I'm confused. How big a HD will CF-29 take?

I've read different things and now I feel like I know less than I did to start with.

The recommended scorpio WD range has a 320GB version. Will that work? Its "Scorpio Blue". Does that matter?

What I know about harddrive you can write on the back of a postage stamp.

 

PATA (the standard HDD plug for a 29) is limited to about 500gb, only because SATA came out and replaced PATA, so they stopped making bigger pata drives (and the big ones they do sell are expensive as hell)

I do know that there are many 320gb HDDs in 29's here.
I'm under the impression that the max size HDD is really only limited by your OS.

SATA drives are cheaper, and as big as you want (ok, almost).
You can squeeze a SATA drive into the caddy, with the appropriate adapter. I'll leave it to you to search here for which adapter to buy.

Bottom line: don't worry about the capacity of the drive. You would probably have to TRY to find a size too big for a 29 to not work (there are many drives that don't work *just because*, but I'm not aware of any that don't work because the are *too big*).
IMHO, YMMV.

 

I think Acronis (and others?) has software that will overcome any OS limitation on drive space.

 

Largest 2.5" IDE is 320gb, I have used up to 750gb sata with adapter.

I just received some custom IDE Sata adapters that I had made for cf-29 caddy so NO modification of caddy will be necessary. With the standard adapters you to butcher the caddy to make it fit.

I am testing the new adapters with load tests right now, so far so good.

Later

 

I think a good idea for these would be to be able to put a thin sheet metal L-bracket around the whole affair and screw it to the bottom of the HDD; this would completely eliminate the issues of flex-related poor contact we've all been fighting with this mod. If they prove decently reliable, even potting the back of the board to such a bracket would be feasible if lack of space for screw holes prohibits a screw-together design. An added bonus would be that the L-bracket adds heat-sink mass.

Keep us posted!

mnem
*Spun*

 

As I've said before. I think Ruggedsolution listened to my suggestion since the start of this topic 3years ago. The connector must be at the same side of adapter allowing space on the caddy and If you listened to mnementh suggestion. It will be more secure and reliable.

ohlip

 

Never saw the original topic postings on this one, but my tech and I came up with this design, and so far it works like a charm. Here is link to the pic

Image - TinyPic - Free Image Hosting, Photo Sharing & Video Hosting

I would be more than happy to mail one to Ohlip and Mnementh for free, you guys have done so much for this forum it is the least I can do and I would of course appreciate your feedback for improvements on future revisions. Just message me your address.

Peace

 

Uhmm..Its one of a good idea. Placing the IDE connector upward giving space at the other side. Can you post another picture on the side of the adapter.


ohlip

 

sounds like a good idea on both parts, keep us informed so we can try them out..Driller

 

Very clever!

Angling the IDE interface that way means the cable only has to turn an extra quarter turn from its normal orientation, and the ribbon still lays flat across the back and the bottom of the drive. This will make the ribbon cable effectively 1/4"-1/2" shorter and the L-bracket will shorten it a hair more, but I believe we have more than that to play with.

It looks like there won't be anyplace on that PCB to put screw holes so potting the adapter to the L-bracket will be necessary; we'll see if some other means of attachment presents itself once I see one IRL.

Good work!

mnem
[]ed.

 

....I'm not trying to be that guy, but I had just ordered a 90deg pc mount 44 pin header to swap the one off this china sata/ide adapter.

Just buying one ready to go would be soo much easier!

 

Interesting discussion. So basically I should search for Pata drive, not a Sata drive, and it will fit (although there's a chance it may still not work for some spurious unknowable reason).

Or alternatively I should get an adapter and fit a cheaper Sata drive. TechTuff, are you selling these adapters? What sort of price are you asking?

Andy

Original SERIAL SATA ATA TO PATA IDE 133/100 ADAPTER CONVERTER | eBay

Is this the sort of thing?

 

ndy... That is NOT the same connector. The one you linked has been around for a while. The issue with that one s that is that it lengthens the overall length of the drive inside the caddy. This necessitates modifying the caddy and messing with Panasonic's design.

The one TechTuff posted has the connector at 90 degrees instead of 180...

To answer you other question.... The stock drive for your machine is a IDE (Pata) drive... The posted adapter will lallow you to use a SATA drive if you want.

Do you really need over 250-320GB of space?

 

Ohlip,

here is pic of the other side of the adapter

http://oi41.tinypic.com/kpyyt.jpg

 

@techtuff

Out of interest, which translation chip is being used?

@andypag

If you need the storage capacity of a large drive, there's nothing stopping you partitioning the drive!!

o.g.

 

I think that is a good question. I know on my 29 when I installed the 500GB drive it slowed it down a lot. Even with all the programs in it I never had more than 80GB on the drive so it never made sence to have that big of a drive. So I took that out and installed a 160GB 7200rpm drive...much faster and still lots of room left... thats my 2 cents worth

 

I use the Western Digital Scorpio PATA 320GB as mentioned in my Sig line. It has served me well. I partition it, not because Win7 needs that, but because I do not like my OS/Programs running in the same drive partition as my data. I see no reason to move all that data around with the swap file and it also defrags much faster!

 

Andre! how much would be the cost for one. I think this is the solution for having a sata drive but first we need a tortured test to see how it perform.


ohlip

 

Hey Ohlip,

I mentioned earlier I would give you one for free, just send me your address please and I will mail the "victim" over Poor adapter is going to the Ohlips Guantanamo Bay and he doesn't even know it...

 

Oh my. Why do I hear that old song "Blinded me with Science" rattling around in my head?

mnem
Ooh yeah... We gonn' do science on 'em. Hyuck.

 

or maybe another appropriate theme song could be "Stuck in the middle with you" from Reservoir Dogs...

*** Warning ! Very graphic scene ***

Reservoir Dogs - Mr Blonde Dancing Scene / Ear Scene [HD] - YouTube

have a good weekend, yours should arrive next week Mnementh

 

Those are certainly the product of something other than Mother Nature. I'm not sure it's science
CAP

 

Well, she certainly is a MAMMAL.


That big, you face a host of dangers goin' motorboatin'... eyeball displacement, asphyxiation, pummeling damage...


mnem
So. worth. it.