Reading Multiple Cards

[LunarMist]

In order to speed the download process I sometimes use two CF card readers simultaneously. However, the notebook has only two ports, so I would lose the mouse. A USB hub could be used, but that means more stuff to carry around and set up. Are there any card readers with two independent CF slots?

 

[time]

Ummm ... what about using the PS2 adaptor that comes with any decent mouse?

 

[Pradeep]

I believe Lexar released something of the sort recently, you can stack multiple readers.

I'm guessing the laptop doesn't have any PS/2 ports.

 

[Tea]

Use PCMCIA slots. PCMCIA CF adaptors cost about A$20 each, and are a no-mess, no-fuss, no-danglie-cables solution.

 

[Pradeep]

Tea, PCMCIA CF readers are horribly slow, CPU gobbling sloths. No DMA. You'd be lucky to get over 1MB/sec.

There are CardBus (32bit) CF readers, such as this one:

http://www.dpreview.com/news/0310/03102103delkincardbustest.asp

Can be had from Buy.com for around US$48 (AUS$2billion), costly but can't beat the performance difference. It would be interesting to see how two of them worked together, if you have two TypeII slot capabilities.

 

[Tea]

4X faster? No CPU hogging? Condider me sold!

Thanks Pradeep.

PS: anyone got a spare AUS$2billion?

 

[Pradeep]

Let me know if you need one mailed to you, if you can't find a local distributor.

 

[LunarMist]

Pradeep is correct. PCMCIA adapters are terrible, achieving only 1.4 MB/sec. at 100% CPU. I already have the Delkin Cardbus adapter and have used it for years. Unfortunately CF reads speeds are limited to about 4.5-5 MB/sec. on most cards. I have used one Cardbus adapter and the external reader together, but the external reader is much faster, >8MB/sec.

 

[Pradeep]

Talking of faster CF speeds:

http://www.rednova.com/news/display/?id=117235

The CompactFlash Association (CFA) announces the CF+(TM) & CompactFlash(R) Specification Revision 3.0. Revision 3.0 increases the CompactFlash interface data transfer rate from 16MB/sec to 66MB/sec, while maintaining forward and backward compatibility with old and new host systems.

Flash chip and controller technology advances have allowed flash chips to achieve sustained data transfer rates of over 12MB/sec. The development of the 66MB/sec interface means that the CompactFlash interface will not restrict the sustained data transfer rate of CompactFlash cards in the near future.

DMA interface mode is also included and reduces the processor power required to manage the CompactFlash data transfers. Ultra DMA 33 and UltraDMA66 interface modes will increase the CompactFlash interface data transfer rate to 66MB/sec. Both of these DMA interface modes are well defined and tested by their usage on IDE hard disk drives.


I wonder how we can tell if new readers etc are Rev 3 capable.

 

[mubs]

Somewhat OT: SanDisk unveils SD flash card with USB connectivity

 

[LunarMist]

The SanDisk Extreme III cards are rated 133x (20 MB/sec). Presumably they use the new spec and there will be appropriately faster readers as well. Unfortunately the new cards will not be available until the end of January, and I need to buy another 8GB of CF cards next week. I hate buying obsolete stuff.

 

[Pradeep]

Looks like the 1Ds-MkII has better performance with SD than CF, you may want to go that option:

SD speeds
http://www.robgalbraith.com/bins/multi_page.asp?cid=6007-7345

CF speeds
http://www.robgalbraith.com/bins/multi_page.asp?cid=6007-7344

Dell have the Ultra II SD cards for around $95. You lose half a MB/sec compared to the Extreme, but I don't see anyone with Extreme SD in stock, or >512MB.

 

[Pradeep]

Eek, 3+weeks shiping. Nevermind...

 

[LunarMist]

The difference in Extreme III speeds is not that much, 8.0 MB/sec. for CF vs. 8.6 for SD. The differences between CF and SD in the 1D MK II are more, but I no longer have that body. The 20D needs fast CF cards as well, since it has a measly 6-frame buffer that fills in 1.0 sec. at 5 FPS.

1GB SD capacity is too small for the 1Ds MK II (~60 frames) and is marginal even for the 8.2 megapixel bodies. The 1Ds and 20D use CF only. Of course I realize that SD is the wave of the future, but don't want to get into using adapters. I may have to at some point because future non-pro bodies will probably use SD only.

 

[LunarMist]

The Extreme III is here! Naturally they became available at B&H one day after I ordered a 4GB Ultra II, but I ordered 2x2GB Extreme III as well. I can only get about 10.6-10.8 MB/sec reads. I hope there are some compact CF 3 readers available soon to take advantage of the high speeds. An update to the Delkin/Lexar Cardbus CF reader is needed as well.

 

[Pradeep]

http://www.dpreview.com/news/0503/05031802panasdcarbustest.asp

New Panasonic SD Cardbus reader released, with a respectable 12.5MB/sec read with Extreme IIIs. If only they would release a CF version.

 

[LunarMist]

Kowabunga, I found the answer!

In Downloader Pro version 1.7 (currently beta) there is a built-in backup function that copies each file to a second drive or path simultaneously with the download. In addition there is a 3rd-party plugin that does the same, and they can both be used. So it is now possible to download a CF card to the notebook's hard drive and two external USB drives all in one operation by clicking single button. Copy speed is reduced maybe 1/3, but that is a lot better than making two full backup copies.

 

[blakerwry]

backup post?

 

[Tea]

4X faster? No CPU hogging? Condider me sold!

Thanks Pradeep.

PS: anyone got a spare AUS$2billion?

Finally got around to hunting one up here in Oz. Couldn't source it through any of my regular suppliers, but tracked one down at retail. Not AS$2billion, but $83 including tax and freight. Close enough.

Now, it's time I hammered Tannin's credit card one more time and bought some bigger flash cards. 2GB? Or get 2 x 1GB cards? (Less eggs in the same basket that way. Probably more sensible.) I see various speeds on offer, but I imagine that the cameras (Coolpix 4500 which is mega-slow and Canon Powershot A95 which is probably a lot faster) will be the limiting factor here, so no point in getting too carried away.

 

[LunarMist]

backup post?

I don't know why, but the forum was slow for me late night/early morning.

Tony,

Too bad you are not here, I have some puny and relatively slow 1-2GB cards to be disposed. I may throw them in with a 1Ds that I will dispose of soon.

 

[Handruin]

backup post?

I don't know why, but the forum was slow for me late night/early morning.

Double post removed.

 

[Tea]

Thanks for the thought Lunar Mist. I just borrowed a word from Tannin's vocabulary and said "buggerit!, I'll have the 2GB card". I can always buy another one later. They won't get any dearer.

 

[LunarMist]

I found a small CF reader that provides excellent performance with the Extreme III - 18 MB/sec. sustained reads and 17 MB/sec. sustained writes. A completely full 2GB card can be downloaded in less than two minutes.

 

[Pradeep]

Nice find Lunar! Cheap as piss to boot.

 

[Sol]

Has anyone had any experience with corsairs flash memory? I've been looking arround for an SD card to play movies on a palm pilot (if I get bored enough) and for a 1GB card rated for a ~20MB/sec I can find Corsairs for $135(AUD) and Sandisks for $231(AUD). Can sandisk really be that much better?

 

[LunarMist]

Sandisk drastically reduced prices about two weeks ago. Perhaps the local prices have not caught up, but they should be about the cheapest memory around now.

Pradeep,

I purchased a couple more of the readers today. Like everything else they won't be around forever, and who knows about the flaws of the next model.

 

[Pradeep]

Has anyone had any experience with corsairs flash memory? I've been looking arround for an SD card to play movies on a palm pilot (if I get bored enough) and for a 1GB card rated for a ~20MB/sec I can find Corsairs for $135(AUD) and Sandisks for $231(AUD). Can sandisk really be that much better?

I guess the question is will the Palm care or handle 20MB/sec? It's probably happy with 1MB/sec. Seems like if you can deal with the slightly slower speeds when uploading to the card, go with the cheapest you can find.

 

[Pradeep]

"SanDisk poised to unveil Extreme IV CompactFlash and Extreme Readers:

...

Did we mention how fast the Extreme IV cards are at card-to-computer transfers? Here's a taste: the best CompactFlash cards on the market now are capable of real-world throughput between about 15MB-17MB/second in the best shipping readers we've tried. By comparison, the SanDisk Extreme IV 2GB, when inserted in an Extreme FireWire Reader, tops out at a whopping 38.6MB/second, with the Extreme IV 4GB weighing in at 38.4MB/second."

http://www.robgalbraith.com/bins/content_page.asp?cid=7-7896-8475

Looks like the Rev3 readers and cards are finally here. The performance is just fine on a FW400 port as well. Wonder if they will be able to deliver the new chipset in CardBus/ExpressCard format?

 

[LunarMist]

Thanks for the info. The CF speeds have been updated in the RG database (about time). As expected the Extreme IV is only slightly faster in camera than current fast cards. Manufacturers really need to update camera bodies to take advantage of the fastest cards now. They are currently stick at single-digit write speeds. Theoretically a body like the 1D MK II could shoot over 40 continuous frames or the 1Ds MK II over 20 if the Extreme IV were writing at full speed.

 

[LunarMist]

Yuck, that is badly written...