VisorCentral.com - Watch out for Japanese Springboard developers

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VisorCentral.com (http://discussion.visorcentral.com/vcforum/index.php)
- Springboard Modules (http://discussion.visorcentral.com/vcforum/forumdisplay.php?forumid=10)
-- Watch out for Japanese Springboard developers (http://discussion.visorcentral.com/vcforum/showthread.php?threadid=11107)

Posted by kongg on 01-23-2001 06:22 AM:

There appears to be some exciting springboards coming from Japan, ie 16mb module, CF module...... I wonder why Handspring did not include these developers in their list of announced Springboard developers??

Posted by VancouverCanuck on 01-23-2001 09:23 AM:

"Watch out for Japanese Springboard developers"?!
"I wonder why Handspring did not include these developers..."?!

Uh, the war is over. Just what is your point?

Posted by kongg on 01-23-2001 10:22 AM:

Huh what war???

Posted by Derango on 01-23-2001 11:47 AM:

quote:
Originally posted by VancouverCanuck
"Watch out for Japanese Springboard developers"?!
"I wonder why Handspring did not include these developers..."?!

Uh, the war is over. Just what is your point?

I believe that the original post was saying to watch out for the Japanese Springboard developers because some good things were comming from them. Maybe you should actualy read the post before you jump to conclusions.

Posted by technopop on 01-23-2001 01:27 PM:

Maybe a 2nd or 3rd generation Japanese Cannuck whose relatives may have been imprisoned during WWII and who's still sensitive about things....

Has anyone seen or read about the IBM microdrive plugged into a CF module yet? If I can get my hands on one of those wonderfull little CF adapters, I've got a friend with a 340MB microdrive.

Cheers

Posted by bkbk on 01-23-2001 05:02 PM:

Yeah, not "watch out" -- but "bring it on"!
"Bury us," even.
And not only Japan, but worldwide.
All the SBs you got, puhhhhhhhhleeeeezzzzze!

Posted by jradi on 02-07-2001 04:49 PM:

You can't use the new IBM 340meg and 1gig MicroDrive CF-style hard drives with the MatchBookDrive, since the MicroDrive specs call for 500mA peak current and the Springboard slot is designed to provide 100mA peak. This is a limitation of the Handspring Springboard slot and not of the MatchBookDrive or the FAFileMover Software.

This is true of many older digital cameras as well.

Posted by sluggo on 02-07-2001 05:16 PM:

quote:
Originally posted by kongg
There appears to be some exciting springboards coming from Japan, ie 16mb module, CF module...... I wonder why Handspring did not include these developers in their list of announced Springboard developers??

I don't know why they're not mentioned, but if you go to Handspring's site, the new 16mb module is prominently displayed there.

Posted by ruexp67 on 02-07-2001 07:36 PM:

quote:
Originally posted by jradi
You can't use the new IBM 340meg and 1gig MicroDrive CF-style hard drives with the MatchBookDrive, since the MicroDrive specs call for 500mA peak current and the Springboard slot is designed to provide 100mA peak. This is a limitation of the Handspring Springboard slot and not of the MatchBookDrive or the FAFileMover Software.

This is true of many older digital cameras as well.

I read this in the review too, and I was baffled then as I am now too. Why can't someone just install a resistor (or some other electical thingy) in the matchbook adapter to "step down" the voltage?

Posted by Toby on 02-07-2001 08:09 PM:

quote:
Originally posted by ruexp67
I read this in the review too, and I was baffled then as I am now too. Why can't someone just install a resistor (or some other electical thingy) in the matchbook adapter to "step down" the voltage?

Actually, I'd think it'd be more an issue of using capacitors or an external power supply to step up the voltage. The microdrive can't operate at the lower voltages that the springboard slot can supply. Ironically, I was kinda thinking about that this morning. I was planning to look around for a battery connector that might fit the bill. Others might have more time and know-how to devote towards it than me, though.

Posted by MPM on 02-07-2001 09:40 PM:

It's current, not voltage

quote:
Originally posted by Toby
quote:
Originally posted by ruexp67
I read this in the review too, and I was baffled then as I am now too. Why can't someone just install a resistor (or some other electical thingy) in the matchbook adapter to "step down" the voltage?

Actually, I'd think it'd be more an issue of using capacitors or an external power supply to step up the voltage. The microdrive can't operate at the lower voltages that the springboard slot can supply. Ironically, I was kinda thinking about that this morning. I was planning to look around for a battery connector that might fit the bill. Others might have more time and know-how to devote towards it than me, though.

You guys are confusing voltage with current. The Springboard slot provides 3.3V at 100mA. The IBM Microdrive needs 3.3V at 500mA. The voltage is the same here. 100mA < 500mA so the Microdrive simply will not work in a Springboard module unless that module has its own power supply - as in batteries.

Posted by laird on 02-07-2001 10:14 PM:

quote:
the Microdrive simply will not work in a Springboard module unless that module has its own power supply

A springport CF adapter with an additional power supply would certainly make this work.

A more interesting question is the nature of the microdrive's need for this higher current draw.

http://www.storage.ibm.com/hardsoft...o/datasheet.htm

The ibm microdrive website for the 1GB drive lists it's current draw at 250mA @ 3.3V during writing and 20mA at idle. It may need a full 500mA at spinup but that is not indicated on this page. If it's peak draw is 250mA during write cycles, it would not be that hard to add a capacitor to the springport module and via the driver, establish a write cycle that would allow the cap time to recharge.

This could of course be problematic without being able to sense the capacitor as recharge cycles would vary with source battery voltage although since that is available internally, the driver could increase the delay as the voltage goes down.

All someone would need to prototype this adapter is a visor, one of the homebuilt springport CF adapters, a homebuilt 250mA load, and some caps and resistors to provide the source. And of course, an idea what they were attempting to do.

One concern with this idea is that there is no published data on the microdrive working at 2V which is when you would need it the most to backup your visor before running out of juice completely.

Alan

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