IDE CF Cart experience ?

Paragon (1218)

25-01-2003, 09:44

Since its not working together with my Padial Mapper, I was thinking of trading my old SCSI card for one of those IDE CF card, it looks nice and compact and doesn't require as much space. Only problem is I haven't heard much from people using it. So if anyone is using it, could you share your experience with it ?

I was wondering about the following:

* Can you user any type of CF card ?

* Can you boot in DOS2 from a CF card ?

* What's the speed compared to a SCSI card with a MSX2 ?

* Can you make partitions on your CF card ?

* Can you read the CF card with MSX files on a PC (to exchange files for example) ?

* Will it work with a Padial 4MB mapper ?

Any input is welcome.

Greets to all

Maggoo

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Por msxhans

Expert (77)

25-01-2003, 23:17

Since the CF card looks like an IDE hard disk interface it can be treated as such.

* Can you user any type of CF card ?

Yes, up from 32Mb. Did an one have success with 16Mb?

* Can you boot in DOS2 from a CF card ?

Yes, its a IDE hard disk

* What's the speed compared to a SCSI card with a MSX2 ?

Faster!

* Can you make partitions on your CF card ?

Yes, its a IDE hard disk

* Can you read the CF card with MSX files on a PC (to exchange files for example) ?

Doubtfull, never tried it, IDE disks do not.

* Will it work with a Padial 4MB mapper ?

The Padial mapper is known to cause trouble for example in a turboR. It works fine in a slot expander together with other carts like Sunrise IDE. The slot expander does influence soem of the timings on the busses. Now that you report that the mapper causes trouble with a SCSI interface, i would suggest telling Leo that his mapper needs some work. The Digital KC/Gouda etc 4Mb mappers work fine in such situations.

Por anonymous

incognito ergo sum (116)

25-01-2003, 23:49

* Can you read the CF card with MSX files on a PC (to exchange files for example) ?

It was tested and verified that a MSX FAT12 formatted CF card was completely usable on PC.

Por snout

Ascended (15187)

26-01-2003, 00:25

GuyveR is right. Me and Latok did this test yesterday, and it worked with a Sandisk Cardreader. Extremely fast and cool.

Por Latok

msx guru (3959)

29-01-2003, 09:29

Nice to see Sunrise giving comments on their own products! Thank you Rob! Please continue doing so.

Por pitpan

Prophet (3156)

05-02-2003, 15:58

Which are the must-have tools to deal with the IDE CF Cart? I have just ordered my own IDE CF, because I was tired of guessing what will do my "weird actions" IDE cart (the original one, from Gilvad made in 1994).
What kind of memories do you recommend me? I think that 32 MB will be the perfect size (fits exactly FAT12). Any standard preffered?
And finally: can it boot using MSX-DOS1? Of course, I know that it won't be able to change directories. If it can be used under MSX-DOS1, is it MSX1 compatible? I would like to use it with my beloved SVI-738 (MSX1 BIOS, 64 KB RAM).

Greets!

Por Grauw

Ascended (10818)

05-02-2003, 16:44

Personally I am going to use a 128 MB CF card. That gives me 4 32MB-partitions, and enough room to store everything that's currently on my HD on plus some more (I am currently using about 70 MB). 32 MB seems a bit small to me, 64 MB should be ok aswell. Depends on how you use it, if you are going to put a lot of large files, games and graphics stuff etc. on it...

About DOS1, no, it can not boot. Only DOS2. However the MAP.COM tool (no, not IDEMAP.COM, that's got another purpose) sets up a 'hack' which makes most DOS1 games work ok.

~Grauw

Por Latok

msx guru (3959)

05-02-2003, 21:26

Grauw, if you're going to use a 128mb flashcard with multiple partitions, I think you'll get a problem reading other than the first partition on a PC. The reader will see the first 32mb fat12 partition, but not the other partitions....I THINK.....Not sure though....

Por Grauw

Ascended (10818)

06-02-2003, 00:43

I heard that. But that's easy, if I need to transfer stuff I'll just put it on the 1st partition, ne? As long as it doesn't mess up the partition table... Actually, knowing Windows (98?)does that when connecting an MSX-formatted IDE without read-only set to it, I think I'll feel safer using another CF cart for file transfers ^_^.

~Grauw

Por anonymous

incognito ergo sum (116)

06-02-2003, 14:14

I used a BERT formatted ZIP disk on PC (WIN98SE) and it saw the 1st, 3rd and 4th partition.

Por Grauw

Ascended (10818)

06-02-2003, 16:38

Yeah, different interfaces use(d?) different partition table formats. I guess the Bert's format approached the PC partition table format quite closely, although it's strange the 2nd partition couldn't be seen...

~Grauw