Amiga.org
Amiga computer related discussion => Amiga Tutorials => Topic started by: ZeBeeDee on May 06, 2007, 12:59:38 AM
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As CF cards seem to be getting popular in replacing internal hard drives for Amiga's, does anyone know of or is able to provide a "How to"?
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1. Connect using CF->IDE adaptor.
2. Use HDToolbox.
3. Done.
Though some models seem to be troublesome with Amigas, so it's hit or miss.
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Matt_H wrote:
1. Connect using CF->IDE adaptor.
2. Use HDToolbox.
3. Done.
Though some models seem to be troublesome with Amigas, so it's hit or miss.
I've seen those adapters @ Fry's Electronics. I can't imagine that the access speeds are the same, though. CF has got to be slower, but by how much?
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CF is faster.
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moto
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HDToolBox might complain that unit is not a disk, but "type 7". This propably because the CF card, which is running in IDE-mode, reports itself as a removable device. This caused HDToolBox not to save disk parameters correctly, if I recall correctly. There's a patch on aminet that should fix it and remove that error message and let HDToolBox operate in the usual way. http://aminet.net/package/disk/misc/HDToolBoxPatch You also need the right version of the patching program to be able apply those patches.
Ebay might be a place to look for some chinese made adapters.
an ebay.de listing (http://cgi.ebay.de/Amiga-1200-600-PC-Compact-Flash-To-2-5-IDE-Adapter_W0QQitemZ130108017654QQihZ003QQcategoryZ8142QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem)
I made my own adapter http://www.iki.fi/mkl/ide2cf/a6i2cf.html
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Wow! I'm going to seriously think about doing that! Hmm, 2 or 4GB and removable, perhaps... and maybe peeping out through the PCMCIA slot... Heck, I might even cut a slot into the top/back/side of the case...
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i haven an 8 Gig cf card in my a1200, thru a buffered 4-way splitter. Works great and the machine boots superfast!
The adapter is mounted on a bracket so the card is ejectable from the backside (with power off ofcourse).
But in Os 3.1 it reported the card as 138 mb, or something around there. But in 3.9 it works perfectly, hdtoolbox detects size correctly.
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CF is faster.
Well i was always bypassing CF related posts but that sounds tempting. :-)
How are things price-wise. Is a 10GB CF much more expensive that a 10BG IDE HD?
Also, is this CD -> IDE adaptor an Amiga specific device? Will i still be able to attach a second IDE/ATAPI device to the IDE port?
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@AmigaMance
Prices:
CF adapter, 30 euro ($40)
4 Gb cf card, depending on speed: between 48 to 61 euros ($65-82).
8 Gb cf card 119 euro ($161).
The adapter is not amiga specific, and some adaptors have a master/slave jumper, some have not
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@ravnen
Hey, you answered all of my questions. Thank you.
Yeah... They are a bit pricy but they may worth the money depending on how faster they are from a standard IDE HD. I would stick to HDs if the gain is not big.
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mrmkl wrote:
HDToolBox might complain that unit is not a disk, but "type 7". This propably because the CF card, which is running in IDE-mode, reports itself as a removable device. This caused HDToolBox not to save disk parameters correctly, if I recall correctly. There's a patch on aminet that should fix it and remove that error message and let HDToolBox operate in the usual way. http://aminet.net/package/disk/misc/HDToolBoxPatch You also need the right version of the patching program to be able apply those patches.
Ebay might be a place to look for some chinese made adapters.
an ebay.de listing (http://cgi.ebay.de/Amiga-1200-600-PC-Compact-Flash-To-2-5-IDE-Adapter_W0QQitemZ130108017654QQihZ003QQcategoryZ8142QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem)
I made my own adapter http://www.iki.fi/mkl/ide2cf/a6i2cf.html
8-) Interesting stuff thanks :pint:
A4000 Mad
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If it was that simple, I would have done it ages ago!
Oh wait a minute ...
Cheap Chinese 44pin Dual CF card adapter - Check!
128mb CF card for Workbench 3.1 formatted as 'type 7' and bootable - Check!
4GB CF card for WHDLoad images and sundries formatted as 'type 7' - Check!
Atomic batteries to power ... turbines to speed ... DA DA DA DA DA DA DA DA BATMAN! :-D
w00t! Workbench in less than 2 seconds ... now THATS impressive hehehe
P.S. No patch required ... Used original 3.1 HD Install disc.
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Nobody has yet mentioned the downside of Flash memory, so I'll mention it now. Flash memory, including Compact Flash, has limited rewrite cycles. This can be as low as 100,000, or as high as several million depending on the quality of the card. Once any given sector has exceeded its maximum number of rewrite cycles, it is in danger of becoming corrupt.
Some expensive CF cards keep track of how many rewrite cycles each sector has had. If a sector exceeds this amount, the data is moved to a different sector, and the sector which exceeded the rewrite cycle limit is marked as bad.
For this reason, Flash Memory is not really suitable as a hard drive replacement if you intend to make lots of changes to the contents of the disk. AmigaOS is better suited to a Flash drive as the OS itself doesn't need to write to the disk (unlike Windows, which seems to write constantly :roll:)
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moto
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@ moto
Some more interesting stuff there thanks mate :pint:
@ ZeBeeDee
So you've now actually booted into a Compact Flash card on the IDE header of an A1200 Desktop? Prehaps you could give us a bit of a detailed tutorial as so far I've only booted into a 2.5" internal hard drive with an A1200 desktop, and then used a CF card as an Amiga formatted hot swappable disk on the PCMCIA slot.
A4000 Mad
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@A4000_Mad
As I mentioned erlier in this thread, I have this configuration on my a1200 (thru a 4way buffered device). Works very nice. In Os3.9 It pops up in hdtoolbox just like any other harddrive, I have used this on two systems, and no manual configuration has been required.
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@ ravnen
8-) Many thanks :-)
A4000 Mad
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Have just bought one of those CF cards myself and was supposed to install it this night.
Well... It's no mumbo jumbo except that you need the 2,5" harddisk cradle and the 44/44 pin cable to do so.
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motorollin wrote:
Some expensive CF cards keep track of how many rewrite cycles each sector has had. If a sector exceeds this amount, the data is moved to a different sector, and the sector which exceeded the rewrite cycle limit is marked as bad.
They don't actually track write amounts per cell, they just spread the bytes around in a pattern to more or less use all the cells evenly. Its in the cheapo cards as well.
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A4000_Mad wrote:
@ ZeBeeDee
So you've now actually booted into a Compact Flash card on the IDE header of an A1200 Desktop? Prehaps you could give us a bit of a detailed tutorial as so far I've only booted into a 2.5" internal hard drive with an A1200 desktop, and then used a CF card as an Amiga formatted hot swappable disk on the PCMCIA slot.
One detailed tutorial, ready and waiting in the Tutorial secion :-)