Tag Archives: Disassembly

Disassembly

GoldStar GPI-1200M Portable CD-i Player

This GoldStar GPI-1200M is an earlier version of the Philips CDI 370 shown here. Internally, both systems appear to share almost identical hardware and were manufactured by LG. The most obvious differences are the external case design, system ROM and user interface.

Defects: Input ports 1 and 2 are non-functional. As a result, no input devices can be used and diagnostic functions such as Service Shell or low-level tests cannot be accessed. The original battery pack is no longer functional. This hardware is also known for failures of several tantalum capacitors.

Resources

Player shell

Service Shell

You can launch the Service Shell, as with most other Philips CD-i players, by shorting pins 2 and 3 on INPUT 1. (Search for “Service Shell” on this website to find further examples, such as this one).
Please note that you cannot acces the Service Shell if a controller is connected to INPUT 2.

System ROM

The system ROM ID 10 R1.0 is stored in a Texas Instruments TMS 27C240-15 262144 by 16-bit EPROM.

GoldStar GPI-1200M system ROM ID 10 R1.0

Low-level test:

Modules and checksums:

Disassembly, PCBs and markings (body)

To disassemble the body, remove the marked screws on the bottom and rear of the unit.

Turn the unit over and carefully lift the front half of the housing. Disconnect the speaker cables before opening it completely.

Disconnect the connectors marked with rectangles:

  • FFC to the controls (do not pull the cable out immediately. First release the connector lock by lifting it slightly, then remove the FFC).
  • Two connectors leading to the battery contacts.
  • Display connector.

The top cover and display assembly can now be set aside in a safe location.

The cover of the power PCB can be removed after removing the two marked screws.

This provides a good view of the power and battery charging PCB. The board can now simply be lifted out. Do not place it too far away, as it is required to power up the unit during testing. It is also recommended to keep the IR PCB nearby if you intend to control the player using an RC6 22ER9055 CD-i Commander.

Next is the CD mechanism. This is the most delicate part of the disassembly procedure, so pay close attention.

The mechanism is supported by three rubber sockets located in the bottom case (underneath the orange circles) and three guide shafts with spring-loaded cylinders (yellow circles). Do not simply pull the mechanism out and do not attempt to remove the cylinders from the shafts, as reassembly can be difficult.

First, disconnect the five connectors marked by yellow rectangles. The upper FFC must be unlocked before removal, while the lower FFC can be pulled out directly.

Next, locate the three circlips that retain the spring-loaded cylinders. The opening in each circlip is difficult to see, but it is present (see arrow). Using a small flat-blade screwdriver, push towards the opening to slide the circlip off the shaft.

In case of loss or damage, they can be replaced with standard 1,5 mm circlips commonly found in inexpensive assortment kits.

The CD mechanism can now be separated from the mainboard and lower case by lifting it straight upwards.

If one or more cylinders remain stuck on the shafts, do not apply force. Instead, carefully assist them with a flat-blade screwdriver by levering them upwards at the rim. The mechanism should come free without significant force.

To remove the mainboard from the bottom case, pull back the two marked plastic retaining clips.

Do not apply unnecessary force, as the clips can break easily. The plastic bezel on the left side of the mainboard can then be removed.

At this point, only the plastic components of the bottom case remain.

Detailed photographs of the individual PCBs are shown in the following section.

6870HE10LAA (IR PCB)

IC142 (IR receiver)
S27
0565

CN112
6 pins - to main PCB

6870HA10LAA (power PCB)

Older version. On CN503, the connection to GND was added with a solder blob (on the back, above C524).

IC501
PIC16C73-04/SP
(M)9537SAN
[PIC16C73 8-Bit CMOS Microcontroller with A/D Converter]

IC502
(N) 58AB
LM2576S
-5.0  P+
[LM2576xx Series SIMPLE SWITCHER® Power Converter 3-A Step-Down Voltage Regulator]

IC503
(m) 520
2950
06BZ
PHIL
[LP2950 Voltage Regulator]

X501
CSB
430J
(M)...g

CN501
30 pins, to main PCB
[Half-pitch board-to-board connector, sim. Molex EBBI 50D, Omron XH2, Fujikura DHB]

CN502
2 pins, to 6870H-10KAA (battery +/-)

CN503
2 pins, to 6870H-10KAA (battery temp. sensor)

C504 (size E)
47
25G
5R0

C508, C509, C512, C514 (size E)
220
10A
59Q

Suspicious tantalum (size D)
C505, C506, C507
A
22mu
25
9538

6870H-10HAA (main PCB, front)

The designation 95 50 indicates that this mainboard revision is 22 calendar weeks older than that of the Philips CDI 370 mainboard.

95 50

IC101
(M)
MC68340FE16C
1F77J
QETN9523
MALAYSIA
[32-BIT MICROPROCESSOR]

IC102
(M)
XCD212TFU
HGT9518
[VDSC]

IC103
(M)
XCD251FU
14R01
HMJ9514
[VMPEG]

IC104
(M)
DSP56002FC40
0F87L
QEAL9514
[DSP56002]

IC105
(M)
GSC38PG307CF50
AAPB9510

IC106
?
27C240-15
?
SINGAPORE
Sticker: GPI-1200M-1010
[256Kx16 ROM]

IC109
(M)
MCM56824AFN25
JZQQFV9509
[8Kx24 Fast SRAM]

IC110
LGS
GM71C4260AJ70
9533 KOREA
[256Kx16 DRAM]

IC111
(M)
XC44200FU
HTBF9302

IC116
E.I.

IC119 DMP2
(?) PALCE
16V8H-15JC/4
DMPP2
9548DWB L

IC120 DMP1
(?) PALCE
16V8H-15JC/4
DMPP1
9548DWB L

IC130 DMP3 
(?) PALCE
16V8H-15JC/4
DMPP3
9548DWB L

IC132, IC133
GoldStar
GM71C4270AJ70
9508 KOREA
[256Kx16 DRAM]

IC134, IC135
GoldStar
GM71C4800AJ70
9524 KOREA
[512Kx8 DRAM]

IC141
8 G
[Voltage Regulator]

IC201
AKM
AK4319VM
4N521N
[STEREO D/A CONVERTER]

IC206
12TZ11
SHARP
D0 FN
[Voltage Regulator]

IC302
SONY
CXA1372AQ
546 PD3V
[RF SIGNAL PROCESSING]

IC303
SONY
CXD2500BQ
FZW506C0X
[DSP]

IC304
(Hitachi) H8/329
HD		5L4
6473298F10
JAPAN

IC305
SANYO
LC8954
A834 5EKAG
[RCHIP/ADPCM]

IC307
(M)
MPC1715FB
HAJ9510


OSC101
M 40.0000 C
PCE5460A

OSC102
M 30.0000 C
PCE5460A

OSC103
M 30.2098 C
PCE5470A

X101
3.579545
KONY

X102
4.433619
KONY

X103
3.6864
KONY

X104
40.000
KONY

X301
20.000
KONY

X302
16.9344
KONY


SW101
power

SW102
PAL/ NTSC

SW103
-not populated-

SW301
lid


CN101
FFC 8 pins, to lid buttons

CN102
Mini-DIN-5, DC INPUT

CN103
30 pins, to power PCB
[Half-pitch board-to-board connector, sim. Molex EBBI 50D, Omron XH2, Fujikura DHB]

CN104
6 pins, to IR PCB

CN105
Mini-DIN-8, INPUT 1

CN106
Mini-DIN-8, INPUT 2

CN107
Mini-DIN-6, A/V IN

CN108
12 pins, to display

CN109
3x cinch

CN110
Mini-DIN-4, S-VIDEO

CN201
2 pins, left speaker

CN202
2 pins, right speaker

CN203
3,5 mm TRS, headphone

CN301
FFC 12 pins, to CDM SF-92.5 4/12

CN302
FFC 4 pins, to CDM SF-92.5 4/12

CN303
4 pins, to CDM tracking motor + limit switch

CN304
2 pins, to CDM turntable motor

CN305
2 pins, to CDM GND


VR201
Volume

VR301, VR302, VR303, VR304
laser?


C133, C134, C135 (size C)
5a
220
4V

C150, C218, C219 (size C)
m1
100
6V

C325 (size A)
14
22
6V
leaking?

6870H-10HAA (main PCB, back)

Interesting details: Bodge wires are present on IC117 and IC136.

IC107, IC306
LGS
GM76C256BLLFW70
9550 KOREA
[32Kx8 SRAM]

IC108
LGS O48
GM76C88ALFW-12
[8Kx8 SRAM]

IC112
(>) AD722JR
9536^
AC2634.1
[AD722 RGB to NTSC/PAL Encoder]

IC113
GS O21
GD75189AD
[Quadruple Line Receivers]

IC114
R4513
(M) 535 6A
[CLOCK MODULE]

IC115
GS O19
GD75188D
[Quadruple Line Drivers]

IC117
GS O29
74HC04D
[HEX INVERTER]
Bodge wire pin 14 to C161 (lower)

IC118
GS O14
74LS393D
[Dual 4-bit binary ripple counter]

IC121
PIC16C54
-RC/SO
(M) 9534 CGP

IC123
LGS O47
74LS367AD
[Hex buffer/line driver; 3-state]

IC124
GS O29
74LS174D
[Hex D-type flip-flop with reset; positive-edge trigger]

IC125, IC126
GS N05
74LS139D
[Dual 2-to-4 line decoder/demultiplexer]

IC127, IC129, IC136
LGS O39
74HC00D
[QUAD NAND GATE]
Bodge wires:
IC136 pins 10+11 to Q110 footprint (upper middle)
IC136 pins 12+13 to R139 footprint (lower)

IC128
GS O18
74LS08D
[QUAD AND GATE]

IC131
GS O21
GD4069UBD
[HEX INVERTER]

IC137, IC138, IC139 (last digit covered by via)
LGS O45
74HC157D
[Quad 2-input multiplexer]

IC140
GS N11
74HC32D
[QUAD OR GATE]

IC202
SANYO
LC7883KM
5HR0 G
[16-bit Ditial Filter and Digital-to-analog Converters for Digital Audio]

IC203, IC204, IC208
4560
5048B
JRC
[DUAL OP-AMP]

IC205
2073
5283B
JRC
[DUAL LOW VOLTAGE POWER AMPLIFIER]

IC30? (last digit covered by solder pad)
SONY
CXA1571M
510A14V
[RF Amplifier]

IC308
2100
514G
[DUAL OP-AMP]

Input ports diagnosis and repair

Both input ports fail to establish communication. The system still reacts to some incoming serial data during boot, indicating that the receive path remains operational. However, no data can be transmitted through either port.

The serial interfaces are implemented using a GD75189AD line receiver (IC113) and a GD75188D line driver (IC115). Comparison with my known-good CDI 370 mainboard showed that the GD75188 normally receives approximately +11,8 V and -8,6 V, allowing it to generate valid RS-232 output levels. On the faulty GPI-1200M board, the positive supply is completely absent, while the negative rail is unstable and measures only approximately -4.6 V.

GoldStar GPI-1200M - line drivers/receivers

Further investigation traced the missing positive rail to the front: IC141, a SOT-89 regulator marked 8G, most likely KEC KIA78L12F linear voltage regulator. On the CDI 370 mainboard, IC141 generates approximately +11,8 V. On the GPI-1200M board, however, IC141 receives no input voltage and therefore produces no output voltage.

Tracing the supply path and comparing it with the CDI 370 showed that regulator IC141 receives its input voltage through transistors Q106 and Q107. Q106 was tested first and found to be fully functional.

Inspection of Q107 revealed something unexpected: one leg of the SOT-23 package was not soldered at all and visibly floating above the PCB. The corresponding pad was completely bare.

GoldStar GPI-1200M - Q107

After soldering the missing Q107 connection, the +11,8 V rail immediately reappeared and both serial ports started working normally again.

A table showing the approximate voltages to expect at both input ports, as well as the line driver/receiver pins, in case you want to trace the signals:

Mini-DINSignalINPUT 1 VoltageINPUT 1 IC pinINPUT 2 VOLTAGEINPUT 2 IC PIN
1./../../../../.
2RXD0,067IC113 pin 1 (1A)0,067IC113 pin 13 (4A)
3TXD-7,786IC115 pin 6 (2Y)-7,786IC115 pin 8 (3Y)
4DTR00
5GND00
6CTS0,066IC113 pin 4 (2A)0,066IC113 pin 10 (3A)
7RTS11,302IC115 pin 3 (1Y)-7,779IC115 pin 11 (4Y)
8+5 V4,9564,956

Disassembly top case and lid

At present, there is no need to further disassemble the top case or lid, so only a few detail photos are shown here.

The speakers are labelled DAE YOUNG 32Ω. The small PCBs carrying the battery contacts are labelled 6870H-10KAA.

Disassembly, PCBs and markings (display)

To disassemble the display unit, first locate the four screws. The screw holes are covered with self-adhesive inserts made of a soft material. They can be removed easily with a fingernail and no force is required.

Once the screws have been removed, close the display and carefully lift off the back cover. This should come apart without force, although a plastic spudger may be helpful to separate the halves initially.

The photo below also shows the screws and the adhesive covers.

GoldStar GPI-1200M display - back cover removed

Next, remove the various PCBs one by one. Pay attention to the routing and orientation of the FFCs to make reassembly easier.

The LCD panel itself is a Unipac UP661A-1, CT56AA-F.
Since the display is working perfectly, I did not disassemble the panel further in order to avoid introducing dust into the LCD assembly. There was, however, a small amount of dust trapped behind the clear protective plastic. This was removed using a turbo air blower before reassembly.

GoldStar GPI-1200M display - PCBs and panel removed

Maintenance: Hinge

While the display unit is disassembled, it is a good opportunity to check the condition of the hinge.

Over time, the original grease can dry out, making the display increasingly difficult to open and close. If left unattended, the hinge may eventually seize, putting excessive stress on the plastic mounting points and potentially breaking the areas where the hinge is screwed into the housing.

Do not remove the hinge while the display is closed. Instead, open the display to approximately 90° and then remove the screws. The display can then be pulled out from the opposite side. The cable is long enough to allow it to be moved diagonally away from the hinge.

Place some paper towels or other absorbent material underneath to catch the old grease. First remove any loose dust with compressed air. Then thoroughly clean the hinge using a suitable solvent such as IPA.

Use pliers to slowly work the hinge back and forth while cleaning in order to reach as much of the mechanism as possible. The entire procedure can be carried out without removing the hinge from the body, which is convenient as the screws on that side are difficult to access.

GoldStar GPI-1200M display - hinge maintenance

Once the old grease has been removed, re-lubricate the hinge. A viscous PTFE-based lubricant works well for this application.

Again, work the hinge back and forth with pliers while gradually applying fresh lubricant. Continue until the movement becomes reasonably smooth. At this point, the hinge can usually be operated by hand again.

Finally, return the hinge to the 90° position and reinstall it into the display assembly.

6870H-10YAA

There’s a bodge wire from IC803 to CN802.

IC801
IR3P90Y
SHARP
JAPAN
9515 BC
[Video Interface IC for TFT-LCD]

IC802
GS O28
GD4053BD
[TRIPLE 2-CHANNEL ANALOG MULTIPLEXER/DEMULTIPLEXER]

IC803, IC804
LGS O51
74HC32D
[Quad 2-Input OR Gate]
Bodge wire from pin 11 to CN802 pin3

IC901
IR3Y21
SHARP
JAPAN
9529 V
[Video Interface IC for TFT-LCD]

IC902
SONY
CXL5505M
446A 10K
[CMOS-CCD 1H Delay Line for PAL]


X801
3.579545
KONY

X901
4.433619
KONY


CN801
FFC 12 pins, to 6870HC10LAA CN702

CN802
FFC 16 pins, to panel CT56AA-F JP1

C806, C816
A
47µ
10
9547
tantalum size C

C812, C813
A
22µ
25
9538
suspicious tantalum size D

6870HD10LAA

IC601
(LT) 527
1172
[LT1172 1.25A High Efficiency Switching Regulator]

Q601, Q602 (SOT-89)
S C

T601
6170H
I001A
95504

CN601
5 pins, to 6870HC10LAA CN703

CN602
5 pins, to backlight

C603 (size E)
47
25G
5R0

6870HC10LAA

Earlier revision of this PCB.

IC701
7610
525
[NJU7610 Step-Up / Flyback switching regulator IC with Over Current Protection]

IC702
GS O19
74LS74AD
[Dual D-type Positive Edge-triggered Flip-Flops (with Preset and Clear)]

IC703
LGS O37
74HC00D
[Quad 2-input NAND gate]

Q701 (SOT-89)
DC
HR
DCA75 Pro results:
NPN Silicon BJT
hFE=139 at Ic=5,01mA
Vbe=0,656V at Ib=1,00mA
Vbe=0,715V at Ib=5,00mA
VceSat=0,014V at Ic=5,0mA and Ib=1,00mA
IcLeak=0,000mA

T701
I002A
548P

CN701
12 pins, to mainboard 6870H-10HAA CN108

CN702
FFC 12 pins, to 6870H-10YAA CN801

CN703
5 pins, to 6870HD10LAA CN601

SW701
display on/off

VR701
brightness


C702, C704, C709, C711
A
22µ
25
9538
suspicious tantalum size D

C713, C715 (size C)
m1
100
6V

C717
A
47µ
10
9547
tantalum size C

C719 (size E)
100
10G
59R

GIA-110 (power supply unit)

The power supply unit is surprisingly difficult to disassemble. The first challenge is locating the only screw securing the enclosure. It is hidden directly beneath the product label.

MODEL NO.:GIA-110
INPUT:100-240V~,50/60Hz, 45W  OUTPUT:21V⎓1.7A
P/N: 3850H-1058C

I was able to lift the label using IPA and careful prying. Underneath, I also found the handwritten marking 480296A.

After removing the screw, the two halves of the enclosure can be separated. Four plastic hooks need to be released first; this can be done easily using a spudger. The PSU assembly can then be removed from the plastic housing.

The next obstacle is the sheet-metal shielding. Before it can be removed, the three marked ground connections must be desoldered. A higher soldering temperature and a larger tip may be required.

Be particularly careful around the upper-left solder joint, as it is located directly next to IC2.

Once the lower side has been freed, turn the assembly over and remove the screw in the lower-right corner. This separates the shield from the heatsink and allows it to be opened.

Removing the upper-left screw securing the ground wire is optional, but it makes handling the shield considerably easier. Note that the nut on the opposite side must be held while loosening the screw.

The sheet-metal shield can then be bent open sufficiently to slide it off.

If you thought this would finally provide access to the PCB, think again.

A plastic enclosure remains, which is glued to the underside of the board. I managed to separate it by carefully sliding a scalpel between the PCB and the plastic and cutting through the adhesive.

Finally, full access to the PCB and components:

Interesting details: photos of the daughterboard soldered to CN2, and of IC1, where pin 1 has clearly been bent back and soldered to pin 2.

Markings

Markings of the ICs and other important components.

If you have made it this far, it is worth carefully inspecting the electrolytic capacitors. C10 was visibly leaking, while C18 and C37 also appeared suspicious. Despite this, all capacitors still measured within specification.

IC1
5304
515
[FP5304AP Bipolar IC For Switching Power Supply Control]

IC2
8C
CY

IC3
93
29

IC4 (on sub PCB)
C324G
9540QM23
[µPC324 LOW POWER QUAD OPERATIONAL AMPLIFIER]

PC1, PC2
IS206
X
I515K
0884
(DVE)
[OPTICALLY COUPLED ISOLATOR]


VR1 (on sub PCB)
502 50

CN1
7 pins, to Mini-DIN-5
1 +21 V - red - 2
2 +21 V - grey - 1
3 GND - n.c.
4 GND - blue - 4
5 GND - green - 3
6 +5 V - orange - 5
7 +5 V - n.c. 

CN2
10 pins, daughterboard


F1
250V1,6A
51NM(J)(UL)(SA)


C7
(SAMYOUNG)KMH
CE-W
100µF  400WV
NEGATIVE BLACK
(M)105°C
13P4S

C10
(.)KME
50V
33µF
47
N(4)
(M)105°C
leaking

C16
(SAMYOUNG)SXE
25V
1000µF
9541
(M)105°C

C18
SANYO
10
25
OS-CON
73 105°C

C37
(.)KME
16V 10µF
(M)105°C
50
D4

To-Do

  • Disassemble and analyse the battery pack
  • Inspect and replace suspicious capacitors (SMD electrolytic and tantalum types)

History

2026-10-18: Initial WIP Page published
2026-10-24: Component markings updated and input ports repaired. Service Shell information added
2026-10-25: Display unit disassembled and component markings updated
2026-10-27: Input port data added
2026-11-01: Power supply unit disassembled and component markings added

Philips CDI 310 EMC/EMI Testing Unit Part 2

This second part continues the documentation of the Philips CDI 310 EMC/EMI Testing Unit with a detailed examination of the mainboard and the system ROM. It focuses on the electrical differences compared with the CDI 350, including removed components, altered circuits, and other modifications. If you have not read the teardown yet, you can find it in Part 1.

Originally being a CDI 350 mainboard, several components are not required in a CDI 310 — particularly those associated with the missing display and speakers. In addition to parts that were removed or replaced, many solder joints have been manually reworked, including most connectors and ground points.

Continue reading Philips CDI 310 EMC/EMI Testing Unit Part 2 →

Philips CDI 310 EMC/EMI Testing Unit Part 1

The Philips CDI 310 EMC/EMI Testing Unit is a transportable CD-i player with an integrated floppy disk drive, showing multiple signs of being a pre-production unit built for EMC/EMI compliance-testing. It appears to have been custom-built out of a CDI 350 rather than manufactured as a standard retail model.

Advertised as the Philips Transportable CD-i System with floppy disk drive, the Philips CDI 310 likely never reached the market in significant numbers. According to Philips’ product introduction sheet, the model was positioned as a professional multimedia platform combining a CD‑i player, floppy disk drive, and pointing device for institutional or professional use. The floppy drive was intended for storage and updating purposes, making the system suitable for training, presentations, and POI/POS installations. Only a handful of 310 units have surfaced so far, which makes the one documented here particularly special.

Continue reading Philips CDI 310 EMC/EMI Testing Unit Part 1 →

Grundig CDI 110E Information and Repair

The Grundig CDI 110E is the latest addition to my ever growing family of CD-i players. It is an OEM version of the Philips CDI 470, which it also looks like – if it weren’t for the brand badge, logo and lettering that distinguish them. There are a few other differences, which I will address in this article. Apart from that, it suffers from the usual problems such as a faulty Timekeeper, failure to read discs and a noisy disc tray. Fixing these problems is also covered in this article.

Continue reading Grundig CDI 110E Information and Repair →

Nikkodo / BMB Auto Master Controller VI-M450

Master controller for Nikkodo / BMB CD karaoke systems. Like the BMB CDI-M1500 master controllers, it is similar to the Philips CDI 181 MultiMedia Controller (JNMS). The mainboards of these units were made by Kyocera. They all lack optical disc drives and require additional units (e.g. CDI 180 for JNMS and CDI-A1500 for BMB).

So far, four different hardware generations have been found, and there may be more. The hardware has evolved from being very similar to JNMS to something that hasn’t been seen in other CD-i players. This fourth generation moves away from Philips/Kyocera mainboards even more: Some components of the analogue video section have been moved to a separate PCB, and a Gate Array DVC (GMPEG) chipset has been added to the mainboard.

I use the first character of the CDI-M1500 serial numbers to identify different mainboards/generations. For the VI-M450, only one generation is currently known.

Continue reading Nikkodo / BMB Auto Master Controller VI-M450 →

New WIP Pages: Nikkodo / BMB CD-I Auto Master Controller CDI-M1500

Master controller for Nikkodo / BMB CD-i karaoke systems. They are similar to the Philips CDI 181 MultiMedia Controller (JNMS). The mainboards of these units were made by Kyocera. They all lack optical disc drives and require additional units (e.g. CDI 180 for JNMS and CDI-A1500 for BMB).

So far, three different hardware generations have been found, and there may be more. The hardware has evolved from being very similar to JNMS to something that hasn’t been seen in other CD-i players. To identify different mainboards/generations, I use the first character of the serial number:

Be sure to visit all of these pages, as the units are quite different and various amounts of work have been carried out on them.

Nikkodo / BMB CD-I Auto Master Controller CDI-M1500 (L)

Master controller for Nikkodo / BMB CD-i karaoke systems. It is similar to the Philips CDI 181 MultiMedia Controller (JNMS). The mainboards of these units were made by Kyocera. They all lack optical disc drives and require additional units (e.g. CDI 180 for JNMS and CDI-A1500 for BMB).

So far, four different hardware generations have been found, and there may be more. The hardware has evolved from being very similar to JNMS to something that hasn’t been seen in other CD-i players. To identify different CDI-M1500 mainboards/generations, I use the first character of the serial number:

Continue reading Nikkodo / BMB CD-I Auto Master Controller CDI-M1500 (L) →

Nikkodo / BMB CD-I Auto Master Controller CDI-M1500 (V)

Master controller for Nikkodo / BMB CD-i karaoke systems. It is similar to the Philips CDI 181 MultiMedia Controller (JNMS). The mainboards of these units were made by Kyocera. They all lack optical disc drives and require additional units (e.g. CDI 180 for JNMS and CDI-A1500 for BMB).

So far, four different hardware generations have been found, and there may be more. The hardware has evolved from being very similar to JNMS to something that hasn’t been seen in other CD-i players. To identify different CDI-M1500 mainboards/generations, I use the first character of the serial number:

Continue reading Nikkodo / BMB CD-I Auto Master Controller CDI-M1500 (V) →

Nikkodo / BMB CD-I Auto Master Controller CDI-M1500 (A)

Master controller for Nikkodo / BMB CD-i karaoke systems. It is similar to the Philips CDI 181 MultiMedia Controller (JNMS). The mainboards of these units were made by Kyocera. They all lack optical disc drives and require additional units (e.g. CDI 180 for JNMS and CDI-A1500 for BMB).

So far, four different hardware generations have been found, and there may be more. The hardware has evolved from being very similar to JNMS to something that hasn’t been seen in other CD-i players. To identify different CDI-M1500 mainboards/generations, I use the first character of the serial number:

Continue reading Nikkodo / BMB CD-I Auto Master Controller CDI-M1500 (A) →

Introducing WIP Pages and a New Menu

As it took longer and longer to finish my articles due to too many projects, I have now decided to introduce the WIP Pages. These pages contain photos of the disassembly and all the information I have found out so far about a particular device or project. For example, components, markings and pinouts.

The first WIP Page is about the Philips CDI 370 portable CD-i player. More will follow soon.

In addition, the structure of the main menu has not been revised for 13 years. To make it easier to find certain static pages and information without having to use the search or tag cloud, the first menu is now called Information. In this menu you will find

More static pages and menu items will follow.