good 2.5" IDE HDD adaptors?

What should I look out for in the way of adaptors to hook PATA 2.5" form factor drives up to a host that uses say SATA? Or is it better to use a USB device and connect a second drive in that way?

Looking at options for disk copying as I've ordered a couple of 160 GB Spinpoint's (one for the CF28, one for the CF18) and will probably either do the copying on a different system (klunky Dell GX-xxx system probably) or look at doing it with each respective toughbook with the new drive installed in the caddy and the old drive hanging outside somehow.

Craig

 

I use both types for a secondary drive. I have one that is an IDE (PATA) that interfaces via USB and another that is SATA that can use either USB or SATA to connect. When I want to speed things up (3.0GB SATA vs. 480MB USB), I use a SATA PCMCIA card in the cardbus. Either will accomplish what you want in a secondary drive, it just depends on which is easier for you or how fast you want to transfer/access.

 

Ah PCMCIA SATA card sounds like a good idea for a very useful tool to have. Combined with a good SATA to IDE adaptor (perhaps seperate ones for 2.5" and 3.5" format drives due to the different physical IDE connector design).

Basically what I'm aiming to do is that when I upgrade the drive in this CF28 and my CF18, I was thinking of connecting the old and new drive up to an old PC and doing the copying like that but I remembered that it's something that's good using Linux (my favourite tool for this is the Gentoo-based System Rescue CD), but perhaps not using Windows.

Could be better to leave the existing drive in the system, and hook up the new drive externally via a SATA PCMCIA card and SATA/IDE bridge (gotta find one that works with 2.5" drives not just 3.5" drives with the normal 0.1" pitch 40 pin header connector), and use the suggested software in the various disk copying threads to replicate the existing filesystems, OS install, etc. onto the a new drive, then after shutting down, take the drive caddy out, physically swap old drive for new drive, and reinstall caddy with the new drive fitted.

This isn't really relevant in the model-specific disk copy thread(s) since it applies across all the systems that use 2.5" IDE drives. But if we could nut this out it'll make a useful addendum to those threads!

Perhaps what we really need to fine is an external box capable of holding a 2.5" PATA drive, either which has an inbuilt PATA/SATA adaptor along with inbuilt power supply, or an external PATA port which can hook direct to a normal 0.1" pitch PATA/IDE interface or go to an external PATA/SATA adaptor (then connect to a PCMCIA SATA card).

When I get to Darwin tomorrow night (currently arriving in Alice Springs and almost time to change over with the other crew for our next 8 hrs up front) I'll see what I can find on the WWWebski. If any of you have researched this before please post your advice since you might have already worked out a good match of items.

Craig.

 

Craig,
You are way over complicating this. Just get the target drive connected to the original computer in the easiest way, adapter, external enclosure, whatever. Down load Acronis True Image, and make a bootable system clone following the very easy instructions, swap the target drive into the computer and you are done. The drive interface will be the same for the source drive and the target drive by definition.
CAP

 

X2.... That is way too complicated. The whole point to the Toughbook is grab and go. If you need to copy your drives, Acronis is the way to go. If you need an external HD... Then there ere all sorts of powered and non-powered options.

 

I have something similar to this that I use when I need to temporarily hook up an external drive for cloning/backup etc:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812161002
It will allow you to connect 2.5 & 3.5 PATA and SATA drives via USB.

nine

 

Ok well doing some Ebay searching I found stacks of places selling cheap external 2.5" PATA disk boxes that run off USB - so problem solved there in terms of hooking an internal drive up to an external port.

The boxes all seem to be similar - extruded alumium enclosure with a bit of electronics inside and a way to mount/connect a 2.5" form factor drive and interface it to a USB port. Wonder if these boxes get enough power direct from USB or need to take power from the extra power port on common PCMCIA USb cards.

Craig.

 

Craig,
I've had good luck with external enclosures from Rosewill. They have always worked without a secondary power source and will work on the CF-28 USB port.
CAP