Where to Find In-Depth Resources on the Physics of CDs/DVDs?

[Shealen Fairchild]

TL;DR Summary

Looking for academic/industry-quality papers/resources on the physics of optical disks.

There are many rudimentary diagrams and 'pop'-explanations of the physics underlying the apparatus used to read optical disks. I am looking for more concrete resources - experimental design data or in-depth theoretical analysis of the pickup head.

Thanks!

Edit: Sorin's The CD-ROM Drive is fantastic.

 

[Vanadium 50]

Is what you need in the Red Book?

 

[berkeman]

TL;DR Summary: Looking for academic/industry-quality papers/resources on the physics of optical disks.

There are many rudimentary diagrams and 'pop'-explanations of the physics underlying the apparatus used to read optical disks. I am looking for more concrete resources - experimental design data or in-depth theoretical analysis of the pickup head.

Thanks!

Note: Thread level changed from A-->I (graduate school level to undergraduate school level)

Can you show us what links you have been reading so far? This is pretty straightforward stuff from an EE/Physics perspective. Have you read the Wikipedia article for example, and followed some of its references?

 

[Shealen Fairchild]

Note: Thread level changed from A-->I (graduate school level to undergraduate school level)

Can you show us what links you have been reading so far? This is pretty straightforward stuff from an EE/Physics perspective. Have you read the Wikipedia article for example, and followed some of its references?

The Wikipedia is lacking on properly-developed resources, although it does have one great reference; as edited into original post, Sorin's The CD-ROM Drive has the in-depth discussion I was looking for. Additionally, Vanadium alerted me to the Red Book, which I was not aware of - it is mentioned in Sorin, shown in the attached flow chart from pg.6.

 

[berkeman]

Additionally, berkemen alerted me to the Red Book,

@Vanadium 50 and I are often mixed up, but for the record I'm the cuter one and he's the smarter one (as much as it pains me to say that)...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twins_(1988_film)

 

[berkeman]

The Wikipedia is lacking on properly-developed resources.

Can you say more about specifically what you are looking for? What part of the physics of the optical read mechanism are you having trouble finding?

 

[Shealen Fairchild]

Can you say more about specifically what you are looking for? What part of the physics of the optical read mechanism are you having trouble finding?

I am not asking for an analysis of the physical servo mechanism, nor the encoding circuitry. Although I would be interested to hear about them, I am concerned with the isolated phenomena of laser transmission through the disk: the laser spot and its diffraction pattern, the precise optical path and lenses utilized, exact dimensions of pits and lands, detector intensity signal read-outs, (the mystical 3-beam?) error-correction, etc. Many of these topics are touched on in Chapter 2 of Sorin.

This is another great article with more depth than the wiki, although I would benefit from more detail about the pickup head. I particularly appreciate the attention to specific materials, and hence exact measurements of IOR, etc.

 

[berkeman]

I am concerned with the isolated phenomena of laser transmission through the disk:

Through the disc?

 

[Shealen Fairchild]

Through the disc?

So says the original patent! But you are gesturing correctly - as it is implemented in contemporary standards, the reflective mechanism is key in the larger process I am interested in.

 

[Vanadium 50]

@Vanadium 50 and I are often mixed up,

In addition, sometimes we are even confused with each other.

Although I haven't looked at the Red Book in a very long time (I think someone borrowed it decades ago) usually a standards document is a good starting point. Usually if it doesn't have what you need it can still point you in the right direction.