Nintendo DS HDD hack--use on Axim?

kryten007 · 09-10-06, 03:35 PM

This hack was all over the blogosphere today and it got my gears turning. If it can be done to a DS, couldn't we tweak it a bit for use on an Axim? While I do fancy myself a bit of a hardware-hacker, I am pretty unfamiliar with the whole storage interface side of things. I am also neck-deep in projects right now, so I’ll leave this one to you folks.

Anyone have any ideas?

09-10-06, 04:14 PM

My question is 'why'? You just need something with a CF connection to work with the Axim, which means there are a bunch of microdrives out there for it... or at least items which could be adapted for it. Plus, you'd lose the major advantage of both the Axim AND the DS doing that (portability, can be internally powered)...

It's not like the Axim's hurting for storage, with 8GB CF cards being common enough, and 16GB being available, IIRc.

aximbigfan · 09-10-06, 04:19 PM

why no esata? ide cables are big and bulky. esata cables are nice and thin, plus some external hdds are starting to use esata connections.

chris

kryten007 · 09-10-06, 05:03 PM

Well, ABF, simplicity is why. Yes SATA and the like are great, but they need a great deal more in the interface area. As the guy who did the DS hack points out, IDE and CF interfaces are VERY similar.

As to Haesslich's concerns, i see this as something you would use not every day, but for, say, long flights or car-rides. As someone who takes several 21-hour Greyhound rides every year, i would LOVE to have 40gb of boredom-busting media to choose from. Sure it's on the bulky side, but it's still smaller (and cheaper!!) than a laptop or DVD player/DVD collection.

As for the Microdrive argument, you can easily find a 100gb laptop HDD for about the same price as a 6gb Microdrive...

Besides, as any real geek will tell you, there's is a huge "because i can" factor in the world of hacking. :)

aximbigfan · 09-10-06, 05:56 PM

Originally Posted by kryten007

Well, ABF, simplicity is why. Yes SATA and the like are great, but they need a great deal more in the interface area. As the guy who did the DS hack points out, IDE and CF interfaces are VERY similar.

As to Haesslich's concerns, i see this as something you would use not every day, but for, say, long flights or car-rides. As someone who takes several 21-hour Greyhound rides every year, i would LOVE to have 40gb of boredom-busting media to choose from. Sure it's on the bulky side, but it's still smaller (and cheaper!!) than a laptop or DVD player/DVD collection.

As for the Microdrive argument, you can easily find a 100gb laptop HDD for about the same price as a 6gb Microdrive...

Besides, as any real geek will tell you, there's is a huge "because i can" factor in the world of hacking. :)

yes, but why not just make a cf to esata afapter, like a wifi adapter instad of just havign the ide cable connect almsot directly into the cf slot? i mean think about it. esata connecters re so small and thin that you could just put the connector on the insterad of having the thing sticking out for ide?

chris

kryten007 · 09-10-06, 06:51 PM

Right, I mean I understand what you are saying and I agree; a SATA adapter would be superior. But, like i said, it would be INCREDIBLY difficult to build. Sure it's possible, but only for someone with a corporate budget, engineering staff and million-dollar facilities. It's like asking you why you would overclock a slug instead of redesigning it to use a Pentium...

09-10-06, 07:09 PM

Looks like a fun project, but I like PocketBrain's solution better:
http://www.aximsite.com/boards/showp...8&postcount=30
I wish I could find one of those cheap.

mm

09-10-06, 07:26 PM

Originally Posted by kryten007

Well, ABF, simplicity is why. Yes SATA and the like are great, but they need a great deal more in the interface area. As the guy who did the DS hack points out, IDE and CF interfaces are VERY similar.

As to Haesslich's concerns, i see this as something you would use not every day, but for, say, long flights or car-rides. As someone who takes several 21-hour Greyhound rides every year, i would LOVE to have 40gb of boredom-busting media to choose from. Sure it's on the bulky side, but it's still smaller (and cheaper!!) than a laptop or DVD player/DVD collection.

As for the Microdrive argument, you can easily find a 100gb laptop HDD for about the same price as a 6gb Microdrive...

Besides, as any real geek will tell you, there's is a huge "because i can" factor in the world of hacking. :)

I'll be honest - I like the DS Lite screen, but not for watching video - I've got better equipment for that which is just as portable, and for which there exist CF USB host bus solutions which would let me connect an external portable USB hard drive to it with less muss, and with the possibility of powering said hard drive off of an airplane's power port or a car's 12V lighter port. My main concern there is not just bulk, but POWER - and the DS Lite's battery (much less the DS's) isn't up to snuff for powering an external hard drive... and if you're putting a hard drive in there, you'll need some sort of 12V power supply for it as well, which makes it even more of a mess for the plane flight or bus trip.

Mokubai · 09-13-06, 09:32 AM

I personally would go for a CF -> USB adaptor, and build a battery for my USB HDD. Cables are easy, no need to solder 40 pins in a special arrangement, the only cost is the USB adaptor and battery power supply.