Product History
CD Pro Family History
The CD Pro 2 is part of a family of CD player modules designed by Enco and Philips to be elegant solutions for jukebox and hi-fi applications. The CD Pro design has been stable and proven for over 20 years.
CDM12 Industrial (1994)
The CDM12 Industrial was the first generation of the CD Pro family of professional compact disc modules. It was the first to include a heavy die-cast metal frame and a servo/decoder circuit board as an integral part of the module. Its robust industrial design proved to be very reliable in the aggressive environment of jukeboxes and it delivered excellent sound quality and performance in hi-fi applications. The CDM12 Industrial can be identified by its extension plate, which reads “CDM 12 Industrial.” It’s model number will read “AH03.”
CD Pro (1997)
The CD Pro succeeded the CDM12 Industrial and was a significant improvement. From a mechanical standpoint, the CD Pro introduced a second polished stainless-steel guide rail for the optical sledge and a 1/1 gear ratio (instead of the 12 Industrial’s 3/1 ratio) for improved sledge movement. These mechanical upgrades provided stable sledge movement optimized for jukebox and hi-fi applications. The CD Pro’s extension plate identifies it as “CD Pro,” but more importantly, it has no extra connector on its back (label) side. The label on CD Pro will read “VAU 1252/xx.” Enco refers to this version as CD Pro 1.
CD Pro 2 (2000)
The CD Pro was followed by the CD Pro 2. The CD Pro 2 continued the evolution of the module’s electronics with the introduction of the CD10 integrated decoding system. The CD10 provided further advancement of error correction, improving playability. The HF front-end filter was also further refined, improving performance on marginal and out-of-specification discs. The CD Pro 2’s optical pick-up unit (OPU) also was changed to a 9mm light pen, which was not compatible with the CD Pro 1. The CD Pro 2’s extension plate still reads “CD Pro,” but it is easily identifiable by the connector on its back (label) side. The label on CD Pro 2 will read “VAU 1254/11.”
CD Pro 2M (2003)
The CD Pro 2 was eventually modified and renamed CD Pro 2M. Again the OPU was changed, which also required changing the flex assembly and the mounting frame. The new light pen in this OPU is compatible with that of the CD Pro 2 and is optimized for performance on standard audio CD’s as well as CD Recordable (CDR) and CD Rewritable (CD RW) recordable media. The CD Pro 2M also got a new generation 24-bit 192 kHz digital-to-analogue converter (DAC) for improved sound quality. CD Pro 2M’s firmware was further refined to allow playback of copy-protected discs as well, regardless of the protection system the disc uses. CD Pro 2M is less easily distinguished from CD Pro 2; the extension plate still reads “CD Pro,” but the label will read “VAU 1254/31.” You can also look on the inside edge of the circuit board on the back (label) side of the module. You will see the designation “CDPRO2MPCBA.”
CD Pro 2LF (2005)
The current generation of the CD Pro family is called CD Pro 2LF. This latest version is essentially the same as CD Pro 2M, except that it now conforms to European RoHS hazardous materials standards. The LF stands for “lead free.” The CD Pro 2LF is produced using lead-free components and a lead-free soldering process. Hazardous substances like lead, cadmium and mercury have been eliminated – even the connectors are now gold. CD Pro 2LF did get a new microprocessor and still delivers the same excellent performance as CD Pro 2M. CD Pro 2LF can be identified by the blue connector on its back (label) side. The label on CD Pro 2LF will read “VAU 1254/31LF.”
Enco now sells a version of the CD-Pro2LF designated as “VAU 1255/21LF.” This module remains fully compatible with its predecessors. It’s model designation reflects the fact that it is essentially the “base module,” without an extension plate or mounting & suspension hardware. Enco stocks all the necessary parts to bring this module into “full trim.” VAU 1255/21LF can directly replace the CDM12 Industrial, CD Pro, CD Pro 2 or CD Pro 2M in any existing application. It has the same footprint and dimensions and can be equipped with the same mounting and suspension system. It also maintains the same electrical connections as the preceding versions. All the modules are based on the same standard data-strobe-acknowledge (DSA) software protocol for external communication, making them also software compatible.