1src Forums - Replacing MicroDrive with Flash and Partitioning?

07-04-2006, 05:43 PM

#46

alex783

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Join Date: Jun 2006

Posts: 8

Quote:

Originally Posted by dmitrygr

that will work. i belive the loader is small enough not to care, and fat16 filesystem deals fien with it. certaily worth a try

Do you think that it will works? But the SanDisk has a different number of cylinder... 7940 again 7936 of the microdrive.. I would buy a Compact Flash by SanDisk and try it in my Lifedrive...

07-05-2006, 01:37 PM	#47
potter Registered User Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: SW, VA, USA Posts: 937	Assuming that Dmitrygr answers yes, searching for a good source for the "4GB SanDisk Ultra II CompactFlash", I found Dell currently has a sale on this for $150.44. I can find cheaper, but not from anyone I have ever heard of before. Do not know when the sale expires. http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/...19&sku=A0436610

07-05-2006, 01:43 PM	#48
potter Registered User Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: SW, VA, USA Posts: 937	Dimitrygr, Clarification: Is it cylinders and sectors that must match, or is it sectors and heads?

07-05-2006, 02:30 PM

#49

alex783

Registered User

Join Date: Jun 2006

Posts: 8

Quote:

Originally Posted by potter

Assuming that Dmitrygr answers yes, searching for a good source for the "4GB SanDisk Ultra II CompactFlash", I found Dell currently has a sale on this for $150.44. I can find cheaper, but not from anyone I have ever heard of before. Do not know when the sale expires.

http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/...19&sku=A0436610

Search on eBay... a 4GB compact flash (sandisk or kingston or samsung) is around 80$

07-05-2006, 05:46 PM	#50
Dan_Aykroyd Registered User Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 219	But to my original question: WHYYYYYYY not to buy (of couse, not if you already have a LD) directly a TX with a standar SD 4GB???? Is it for the processor increase??? I don't get it! :? Why would somebody would mess with this, when you bought a LD, knowing it has an HD??? OMFG!!!

07-05-2006, 08:46 PM	#51
dmitrygr Software engineer/hacker Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Silicon Valley, CA Posts: 5,062	um...4 gb inside + 4 gb in sd = 8 gb for tx max is 4 get it now? __________________ Annoying me is NOT an approved way of encouraging me to produce software My software:PowerSDHC, PowerDrive, nuRom, UDMH, warpSpeed, PowerDiGi, brightnessFix, etc... Get it all here:http://www.PalmPowerups.com

07-05-2006, 11:22 PM	#52
joepagIII Dont Panic Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: plymouth nc usa Posts: 674	its always made sense to me

07-06-2006, 04:11 AM

#53

peterjb31

Linux - The True OS

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Quote:

Originally Posted by alex783

Grrrr! I'm sorry... I downloaded the SanDisk Compact Flash Product Manual...

The SanDisk 4 GB Compact Flash has 7940 Cylinders, 16 Heads, 63 Sectors/Tracks... The Hitachi Microdrive has 7936/16/63... They aren't the same...

Somebody has tried the SanDisk 4GB Compact Flash into Lifedrive?

P.S:
I can't attach the SanDisk data sheet because is large 549 KB (compressed with Ark - Rar, i use KDE)

Sorry for taking so long to post back, had exams and stuff.

The card I used was a Sandisk 4GB, however I do not know if it is exactly the same but I would guess so.

Good luck to anyone else who wants to try this.

__________________
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The only thing worse than an ignorant fool is an arrogant fool.

07-06-2006, 04:59 AM

#54

alex783

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Join Date: Jun 2006

Posts: 8

Quote:

Originally Posted by peterjb31

But did you tried the SanDisk 4GB? Did it worked well? Did the Lifedrive booted? Now have you the SanDisk 4GB installed in PalmLifedrive?

07-06-2006, 06:27 AM

#55

potter

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Quote:

Originally Posted by peterjb31

The card I used was a Sandisk 4GB, however I do not know if it is exactly the same but I would guess so.

Did it look like this?

Or did it look like this?

Or even this?

Last edited by potter : 07-06-2006 at 06:38 AM. Reason: Added the Extreme III image.

07-06-2006, 02:24 PM	#56
alex783 Registered User Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 8	Hi! I contacted the Kingston Technical Support about the Kingston Compact Flash. This is the answer: Dear Mr xxxxx, Thank you for contacting Kingston Technical Support. CHS varies depending on controller. If you want a specific CHS configuration, you will need to order through OEM as this needs to be a locked part number. The typical CHS values are 8146/16/63. Regards, Adrien Vxxxx Wil this CF Kingston work in Palm Lifedrive?

07-06-2006, 02:47 PM	#57
potter Registered User Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: SW, VA, USA Posts: 937	At this point I still think it is Heads and Sectors that must match. If the replacement CF is too big, I would think one could copy the original Micro Drive CF image verbatim over top of the replacement CF. One would in effect be ignoring the extra cylinders. If the replacement CF is too small, one would have to make an adjustments to the partition table. Looking at the SanDisk product manual, it appears to me that all of their CF cards 512MB and above use 16 Heads, 63 Sectors. They list two 4GB cards, one with 7940 Cylinders and one with 7942 Cylinders; both greater than 7936 Cylinders of the Hitachi Micro Drive.

07-09-2006, 10:25 AM

#58

peterjb31

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Quote:

Originally Posted by potter

Did it look like this?

Or did it look like this?

Or even this?

The first image. Yes it did work for me andit worked well, had a major increase in battery life.

07-10-2006, 12:05 PM	#59
potter Registered User Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: SW, VA, USA Posts: 937	peterjb32, Just trying to verify what you did. As I currently understand it, you: Pulled the micro-drive CF card from your LD. On a Linux box, using an USB CF reader: Used the 'dd' command to copy a complete image of the micro-drive CF to a file. Used the 'dd' command to copy the complete image from this file back to the SanDisk 4GB CF card. Put the SanDisk CF card into your LD. Hard-reset or just powered on? Did I miss any steps? Can you share any more details?

07-10-2006, 03:10 PM

#60

peterjb31

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Quote:

Originally Posted by potter

peterjb32,

Just trying to verify what you did. As I currently understand it, you:

Pulled the micro-drive CF card from your LD.
On a Linux box, using an USB CF reader:
- Used the 'dd' command to copy a complete image of the micro-drive CF to a file.
- Used the 'dd' command to copy the complete image from this file back to the SanDisk 4GB CF card.
Put the SanDisk CF card into your LD.
Hard-reset or just powered on?

Did I miss any steps? Can you share any more details?

Hard reset not powered on as when I powered on it entered a reset loop. I am guessing this could be to do with the different numbers of sectors on the two devices so after a hard reset the palm os was able to format the disk space in its preferred manner. I found it more reliable to use the instructions on hackndev.com as I tried both methods.