IDE CD-ROM Simulator

Welcome to the documentation for the IDE simulator!

The IDE simulator can effectively replace CD and DVD-ROM drives in legacy computer hardware such as PCs and arcade PCBs by allowing you to use an SD card or a USB flash drive containing ISO or BIN/CUE files. With no moving parts, less power consumption than an optical drive and a small profile, it can be installed in place within the device enclosures without any impact to performance.

V1 features:

• 32-bit Cortex-M3 CPU
• Standard 5V IDE interface, 16-bit parallel with multiword DMA support
  • Implements ATAPI specification
• Multiple storage formats
  • USB host
    • USB0: high speed
    • USB1: full speed
  • SD card support
  • All storage supports >4GB files
  • ISO and BIN/CUE formats supported
• ATAPI
  • Supports SCSI over ATA to implement standard CD and DVD drives
• Audio output
  • Dedicated audio DAC for audio playback, supporting full 16-bit 44kHz stereo output
• LCD control interface

V2 features:

• 32-bit Cortex-M3 CPU
• Standard 5V IDE interface, 16-bit parallel with multiword DMA support
  • Implements ATAPI specification
• USB host
  • Supports mass storage devices
  • Supports >4GB files
  • ISO and BIN/CUE formats supported
• ATAPI
  • Supports SCSI over ATA to implement standard CD and DVD drives
• Audio output
  • Dedicated audio DAC for audio playback, supporting full 16-bit 44kHz stereo output
  • I2S header for custom DAC
  • SPDIF output
  • Mono 8 ohm speaker output
• Other options
  • Header for rotary encoder
  • Header for SSD1306 128×32 OLED display
  • Micro USB for command line
  • 3.3V RS232 header for command line
  • Two status LEDs

The board has been tested on a number of platforms:

• Konami 573
• Namco 246 & 256
• FreeDOS, MS-DOS 6.22 on 486 and above
• MacOS X, Windows 10 and Linux via USB IDE adapter
• Roland SP808

Startup behaviour
Firmware upgrades
Command line interface
Known issues
Legal info
Host control protocol

Amazon - USB OTG cable - for connecting USB flash drives to the USB ports
Enclosures