External 2.5" HDD Enclosure Questions

[Knack]

I'm thinking of getting an additional 2.5" internal IDE HDD for mirroring to
my laptop's HDD. Would like this extra HDD to go in an external enclosure
with IDE to USB 2.0 connections. Comparing 2 enclosure models from different
vendors. One enclosure has a PS2 power connector with power cord, and the
other enclosure has a "bus power design". Both enclosures are hot swapable.

It sounds like the latter model requires a USB 2.0 PCcard controller that
provides power via 2 of its connector pins (unusual). Is that correct?

 

[mike]

I'm thinking of getting an additional 2.5" internal IDE HDD for mirroring to
my laptop's HDD. Would like this extra HDD to go in an external enclosure
with IDE to USB 2.0 connections. Comparing 2 enclosure models from different
vendors. One enclosure has a PS2 power connector with power cord, and the
other enclosure has a "bus power design". Both enclosures are hot swapable.

It sounds like the latter model requires a USB 2.0 PCcard controller that
provides power via 2 of its connector pins (unusual). Is that correct?

Frys has an 80 gig external drive with USB2.0, firewire and ethernet.
$100 after a whopping $90 rebate. The rebate risk turned me off, but it
looked
way cool.
mike

--
Bunch of stuff For Sale and Wanted at the link below.
laptops and parts Test Equipment
4in/400Wout ham linear amp.
Honda CB-125S
400cc Dirt Bike 2003 miles $550
Police Scanner, Color LCD overhead projector
Tek 2465 $800, ham radio, 30pS pulser
Tektronix Concept Books, spot welding head...
http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Monitor/4710/

 

[Eric Gisin]

USB host controllers have to provide 0.5W, and may provide up to 2.5W.

| I'm thinking of getting an additional 2.5" internal IDE HDD for mirroring to
| my laptop's HDD. Would like this extra HDD to go in an external enclosure
| with IDE to USB 2.0 connections. Comparing 2 enclosure models from different
| vendors. One enclosure has a PS2 power connector with power cord, and the
| other enclosure has a "bus power design". Both enclosures are hot swapable.
|
| It sounds like the latter model requires a USB 2.0 PCcard controller that
| provides power via 2 of its connector pins (unusual). Is that correct?
|
|

 

[Gary Tait]

Whereas On Sat, 11 Oct 2003 01:16:58 -0700, mike <[email protected]>
scribbled:
, I thus relpy:

Frys has an 80 gig external drive with USB2.0, firewire and ethernet.
$100 after a whopping $90 rebate. The rebate risk turned me off, but it
looked
way cool.
mike

How does this ethernet thing work? It is like an FTP server?

 

[Rod Speed]

I'm thinking of getting an additional 2.5" internal IDE HDD for mirroring to
my laptop's HDD. Would like this extra HDD to go in an external enclosure
with IDE to USB 2.0 connections. Comparing 2 enclosure models from different
vendors. One enclosure has a PS2 power connector with power cord, and the
other enclosure has a "bus power design". Both enclosures are hot swapable.

It sounds like the latter model requires a USB 2.0 PCcard controller
that provides power via 2 of its connector pins (unusual). Is that correct?

Yes, but all USB ports do provide power.

What does vary is how much power is available from the port.

Some ports may not be able to provide enough to power the drive.

 

[Rod Speed]

Whereas On Sat, 11 Oct 2003 01:16:58 -0700, mike <[email protected]>
scribbled:
, I thus relpy:

How does this ethernet thing work? It is like an FTP server?

More like another PC.

 

[Knack]

Gee, I hadn't even considered that spec when shopping for a PCMCIA USB2
controller. Actually the web store descriptions of these products are so
sketchy that they don't provide the power supply spec. And rarely do they
even reveal the name of the manufacturer and model either, which makes it
difficult to research the full specs :-(

Hmmm, this should be a new thread...

 

[FulanoDeTal]

Did you look at CMS?
http://pcsupport.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http://www.cmsproducts.com/
They have 2.5" HDDs that can connect via PCCard, Firewire, USB. The
first time you plug it in, it clones your existing HDD, and thereafter
automatically synchronizes new stuff. Not cheap, though.

 

[Knack]

Thanks. I'm going to call CMS on Monday to find out if the 2.5" HDD inside
the ABSplus is 9.55mm thick. If so, then I would be very interested, because
that size HDD could be used as a replacement for the stock HDD of my laptop
when it fails (could become the replacement internal HDD).

In another thread it was already pointed out that most laptops don't have
BIOSes that support bootup from a drive attached to either a PCMCIA slot or
USB port. So the ABSplus somehow does the cloning after Windows is booted on
the laptop's internal HDD.I wonder how it's possible to clone a HDD,
including its OS, when the system is booted normally and the Windows OS
files are in use. Presumably that's how the ABSplus does it. No other
cloning utility that I'm aware of can do that. Those utilities like Ghost
normally work via a DOS boot diskette.

I read in their .pdf sales literature files that the ABSplus models for
PCMCIA Type II/II slots transfer data at only 4 MB/sec max, whereas the
ABSplus models for USB2 have transfer rate up to 480 MB/sec. The price of
either type is the same for equal drive sizes. I have only USB1 native
ports, so of course I would obtain a USB2 controller for a PCMCIA slot. Ever
wonder how a USB2 controller card that plugs into a PCMCIA slot can increase
the throughput thru that same slot?

 

[Colin Watters]

More like another PC.

Sounds interesting. Presumably it's got a web server built in (like a
router) to allow to be configured etc?

 

[Rod Speed]

Sounds interesting. Presumably it's got a web server
built in (like a router) to allow to be configured etc?

Sort of
http://www.ximeta.com/support_faq.html

 

[David Chien]

www.pcmicrostore.com with their coolmax aluminum 2.5" HD
enclosure with firewire, usb, or combo option.

~<$36
http://pcmicrostore.com/PartDetail.aspx?q=p:10500944
http://pcmicrostore.com/PartDetail.aspx?q=p:10500945

USB powered (if the host PC puts out enough power,
and if the HD needs less than USB spec max draw); otherwise
any DC adapter of the correct voltage will power it.

(find these to be awesome for me. works great, plug&play,
no problems. only thing is bare aluminum, so spray paint
with clear paint to prevent oxidization)

---

Otherwise, Enhance Technology MPD series with built-in
li-ion battery so you don't need any power from the host.

~$80+

http://www.whiningdog.net/Reviews/PC/Drives/20021207-MPD/index.htm

 

[Rod Speed]

www.pcmicrostore.com with their coolmax aluminum
2.5" HD enclosure with firewire, usb, or combo option.

USB powered (if the host PC puts out enough power, and
if the HD needs less than USB spec max draw); otherwise
any DC adapter of the correct voltage will power it.

(find these to be awesome for me.
works great, plug&play, no problems.

We were discussing the ones that are ethernet as well.

only thing is bare aluminum, so spray paint
with clear paint to prevent oxidization)

Shouldnt be necessary if its anodised.

 

[Barry Watzman]

Not .5 watts, .5 amps (500ma), which is 2.5 watts, as you correctly
state. That is not enough for all 2.5" IDE hard drives, although it is
enough for some of them.