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D-Link Wireless CF card -> Cheap wireless?


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Topic: D-Link Wireless CF card -> Cheap wireless?

jwhall
Member

Registered: May 2001
Location:
Posts: 3

D-Link Wireless CF card -> Cheap wireless?

So I just got a Matchbook CF drive... and then I saw this:
http://www.dlink.com/products/Digit...Mobile/dcf650w/.

I don't know much about CF yet... so those of you that do - is there any way to get a CF Springboard module to interface with one of these (as opposed to using the CF springboard modules just for storage) and make wireless networking affordable? Half the price of the Xircom that doesn't even work right all the time sounds like a steal.

Or am I just dreaming here?

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10-10-2001 03:57 PM

Uncle Roger
Member

Registered: May 2001
Location: San Francisco, California, USA
Posts: 90

The problem is that most CF devices other than memory cards require a lot more power than the visor can provide. There has been some work on converting a matchbook to handle an IBM Microdrive (with an external power source), but I don't think it's really gone anywhere.

10-10-2001 05:52 PM

kalahari
Member

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: San Francisco, CA
Posts: 431

quote:
Originally posted by Uncle Roger
...There has been some work on converting a matchbook to handle an IBM Microdrive (with an external power source), but I don't think it's really gone anywhere.

Yes, that was something that I was interested in. Unfortunately, I can't even email Bruce Nadro (pdalight.com) to get a status as his email comes backs as being undeliverable.

10-10-2001 06:28 PM

MarkEagle
VisorCentral Staff

Registered: Dec 1999
Location: Connecticut USA
Posts: 2682

An even bigger issue than power would be driver software. That is what has kept standard CF interface peripherals from being adopted to the Visor. Drivers would need to be written to specifically use the device in a Visor.

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God bless America, my home sweet home...

10-10-2001 11:11 PM

Uncle Roger
Member

Registered: May 2001
Location: San Francisco, California, USA
Posts: 90

quote:
Originally posted by kalahari
Yes, that was something that I was interested in. Unfortunately, I can't even email Bruce Nadro (pdalight.com) to get a status as his email comes backs as being undeliverable.

I got an e-mail from him in mid-September saying:

quote:
from Bruce Nadro
Iam so sorry for the delays in producing and shipping the pdalight and module.

We, in no way, expected such a strong response to our early marketing and have at several times though we were caught up, only to find out that many orders were missed placed as well as shipping addresses.

We apoligize for any problems this may have caused you.
Any money sent to us directly or through paypal remains uncashed...
I repeat we will not cash and take anyones money without delivering
our product as advertised.

He was using Hotmail and his user ID was pdalight, if you want to try and contact him. So far, I'm out $40 or so on the PDALight, but knowing how hard it is to actually get something made in quantity (as in <http://www.springwallet.com/> ), I'm still hoping I'll get a couple of PDALights.

P.S., Someday, by hook or by crook, I am going to visit the Kalahari. and I'm from the City too. Interesting coincidence. (You don't have a Land Rover, do you?)

10-10-2001 11:37 PM

Uncle Roger
Member

Registered: May 2001
Location: San Francisco, California, USA
Posts: 90

quote:
Originally posted by MarkEagle
An even bigger issue than power would be driver software.

Good point. Bruce Nadro's research with the MicroDrives used the Kopsis drivers. The MicroDrive apparently acted the same as a CF card.

10-10-2001 11:42 PM

MarkEagle
VisorCentral Staff

Registered: Dec 1999
Location: Connecticut USA
Posts: 2682

quote:
Originally posted by Uncle Roger
The MicroDrive apparently acted the same as a CF card.

Yes, the MicroDrive appears to the Kopsis software as a CF storage device as opposed to a CF peripheral device. Dave Kessler mentions this in his FlashAdapter FAQ's

quote:
Q. Why won't the FlashAdapter module work with a CF modem (or any other non-storage CF card)?

A. The adapter is only designed to support CF storage cards. CF modems require additional interface signals (such as IORD, IOWR) that this adapter does not provide. Supporting those signals would require adding logic chips to the design and making significantly more PCB modifications. It is Kopsis' position that this type of functionality can be better performed by dedicated Springboard modules, so that capability was sacrificed in the intrest of making this module inexpensive and easy to build.

__________________

God bless America, my home sweet home...

10-11-2001 12:00 AM

kalahari
Member

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: San Francisco, CA
Posts: 431

quote:
Originally posted by Uncle Roger
...but knowing how hard it is to actually get something made in quantity (as in <http://www.springwallet.com/> ), I'm still hoping I'll get a couple of PDALights.

Oh, you're that Roger

I've been trying to work out where I've come across your last name before though...

quote:
P.S., Someday, by hook or by crook, I am going to visit the Kalahari. and I'm from the City too. Interesting coincidence. (You don't have a Land Rover, do you?)

No, I don't have a Land Rover but I have driven in one in the Kalahari!