VZ90 4GB Memory Stick & Compact Flash?

[bunbuns]

After searching around the forums a bit and finding a lot of contradictory information regarding this topic, i found the following thread that shows that it is possible for 4GB to run in FAT16 on a SONY CLIE with proper formatting:

http://www.1src.com/forums/showthread.php?t=101452&page=3&highlight=4GB

Wikipedia even has a section on FAT that states 4GB volume size is possible.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File_Allocation_Table

Theoretically this means the VZ90 could store 8 GB of storage on two volumes (4GB CF + 4GB MS).

I do not want to install the FAT32 driver since it slowed down application speed and stability and the additonal limitation with CLIE applications.
the "cmd" -> "format /?" option in WINXP shows that 64k allocations unit is possible with FAT file system but i have no access to 4gb flash media to test this.

Can anyone confirm or has tested that either the 4GB Memory Stick or 4GB Compact Flash formatted to FAT16 64kCluster works with the VZ90 without installing the hacked FAT32 otherwise i was planning on just purchasing a 2GB Compact Flash along with my 2GB memory stick pro to be safe.

[dragonsgames]

If it works on UX, it should work on VZ. PM golalmo for complete instructions.

[bunbuns]

I guess nobody has given this a try. I sent golalmo a pm and hopefully the results of the UX will work on a VZ90.

Althrough i looking at buyng a AU $99 4GB 150x Pro OEM SAMSUNG Compact Flash card, doesn`t seem to have labels or anything and photos seem to show it direct from samsung straight from the production line, i can only guess that we are paying for the same product in brand names but the extra is for the packaging, labelling and support.

Even if 4gb capacity doesnt work i will still have a cheap 2GB card i can use.

There is many conterfiets out there but really i am using it for storage of non critical data like music and video so the cheaper the better so feel the access speed required by photographers is a not a issue on a palm os machine for this type of media.

[bdhu2001]

bunbuns, what happened with your 4GB card or MS? Did it work? Did you use FAT32 or FAT16?

[bunbuns]

Got my 4GB Samsung Compact Flash. Tested it out by formatting to FAT16 (64k Cluster). Windows reads the full 4GB fine but upon inserting it in the VZ-90 the card in unuseable and i get a error message asking if i want to format the card.

I tested this with and without the FAT32 driver. I can only guess the SONY PSP format method has a special way of formatting memory sticks in FAT16 (64k) mode that allows it to be read in a SONY CLIE or the UX filesystem has support for this FAT format. I can`t confirm if a 4GB Sony Memory Stick works but it looks like the Compact Flash side of things doesn`t.

TCPMP Benchmark Results (Miami Vice Trailer - DivX 3.11, ADPCM)
--------------------------------------------------------
- 4GB Samsung CF-150x Ultra Speed CompactFlash Card OEM
(FAT16/64k Formatted in WinXp SP2 [format I: /FS:FAT])
- 2GB Sandisk Memory Stick Pro

FAT32 Driver Not Installed
-------------------------
CF (FAT16) - 119.33%
CF (FAT16/64k)- DID NOT WORK
CF (FAT32) - DID NOT WORK
MS (FAT16) - 123.94%

FAT32 Driver Installed
---------------------
CF (FAT16) - 119.33%
CF (FAT16/64k) - DID NOT WORK
CF (FAT32) - 120.41%
MS (FAT16) - 123.94%

I ended up installing the FAT32 driver so as to get the 4GB capacity (Ends up only showing 2GB if formatted with the VZ-90).

The benchmarks show a loss in decoding speed either due to read rate of the Compact Flash Card or the VZ-90 interface for CF Cards being slower than when using Memory Sticks. Tested with some movies and doesn`t work too badly, but if you trying to streach the perfromance of video then the Memory Stick is faster.

I did try my other 256mb Kingston Memory Card and the results were near the same as the Samsung.

I might have a look around if i can find some other programs that will format to FAT16 (64k) but in alternative manner to the Microsoft Method.

[bdhu2001]

Quote from bunbuns:
Got my 4GB Samsung Compact Flash. Tested it out by formatting to FAT16 (64k Cluster). Windows reads the full 4GB fine but upon inserting it in the VZ-90 the card in unuseable and i get a error message asking if i want to format the card.
I have a 4GB Kingston card. My VZ90 can read it, but it only sees 2GB worth. If I put info past 2GB it stops reading and starts having errors. If you find a way to read 4GB let me know. In the meantime, you can get a stick adapter and use your 4GB card as a flash drive. That will allow you to take movies and extra stuff with your laptop and be able to read or view from any desktop. Using it as a small 4GB external drive for your laptop, keeps it from being a waste.

[bunbuns]

Quote from bunbuns:

I have a 4GB Kingston card. My VZ90 can read it, but it only sees 2GB worth. If I put info past 2GB it stops reading and starts having errors. If you find a way to read 4GB let me know. In the meantime, you can get a stick adapter and use your 4GB card as a flash drive. That will allow you to take movies and extra stuff with your laptop and be able to read or view from any desktop. Using it as a small 4GB external drive for your laptop, keeps it from being a waste.

Ahh ok, I am guessing you formatted it in the native FAT16 format which limits the capacity to 2GB for devices that can only read FAT16 format like the SONY CLIE and Windows9X. Windows XP is able to see the full 4GB however being a NT OS.

The VZ-90 is infact able to read 4GB Compact Flash and 4GB Memory Stick.
All you have to do is format the cards with a card reader using Windows XP format option to FAT32. If you dont have a card reader you could possibly use the data import application hooked up to your PC to format both the MS and CF cards to FAT32.

Of course you need the FAT32 hacked driver installed as well which can be found at www.palmpowerups.com. As from previous posts most Sony Clie programs will refuse to work with data from a 4GB card. 2GB cards however work fine even with this hacked driver installed.

Currently using my 2GB Memory Stick for CLIE Applications/Video/Audio, and using the 4GB Compact Flash to all my camera photos and backup files. I going to store a lot of my Videos on the 4GB CF and when i need to watch them just transfer across to the 2GB MS. Still a little fiddly but much better than having to hook it up to my PC everytime to grab data.

I might give up on the FAT16/64k Solution, Some programs seem a little laggy now with the FAT32 driver but other than that i havent noticed any other problems. Another solution is to buy a Sandisk 4GB CF card which has a three way switch for allowing uses to select between 2x2GB FAT16 partitions or 1x4GB FAT32 Partitions and that way you would not have to install the FAT32 hacked driver.

[bdhu2001]

Thanks bunbuns, I already own the CF card so I'll try the FAT 32 driver.