card reader - it was supposed to be so easy ;)

Hi folks,

first post here, but been reading the forum for a while.

I'm in the process of installing a card reader (the one from sly electronic) and cannot get my MPC2kxl to recognize it. Been reading about every post on this topic here and cannot see what i'm doing wrong.
The power supply should be OK with my modded cable, because when i take a SD-card out, the green led lights up. Card reader is fine too cause it works when installed in my PC. Tried a couple of IDE cables and also the different jumper settings but without succes. The reader just doesn't show up. Only when i put it in slave-mode (with the jumpers) every other time the mpc starts up wrong, displaying a weird set of numbers and letters. Oh yeah, the SD-card i'm testing with is formatted in FAT and i upgraded the OS to 1.20.

Have no clue what else i can try now. If anybody has an idea, i would be very thankful.

Try different cards other than SD.

Doesn't sound like a ribbon cable problem, doesn't sound like a power problem. Single or Master is what the jumper settings should be on. I can't remember which one. Did you go to the load screen and scroll for ATAPI?

yes, i scrolled through it with and without card inserted. Just doesn't show up. I don't have another type of card laying around right now, i'll have to look around a bit. You think it sometimes works with - say - CF and not with SD?
And is the reader also supposed to show up with no card inserted?
Anyway, thanks for the reply. I appreciate.

EDIT: my ribbon cable is the type that has three connectors on it, so one doesn't get used, but i cannot imagine that being a problem or can it?

No the cable is not a problem, I also have a card read in my 2kxl.

I use Compact Flash, No one I know (my friends) has gotten an SD to work in a card reader with xl, maybe someone one the forums here has but I never could and I have a few different cards at home. I'm on 1.14.

I think it's the SD card, you should try a different type of card.

Yes my reader shows up even with no card in it.

I used SD cards pretty much exclusively when I had the 2000xl. At first the MPC didn't recognize it but jumper settings fixed the problem. I couldn't tell you what those settings were but none the less it fixed the problem.

allright guys, thanks for the replies. I will try with compact flash. Although the fact that the reader doesn't show up at all worries me a bit. We'll see. I will report back with the results.

@ L-vizzz, please do.

@ mrcrappypantson, thanks for the info. I think my SD cards just didn't like me at all.

Ok, so i tried with two different compact flash cards but without success. The reader just doesn't show up. I'm starting to think that there's something wrong with the IDE-connection on the motherboard of the MPC. Don't have any zipdrive here to test it with though. Anybody has any thought on what to try next?

Are you sure that drive supports ATAPI? Not just IDE? I made the mistake of getting the wrong drive the first time for my 2000XL, it looked like it would work, etc. It fit and everything, AND it lit up, but because it did not say it would support ATAPI it didn't work.

The Associate.
_____________________________________________________________
MPC 2000XL, Dave Smith Evolver, Juno 106, Mackie 1202.

yes, it says IDE/ATAPI (it's one of the reader that gets recommended here more often). Actually, i thought IDE and ATAPI were the same but apparently not. The cables they need are identical though, aren't they?

Yep.

The Associate.
____________________________________________________________
MPC 2000XL, Dave Smith Evolver, Juno106, Mackie 1202.

The differences go a littel deeper than just the connector looking the same.

Maybe try using different jumper settings with different cards

On the card reader the red part of the cable is to be close to the power cable.


Maybe the data cable on the motherboard is backwards.

allright guys, solved the problem and it was ... a badly connected ribbon cable on the MPC-motherboard. Do I feel stupid now. Thing is, the IDE connector is a bit smaller than the hooks to keep in place, so being scared of putting too much pressure on the mobo i figured that as long as the hooks can be shut, the connector is pushed deep enough. Only by examining it again i discovered i can push it a bit deeper and yes, it works now, SD-cards included.
Thanks for bearing with me, guys. Lampdog, it was the suggestion of the ribbon cable being backward that got me to examine the connection again. Really appreciate the support. And now back to the beats, it's about time.

Hey guys, I wanted to upgrade my zip to a card reader on my mpc.

Just wanted to know, which is the best one to get for the MPC200xl, in regards to compatibility with the Xl.

browntriniboy wrote:Hey guys, I wanted to upgrade my zip to a card reader on my mpc.

Just wanted to know, which is the best one to get for the MPC200xl, in regards to compatibility with the Xl.

This should help.

http://www.midicase.com/card_reader_guide.htm