CompactFlash card readers.

Felino · Post by **Felino** » Fri Apr 06, 2007 5:31 pm

Now, it is commonly known that CF cards, are nearly pin compadable with ide. Now this is just an idea, but is there a way you could run an ide drive, through the CF-USB adapter or the like?

Is that possible?

-Felino

Post by **bicostp** » Fri Apr 06, 2007 8:03 pm

Why? There are quite a few USB-IDE adapters out there that already have the right connectors, sometimes complete cases, for the same price as most card readers. Just check CompUSA, MicroCenter, and Tiger Direct.

It might be possible but I doubt the card adapter would support large drives. (I mean "large" as in capacity, not physical size.)

Harshboy · Post by **Harshboy** » Fri Apr 06, 2007 8:08 pm

I don't see why that wouldn't work...but the only issue would be filesize. But CF Cards keep getting bigger so apparently there isn't a limit, yet.)

Post by **Sparkfist** » Fri Apr 06, 2007 8:42 pm

http://mini-itx.com/store/?c=16#cfr

I've used something similar, but this was a Compactflash to 44 pin IDE. I used it as a hard drive in a laptop for a time. Very nice. I should also point out that Ben used a setup not too different for this Atari 800 Laptop, using the MyIDE adapter and then connecting a compactflash adapter like above to give him removable storage.

I've sure there are some that are getting sick of me saying that but, when you use a Compactflash drive for such an application disable virtual memory. Flash ram only has on average 300,000 rewrites, and that can be eaten up fast when the system in using it as temporary ram.

I might do something similar should make a carputer or build a custom laptop.

Felino · Post by **Felino** » Fri Apr 06, 2007 9:05 pm

I might CF my libretto now, sounds like a good idea hey?

sgtpepper · Post by **sgtpepper** » Sat Apr 07, 2007 1:03 am

Harshboy wrote: But CF Cards keep getting bigger so apparently there isn't a limit, yet.

I don't think that's true. There's a hardware limit that caps it at 128 GB, similar to the old 128GB barrier on old IDE devices (like the one in my Cube

)

Felino · Post by **Felino** » Sat Apr 07, 2007 2:05 am

But ha! you can override the one in the cube!

PM me.

EDIT: Have I just found somthing? http://benheck.com/Games/BPP/BPP_page1.htm <- LOOK

Post by **Sparkfist** » Sat Apr 07, 2007 7:30 am

sgtpepper wrote:
Harshboy wrote: But CF Cards keep getting bigger so apparently there isn't a limit, yet.
I don't think that's true. There's a hardware limit that caps it at 128 GB, similar to the old 128GB barrier on old IDE devices (like the one in my Cube )

Couldn't that limitation be due to the file system used and not the hardware itself? After all you can use a flash ram card with really any file system, reason FAT is still used is primarily because it's backwards compatible on Windows and cameras use it.

I'd prefer to have something like any of my thumb drives use say Ext3 or NTFS because of the tools for file recovery. I've got one that is 2GB that is set up with NTFS, and two more that are 2GB that I'll likely format to use Ext3, though that will limit what systems I can use it on by default.

joevennix · Post by **joevennix** » Sat Apr 07, 2007 12:10 pm

Sparkfist wrote:
sgtpepper wrote:
Harshboy wrote: But CF Cards keep getting bigger so apparently there isn't a limit, yet.
I don't think that's true. There's a hardware limit that caps it at 128 GB, similar to the old 128GB barrier on old IDE devices (like the one in my Cube )

IIRC, after 128gb you have to partition it correctly for it to work. That's how it is for xbox's.

Felino · Post by **Felino** » Sat Apr 07, 2007 5:13 pm

For the cube, try this. Worked for my friends cube. Havn't done it on mine yet, its a happy web server in the corner.

Currently saving up money for a new iMac intel.

-Felino