write Options window before starting the recording.
Testing the robotics
Discribe includes a test program that lets you ensure that the robotics are working properly. This program takes one or more discs from the input bin, loads them sequentially
into the duplicator’s disc drive, and then unloads and transfers each disc to the output
bin. To test the robotics, follow these steps:
Pico for Mac Getting Started Guide 9
1 Place one or more discs in the input bin stack of the duplicator.
2 From the Discribe Utilities menu, select Test Robotics. The primary Test Robotics win-
dow appears, identifying the Robot and the installed recorder.
3 Click the Test Robot button. Discribe displays the Test Robotics windows.
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4 To test disc movement in and out of the recorders, ensure that the Move in and
out of recorder option is selected. Set the Number of discs to move to 2. Click
Start to initiate the test
5 Discribe proceeds to select and load one disc at a time from the input to the
disc recorder. After a short time, each disc is extracted and placed in the output
bin. This test provides a good indication that communication between the computer and duplicator is working well and that the duplicator robotics is properly
calibrated for operation.
Note: If you encounter any problems with the smooth operation of the robot arm
or loading and unloading of discs, consult the section titled Problem solving at the
end of this guide.
Pico for Mac Getting Started Guide 11
Problem solving
Refer to this list of common problems if you have trouble completing any of the
procedures in this guide. You can also consult the Troubleshooting FAQ in the Pico
Mac User Guide for additional information or use any of the support options listed
at the end of this guide.
Solving common problems
Can I use the Pico to burn discs from other applications, such as Roxio Toast and
Apple iTunes.
As long as the correct disc drive in the Pico (identified as the _NEC DVD_RW ND3550A in current versions) is selected as the target, you should be able to use other
disc recording applications. However, to gain use of the robotics functions, you will
need to use Discribe to operate the duplicator.
The duplicator repeatedly rejects the blank discs that I’m trying to use in copy
operations.
Make sure that you’re using recordable CD discs with a CD master and recordable DVD discs with a DVD master. Also, the quality of the media and the selected
recording speed can affect the rejection rate. Try using higher quality media (such
as Disc Makers recordable discs) or setting the maximum recording speed lower
during copy operations.
The duplicator will not complete operations as directed and sometimes the movements of the robotic arm are erratic.
The optical sensors contained in the duplicator can be affected by very strong
light—either direct sunlight or strong artificial light. Try moving the unit to a location that is not as bright to see if this resolves the problem.
When I try to run Discribe, the Disc Makers Autoloader does not appear in the
window for setting up write operations.
Discribe must be able to identify the Autoloader when the program starts. Check to
make sure that all cables are properly connected and the autoloader is powered on.
Then, restart your Mac. If this doesn’t work, try reinstalling the software.
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Getting additional help
Each Elite series duplicator includes a variety of technical support options that are
available as long as you own the equipment.
• Many common problems can be resolved quickly by consulting the
Troubleshooting FAQ in the User Guide. Try this option first if you encounter
difficulties.
• You can access details about software upgrades, updated product information,
and other helpful owner information at www.discmakers.com/techsupport.
• For prompt technical support by email, refer your queries to
techsupport@discmakers.com.
• Toll-free technical support can be obtained from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm Eastern
time Monday through Friday. Call 1-888-800-4041 for telephone support on any
duplicator-related issues.
Copyright and contact details
This document and related materials are provided “as is” with no warranties, express or implied, including but not limited to any implied warranty or merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, non-infringement of intellectual property rights,
or any warranty otherwise arising out of any proposal, specification, or sample. Disc
Makers assumes no responsibility for any errors contained in this document and has
no liabilities or obligations for any damages arising from or in connection with the
use of this document.
Pico is a trademark of Disc Makers.
*Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others.
Disc Makers®
Customer Service Manager, Hardware and Consumables
1165 Thomas Busch Memorial Highway
Pennsauken, NJ 08110-2310
1-888-800-4041 (Toll-free)
1-856-661-3457 (Fax)
www.discmakers.com
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