CF extender Options

[padishah_emperor]

Hi all

This may seem like a stupid question, then again it may not. Is it possible to have two CF devices plugged into a single CF slot? I cannot find anything about this on the net.

When I look at my 860, I wonder how much would be involved in having a bigger modified extended battery cover, with sufficient space for two CF slots wired with ribbon cable into the original CF slot (does that make sense?).

It would make the Z a bit fatter but allow for a Wi-Fi and microdrive say. I was under the impression (maybe erroneously) that CF memory cards were similar to IDE/ATA so could two be on the same slot?

Ideas, opinions, specs, data etc all welcome.

Thanks
-Francis

[ThC]

I don't think you can do that so easily ...
As far as I know, CF cards do have their own memory controller which would need to send the good signal to the good card with 2 card plugged ... plus I've head about ppl having problem with wifi+memory CF cards already so the Z don't seem to work good with such a special controller ... So i 'don't think we could have such a solution working so easily

[padishah_emperor]

oh poo!

[omega]

What about the possibility of having two type I compact flash cards in the one type II slot?

[ThC]

CF is not PCMCIA ... you can't fit 2 type 1 cards in one type II connector (your memory CF card actually IS a type I card and you can see there's no room for a second one) ... btw every wifi CF card are type II and will take all the room with their antenna (besides microdrives are also type II devices)... only solution would be for zaurus to support completely combo CF cards having wifi+memory...

btw do you really need more than 512Mb storage when using wifi ? I think you'll never have enough battery to download more than that (even with a fast connection) why not using SD storage while using wifi then ?

[padishah_emperor]

I'd like two 4GB microdrives in at once, or maybe 1x 4GB and an ethernet card, but it ain't gonna happen

[waalkman]

Compact flash is essentially a ATA IDE interface (with a extra pins). Last time I checked that included the ability to handle two drives at once...

http://www.toshiba.com/taec/components/App...8260_030325.pdf


Never say never


John

[tz]

You can get a CF->PCMCIA adapter and use a toshiba 3.3v PCMCIA hard drive (I have a 5GB I found for $135 that works well). I think they go up to 40Gb. I also use this kind of adapter for my Cisco 350 card when wardriving.

But to the original question, the interface on the chip handling CF (or pcmcia if they would have brought the extra pins out) typically has an extra set of sense and select lines for the second card - these few lines must be unique to each card. Since these aren't accessible (without surgery), you can't simply create a Y adaptor.

[akpoff]

When I look at my 860, I wonder how much would be involved in having a bigger modified extended battery cover, with sufficient space for two CF slots wired with ribbon cable into the original CF slot (does that make sense?).

I've wondered the same thing. What I found is that the current extended battery cover is large enough that you could put a wireless CF card in it -- at least it has enough room for an Ambicom wireless card. I took the covers off the Ambicom and found that it's quite thin. If I were to cut the offsets that cover the CF slot the naked Ambicom wireless card would fit along the width of CF slot:

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Then a ribbon cable could be attached from the ambicom into the CF slot. I would probably back the Ambicom with electricians tape or put some light "leatherette" material over the CF slot to keep from scratching the case. On the whole I think this would work. I haven't had any luck in finding a supplier for male and female CF pin slots nor a ribbon cable, but I haven't fully scoured the net yet.

Another option that occurs to me would be for a third party (or even Sharp) to market an add on battery cover that has usb, bluetooth and 802.11 kit in the cover with a small ribbon cable that connects either to the CF slot or to the Sharp proprietary port. Personally I'd opt for using the Sharp proprietary port since I can always sync via ethernet. I don't think we'd have much of a problem with the antenna since it could run the length of the two long sides of the batter cover. I think reception would be just fine. You could put a mini-usb connector along the back side of the cover. While I'm at it, add a 10/100 card with dongle.

There's a lot of unused space in the back cover, just offsets to keep it from flexing when squeezed. Fill that space up with electronics I say!

[padishah_emperor]

Another option that occurs to me would be for a third party (or even Sharp) to market an add on battery cover that has usb, bluetooth and 802.11 kit in the cover with a small ribbon cable that connects either to the CF slot or to the Sharp proprietary port.  Personally I'd opt for using the Sharp proprietary port since I can always sync via ethernet.  I don't think we'd have much of a problem with the antenna since it could run the length of the two long sides of the batter cover.  I think reception would be just fine.  You could put a mini-usb connector along the back side of the cover.  While I'm at it, add a 10/100 card with dongle.

There's a lot of unused space in the back cover, just offsets to keep it from flexing when squeezed.  Fill that space up with electronics I say!

THIS is what I mean't. I'd like a 4GB microdrive and a free socket for an ethernet or something, SD/MMC is not sufficient for me, I want to use a microdrive for my files BUT I still want access to my files while using ethernet, or wifi or something. I cannot believe there is nothing out there I can buy to attach two devices, but (sigh) thats life... So much free space in my battery cover, it seems sinful not to use it wisely.

Yes, if someone made a new battery cover with all this in it, I'd wet myself with glee and purchase it post haste!!!!!

[coolass]

SL-6000 plus expantion sled.

[rikiya]

Shush coolass!
Don't bring up the 6000 in padishah's posts!
or Flames will flare up to begin!

[padishah_emperor]

SL-6000 plus expantion sled.

grrr

[ThC]

coolass : we'll talk about the SL-6000 when pdaXrom will work on it
at the moment the sl-cxxx are far more complete as a palmtop even if not having dual CF ports nor integrated wifi as pdaXrom lets you unleash the true power of the zaurus (IMHO). I can't figure out what usage I'd have for wifi + huge storage under an QT rom (except playing a divx while a webpage is loading in the background )
ok ok you can still play mp3 while browsing and downloading a file but you can do that with a not-so-huge SD memory card and CF wifi plugged in

[padishah_emperor]

coolass : we'll talk about the SL-6000 when pdaXrom will work on it
at the moment the sl-cxxx are far more complete as a palmtop even if not having dual CF ports nor integrated wifi as pdaXrom lets you unleash the true power of the zaurus (IMHO). I can't figure out what usage I'd have for wifi + huge storage under an QT rom (except playing a divx while a webpage is loading in the background )
ok ok you can still play mp3 while browsing and downloading a file but you can do that with a not-so-huge SD memory card and CF wifi plugged in

LOL!

It depends on how one uses a Z. I myself have no documents on MMC or internal memory so as to minimise wear and tear. I do however have a cheap 64MB MMC to hold the dev-img compiler and a swapfile and wallpapers. My documents, music and video are all on a 512MB CF, but I'd like an ethernet too, so I can surf etc while having access to my documents, yes, so I can listen to music while downloading stuff to my CF, having both would improve usability, I'm not too keen on constantly pulling and pushing in cards constantly, again it will add unwarranted wear and tear. Not only that, I want to get rid of my CF card this year and get a 4GB microdrive.

Can you imagine only being able to surf on a laptop by removing the hard drive and only having a floppy disk to save stuff on?

But it's all academic anyway, since it's not possible. It would make the C series even better though (is that possible?).