~Toughbooktalk~

Alright. Did the reading on PCMCIA/PC Card (types, history/development, capabilities, specifications) and learned about the various versions floating around out there.

I have a CF-30FASAXAM. Of the PCMCIA slots, one appears to be the "L" shaped ExpressCard 54 and the other a 54mm Cardbus slot. All the literature on PCMCIA slots for the toughbook just say "Type I" or "Type II" but no real information otherwise so I'm not sure.

Outside of this, while I have read and learned, I'm in new waters. Expansion cards such as these have not been in my experience range, as I used USB-devices for expansion needs in the past.

So, query one- Are my observations of the card slots accurate?

Two- I am looking to install two cards. One is a flash memory card (4GB range- http://www.amtron.com/atapccard.htm) and the other is a wifi card. Depending on the accuracy of my observations above guides my options for the wifi card.

I use pcmcia cards a fair amount for wifi ,both on the really old model tough books I have and on some other laptops before I download the factory drivers. On the 30 the bottom slot is for the full size WiFi cards. They are dirt cheap so I always have a half dozen around.

You can also put a smart card reader there. That's the end of my experience. :-)

When I am at the end of the house doing some bizarre wireless thing, if the Toughbook wifi does not show I hot-plug a PC wireless instead of trundling to the other end of the house. (to plug it in the router)
SMC EZ Connect802.11 g.
Works from CF-M34 to CF-31A.

That's all I know......O.K. so I looked this up. I am talking PCMCIA above....not express card as below.

Comparison to CardBus

The major benefit of ExpressCard technology over the previous PCMCIA CardBus PC card is a dramatic increase in bandwidth, afforded by the fact that the ExpressCard has a direct connection to the system bus over a PCI Express x1 lane and USB 2.0, whereas CardBus utilizes an interface controller that only interfaces with PCI. The ExpressCard has a maximum throughput of 2.5 Gbit/s through PCI Express and 480 Mbit/s through USB 2.0 dedicated for each slot, versus CardBus's shared 1.06 Gbit/s bandwidth.

In addition, the ExpressCard standard uses lower voltages than the previous CardBus slots (1.5V and 3.3V versus 3.3V and 5.0V).

The ExpressCard FAQ also claims other advantages, including lower cost, better scalability, and better integration with motherboard chipset technology.

The ExpressCard interface is not backwards-compatible with CardBus devices, which presents a problem for those who may purchase a new system only to find that their devices do not work with the new slot design.

FWIW

I only have a few ExpressCard options. I need an Atheros chipset and I'm finding so few wireless ExpressCards have it. I can also use Ralink RT73 or Realtek RT8187L chipset but I don't see many of them.

droppointalpha wrote:I only have a few ExpressCard options. I need an Atheros chipset and I'm finding so few wireless ExpressCards have it. I can also use Ralink RT73 or Realtek RT8187L chipset but I don't see many of them.

I have to say that the pcmcia cards I use are Atheros and cheap and they actually work better then most built in WiFi cards. Including the NCS one with an Intel 6200 card.

What express cards are you using, since I think I will require the cardbus side for the ATA flash card

EBay item #291212310275

These are my favorites: http://www.ebay.com/itm/PCMCIA-Wireless ... 43bccc2fdc
Here's what the box looks like: http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-PCMCIA-Wire ... 0930307036

I have a 300mw card that should work..
I'll PM you after I eat dinner.

UNCNDL1 wrote:These are my favorites: http://www.ebay.com/itm/PCMCIA-Wireless ... 43bccc2fdc
Here's what the box looks like: http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-PCMCIA-Wire ... 0930307036

Yep,just ordered a half dozen from him.