Technical Information about DCC (Digital Compact Cassette)
This directory contains general information about the DCC format. These documents were found on the World Wide Web.
This was downloaded from www.cieri.net. I found it via Google when I looked for “DCC tape frame”.
The website that shares it, claims to have context information for most of its downloads but I can’t find the document through the menus, let alone any accompanying text about where it originated (the website is in Italian and my Italian is not very good). It appears that this may have been a hand-out given to those that were present at a Matsushita announcement of the DCC format. It contains lots of interesting details that are not otherwise available to the public, such as bit rates of binary data streams, and the length and formatting of tape blocks and tape frames. This really helps when reading the datasheets of e.g. the Drive Processors where the reader is assumed to have this information.
The web page where this document was downloaded, pretends that this is a service manual for the (rare) CQ-DC1 car stereo with DCC player. However, it appears to be a service bulletin of some sort, for Panasonic technicians who were interested in DCC technology.
The document describes the DCC mechanism inside the CQ-DC1 car stereo, but doesn’t even offer complete schematics for it. But on the other hand, it has a fairly complete description of the DCC system, including PASC, tape formatting, description of the AUXINFO data (unfortunately not much information about SYSINFO), error correction, and a lot of information about the early Philips DCC chipset (for which there are no datasheets).
Thanks for Ralf “Dr. DCC” Porankiewicz at the DCC Museum for finding this!
An article in Dutch, translated from German, in Dutch magazine “RadioBulletin”, May 1992.
The I2S (Inter IC Sound) bus is used to transfer digital audio between chips in DCC recorders (and other hardware). It’s a simple protocol that defines how two channels of audio of up to 24 bits per sample can be transported over three lines: a clock line, a data line and a line that selects the left or right channel. This document describes the protocol.
A list of all the recorders for which I have service manuals, and the chips that they use. Draw your own conclusions :-)
Philips organized a course for repair technicians so they could learn how the new DCC900 worked and how they could fix it when it didn’t work. It contains a lot of details about how PASC works, which aren’t available elsewhere. The document is in Dutch; I will eventually publish an English translation. Thanks to Dr. DCC from the DCC museum for scanning this!
Brochure from Philips Key Modules about how pre-recorded DCC’s are mastered. Some interesting details about equipment that was used.
Various documents shared with the DCC Museum by Peter Doodson, the designer of the CD Jewel Case and the DCC cassette. Including:
Thank you, Peter!
This is what looks like the official DCC specification, printed in September 1994. Everything you need to know if you want to build your own DCC recorder (and have a license from Philips of course).
Thank you very much to the anonymous donor who donated this to the DCC Museum!