CompactFlash IDE - not recognized

  • Thread starter Thread starter Kapp
  • Start date Start date
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Kapp

I am converting an old laptop into a digital picture frame. My thought was
to create a small XP (nlite) with the apps I need (slideshow, wireless, vnc)
on a hard drive and then copy it over to a CompactFlash which I would then
replace the laptop harddrive with. I've got a nice tight version on a hard
drive (under 500Mb) ready to put onto CF.

Problem: it doesn't appear that the BIOS I have will recognize the CF as a
drive. I am using a 44-pin CF/IDE adapter I picked up on the internet. Using
a desktop, I confirmed that the adapter works (of course I had to adapt IT
to 40 pin IDE) and actually got the desktop to DOS boot from a formatted CF
(two actually, a 1.0GB Sandisk and a 512MB PNY). Unfortunately, hooking it
into the old laptop (DELL Inspiron 3500) the BIOS doesn't see it and thus
fdisk gives me "no fixed disks present."

Questions: Anyone have any thoughts on how to get around this? Perhaps a
different adapter? Am I lost for this laptop? I ensured it is the latest
BIOS version (for this inspiron Rev A14). I can proceed with using a hard
drive but the thought of using the CF really appeals to me. One thought I
had as to why the BIOS is not recognizing it was whether it has to do with
the CF card being marked as "removable". However, because it works on the
newer desktop I wonder if this could be it. Other than that, my limited
experience in these matters leaves me clueless!
 
Why would you want to use a CF over a hard drive? If you are using XP
(nlite) and not using XPe with EWF to protect the life of the CF drive from
constant errase cycles, why go with CF?

The only possible issue might be wiht the 40/44pin converter. I believe
these require seperate power supply to power the drive.

Regards,

Sean Liming
www.sjjmicro.com / www.seanliming.com
XP Embedded Book Author - XP Embedded Advanced, XP Embedded
SupplementalToolkit
 
So you created your own 40 pin to 44 pin IDE cable? If so, are you supplying
+12V and +5 as well?

Also, don't expect you CF card to last a long time without some form of
write protection.
 
Un bel giorno Stuart Langley digitò:
Also, don't expect you CF card to last a long time without some form of
write protection.
Click to expand...

Has someone published some typical endurance figures? I'd like to have some
"real world" examples, even if my application shouldn't be very demanding
on CF; let's say it reboots five times per day and has no relevant disk
activity, except for the main application that writes few long files (it
fills the CF a couple of times each day). My bigger concern are the file
system structures; I'm using NTFS because I need a certain level of fault
tolerance, the system has to withstand a lot of unexpected power outages.

I'm not using FBWF right now, but I'm considering to do it.
 
UPDATE: Got it working. I had to use the SanDisk utility to mark the CF as
"fixed." Once I did that the laptop BIOS had no problem seeing the CF via
the CF/IDE adapter. I have copied over my 420Mb XP installation and the
laptop picture frame works great.
 
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