Re: [LIB] USB powered external HD
Date: Sat, 20 Mar 2004 17:46:22 +0800 From: Raymond [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [LIB] USB powered external HD Well my experience in getting 2.5 USB HDDs working with my libretto have been documented in the recent past in this list but the crux of it seemed to come down to not only power but power stability. The power to the USB ports on the PCMCIA card that I have don't appear to be as well regulated as say the port on the EPR. I suspect what is happening is the USB device is being a little misbehaved and suddenly switching on the hard drive in a way that the USB port doesn't like. This causes the voltage on the USB port to dip momentarily - hardly enough to even show up on a digital ammeter but enough to reset either the USB port or the USB HDD controller. As it resets, it turns the hard drive off then back on again, causes a power dip and the process repeats ad infinitum. Beyond power though there was another weird thing I had happen - even when I jumped a separate power supply into the 2.5 hdd, I still got problems, albeit slightly different ones. I've been able to run other things like 3.5 hdds (using external power supplies) and even a DVD burner, off the same 2.5 HDD 'case' electronics (through a converter cable) and they've been fine ... Of course, whilst the ports on desktops are rated at 500mA, you can in fact draw a lot more ... I've used a 750mA hard disk in my USB2.0 HDD case and it seemed rock solid, even when plugged into my libretto's EPR USB port. It does hiccup a bit though when I plug it into my desktop USB2.0 ports through a 1m USB2.0 extension cable when there are other devices on the same root hub (I'm guessing the drive is running the ports close to their limits and the drop over the cable is enough to kill it). - Raymond At 10:59 PM 19/03/2004 -0800, you wrote: Date: Sat, 20 Mar 2004 07:58:43 +0100 From: Wouter Smith [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [LIB] USB powered external HD But this is not a limitation of the Libretto. According to USB specifications a USB-port should give 500mha (or less). Even my 6 build in USB2.0 port in the desktop can only give 500mha. So if it is true spinning up a 2.5 hd takes about 1000mha, not a single USB-port in the world should be able to power it and they should ALWAYS require a power-adapter of some sort. That means all external HD producers are lying when they say it usually does not require external power (ok, wouldn't be the first time but seems unlikely). Or am I missing something? I've read some posts on the http://www.everythingusb.com/ and there you also hear quite some stories of people requiring external power... Hmmm... so the only way to find out is to actually test it before purchase! And how about those 1.8 HD's?? Like the Archos ARCdisk? Do they require less power to spin? Thanks guys for all your thoughts! Regards, Wouter - Original Message - From: Tory [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Libretto [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Saturday, March 20, 2004 7:05 AM Subject: RE: [LIB] USB powered external HD Date: Fri, 19 Mar 2004 23:04:35 -0700 From: Tory [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: RE: [LIB] USB powered external HD Hmmm what about Firewire cards? Do they also require an external power cable? Matt The limitation is not what kind of card you plug in the Libretto. It is how much power the Libretto can give the card. The card can only get 500ma from the Libretto, so, assuming it uses absolutely no power itself, it can only pass 500ma through to your HD - not enough to spin up the HD in 99% of all cases. Tory ** http://libretto.basiclink.com - Libretto mailing list http://www.silverace.com/libretto/ - Archives ---TO UNSUBSCRIBE--- Reply to any of the list messages. The reply mail should be addressed to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] - Then replace any text on the message's subject line: cmd:unsubscribe TO UNSUBSCRIBE DIGEST-- Do above but with this on subject line: cmd:unsubscribe digest ** ** http://libretto.basiclink.com - Libretto mailing list http://www.silverace.com/libretto/ - Archives ---TO UNSUBSCRIBE--- Reply to any of the list messages. The reply mail should be addressed to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] - Then replace any text on the message's subject line: cmd:unsubscribe TO UNSUBSCRIBE DIGEST-- Do above but with this on subject line: cmd:unsubscribe digest ** --- /~\ | | Does fuzzy logic tickle?| | ___ | My HDD has no reverse. How do I backup? | | /__/ +---| | / \ a y b o t | [EMAIL PROTECTED]
RE: [LIB] USB powered external HD
Date: Sat, 20 Mar 2004 08:54:33 -0700 From: Tory [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: RE: [LIB] USB powered external HD But this is not a limitation of the Libretto. According to USB specifications a USB-port should give 500mha (or less). Even my 6 build in USB2.0 port in the desktop can only give 500mha. USB specs do say 500ma/Port. It is still a Libretto limitation though. Someone posted earlier that the libretto puts 500ma into the Cardbus ports, which seems to be the per slot limit of the cardbus specs. You should notice that I specified Assuming the USB card itself draws no power - Those cards get hot for a reason. How much power do you think the USB chipset uses, detracting from the power that the card passes through to the USB port? Power which, even at the fully specified power levels, is hardly enough to make a laptop drive work in the first place? So if it is true spinning up a 2.5 hd takes about 1000mha, not a single USB-port in the world should be able to power it and they should ALWAYS require a power-adapter of some sort. That means all external HD producers are lying when they say it usually does not require external power (ok, wouldn't be the first time but seems unlikely). Some USB ports can deliver more current, some lucky few drives can spin up with less current, and a lot of newer enclosures have *2* USB connectors so that they can draw up to 1 amp. I've seen people mod the 5volt line to come directly from the power supply, giving essentially unlimited power there. Or am I missing something? I've read some posts on the http://www.everythingusb.com/ and there you also hear quite some stories of people requiring external power... There is a good article on manufacturer's specs vs reality regarding bus powered laptop drives on www.dansdata.com, but I can't find it right now (little short on time this morning. I'll try and dig it up later) Hmmm... so the only way to find out is to actually test it before purchase! And how about those 1.8 HD's?? Like the Archos ARCdisk? Do they require less power to spin? Aren't 1.8 hard drives PCMCIA Type III drives in the first place, or is that 1.5? If you've got a bare drive, just pop it in your cardbus slot and away you go. Tory Thanks guys for all your thoughts! Regards, Wouter ** http://libretto.basiclink.com - Libretto mailing list http://www.silverace.com/libretto/ - Archives ---TO UNSUBSCRIBE--- Reply to any of the list messages. The reply mail should be addressed to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] - Then replace any text on the message's subject line: cmd:unsubscribe TO UNSUBSCRIBE DIGEST-- Do above but with this on subject line: cmd:unsubscribe digest **
Re: [LIB] Will 4.3G into 50CT go please?
Date: Sat, 20 Mar 2004 21:12:45 -0800 (PST) From: David Chien [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [LIB] Will 4.3G into 50CT go please? 1) L50 9.5mm HDs. As recommended, a full disassembly and removal of the plastic foam spacers beneath the black plastic sheeting in the HD bay is recommended to prevent the extra mm from delaminating the RAM chip pins from the motherboard as some have unfortunately encountered. You can try and get away with a fatter HD in the L50 w/o removing those spacers, but don't come running for help when the RAM pins delaminate. See Archives for past posts on this. 2) L110 is the 'best' buy IMO and worth the upgrade from a L50, which I had. It's fast enough and power enough with a 20+GB HD 64MB that I haven't gotten ticked off with it and still use it for email, web surfing, etc. It's the 'nice' Libretto speedwise among these older models. I found that even with an overclocked 100Mhz L50/J, I still couldn't stand how slow it was under Win98. = adorable toshiba libretto The latest news and information for the Toshiba Libretto owner. http://www.silverace.com/libretto/ __ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Finance Tax Center - File online. File on time. http://taxes.yahoo.com/filing.html ** http://libretto.basiclink.com - Libretto mailing list http://www.silverace.com/libretto/ - Archives ---TO UNSUBSCRIBE--- Reply to any of the list messages. The reply mail should be addressed to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] - Then replace any text on the message's subject line: cmd:unsubscribe TO UNSUBSCRIBE DIGEST-- Do above but with this on subject line: cmd:unsubscribe digest **
Re: [LIB] LIb70 and Wifi
Date: Sat, 20 Mar 2004 21:19:07 -0800 (PST) From: David Chien [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [LIB] LIb70 and Wifi some cardbus pcmcia cards can work in 16-bit mode in 16-bit slots. however, if you have a 16-bit slot, it will never work with a 32-bit cardbus only card. that said, believe the L70 runs a 16-bit pcmcia slot. = adorable toshiba libretto The latest news and information for the Toshiba Libretto owner. http://www.silverace.com/libretto/ __ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Finance Tax Center - File online. File on time. http://taxes.yahoo.com/filing.html ** http://libretto.basiclink.com - Libretto mailing list http://www.silverace.com/libretto/ - Archives ---TO UNSUBSCRIBE--- Reply to any of the list messages. The reply mail should be addressed to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] - Then replace any text on the message's subject line: cmd:unsubscribe TO UNSUBSCRIBE DIGEST-- Do above but with this on subject line: cmd:unsubscribe digest **
Re: [LIB] 1.8 HDDs
Date: Sat, 20 Mar 2004 21:23:12 -0800 (PST) From: David Chien [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [LIB] 1.8 HDDs they're probably going to skip over the 1.8 HDs and move right into the sub-1 market -- ala that latest Toshiba 0.8 HD. No point going smaller if you're not going super-small right? But whatever, I think it will take quite an effort to move smaller than 2.5 for now -- most laptop makers have standardized on it, and only the mini-notebooks are using the 1.8 HDs. Cost alone is a factor that'll prevent the migration to more expensive 1.8 HDs. As for connectors, we'll have to see -- they're still trying to see if SATA will work in notebooks, or perhaps other connector formats. I think it's going to be quite a few years before the mini-HD market settles on any format, and most likely, it'll be determined by what devices are the most popular and uses which types of drives (eg. nowadays, 1.8 in the iPods are really popular in sales, so that connector may become standard just because of volume production). = adorable toshiba libretto The latest news and information for the Toshiba Libretto owner. http://www.silverace.com/libretto/ __ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Finance Tax Center - File online. File on time. http://taxes.yahoo.com/filing.html ** http://libretto.basiclink.com - Libretto mailing list http://www.silverace.com/libretto/ - Archives ---TO UNSUBSCRIBE--- Reply to any of the list messages. The reply mail should be addressed to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] - Then replace any text on the message's subject line: cmd:unsubscribe TO UNSUBSCRIBE DIGEST-- Do above but with this on subject line: cmd:unsubscribe digest **
Re: [LIB] USB powered external HD
Date: Sat, 20 Mar 2004 21:27:28 -0800 (PST) From: David Chien [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [LIB] USB powered external HD MPD AMS was it? had a 2.5 Li-Ion powered external HD enclosure that was reviewed somewhere and it works just fine on the USB port for hours. was demo'd at the various DV Expo shows a few times and it works fine from what I hear. --- otherwise, any case (eg. coolmax 2.5 at pcmicrostore.com for $35) will work fine as long as you've got a HD inside that requires less than 5V 500mA on startup -- otherwise, you won't have enough juice to spin up the HD. = adorable toshiba libretto The latest news and information for the Toshiba Libretto owner. http://www.silverace.com/libretto/ __ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Finance Tax Center - File online. File on time. http://taxes.yahoo.com/filing.html ** http://libretto.basiclink.com - Libretto mailing list http://www.silverace.com/libretto/ - Archives ---TO UNSUBSCRIBE--- Reply to any of the list messages. The reply mail should be addressed to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] - Then replace any text on the message's subject line: cmd:unsubscribe TO UNSUBSCRIBE DIGEST-- Do above but with this on subject line: cmd:unsubscribe digest **
Re: [LIB] USB powered external HD
Date: Sat, 20 Mar 2004 21:31:55 -0800 (PST) From: David Chien [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [LIB] USB powered external HD Review on Li-Ion powered 2.5 HD. http://www.whiningdog.net/Reviews/PCs/Drives/20021207-MPD/page2.php http://www.xtremepctech.com/index.php?page=reviewsreview_id=8 http://www.firewiremax.com/ams2refienfa.html I recall finding some place that sold them less than $90 or $80, but that was some time ago. Forgot. But certainly, $90+ is retail pricing, and Im sure you can buy it cheaper. = adorable toshiba libretto The latest news and information for the Toshiba Libretto owner. http://www.silverace.com/libretto/ __ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Finance Tax Center - File online. File on time. http://taxes.yahoo.com/filing.html ** http://libretto.basiclink.com - Libretto mailing list http://www.silverace.com/libretto/ - Archives ---TO UNSUBSCRIBE--- Reply to any of the list messages. The reply mail should be addressed to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] - Then replace any text on the message's subject line: cmd:unsubscribe TO UNSUBSCRIBE DIGEST-- Do above but with this on subject line: cmd:unsubscribe digest **
