Synchrotech CF reader

Installed and it works great.. Thanks for the recommendation mpc forum!

I got mine installed using a little ghetto tricknology and some phone calling to local (San Francisco) computer parts stores.

It works. I'm having some difficulty with a compact flash card, I'll describe that here.

First, the install required me to buy a couple new machine screws, and a bunch of washers. My 2000XL only had floppy. I removed the floppy and found that the mounting bracket was attached to the floppy with stripped screws. Maybe that's why the other guy decided to sell it! No problem though. I used washers and duct tape to rig up two "stand offs" that would fit the unit, and allow two slightly longer screws to pass. The result is a firm installation.

Then I called around to find the "three pin to four pin fan power supply cable". I chopped it, stripped the ends, and wired it to the power supply leads that used to power my floppy. This was easy. Just follow the pics in this forum.

Then I connected the ATAPI/IDE cable, and stuffed it into the free space next to the drive.

Finally, I tried to format the 2GB compact flash in the MPC. This might have been a mistake. It didn't work. Now when I try to see that same disk in my USB card reader, it doesn't like the format. Windows 2K won't see it or reformat it...

If anyone has a solution for completely erasing and reformatting a 2GB compact flash card, please help. Thanks.

Problem Mostly Solved:

My theory is that the card was partially formatted by the MPC, but not successfully, probably because the MPC software isn't capable of recognizing a 2GB ATAPI drive? I don't know. When the MPC formats it, it only recognizes 700MB or so.

I do know that I put the card in my Canon digital camera, and successfully reformatted it there. After that, windows was able to read it.

Unfortunately the card I ordered specifically to use with the MPC doesn't seem to be compatible. It's a SanDisk Ultra II 2.0GB. I can't get it to communicate properly with the Synchrotech drive.

Fortunately I had two other compact flash cards on hand that I use with a camera. They are older and slower compact flash cards and maybe that's why they work. They're also smaller (1.0 GB and 32MB).

madimedja wrote:Problem Mostly Solved:

My theory is that the card was partially formatted by the MPC, but not successfully, probably because the MPC software isn't capable of recognizing a 2GB ATAPI drive? I don't know. When the MPC formats it, it only recognizes 700MB or so.

I do know that I put the card in my Canon digital camera, and successfully reformatted it there. After that, windows was able to read it.

Unfortunately the card I ordered specifically to use with the MPC doesn't seem to be compatible. It's a SanDisk Ultra II 2.0GB. I can't get it to communicate properly with the Synchrotech drive.

Fortunately I had two other compact flash cards on hand that I use with a camera. They are older and slower compact flash cards and maybe that's why they work. They're also smaller (1.0 GB and 32MB).

What os are you running on your mpc ? v1.14 or v1.20 ?

Yeah, great question. I had forgotten to check the OS. Rookie mistake.

It's running ver. 1.1

I'll search around and figure out how to upgrade. Thanks!

I just got my Synchrotech drive installed... I formatted the drive using FAT16 on my PC and copied a folder of drum breaks to the CF card. On the MPC, it can see the folder, but can't open the folder to see what is inside. Has anyone encountered this. I am currently using OS 1.2, but I am thinking about going back to 1.14.

Sorry to double post, but figured out a work around and I figured the info could help someone else. I formatted the card on the PC Fat16. Rather than copying the files and directory from the computer, I created the directory on the MP... then filled it with files on the PC. A bit of a pain, but once I get everything in sync I'll be off to the races.