Casio not reading CF card after using it in Desktop PC

[Rook]

Tried program flashformat and storage tools. Neither can seem to detect the CF card (IO data 128MEG). This card operated flawlessly in the casio 125 for a good time then I pluged it into the CF slot on my soyo based board (Has a multiple card reader/writer) and I was able to take the files off the card but when I returned the card to the 125 ,it no longer recognized there was a card in it!!!!


I returned it to the Home PC reader and again was able to access but PPC can no longer do so. Tried formating to FAT and again to FAT 32 (Doubted it would work but tried anyways). No program or format seems to make the 125 happy enough to read trhe card again. Anyone have or know of a solution?

[pmshah]

Try another CF card/accessory in the slot to determine if the CF socket on the E-125 is not damaged. Also run scandisk on it while plugged into the card reader on yopur PC.

There have been issues with 128 mb CF cards manufactured by SanDisk (who are OEM suppiers to several other brand names also ) randomly malfunctioning.

Inspect the pins in the CF slot on the PDA to see if any of the pins has been bent/corroded.

Hope this helps.

[bettyboop]

Try this:

Format from your desktop as FAt16.
Run scandisk make sure all is OK.
Then transfer a simple txt file onto the card.

Now try this card on your Casio and see if this works.
If not, try this on another Windows CE PDA.

There are two possibilitities.
1: something is wrong with your Casio's CF slot.
2: something is wrong with the CF card or driver.

In Either case, having access to another Windows CE device
will help isolate the problem.

:D

[Rook]

Thanx guys for the advice, but I basically have tried everything mentioned. Tried the card in a Jornada that was reading it's flash card just fine. Also tried the Jornada's flash card in my Casio and the Casio say it and could write to it fine.

The CFlash card as mentioned is read and written to fine in the bayone flashcard slot of my soyo board, but cannot be seen by the hanhelds any more :(

I'm starting to wonder if this is a voltage issue. Does anyone knoew the actual difference between a type1 and a type 2 flash card?

[bettyboop]

I am not familair with this Soyo board.
Is this a Windows CE embedded board?

Also did you say you formatted the CF card for fat16 on the
desktop and this card does not work on the HP
but it works on the Casio CE PDA?

Can you please clarify this?

Lastly, the differences between the CF card type I and
type II slots should not matter. A type II slot is fully compatible
to a type I card when reading and writing.

[pmshah]

Please specify the capacity of the Jornada's flash card.

Also whether the CF card in question works on Jornada.

[Rook]

"I am not familair with this Soyo board.
Is this a Windows CE embedded board?"

No it is a motherboard for a regular desktop computer. It comes with a card interface called a "Bay-One" that reads and rights to most memory card types and is placed in an empty 51/4 slot.



"Also did you say you formatted the CF card for fat16 on the
desktop and this card does not work on the HP
but it works on the Casio CE PDA?"

No, the cards worked fine in both handhelds UNTIL I put the card into the BAY-One slot to read the contents. After I took off the files I wanted on the Flash Card, I returned it to my Casio and noticed that my Casio could no longer see the card. The card(Compact Flash) worked fine in both the Jornada AND the Casio until this time. I mentioned formating because I tried formating it different ways to see if perhaps XP had done something to the file system. No luck. Neither the format done by XP (Fat or Fat 32) would enable the handhelds to see the card. ALSO, both handhelds could not see the card at all. This is why I was wonderring if there is a dynamic voltage setting or alteration that could have taken place.


"Lastly, the differences between the CF card type I and
type II slots should not matter. A type II slot is fully compatible
to a type I card when reading and writing."

I understand that a newer standard would be most likely backwards compatible. I still would like to know the difference if you know it please.


__________________







pmshah
Senior Member

" Please specify the capacity of the Jornada's flash card. "
The CF card is a I/O Data 128Meg card. It worked JUST fine in my handhelds till the bay-one unit read and wrote to it.

"Also whether the CF card in question works on Jornada."
Yes the card worked fine with the Jornada as well till the above mentioned incident.

[pmshah]

From the explanations you have given I gather the following.

1. There is only ONE 128 mb I/O Data Cf card in the picture.

2. The card worked with both the PDAs until you plugged it into the Bay-One multi card reader / writer on the desktop.

3. Now the card works only on the Deasktop reader/writer & is not recognised by either of the PDAs.


First of all regardless of the file format on theCF card the PDAs would recognise the card SO LONG as there is electrical connection. Whether the PDAs can access the data is a different matter.

When you plugged the device into the desktop reader/writer it has damaged the CF card in the sense it has changed the geometry of the CF card's receptacle/s - spread them to a non compatible larger size however minutely. If not all at least the one that supplies power to the card.

I have a feeling that the card will not work on any of the other card readers either - SanDisk, Datafab or what have you.

There is only one solution for the situation. Get the CF card replaced - if you can - & have your desktop reader/writer checked & replaced. Otherwise it is extremely likely the history will repeat.

[bettyboop]

One question seems unanswered still it if you formatted
the CF card using fat16?
You mentioned fat and fat32. What about fat16?

I would still suggest you take you CF card to a dealer and have
them check it for you. I have a good sense that that format of
the card is damaged. The low level format of the CF card
is factory set and coonot be changed by the end user.
Though you did not low level format the card yourself this
CF card reader/writer maybe flaky.

Check the manufacturer of the card and see if they have any
insights. Ty may not even bother to try and figure this out.
The manufacturer may even just exchange the card on the spot.

In regards to your PC, I would check with the board manufacturer
or the CF card reaer/writer manufacturer for the most upto date
drivers.

[pmshah]

With this controversy I have taken some action at my end to test the compatibility of various FAT formats with Cassiopeias.

PDAs are technically not supposed to support FAT32. I have on hand an IBM 1 GB microdrive. I formatted it to FAT32 on SanDisk ImageMate reader/writer under WinXP. (available choices were only 2, either FAT or FAT32 - NO FAT16 ). I copied about 400 MB worth of various files.

After inserting the Microdrive into the CF slot of the Cassiopeia I could access the .xls files in various directories on the Microdrive both from the desktop pc - \MyComputers\Mobile Device\Storage Card\*** & by SpreadCE on the PDA which recognised all the directories & listed them for selection.

I could also browse through all the directories without any problems from the PC as well as the PDA.

So contrary to belief FAT32 IS recognised on my upgraded PDA.
(E-105 --> E-115 with upgrade ROM).

Tomorrow when I get to work I will test it on an original E-100 - CE 2.11 -& let you know the results.

[pmshah]

I tested the 1 GB FAT32 formatted IBM microdrive on an E-100 yesterday.

Surprise !!!! The drive was recognised. Using CCExplore I was able to browse through the entire directory structure where each & every directory was visible. However NOT a single file was visible.

So it would be safe to assume that a Fat32 formatted CF card should be visible with visible directory structure although the files will not be visible/accessible under CE 2.xx