Internal Hard Disk - replacement types

[dvdborn]

Hi Escobar,

Thanks for the extensive response.

I just tried the 'remove all jumpers' trick but that didn't do it for me.

Next step will be to downgrade the firmware from 3.88 to 3.86. I don't have a PC with a SCSI interface. So I'm hoping that I can use a beige Apple G3 with Mac OS 9 to downgrade the OS.

I'll let you know how it turns out.

David

[dvdborn]

Since my last post I've been busy trying to find a way to downgrade the Acard firmware from version 3.88 and 3.86. And at last I succeeded. If you want to know the details I can post them but really it wasn't easy at first.

But... version 3.86 didn't solve my problem. 
This means that the Acard is not at fault. Which is good news for everybody that has already ordered one.

Now, I've tried every conceivable jumper setting on the Acard and the CF card reader and no configuration gave me the ability to format a 1GB card. Though I could still use a 64MB card.

This leaves only one option: The CF-card reader. Escobar mentioned that his CF-card reader has a jumper with 3 pins for selecting the Master/Slave configuration. Mine has only 2 pins for selecting the Master/Slave config. Which means that I'm using a different CF card reader.

Escobar would you be so kind to tell us where you ordered your CF card reader? Mine doesn't mention a make or model number. I'm guessing that yours doesn't also.

I ordered my card from an eBay seller in Hong Kong (ebay name: diytown).
It had the description: 40 pin CF Compact Flash to IDE/ATA Converter Adapter B

I really hope that replacing my CF card reader solves the problem. This is all getting too weird.

Cheers,
David

[karlscott]

This is the guy i bought mine off of he's in UK but they are exact replica's of Escobar's....

I bought 2 for safe measure, let me know if you get stuck, this guy has quick delivery also, Karl....

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Compact-Flash-to-IDE-ATA-Converter-Adapter-CF-to-40-pin_W0QQitemZ250237292511QQihZ015QQcategoryZ41994QQtcZphotoQQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1713.m153.l1262

post edited: sorry last link i put up the auction had expired, anyway seems he has started a new one!!!

[Escobar]

I agree with you David,
I don't understand why it doesn't work for you. 

I bought my CF->IDE adapter from a Hong Kong company. Here's a guy selling same kind of adapter as I have and he's from Hong Kong too; it's same kind of card as Karl's link shows, but this guy sells three cards for $2.99 + s/h:

http://cgi.ebay.com/3-x-CF-to-IDE-Compact-Flash-Adapter-Male-Bootable-B03_W0QQitemZ370041248924QQihZ024QQcategoryZ41994QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

The picture of the card shows it has a light green jumper knob exactly as mine, and the white text shown on the card reads the same, so it must be exactly of same kind. The card doesn't have any BIOS so no worries about software differencies. The ad says the card name is CF to IDE Compact Flash Adapter Male Bootable B03.

I'm beginning to feel abit of a fraud that has fooled everyone to buy stuff that doesn't work! 

[dvdborn]

Hi Escobar,

I ordered one of the CF card readers with the 3 pin jumpers and the same text as on your CF card reader.

By all means, don't worry about it not working properly. I'm already happy that I have an alternative for the internal hard drive. And I do prefer to have 64MB of very quiet memory in my EIII than 1GB of loud memory. Still it might be better if I had 1GB of quiet memory.

I'm also thinking about replacing the internal fans so that the EIII becomes as quiet as a whisper. But that would be a different topic.

[Escobar]

I just want to inform I found out that the TwinMOS X140 Ultra-X 1GB Compact Flash is out of stock even on the swedish site and it won't be for sale anymore.

/Escobar

[karlscott]

Finally got the last of the bits today which was the Acard, gonna start to try and install CF card but was wondering what interleave setting did you guys format with???

Is it the 2:1 as standard?

thanks, Karl...

[dvdborn]

At first I was only able to format a 64MB card. I bought 4 different 1GB CF-cards and none of them worked. I then found out that my CF card reader was different then the one Escobar used in his setup.

Yesterday, I received my new card reader and today I tried to format the 4 CF cards again. This time I had more luck.

I was able to format 2 3 (update 03.05.08) out of the 4 cards. I did not change the interleave setting.

I was able to format a SanDisk Ultra II 1GB card, a Kingston 1GB card and an integralmemory.com iPro 40x 1GB card.
I got a SCSI Hardware Error with the TwinMOS Ultra-X 140x. The same card that Escobar uses.

The SCSI-IDE adapter was running firmware versione 3.88.

Formatting and verifying a card took more than 2 hours to complete. So be patient.

I've included a picture of the Kingston card and the integral memory card that I was able to format. Also included is a picture that shows how I installed the CF card reader where the hard disk used to be. This picture also shows the SanDisk Ultra II card that I was able to format.
The final picture is the complete CF card solution with the SCSI-IDE adapter.

David

Update 03.05.08: While I was able to format 3 different CF-cards. The EIII didn't want to boot from the SanDisk Ultra II 1GB card.

[dlmorley]

Great David
I intend to steal your setup 

[karlscott]

Hello Guys

I just finished setting up my new CF card and it all works perfectly, was abit fiddly once i'd done formatting it (the EIII was not picking it up for some reason) so i just removed both terminator jumpers turned it on let it spin around for abit.

I shut it down again then put on "terminator enable" knob, it then picked it back up, shut down again the put on "terminator power" and booted back up.

Once it intially finds the CF card then it stays locked from then on, I then backed up from my old internal HD to CF card, then erased the software from my old internal HD so only the CF card was allowed to boot up.

I had a 3 way internal scsi cable lying around so I now use my old internal HD as my backup drive, the card that i used was the same "Kingston" card as Davids.

I had problems with my Twinmos cards I kept on getting "scsi hardware message" an hour into formatting so substituted them for the kingston card and Hey Presto it works!!!!.

I noticed when trying to format Twinmos cards that the little red light on the Card reader did not flash it just stayed on, when formatting the Kingston cards it was flashing away as if there was activity going on.

My SCSI to IDE adapter had firmware version 3.88 also so it must be an issue where the Twinmos cards only work with firmware 3.86 (which is the same as Escobar's) so would be best find out what firmware your SCSI to IDE adapter has prior to purchasing the type of cards you need to buy.

Thanks for the great help from David & Marko, no more noisy HD's this thing is silent as a mouse!!!!!

Karl.....

 

[dvdborn]

Correction: While I was able to format both the SanDisk Ultra II and the Kingston cards. I am only able to boot from the Kingston card.

When I transfered the OS to the Utra II card, the EIII didn't want to boot from it. When I booted the EIII from the floppy it could find the CF card and I could read and write onto it.

So, for now, the recommended CF-card is the Kingston 1GB Type I card.

DAvid

[karlscott]

Having a weird problem with my set up at the moment, everthing that i transferred over from my internal HD is ok.

I have just loaded a bank  from a zip that i have and saved the bank onto my cf card, now everytime i load that particular bank and play keyboard get distortion coming thru with the sound at same time.

done all diagnostics checks and everything is fine also when load the bank from the actual zip disk i have no problems it's how it should be.

Also when loading some banks now i get "scsi hardware error" message, obviously all of this is to do with cf card, any thoughts anyone?

Thanks in advance, Karl....

UPDATE: noticed a a little crack on SCSI to IDE board hoping thats the culprit, gonna send it back to the company where i got from and get it replaced...

Will keep everyone posted, Karl.....

[dvdborn]

Hi Karl,

I also think that the crack will be the culprit. I've been using my CF-card setup with the Kingston card for the whole day without a problem.

I've also been busy transferring my library to the CF-card.

David

[amino]

Hehehe...I didn't know there were people as anxious about this as I am. I tried this a year ago, but gave up, mainly because I didn't know if it was supposed to work, and because there were too many parameters to adjust. I think I've got all the stuff I need already, so of course I will give it another try now.

[amino]

Checked my Acard this morning. It's v3.86. I bought it in October 2006 for 56 Euro. Haven't had any use for it so far, but hopefully that will change...