PI Tech Dual CF Memplug

We've had only sporadic (and unpredictable) success in getting the PITech
MemPlug Dual CF Card Expansion Pack (for iPAQ) to work with Familiar.
Sometimes Familiar 0.6.1 recognizes it and the CF memory card that's in it
during the boot sequence and sometimes it doesn't. When it does, the cards
and their file systems are available for mounting. When not, there doesn't
seem to be anything we can do (so far) to make it and the cards visible to
Familiar. Sometimes the boot sequence mounts /dev/hda and sometimes it
doesn't.

If the MemPlug is not in place during boot and the iPAQ is inserted into it
after boot, we don't see any messages displayed on the console indicating
that it's recognized in any way. In contrast, under WinCE/PocketPC 2002,
the iPAQ clearly recognizes when it's inserted into the MemPlug and
indicates this audibly and with system status messages.

If the MemPlug is recognized and hda is available, then when we remove the
CF card we get this:

/mnt/cfcard1 # ide0: unexpected interrupt, status=0xff, count=9
Trying to free nonexistent resource <c49b0000-c49b000f>
ide_cs: ide_register() at 0xc49b0000 & 0xc49b000e, irq 42 failed

When we re-insert the CF Card, we don't see any messages.

Also in contrast, the HP/Compaq Dual PC Card Expansion Card is always
available to Familiar, whether it's in place before booting, or if the iPAQ
is slid into it after booting. Both card slots are reliably recognized on
insert and removal.

The PITech MemPlug is much, much slimmer than the HP/Compaq dual expansion
pack and that makes it much more attractive for portable applications.

I'd like to see the MemPlug become a reliable alternative.

Who did Familiar's HP/Compaq Expansion Pack integration? Might they be
interested in taking on the task of making the PITech MemPlug Dual CF Card
Expansion Pack (and perhaps the Seidio SeidioPak Dual CF Card Expansion
Pack) operate reliably with the Linux/Familiar iPAQ? Would someone please
provide their contact information, or if they're reading this might they
contact me?

Len Moskowitz
Core Sound
Received on Mon Mar 31 2003 - 12:03:36 EST