Case study

CD Changer Robot: rebuilding a Nistec ALW-501 controller

CD Changer Robot reconstructs control of a Nistec ALW-501 disc robot after tracing its motor-driver board. The repository supplies a pin map, circuit drawing, Arduino replacement firmware, Python control and imaging scripts, and mechanical parts for bulk CD transfer.

Targets: Firmware
Category: Independent reconstruction cases
Relationship: Independent reconstruction project
Sources reviewed: 2026-11-06
Evidence class: C2 code & docs, no demo or download

Stars: 1
Last commit: 2026-10-05
Language: Python
License (GitHub): MIT

GitHub data as of 2026-11-10

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Evidence

Observed: Code, documentation and a demo observed; no download method found.
Checked: 2026-11-08

How evidence classes are assigned

Requirements & limits

Prerequisites: A Nistec ALW-501, Arduino Mega-class replacement controller and associated wiring are required.
Prerequisites: The Python CD imaging path uses Windows-only imaging software.
Limits: Pins 22 and 46 remain unidentified; the author reports about 80% pickup reliability.
License: MIT license.

Cite

BibTeX

@misc{cd-changer-robot-case,
  title = {{CD Changer Robot: rebuilding a Nistec ALW-501 controller}},
  howpublished = {\url{https://github.com/busyDuckman/cd_changer_robot}},
  url = {https://github.com/busyDuckman/cd_changer_robot},
  urldate = {2026-11-06},
  note = {Awesome REA entry: \url{https://awesomerea.org/resources/cd-changer-robot-case/}}
}

Plain text

CD Changer Robot: rebuilding a Nistec ALW-501 controller. https://github.com/busyDuckman/cd_changer_robot (accessed 2026-11-06). Awesome REA entry: https://awesomerea.org/resources/cd-changer-robot-case/

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About this entry

The description was reviewed against primary sources.

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Primary sources

README.md GitHub · busyDuckman/cd_changer_robot · Revision 755f033
runner/README.md GitHub · busyDuckman/cd_changer_robot · Revision 755f033
LICENSE.txt GitHub · busyDuckman/cd_changer_robot · Revision 755f033