My experience with Compact Flash (CF) as HDD replacement

[xdemo]

• First of all - you don't need to twist any cable!
• Don't use single PCB connectors (it's a connector with a row of pins that is normally solded on a circuit board) If you align the pins to have the same lenght on both sides then they get to short and don't make proper contact. If you want to use them then you need to solder 2 connectors with the short side together.
• If you don't want to solder buy instead male IDE 40pin connectors (5$ each) an make your own cable. Take a spare IDE cable and press the connector on it. Then cut-off the overlapping part with a carpet knife. It's so simple to manufacture a male-male adapter cable.
  

Working CF card
Transcend Ultra Speed Industrial CompactFlash
http://www.transcendusa.com/Products/Mod...5&LangNo=0
http://www.transcendusa.com/support/dlce..._16GB_.pdf

Working adapters
http://www.cf-ide-adapter.com/CF-IDE%20STCI4005.htm
Found in many places - e.g ebay

Non working adapters
http://www.pcengines.ch/cf5h.htm

When you start up PCH the blue led just lights up sometimes. On the source screen you will see the HDD entry on top.

Trobleshooting
- Blue led is always lit: Bad connection, you may have some contact or CF adapter issues.

[chris57]

Finding the CF card and the adapter is the easy bit.

The hard bit is getting from the femal adapter to the PCH female IDE.

A guide with photos if cutting/crimping is required would be useful. Plus links sourcing those parts.

If you do not want any cable around this works instead of the cable and doesnt require any crimping etc:-
http://www.milesie.co.uk/shop/asp/produc...roduct=677

[jtrosky]

(08-22-2008 12:24 PM)chris57 Wrote:  Finding the CF card and the adapter is the easy bit.

The hard bit is getting from the femal adapter to the PCH female IDE.

A guide with photos if cutting/crimping is required would be useful. Plus links sourcing those parts.

If you do not want any cable around this works instead of the cable and doesnt require any crimping etc:-
http://www.milesie.co.uk/shop/asp/produc...roduct=677

Since I wasn't sure whether I was going to stay with a CF solution or go to a 2.5 inch disk and due to the fact I didn't want to mess around with making cables or splicing power cables etc, here is how I am plan to connect my CF card (no cables required!):

First, connect a 3.5" -> 2.5" IDE adapter (Ebay Item: 230280513792) - this item will connect directly to the PCH IDE connecter and the PCH HD power cable.

At this point, I can either connect a 2.5" hard drive and be done, OR...

Add a 2.5" -> CF adapter (Ebay Item: 130246498133)

and simply connect a CF card....

In theory (I haven't received these items yet), this method should allow me to easily use a CF card (or CF microdrive) with the PCH without any cabling or splicing or anything. I'm hoping I can just connect the stuff and all will work!

I'll be sure to let you know how it work once I receive the items (any day now).

Anyone see any flaws with this approach??

Thanks!

[chris57]

Wont be that easy for a start not any card works you need one that operates in fixed disc mode DMA4.

Have a read of the other CF threads and you will see there is a hell of a lot of trial and error!

[jtrosky]

(08-22-2008 04:10 PM)chris57 Wrote:  Wont be that easy for a start not any card works you need one that operates in fixed disc mode DMA4.

Have a read of the other CF threads and you will see there is a hell of a lot of trial and error!

Actually, I did read the other CF threads, which is why I chose the route that I did!! I'm actually going to start with a 5GB micro-drive since it really is a real hard drive. I'm hoping that it will show up as a hard disk and I'll be done (yeah, right)! I don't need a lot of space since I'm streaming to multiple media players from a NAS (no need to put files on the PCH) - I just wanted to be able to use the apps, skins, etc...

I'll be sure to post my findings... I also have 6 or 7 different CF cards laying around (from 128MB up to 16GB), so hopefully, I'll find something that works!

Had anyway ever tried the 3.5" -> 2.5" AND 2.5" to CF approach before? It just seems like an easy way to go in order to avoid power connecter conversions, etc....

[chris57]

It seems bloody obvious but I cant say that I do remember anyone trying it that way. Like you say soon find out.

[jtrosky]

(08-22-2008 04:06 PM)jtrosky Wrote:  

(08-22-2008 12:24 PM)chris57 Wrote:  

Since I wasn't sure whether I was going to stay with a CF solution or go to a 2.5 inch disk and due to the fact I didn't want to mess around with making cables or splicing power cables etc, here is how I am plan to connect my CF card (no cables required!):

First, connect a 3.5" -> 2.5" IDE adapter (Ebay Item: 230280513792) - this item will connect directly to the PCH IDE connecter and the PCH HD power cable.

At this point, I can either connect a 2.5" hard drive and be done, OR...

Add a 2.5" -> CF adapter (Ebay Item: 130246498133)

and simply connect a CF card....

In theory (I haven't received these items yet), this method should allow me to easily use a CF card (or CF microdrive) with the PCH without any cabling or splicing or anything. I'm hoping I can just connect the stuff and all will work!

I'll be sure to let you know how it work once I receive the items (any day now).

Anyone see any flaws with this approach??

Thanks!

FYI - I FINALLY received all of the parts and I'm happy to report that this setup works fine! The only thing I had to do was to "modify" the PCH power connecter to make it fit into the power connector of the 3.5" to 2.5" inch adapter (I had to shave the yellow PCH power connector using a utility knife to make it possible to physically plug it into the power connector on the 3.5" to 2.5" adapter because the PCH "motherboard" gets in the way slightly - A 90 degree power connector on the PCH msy avoid this issue).

But, after that simple mod (took 2 mins), I connected the 5GB Seagate CF microdrive and it worked perfectly!

I did also try an el-cheapo 4GB CF memory card and while the PCH did see it as a HD, it failed when it went to format it... I do have a higher quality CF card I'll try later today, out of curiousity... I'll report my findings (alhought the microdrive was VERY cheap and it's also silent).

[chris57]

I thought the Microdrive with the 2.5'' adapter would work as a lot of us are using laptop HDD inside our PCH its the CF adapter that the interesting/frustrating part to get right.

I found a way of telling whether or not a CF card will work:-
http://www.addonics.com/support/faqs/faq_cf.asp

Be interested in whether you get the CF card setup working with a CF card that has fixed disc mode. The usual problem, if everything fits, is that the card wont format due to problems with the IDE I/O still not being correct.

[jtrosky]

(08-28-2008 12:28 PM)chris57 Wrote:  I thought the Microdrive with the 2.5'' adapter would work as a lot of us are using laptop HDD inside our PCH its the CF adapter that the interesting/frustrating part to get right.

I found a way of telling whether or not a CF card will work:-
http://www.addonics.com/support/faqs/faq_cf.asp

Be interested in whether you get the CF card setup working with a CF card that has fixed disc mode. The usual problem, if everything fits, is that the card wont format due to problems with the IDE I/O still not being correct.

Hmm, that link (to tell whether or not a CF card will work) reports "Service Unavailable". Do you have another source or a brief description of this?

Thanks Chris.

[chris57]

I'm at work and only have access to sites that are on a white list so cant try it now.

I only found it this morning whilst having my cornflakes!

From what I remember you need to connect to a PC and then select properties for the card. Then look at the DMA modes it supports. The CF card can be set two ways:- removable disc or fixed disc. If its fixed disc it shows from how it displays itself [/u]in Windows and the details shown under properties.

[jimz06]

(08-28-2008 12:11 PM)jtrosky Wrote:  FYI - I FINALLY received all of the parts and I'm happy to report that this setup works fine! The only thing I had to do was to "modify" the PCH power connecter to make it fit into the power connector of the 3.5" to 2.5" inch adapter (I had to shave the yellow PCH power connector using a utility knife to make it possible to physically plug it into the power connector on the 3.5" to 2.5" adapter because the PCH "motherboard" gets in the way slightly - A 90 degree power connector on the PCH msy avoid this issue).

But, after that simple mod (took 2 mins), I connected the 5GB Seagate CF microdrive and it worked perfectly!

I did also try an el-cheapo 4GB CF memory card and while the PCH did see it as a HD, it failed when it went to format it... I do have a higher quality CF card I'll try later today, out of curiousity... I'll report my findings (alhought the microdrive was VERY cheap and it's also silent).

That's good to know since I have basically the same parts on the way in the mail. I've ordered the Transcend 133x CF since it seems people have had success with that card. Thanks for the tip on the power connector!

[jimz06]

(08-28-2008 02:23 PM)jimz06 Wrote:  That's good to know since I have basically the same parts on the way in the mail. I've ordered the Transcend 133x CF since it seems people have had success with that card. Thanks for the tip on the power connector!

Just reporting that this worked for me also. A couple of notes...with this particular adapter this setup may not be for the faint of heart as you have to do some pretty major surgery on the power connector to clear the PCH motherboard, and I would recommend putting some electrical tape around the now exposed connector crimp to protect from shorts. I did set the jumper on the CF adapter to "cable select" since I read that worked for someone else doing a CF install. Not sure if it was necessary but it worked.

[reise]

(08-22-2008 12:18 PM)xdemo Wrote:  

• If you don't want to solder buy instead male IDE 40pin connectors (5$ each) an make your own cable. Take a spare IDE cable and press the connector on it. Then cut-off the overlapping part with a carpet knife. It's so simple to manufacture a male-male adapter cable.
  

I need to do a male to male cable, can I just cramp the connectors on the flat cable? CAn you direct me to a howto on this because of the connectors orientation?

Thanks,

[JW1]

I can confirm that this IDE adaptor and this CF card coupled with chris57's male-male adaptor, plus an old IDE cable, work perfectly.

[stellaartois]

(09-01-2008 05:01 PM)JW1 Wrote:  I can confirm that this IDE adaptor and this CF card coupled with chris57's male-male adaptor, plus an old IDE cable, work perfectly.

thanks for the links - i have some bits n bobs spare i may use.
btw i also noticed that digitalera also sell the new a-110 popcorn hour in the UK i may make a purchase as i havnt found anywhere else in the uk selling them yet, i need a new hard drive as well overclockers for that i think - i hate explaining all the new gadgets to the wife