Thinkpads Forum

Hello, been looking into this whole PCMCIA/Card Bus thing for a while now, searching Ebay a lot for interesting cards I could put on it.
Got myself an ExpressCard adapter that I use with 2 different Sandisk memory card readers.

The thing is, the ExpressCard adapter isn't flush with the laptop at all, and I saw many other PCMCIA cards aren't as well due to the different things they do.

So my questions would be:
1. Is there any interesting PCMCIA card I could actually use with the laptop that is also flush with it?
2. If not, what would be some other potentially useful ones that are also flush?

I'm using a CF-PCMCIA adapter with my x60s which is flush

I cannot think of any common flush cards, other than different types of storage IBM Microdrive, Flash cards, HDDs in PCMCIA format, Iomega Clik, SD card readers. A USB port adapter is another optoin, btw, but not sure you need more ports. All other cards have dongles or a part that sticks out.
There is also an exotic option that you could use in pure DOS - Panasonic CF-VEW211 PCMCIA sound card that can be used without it's dongle and output sound to the internal speaker.
Another exotic is a finger print reader, they are flush when not used, but have a tray that comes out when needed.

There are CardBus to USB 2.0 adapters, which you don't need, since your machine has USB 2.0 ports.
There are CardBus to SD adapters, which you don't need, since your machine has an SD slot.
There are CardBus to CompactFlash adapters.
And there are CardBus to SATA/eSATA adapters.

It doesn't look like any of them are easy to find nowadays.
And even if you do, they don't actually perform all that well.

Bondi wrote: ↑

Mon Dec 30, 2024 1:19 am

I'm using a CF-PCMCIA adapter with my x60s which is flush

I cannot think of any common flush cards, other than different types of storage IBM Microdrive, Flash cards, HDDs in PCMCIA format, Iomega Clik, SD card readers. A USB port adapter is another optoin, btw, but not sure you need more ports. All other cards have dongles or a part that sticks out.
There is also an exotic option that you could use in pure DOS - Panasonic CF-VEW211 PCMCIA sound card that can be used without it's dongle and output sound to the internal speaker.
Another exotic is a finger print reader, they are flush when not used, but have a tray that comes out when needed.

Yep some additional storage or USB ports would be my only option, should I have the need for either of them.
Some of the sound cards did seem interesting, didn't know about this DOS one but I don't think I'd ever use it, and others just have dongles/parts sticking out like you said.
And I already have a finger print reader inside the monitor bezel.

dr_st wrote: ↑

Mon Dec 30, 2024 4:34 am

There are CardBus to USB 2.0 adapters, which you don't need, since your machine has USB 2.0 ports.
There are CardBus to SD adapters, which you don't need, since your machine has an SD slot.
There are CardBus to CompactFlash adapters.
And there are CardBus to SATA/eSATA adapters.

It doesn't look like any of them are easy to find nowadays.
And even if you do, they don't actually perform all that well.

Oh I think I remember checking your thread series for these!
Now that I look again, the SDCBA-C01 CardBus SDHC/SDXC/SDIO Reader seems to be a good fit.
You mentioned it does not appear as an USB card reader but as a SDA Standard Compliant SD Host Controller, does this mean you can not use it to boot off of a memory card (briefly fiddled with this recently).

Other than that yeah, I tried looking for some other, more exotic cards as well.
Found smartcard readers/writers and internet adapters, tv tuners, mice, presentation remotes, and some other random stuff I can't really make any practical use of.

blunderbit wrote: ↑

Mon Dec 30, 2024 12:26 pm

Now that I look again, the SDCBA-C01 CardBus SDHC/SDXC/SDIO Reader seems to be a good fit.
You mentioned it does not appear as an USB card reader but as a SDA Standard Compliant SD Host Controller, does this mean you can not use it to boot off of a memory card (briefly fiddled with this recently).

Yes, I don't think it is bootable, as I doubt it has its own option ROM, and the laptop definitely doesn't have one for it in its BIOS.

dr_st wrote: ↑

Mon Dec 30, 2024 12:30 pm

blunderbit wrote: ↑

Mon Dec 30, 2024 12:26 pm

Now that I look again, the SDCBA-C01 CardBus SDHC/SDXC/SDIO Reader seems to be a good fit.
You mentioned it does not appear as an USB card reader but as a SDA Standard Compliant SD Host Controller, does this mean you can not use it to boot off of a memory card (briefly fiddled with this recently).

Yes, I don't think it is bootable, as I doubt it has its own option ROM, and the laptop definitely doesn't have one for it in its BIOS.

And it doesn't seem like this kind of information is listed in Ebay/Amazon descriptions, so it's gonna be trial and error should I go for some of them.

only the X200/X201 series seems to be able to boot off their SD card slot. I tried it, I found it too slow to be practical for a modern OS. It might be good enough for DOS, but I have had better luck reading 20 year old Floppies than 2 month old SDs when they decide to die.

A well-configured software bootloader may be able to boot anything but I have neither guidance nor will to configure a software bootloader. If it is your dream, you can make it happen, I believe in you.

I have a cheap "flush" USB 2.0 adapter in my T60's Cardbus, however it sticks out 2mm and I have seen with my own eyes the sharp aluminum edge of a cheap butt USB 3.0 adapter slice open my sister's ankle a la CyberTruck. So, yeah.

TPFanatic wrote: ↑

Mon Dec 30, 2024 2:20 pm

only the X200/X201 series seems to be able to boot off their SD card slot. I tried it, I found it too slow to be practical for a modern OS. It might be good enough for DOS, but I have had better luck reading 20 year old Floppies than 2 month old SDs when they decide to die.

A well-configured software bootloader may be able to boot anything but I have neither guidance nor will to configure a software bootloader. If it is your dream, you can make it happen, I believe in you.

I have a cheap "flush" USB 2.0 adapter in my T60's Cardbus, however it sticks out 2mm and I have seen with my own eyes the sharp aluminum edge of a cheap butt USB 3.0 adapter slice open my sister's ankle a la CyberTruck. So, yeah.

Nah I mean booting off the PCMCIA slot, but it doesn't seem to work as I initially thought.
Tried it with my SDAD-109 (now that I'm typing this, I remember it was actually your thread that led me to these) and SDAD-111.
Btw short off-topic, but the SDAD-111 actually keeps the SD card flush with the Express Card itself, so if that goes flush into your laptop, all of it will.

Like you said, some custom bootloader solution might do the trick, but I hardly think it's necessary since I can just boot the card via USB.