CF Adapters for SDHC cards - Compatibility???

Melanippe7 · 03-26-08, 09:41 PM

Hi everyone!

I am planning on taking the plung and getting a new 211 enterprise. Since I can use SDHC cards with it, I was wondering if anyone has used any of the CF card adapters in order to utilize a second sdhc card instead of a cf card. It seems that sd/sdhc cards provide faster access to programs and such over the cf cards (if I am wrong, please let me know) and since I can have more memory I want to figure out the best way to go before I purchase any additional memory.

Thanks for any and all words of wisdom!!

spunker88 · 03-27-08, 07:12 AM

If you get the correct adapter you can use a sdhc card in the cf slot. People have said it works with axims.

As far as one being better, i notice little difference between cf and regular sd. But ive never used sdhc. Its all flash memory though, and ppcs usually cant take advantage of higher speeds.

spud42 · 03-28-08, 07:23 AM

check this out

http://www.aximsite.com/boards/stora...f-adapter.html

the short answer is yes they will work. till i got mt 4 gig hdd i was using one with a 2 gig SD in it.

Gigi · 03-28-08, 09:05 AM

A seller on Ebay is offering them at pretty reasonable prices:

http://www.aximsite.com/boards/x50-x...installed.html

Apparently, it works well for Axims.

David Hettel · 03-28-08, 10:25 AM

I believe that one thing you should be aware of is, card orientation. I suspect that unlike a PCMCIA card where you side the SDHC card in at the end with CF adapters you must slide the SDHC card in from the side. Meaning you must remove the CF adapter each time you wish to change the SDHC card.

Another thing it seems that these cards are not passive, but actually have some electronics within them. Many of the SDHC adapters seem to suggest that the adapter limits the maximum throughput.

spud42 · 03-29-08, 07:13 AM

well that is true the SD card does go in on the side. physical size limits it to that way. but if you need to constantly swap a card then put the biggest in the adaptor and the one you want to swap in the SDHC slot.......
i found no difference in speed between 2 gig SD in CF adaptor and 1 gig CF card...

03-29-08, 08:28 AM

I'd go against this adaptor, because CF has potentially higher capacity, and you have a reason why you pick a pda with 2 memory card slots
I'd go for CF if my pda does not support -HC
I always put:
permament data in CF (e.g. music files)
temp data in SD (e.g. radio archives)

Theemed · 03-29-08, 09:52 AM

Originally Posted by mingkee

I always put:
permament data in CF (e.g. music files)
temp data in SD (e.g. radio archives)

As you're using a 210 now, would you mind reporting about CF draining way more battery life, or not? I am still trying to understand if it's a randomly scattered problem among distributed devices or not, what's for sure is that me and other users from this forum report a battery drainage of up to 14% just by leaving the suspended device alone during the night if a CF is inserted, and around 3-4% tops without a CF.
Do you experience this as well?

03-29-08, 06:58 PM

Originally Posted by Theemed

As you're using a 210 now, would you mind reporting about CF draining way more battery life, or not? I am still trying to understand if it's a randomly scattered problem among distributed devices or not, what's for sure is that me and other users from this forum report a battery drainage of up to 14% just by leaving the suspended device alone during the night if a CF is inserted, and around 3-4% tops without a CF.
Do you experience this as well?

my situation is not that bad
about 3-4 percentage overnight

04-01-08, 07:14 AM

If I understand my memory cards - the class 6 SDHC promises a minimum data transfer of 6mb/s. Class 4 - 4mb/s.

The CF cards - assuming solid state - can get to higher than that. Of course it would depend on brand and specifications of the individual unit.

I consider the adapter useful only in the case that you either don't have a CF card and have multitudes of SD cards.....or your 1st SD card is too integral to your unit's operation that you cannot switch out SD cards.

Is that the case?

Theemed · 04-02-08, 05:16 AM

Considering the CF-power problem on 214's I would interpret going for the CF adapter as a safe way to use the slots without risking to get an "affected CF".
Which doesn't actually guarantee that CF2SD adapters are note affected by the battery drain issue as well...

David Hettel · 04-02-08, 09:09 AM

Originally Posted by Ceril

If I understand my memory cards - the class 6 SDHC promises a minimum data transfer of 6mb/s. Class 4 - 4mb/s.

It would appear that is incorrect. Either that or the iPaq 21x is NOT compliant with the SDHC standard or the minimum is not a real minimum and applies to only certain devices. My tests using Pocket Mechanic Professional suggest that the iPaq 21x dos not support these "minimum" speeds at least with the SDHC class 6 cards I have access to. I asked this question of HP and was told that HP does not acknowledge any requirement to "support" any type of minimum speed for the SDHC slot....

Also there are now reports that the SD slot and SDHC memory cards also has the ability to drain the iPaq 21x battery. So just using SD cards does not guarantee that one will not deplete the battery while the unit is off.

Theemed · 04-02-08, 02:15 PM

Originally Posted by David Hettel

Also there are now reports that the SD slot and SDHC memory cards also has the ability to drain the iPaq 21x battery. So just using SD cards does not guarantee that one will not deplete the battery while the unit is off.

Would you be so kind as to report the sources of that info? I was planning to get a (at least) 8GB SDHC to overcome the CF impasse (not much of an impasse now that it seem the AData CF I have has no probs, will test again tonight), but those news lets me down, I wouldn't obviously want to waste money, as a SDHC would find use only in this PDA among my devices. No point in sticking it inside my coolpix :D Which probably doesn't even support sdhc's.

David Hettel · 04-02-08, 03:11 PM

Originally Posted by Theemed

Would you be so kind as to report the sources of that info? I was planning to get a (at least) 8GB SDHC to overcome the CF impasse (not much of an impasse now that it seem the AData CF I have has no probs, will test again tonight), but those news lets me down, I wouldn't obviously want to waste money, as a SDHC would find use only in this PDA among my devices. No point in sticking it inside my coolpix :D Which probably doesn't even support sdhc's.

.

There is a rather long thread on this subject at Brighthand's forum, there is at least one poster there reporting this problem with SD cards, also if you check out the HP forums this has been reported there as well.

Brighthand has one poster suggesting that with a CF GPS in their iPaq that power is not disabled to the CF slot.

Based on the Wi-Fi update there is some suggestion that unlike in the past there may be a *real* software difference between the 210 and the 211. That software difference may explain why some CF cards appear to work ok in some iPaqs and show the power drain in other iPaqs. The new Transcend 32 GB CF card has both been reported as not causing problems and as causing a problem. If some iPaqs are not programed to power down the CF slot when off, or because of a hardware failure can't shut off power to the CF slot that could explain much.

Theemed · 04-02-08, 05:10 PM

I've already read those CF posts, including those regarding the CF GPS addon, and also that poster who measured the current drain with/without CF, and with/without CF power disabled in settings. Same goes for the transcend 32GB card. I posted here my findings with my 214, about one CF which drains battery, and another same capacity CF by adata which doesn't. So the problem is all but precisely defined.
What interests me and I will dig more into, is the SDHC slot giving the same problem.