Add a Play/skip Button to Your Standalone CD-ROM Drive

If you want to make a CD player from an old CD-ROM drive (view here) but the drive you have doesn't have a PLAY/SKIP button on the front.....Dont dispair, you can add one to most Cd drives,>>>> read on

Step 1: Tools N Stuff

TOOLS:
Soldering iron + solder
PH Screwdriver
Wire cutters

BITS:
CD-Rom Drive (CD Burner wont work, ideally a spare that has no intention of being used again)
PSU
Small wire
push button to use as PLAY/SKIP switch

Step 2: Openning the Drive

**All drives vary in different ways so removing covers could be different.**
before uncliping the faceplate, eject the drive and remove the case so you can see the bottom and front of the drive
on the front of the drive next to the eject button there shoud be a place where a play button would sit (very strange, I know . . .) on mine PLAY was written on the board, there may be more than one spot so play around until you find the right one

Step 3: Soldering

Now, my soldering skills aren't crash hot so i soldered to wires onto the first two contacts, (see blurry pic #1).

***TEST CONTACTS FIRST BEFORE SOLDERING***

I then connected a small reset button of a computer two the wires (see not so blurry pic #2). if your soldering skills are better than mine you may like to attach a similar button directly onto the board.

Step 4: Testing

Now to see if your drive works insert a CD and don your headphones. press PLAY/SKIP button once to start playing. press again to Skip to next track. Press EJECT to stop and press again to eject the disk (kinda like an old tape player, ahhh memories.....)

Your Over sized Diskman is complete!!!

this CD drive has been a great addition to the shed. FYI the car stereo's CD drive IS busted.

Chris Kelly 2008

Comments

[VilémČ]

But where i solder the wires????

[BillyR55]

is there a way to add an AUX audio in

[Disco Makberto]

Hi kellster_deluxe & readers! Like jerckov, I am also really interested in knowing if it is possible to add a "go back" button. Many years ago I asked this same question on Usenet, but I just got sort of "maybe" or "I think so" answers but nothing specific. Thanks! Carlos Albert

[jerckov]

hi, I know that this is a really old post, but, you know if I can make a "go back" button ? already messed around but didn't found it

[ondrikczech]

hi,i cant find play pins.plese leave me message

[tommah04]

could you do something like this but only with a dvd player?

[djn8o]

no you couldn't, there is no video out, if the pcb has the spot for a play button you could use the audio output on the back, but you would only be able to play cd's

[ham91185]

this was so helpful that i made one myself :) thanx

[Computothought]

This I want to try!  probably use a old at ps to test though.

[twitsl]

I had a cd reader and a cd burner the cd reader didn't have connections but the writer did.

[Boxcarcrzy12]

Is there anyway to do this, accept to add a headphone jack? Awesome tutorial.

[kellster_deluxe]

mmm perhaps, idk, there is a line out on the back of the drive, try mucking around with that (y)

[twocvbloke]

Line out to the radio, headphone socket for, well, headphones. easy... :)

[lunasspeedchicken]

please tech me how to do it.

[moep]

Any particular reason I can't use a cd burner? It's an older burner I never want to use again. Will it just plain not work with a burner or were you just worried about people ruining a perfect good one?

[dvdragond2]

Hey Im Kind Of new But i actually modded one of my CdRom Drives and it was a burner. so yeah, umm i think that you might need to just keep the psu connected to it, otherwise that burner must have been dodgy

[rac]

i figured out where the play button 'n my old drive goes by clipping two alligator wires to the solder tabs then connecting the other ends together to see if it worked

[kellster_deluxe]

yup, yup, same way I did it

[ziptang]

Are you powering the car stereo with the power supply as well?? For if this complete set up worked, take a sheet of plywood and make a juke box out of it!!!

[kellster_deluxe]

yeah Id love too but atm Im kinda lacking in time, final year in highschool D: