"Storage Brick Driver"

[SassKwatch]

Has anyone attempted to get the Storage Brick Driver (http://www.tjotala.com/software/wince/storagebrickdriver/default.htm) working with an Archos MiniHD and an iPAQ 5455?

Or, if you managed to connect the Archos drive w/ a device other than the 5455, did you have to do anything outside the directions posted at the site to get things functional? Special Registry tweaks, maybe?

I had hoped since the 38xx series devices apparently were compatible, that maybe the 54xx series would be as well. But thus far, no go. Have tried contacting the author, but no respone so far (not complaining, just looking for another potential source of help).

Thanks!

[dhettel]

Hmm, how are you trying to connect? What are you using? Do you have your Harddrive externally power? What happens when you plug in the card? Have you tried turning off the WLAN, Bluetooth, and fingerprint reader, and doing a soft reset?

David

[Rob3870]

FYI - When the 3800 series was initially released, the 3600 series driver did not work out of the box (at least for me). I spoke to Tapani about it and he made some sort of tweak to the driver so it would work. The same might have to be done for the 5400. I haven't delat with him or the driver in a couple years though, not sure if he's still active with it.

Cheers,
Rob

[SassKwatch]

Hmm, how are you trying to connect?
Dual slot PCMCIA sleeve.

What are you using?
The above plus the aforementioned Archos MiniHD (20GB) drive with it's supplied PCMCIA adapter.

Do you have your Harddrive externally power?
I've tried it both ways...externally, and just running it off the 54xx (as it appears the author and at least one other user had done). Same result either way.

What happens when you plug in the card?
Absoultely nothing until I turn on the iPAQ. :lol: 'But seriously folks....', I make all the connections, turn on the iPAQ and hear the Archos drive attempt to spin up, but then it sits there silently.

It could very well be that the drive is technically accessible at that point, but neither the MS File Explorer, nor the Resco improvement of same 'see' it as being connected. Ergo, I have no way of transferring any files to/from the drive.

Have you tried turning off the WLAN, Bluetooth, and fingerprint reader, and doing a soft reset?
Well, I never turn BT or WiFi on until I have a need for them, so they're pretty much irrelevant. But I hadn't thought to turn off the biometric thingie. Might be worth a shot.

[SassKwatch]

FYI - When the 3800 series was initially released, the 3600 series driver did not work out of the box (at least for me). I spoke to Tapani about it and he made some sort of tweak to the driver so it would work. The same might have to be done for the 5400.
Makes sense to me. This is obviously one of those 'try at your own risk' thingies, so I don't have any complaints. But good gravy wavy, would this be a blessing in disguise if I could get it to work. Would be *WAY K-E-W-L* to be able to transfer 100 RAW files from the Microdrive in the digicam to the Archos drive while out shooting in the field.

My prime question is the latest version release of his driver. On the site, it notes 1.05 as being the latest, but the install routine suggests I'm installing 1.02. Now, I realize sometimes the version number is one of the last things developers will update for these 'works in progress', but I wish I could verify the one currently downloadable is 1.05.

I haven't delat with him or the driver in a couple years though, not sure if he's still active with it.
All the references I've chased down at his site suggest 2001 may have been the last time he was active with it. There was even a mention of a mention here at ppcThoughts (among others) about it back in '01....though a search here didn't reveal anything.

If he isn't actively working on it any longer, I think it's a shame. This is something I'd drop $10 for **in a heartbeat*** (probably considerably more if the truth be known) if it worked with a fair number of devices/drives. (Hint! Hint! for any developer types that might be reading :))

[bmhome1]

Be sure the PCMCIA adaptor for the Archos is 16bit NOT 32bit Cardbus which PPC2002 doesn't support.

[dhettel]

Hmm I download the program and installed it on a 5455 and a 3970, using a CMS EasyBundle I can get it to spin up a IBM 20GB hardrive, and pause the 3970, but the drive does not show up. On the 5455, nothing at all happens, on insertion. Drive does not spin up, and the 5455 does not pause.

David

[SassKwatch]

Be sure the PCMCIA adaptor for the Archos is 16bit NOT 32bit Cardbus which PPC2002 doesn't support.
Any idea how one could determine that? I can't find anything in the lit that came with the device, nor in any of the specs at the Archos site.(?)

[oe1kenobi]

32-bit CardBus cards have a gold-colored front edge with bumps on it. 16-bit PCMCIA cards have a smooth grey metal front edge.

Here's some examples from a quick Google Image Search:
32-bit:
http://www.gr8music.com/store/html/images/cardbus.jpg

16-bit:
http://www.netgear.com/images/products/thumbnails/fa411_small.jpg

Compact Flash cards are pin-compatible with 3.3volt 16-bit PCMCIA cards, so you can convert between these two formats with the appropriate adapter. BTW, did you know that CF memory cards can be used as IDE drives with a simple pin adaptor? Too bad it isn't that easy the other way.

As far as I know, no PocketPCs support 32-bit CardBus cards. CardBus uses different pins for the power, so plugging one into a 16-bit PCMCIA slot won't even power them up and they aren't seen at all.

-Richard L. Owens

[maximus]

BTW, did you know that CF memory cards can be used as IDE drives with a simple pin adaptor?

Just curious, is there a practical use of the above ?

[oe1kenobi]

Just curious, is there a practical use of the above ?
Yes: small, quiet computers for all sort of things (linux-based firewalls, personal web servers, mp3 players, etc.).

-Richard L. Owens,
Getting kinda off-topic...