Using a Compact Flash card on a600/a1200 PCMCIA

[solarmon]

I also think it is an hardware/electrical/logic-level issue.

On the Amiga 600/1200 the _CC_WE_PGM and _CC_OE signals are pulled up to VCC (5V) with 10K resistors, and on all the working cards I see these signals are at around 5V. On my non-working card I see these signals at about 3.8V - so I think this is because they are trying to work at 3.3V logic levels, hence why you have a voltage reading somewhere in between.

On the IDE to CF adapter in the USB IDE adapter, I see the power source at 5V but the logic levels are at 3.3V, and all the cards are working OK on Windows.

[solarmon]

I did the voltage reading test (of _CC_WE_PGM and _CC_OE) with a blank (no FAT partition) working and non-working CF card and get the same readings as above - i.e. 5V for the working card and 3.8V for the non-working card.

[lesta_smsc]

Interesting find. So the voltage may indicate whether a card is working and not?

I've seen an advert of someone using PCMCIA and my Transcend card (same model and design) so can only presume it's hit and miss

[solarmon]

Well, I think this is more like the symptoms.

It'll likely be down to the CF controller chip. If there is a way to easily identify it then that would make such a compatibility database better. I wouldn't rely on what the CF looks like on the outside.

I'd like to find a tool, like PrepCard, but on a Windows machine that can read the CF and dump its controller details.

Maybe the device name when connected through the USB IDE adapter might be good enough for now.

[lesta_smsc]

I've purchased another CF but smaller size. Hopefully 3rd time lucky!

[lesta_smsc]

So an update. I bought a 256MB Dane-Elec and it worked straight away! Now I can easily transfer from PC to Amiga at good speed (compared to serial anyway).

[solarmon]

Originally Posted by lesta_smsc

So an update. I bought a 256MB Dane-Elec and it worked straight away! Now I can easily transfer from PC to Amiga at good speed (compared to serial anyway).

Great news!

Could you post a picture of it, and also what Prepcard sees it as.

[lesta_smsc]

Not at my machine yet, but will try and do this later today. I do recall it displaying "TOSHIBA" ... interestingly.

[lesta_smsc]

Prepcard shows this as:

"TOSHIBA THNCF256MMA

Version 4.1"

[solarmon]

Originally Posted by lesta_smsc

Prepcard shows this as:

"TOSHIBA THNCF256MMA

Version 4.1"

Thanks!

It looks like that is the name of the CF controller chip used.

[solarmon]

I got a response for the non-working CF report I sent to Torsten Jager (author of compactflash.device):

"solarmon" <http://eab.abime.net/member.php?u=67945> is quite on point
Im afraid.

A1200 has no real PCCARD chip. Instead, there is a general purpose NMOS gate
array flashed for this task. With those "pull up" resistors, it emulates
old TTL
signal levels:
0V <= level_0 <= 2.4V; 4.5V <= level_1 <= 5V;

CF, on the other hand, uses (or emulates) CMOS standards:
0V <= level_0 <= 0.5*supply_voltage; 0.5*supply_voltage < level_1 <=
supply_voltage;

All known CF cards work at 3.3V internally. The interesting thing is
what the
_interface_ part does.
Many cards let it run at full supply_voltage. They will usually work.
Some cards run it at their generated 3.3V as well, and fail on A1200.
Thats it.

BTW#1: The 3.8V solarmon read are the result of the CF surge protection.
No need to ring the alarm there, currents are low enough not to damage
anything.

BTW#2: It may also depend on what A1200 revision you have. The Amiga
Technologies
reissue (that I have) is rumoured to be more compatible.

It is technically possible to build an adaptor that correctly translates the
levels, and maybe supplies real 3.3V. However, all adaptors I have seen
so far
dont do that. They just contain 2 plugs and some wiring.

So the easiest way is probably to make a blacklist of non working cards.

[solarmon]

I'm going to start a compatibility spreadsheet using Rowshare. Not sure if this is the best way of managing and sharing a compatibility list, but here it is for critique/comment:

https://my.rowshare.com/t/57dd233fd3...efd7bfb32fbd1a

[lesta_smsc]

Originally Posted by solarmon

I'm going to start a compatibility spreadsheet using Rowshare. Not sure if this is the best way of managing and sharing a compatibility list, but here it is for critique/comment:

https://my.rowshare.com/t/57dd233fd3...efd7bfb32fbd1a

Great work! Did you want to put my Transcend that doesn't work on the list... although I've seen it does work on A1200 but not on A600. I haven't had the chance to test on my A1200 as it's not with me at present.

[solarmon]

Originally Posted by lesta_smsc

Great work! Did you want to put my Transcend that doesn't work on the list... although I've seen it does work on A1200 but not on A600. I haven't had the chance to test on my A1200 as it's not with me at present.

Yes, please. Post the details - pictures and what it is detected as in PrepCard and/or Device Manger (on Windows, using an USB IDE enclosure and an IDE to CF adapter).

But looks like I'll need to update the spreadsheet to differentiate between working/not-working for both A600 and A1200.

I'll have to try my cards out on both my A600 and A1200 machines now.

[MoonDragn]

Originally Posted by solarmon

I got a response for the non-working CF report I sent to Torsten Jager (author of compactflash.device):

I saw a CF card adapter that allows you to connect either 5 volts or 3.3 volts on the board with jumpers to select between the two and a mini plug for the 3.3 v. I wonder if you supply the 3.3 volts if the card would work properly. I assume you would have to make sure the 5 volts from the amiga is not going into the card.


PS> I decided to order one just so I can experiment with it. I have a LEXAR 128 mb compact flash card that seems to have problems working consistently and this might solve the issue.

Here is a link to the card adapter https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I wish there was a PCMCIA solution because the lexar refuses to work with a PCMCIA adapter.

Maybe someone can experiment with these:

http://www.sensoray.com/products/335.htm

https://www.digchip.com/datasheets/p...789/4625-3.php

Maybe even figure out a way to get the Card bus cards to work with those. It would solve the power situation if you can power the cards externally, save your PSU from wear and tear.

Or imagine building a 2 port PCMCIA adapter out of it to switch between the ethernet card and the compact flash...Too bad it is probably expensive to get a hold of these to play with. Looks like the sensoray site only lets you purchase after a $500 account is opened with them.

[SteveCoops]

I'm a newbie to the Amiga world and am trying to get an A600 to read CF cards and failing

I bought a SanDisk PCMCIA to CF adapter from eBay which came with a driver floppy - I've installed the drivers from that floppy which is v1.33 CFD.

This adapter works in an old Windows 2000 ThinkPad laptop reading my CF cards, but I can't get the Amiga to read them at all.

I have three 1GB CF cards - A Transcend '80x', a Transcend 'CF80' 'Industrial', and a Kingston '50x' Elite Pro - none mount on the Amiga.
Prepcard sees them all though - both Transcends are 'TS1GCF80' and the Kingston is 'M-Systems' 'CF300', all 'Version 4.1'.

I see a post a few above this one from lesta_smsc (from 2019) which says a 'Dane-elec' 256MB one works, so I've ordered one off eBay - fingers crossed!

Cheers,
Steve

[Loki762]

Is there any update to this sticky thread as now AmigaOS 3.1.4 has come out, which supports large partitions - even on boot harddisk.

I do have a problem with getting my Amiga 1200 to recognize a 32GB SanDisk Extreme Pro CF in the PCMCIA slot. It also cannot recofnize my 16GB SanDisk Ultra CF - both formatted with FAT32 in Windows.

Both CF cards works fine if they are used as internal harddisks via the IDE controller, so they are not broken and they CAN work with Amiga it seems :-) Can this be due to some PCMCIA driver issues or .. ? My PCMCIA adapter was bought at AMIGAstore.eu

Are there any chance I can get my Amiga to see this when plugging it in to the PCMCIA adaptor, so I can start transferring large amounts of data? The biggest working CF I have is 256MB... it will take some time to transfer 8GB ;-)

[SteveCoops]

Hi all,

So after all the hours messing about I did and failing to get anywhere..... the DaneElec 256MB card turned up just now and it works immediately first time

Cheers,
Steve

[mart1n]

I can confirm the status of the 4GB Transcend cards as per the above list.

The one with the rainbow logo only works in my A1200.
The one with the black border works in both the A600 and A1200.

Both bought from Amazon.

[Malakie]

I am seeing an oid issue. I have Transcend and a couple other brands that work.

The problem is, somehow for some reason, some of the cards will work, some will not. For example, I have two 512meg CF cards, same brand. One is recognized, the second is not on the A1200. Both work fine on PC.

I have a couple 2 and 4 gb cards, same brand, same issue. Some work, some do not. Identical cards.

Is this something I am doing wrong? Or is it just this bad of a hit and miss with that PCMCIA port?