PCMCIA & Other Card Drives & interfaces
(PC Card Drives), Compact Flash Drives, Cardbus
PCMCIA Slot to USB, Wireless LAN, Ethernet, Firewire IEEE 1394, HD, CD

ECA16 High Power PCMCIA (PC Card) Adaptor for ExpressCards

Do you need to use a new ExpressCard in an older laptop with only PCMCIA available?
Now you can, using the ECA16. Plug in your ExpressCard, insert into your PCMCIA slot and away you go.    lxb

Host interface : 16-Bit PCMCIA Card; works in all PCMCIA slots (including CardBus hosts)
Datacard interface : ExpressCard 34mm (USB) including WLAN, WiMax, 3G (HSDPA and CDMA) and memory
Uses Elan's proven VMB5000 interface chip for maximum reliability and stability
Comes with drivers for Windows 2000 and XP with support also for Linux and Mac OSX also available
External dimensions : 16.9 x 15.5cm 3.8cm.    Packaged weight : 95g

ExpressCards often have high power requirements. The PCMCIA port is capable of supplying the required power, but the ECA16 is the only adapter available to supply enough power to guarantee the performance of your ExpressCard.
By drawing the full 5V which is only available to 16-bit PC card solutions, you can be sure that your ExpressCard won't suffer the performance problems that are associated with the lower power 32-bit adapter interface.

Using USB2 technology, the ECA16 supports high speed applications beyond 3G (including HSDPA and HSUPA ExpressCards).
The ECA16 is designed to fit snugly into your PC card slot, with only a minimal protrusion outside of your laptop.
ECA16 High Power PCMCIA (PC Card) Adaptor for ExpressCards:  $155+GST

External PCMCIA Card Slot Drives with USB plug

Simulating a PCMCIA (PC Card or CardBus) slot using USB
It is not possible to make a generic PCMCIA drive with a USB interface to a host computer that would fully comply with the PCMCIA standard. This is because the PCMCIA standard gives much greater access between the CPU and the peripheral device than what USB can give.

So, there is no universal interface between a PCMCIA (PC Card or CardBus) slot  and  a USB port plug, which works with every type of card.
However specialized interface units can be made for particular kinds of card, eg for Flash cards, or for UMTS (3G) DataCards.
This is done by using suitable hardware and firmware in the interface unit to simulate a PCMCIA slot.

   PCMCIA Slot for Wireless Broadband PCMCIA cards: see next item

   PCMCIA Slot for Flash Memory Cards: Jump down this page

What kind of slot does your Notebook have?
PCMCIA, ExpressCard, or both?     List of Notebooks, with kind of slot: click here

External PCMCIA Card Slot Drives with USB plug
for Wireless Broadband PCMCIA cards

U111 for 16-bit cards - PCMCIA Card Reader for 3G Datacards - USB

Cards currently supported on the U111:
   Novatel Wireless Merlin 530 or 630 card: Hutchinson 3, Vodafone

For those who have the Novatel Wireless Merlin 530 or 630 3G card for their local network,
and wish to connect the card via a USB slot, this product can be used with laptops and desktop PCs.
Easy connection to USB port - Suitable for use with laptops or desktops -
Works with selected PCMCIA cards - Low power - Low cost
Compact and rugged casing   Data on U111         lxb

For both home and business use, the U111 adapter provides a PCMCIA slot via the USB Port for PCs that have no available PC Card slot, bringing UMTS 3GSM or EDGE to modern laptops and desktop systems. Provides a way to connect to high speed internet services for anyone who lives in an area where wired broadband Internet is not available.
Industrial and commercial applications also often require data connection to be available for systems which do not have PCMCIA connectivity, including bespoke or specialist PC boxes.
Cards currently supported on the U111:
        Novatel Wireless Merlin US530 – Hutchinson 3
        Novatel Wireless Merlin US630 – Hutchison 3, Vodafone
        Further cards to follow – please check for up–to date listing

For the Merlin U530 and U630 cards, and the Sierra Wireless Aircard 850 and 860 models,
drivers under Windows VISTA are downloadable from this page:
   http://www.elandigitalsystems.com/support/ufaq/udriverdownload.php

       U111 for 16-bit cards - PCMCIA Card Reader for 3G Datacards - USB:  $249+GST   9/07

U111 drivers:
The U111 drivers (supplied on CD) need to be installed before installing the software for the wireless broadband card.
  Drivers:  http://www.elandigitalsystems.com/eng/drivers/u111/elupcr.zip

  All downloads:  http://www.elandigitalsystems.com/eng/drivers/u111/

U132 for 32-bit cards

Cards currently supported on the U132 in Australia:      ("Option" is a brand name of Wireless cards)
   Option Globetrotter Fusion      – Optus Pty Ltd (Singtel)   – One
   Option 3G Quad Card             – Optus Pty Ltd                   – One
   Huawei E618  also MAC compatible  – Vodafone
   Maxcard "MaXcard+" 5500 CDMA     – Telstra
   Sierra Wireless Aircard 580 CDMA   – Telstra
   Telstra Turbo card, ZTE MF332 card  – Telstra

Mac compatibility for the U132 is only supported with the Vodaphone cards.

Easy connection to USB port - Suitable for use with laptops or desktops        lxb
Compact and rugged casing - Works with selected PCMCIA Cards
Low Power - Low cost   Data sheet on U132 Optus     Data sheet on U132 Vodafone

Take your 3G wireless internet access anywhere using the U132!
This USB adapter allows the use of a wide number of high speed data cards via a USB port enabling these PC cards to be used with a desktop or laptop without a CardBus slot.
For both home and business use, the U132 adapter provides a PCMCIA slot via the USB Port, bringing UMTS or EDGE to modern laptops and desktop systems.

The U132 is a new product and currently in heavy demand and short supply,
and work is still being done on this product to support more wireless cards and network providers.
                                     U132 for 32-bit cards - PCMCIA Card Reader for 3G Datacards - USB: $295+GST

  Information about Telstra Wireless Networks   (Telstra website)

What kind of slot does your Notebook have?
PCMCIA, ExpressCard, or both?     List of Notebooks, with kind of slot: click here

U142 for Telstra Next G (or NextG) Wireless PCMCIA Cards

     U142 for Next G cards: $212+GST     11/07       U p

The U142 has been tested with Windows and supports the Bigpond Next G (or NextG) card.
The latest drivers are required..
Also MAC support in just released, initial version and will only work with certain cards at this stage,
details can be found at the following web link:
MAC support:     http://www.elandigitalsystems.com/support/ufaq/u132mac.php

Use this with the "Option GT Max" card, marketed by Telstra, for their Next G network.

The U142 is a new model developed in response to overwhelming customer demand.

Take your Next G wireless internet access anywhere using the U142!
This USB adapter allows the use of some new HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access, see green text below) datacard models via a USB port, enabling these PC cards to be used with a desktop or laptop without a CardBus slot.

The U142 is ideal for customers who live in an area without high speed wired internet access, or whose laptop does not offer a PCMCIA/CardBus slot, such as the new Dell Latitude X1 models.
The adapter is compatible with desktops, notebooks or specialist systems (such as Point of Sale machines).

Most CardBus wireless modem cards are compatible with the alternative U132 model; check the list below to find out whether yours is included or contact our stockist in your area for advice.

Please note that the unique hardware design of the U142 has been developed especially for this type of wireless modems, so other card types are not supported. The U142 does not support memory cards.

     Data sheet on U142 (.pdf)

  Information about Telstra Wireless Networks   (Telstra website)

UMTS (aka 3GSM): Universal Mobile Telecommunications System is one of the third-generation (3G) mobile phone technologies.
It uses W-CDMA as the underlying standard, is standardized by the 3GPP, and represents the European/Japanese answer to the ITU IMT-2000 requirements for 3G Cellular radio systems.
To differentiate UMTS from competing network technologies, UMTS is sometimes marketed as 3GSM, emphasizing the combination of the 3G nature of the technology and the GSM standard which it was designed to succeed. - Wikipedia
EDGE: A change to the radio part of GPRS called EDGE (sometimes called EGPRS or Enhanced GPRS) allows higher bit rates of between 160 and 236.8 kbit/s - Wikipedia.

HSDPA: High-Speed Downlink Packet Access  is a mobile telephony protocol, is a 3G technology, which provides a smooth evolutionary path for UMTS-based 3G networks allowing for higher data transfer speeds.
Current HSDPA deployments support 1.8 MBit/s or 3.6 MBit/s in downlink.
Further steps to 7.2 MBit/s and beyond are planned for the future.

An evolution of the W-CDMA standard, HSDPA achieves the increase in the data transfer speeds by defining a new W-CDMA channel: a high-speed downlink shared channel (HS-DSCH) that operates in a different way from existing W-CDMA channels and is used for downlink communications to the mobile.     More info    - Wikipedia

What kind of slot does your Notebook have?
PCMCIA, ExpressCard, or both?     List of Notebooks, with kind of slot: Click here

External PCMCIA Card Slot Drives with USB port
   for Flash Memory cards

09SH-12IN1 Shintaro 12-in-1 Card Reader

Finally there is a well priced digital camera memory card reader that is compatible with the major digital camera brands including Olympus, Sony and Canon.      lls
The brand new Shintaro 12-in-1 card reader supports 21 different camera types in total.
Featuring super fast USB 2.0 connectivity and a slim compact design, it's one of the most versatile and exciting new products we have seen in ages.

12-IN-1 USB 2.0. Read & Write:
Secure Digital/MiniSD,   MMC/MMCII,   Compact Flash Type 1 & 2,   Microdrive,   Smart Media,   xD Picture card,
Memory Stick/Pro/Duo, (not full size PCMCIA cards).
USB 2.0 Type A to B cable & driver disc included. Suits Win98/SE,ME,2000,XP & MacOS    -1 year warranty.

       09SH-12IN1 Shintaro 12-in-1 Card Reader: 1: $60+GST    2+: $50+GST

M6786 Memory Card Reader/Write  8 in 1 including xD - USB 2.0 interface

Eight in one - Will read and write xD,  Compact Flash I/II,  Smart Media,  Multimedia,  
Secure Digital,  Memory Stick,  Memory Stick Pro  and  IBM MicroDrive memory cards
Does not take full size PCMCIA cards.
USB 2.0 or 1.1 connection,
It will operate with Win 98 or later.
Transfer rate of Hi-Speed USB2.0 interface can be up to 480 Mb/sec (Max)
Four sockets support xD/SD/MMC/Memory Stick/Memory Stick Pro/SmartMedia/Type I/II
CompactFlash/IBM Microdrive and allow data exchange in different sockets.
Supports Hot-Swapping and Plug and Play function.
Driver Support IBM PC     IBM PC compatible computer with USB 2.0/1.1 support.
Windows 98/98SE/2000/ME/XP & Linux (kernel code 2.4.0 above) Mac
iMac series/iBook series/Power Mac G4 series/Power Book series/Power Mac G3,  Ø Mac OS 8.6 or later versions
                               M6786: $70+GST     10/06

Kingston PC Card Reader & Adaptor - 5 year warranty       rhl

FCR-PCM2/4-1   PCMCIA Card Adaptor,  4-in-1     Data sheet (.pdf file)      rhl
plugs into PCMCIA slot and has slots for 4 different media types
Memory Stick™,  Secure Digital,  SmartMedia™  and  MultiMediaCard
3.3-V and 5-V flash memory support     $65+GST

FCR-HS26/1   Kingston USB 2.0 Digital Media Reader      rhl
The 6-in-1 USB card reader (does not support PCMCIA)    Data sheet (.pdf file)
ideal for users of today’s portable devices such as digital cameras, MP3 players and PDA’s.
The Hi-Speed USB 6/1 Media Reader allows for quick and easy transfer of data between the digital
data device and the PC or Mac through the USB port.
The FCR-HS26/1 is a true plug and play device powered by the USB port.
   Supported Media:
• CompactFlash™ (Type I and Type II)
• MicroDrive™
• SmartMedia™
• MultiMediaCard™
• Secure Digital™
• Memory Stick™
Device Features: • Concurrent access of both slots    • Activity LED     • MScD Compliant    • 5 Year Warranty
Physical Specifications: • 1.25'' H x 2.9'' W x 3.9'' L    • Weight: 130 grams (.286 lbs)     Cable Length: 48''
FCR-HS26/1   Kingston USB 2.0 Digital Media Reader $60+GST.

Kingston Flash Cards

• CompactFlash cards CF/32, CF/64, CF/128, CF/256, CF/512, CF/1024,     32, 64, 128, 256, 512MB, and 1024MB
• SmartMedia cards SM/32, SM/64, SM/128,                     32, 64, and 128MB
• MultiMedia cards MMC/32, MMC/64, MMC/128,        16, 32, and 128MB
• Secure Digital cards SD/32, SD/64, SD/128, SD/256,      2, 64,128, and 256MB

M6765  Flash card read/write - Front Access Bay - USB 2- Firewire

Never have to reach behind the computer again with this 5.25" front access bay.
Will read and write 6 Memory cards, CF, SM, MMC, SD, MS and MD.
Compact Flash,  Smart Media,   Multimedia,  Secure Digital,  Memory Stick,  
and  IBM MicroDrive
The unit also has three USB 2.0 ports and two firewire ports.
Plus audio in/out and 5volt/12volt out.
It will operate with Win 98SE or later and Mac OS 8.6.

M6765  Flash card read/write,
                                Front Access Bay, USB 2, Firewire:  $145+GST       10/06

SmartMedia (SSFDC): An ultra-compact flash memory format developed by Toshiba. About the size of CompactFlash, but as thin as a credit card.
The cards can be plugged into a SmartMedia socket,   or into a standard Type II PC Card slot with a PC Card adapter.

WGIPQ-FPC-PC   Compact Flash Card Adapter Allows a compact flash card, as used in many digital cameras, to be read in a standard PCMCIA drive.    vdr
Just copy the files from the Compact Flash card to your hard drive with Windows Explorer.  WGIPQ-FPC-PC: $25+GST

M21028 Compact Flash to PCMCIA Adaptor   $25+GST

PCMCIA Drives with PCI, ISA or IDE controllers

Cardbus 32-bit: Note that for technical reasons (crosstalk, etc), 32 bit Cardbus slot PCMCIA drives
are not available with front drive bay access, as this would require a ribbon cable to the drive..

M6072   5¼" frame for 3½" drive with front opening (see picture 4th item below)   $20+GST

For PCI bus PCMCIA Slots, jump to separate page:
     PCMCIA Slots - PCI Bus   PCI bus to PCMCIA Adapters

M6668  PCMCIA Drive (ATA), front Access - with IDE interface - Hot Swap

M6668 PCMCIA-IDE ATA drive is no longer available, there will probably be a
replacement model some time in January 2006.
M6469 (not hot-swap) or
M6741 (CF) are still available as alternatives.

M6668 Mounts in a drive bay.
This unit reads and writes ATA Flash cards, and connects to the IDE port of a standard PC.
The IDE port normally has a ribbon cable which leads to the IDE hard disk drive(s).
A jumper is provided to set the drive as Master or Slave.
It works with PCMCIA ATA Flash, ATA Hard Disk Drive or Compact Flash card (with an adapter M21028).
The system BIOS accesses the card directly as a IDE Drive. The computer can be configured to boot from the Flash Card - ideal for industrial control.
This hardware & firmware BIOS allows hot swapping of the memory cards.
Supports Win98/ME/2000/XP also OS2 and probably most other op sys as no additional software is required.  
Detected by system as IDE drive.
The drive has a 3.5" FDD form factor, allowing it to mount in a 3.5" FDD bay, the 40 pin connector is connected directly to an IDE interface.
ATA devices do not require card and socket services.  Data: click here  Carry 

M6469  PCMCIA Drive ATA to IDE Front Access - with IDE interface - Cold Swap

This unit is an ATA Flash card drive which connects to the IDE port of a standard PC.
It can use a PCMCIA ATA Flash, ATA Hard Disk Drive or Compact Flash card (with an adapter M21028).
A jumper is provided to set the drive as Master or Slave.
The system BIOS accesses the card directly as a IDE Drive.
The computer can be configured to boot from the Flash Card - ideal for industrial control.
NOTE: A card inserted into this is not Hot Swappable. The drive cannot be used as an interface for modems etc.
If you need this capability see M6121.
The drive has a 3.5" FDD form factor, allowing it to mount in a 3.5" FDD bay, the 40 pin connector is connected directly to an IDE interface. ATA devices do not require card and socket services.
A similar model is also available which has rear access for PC Card/PCMCIA cards.   $135+GST   10/06

M6741  CF Card Drive ATA to IDE - -Front Access - Hot Swap

This unit is a Compact Flash ATA Flash card drive which connects to the IDE port of a standard PC.
The system BIOS accesses the card directly as a IDE Drive.    Picture: click here
The computer can be configured to boot from the Compact Flash Card - ideal for industrial control.
This hardware, in conjuction with the included software allows hot swapping of the memory cards.
Supports Win98/ME/2000/XP.
The drive has a 3.5" FDD form factor, allowing it to mount in a 3.5" FDD bay, the 40 pin connector is connected directly to an IDE interface on the computer mainboard.
ATA devices do not require card and socket services.     M6741: $115+GST   10/06

A similar model is also available which has rear access for PC Card/PCMCIA cards.

M6121  PCMCIA Card Drive with ISA bus controller card (mounts in drive bay) Carry
ISA card for Desktop PC, with high performance PCMCIA Card Drive. Two front-access sockets
on a 3.5" front bay - supports one Type I or II PC card and one Type III PC Card, simultaneously.  M6121: $155+GST    10/06

M6072   5¼" frame for 3½" drive
           with front opening (see picture at right)    $20+GST

PC/104 card drive for PCMCIA cards:
     see PCM-3110 & PCM-3112 on PC/104 page: click here (opens new window)

M11341  Card Bus to Ethernet Adapter 10/100 Mbps

The Card Bus (32 bit version of PCMCIA (16 bit)) Ethernet card is a credit card size Ethernet adapter
that connects a notebook PC to an IEEE 802.3 standard Ethernet network.
It automatically negotiates 10Mbps or 100Mbps connection rate, depending on the speed of the network.

Complies with IEEE 802.3 10BaseT and 802.3u 100BaseTX standards.
Automatically negotiates 10Mbps or 100Mbps connection rate, depending on speed of the network.
32-bit CardBus Architecture brings the highest performance.
Complies to PC Card 1995 CardBus standards.
Provides full-duplex to enhance throughput.
Switchless design and software-configurable card setting..
3.3V low power consumption.
Compatible with all notebook PCs that comply with the PC Card standard.
Specifications:
Standards : IEEE 802.3 10BaseT and 802.3u 100BaseTX
Connectors : RJ45 x 1
Bus Width : 32-bit CardBus     CardBus Spec : PC Card 1995 CardBus standard
PC Interface : 68-pin connector   Media Coupler Interface : 15-pin flat connector
LED : 10/100Mbps, Activity     Power : 3.3V / 450mA Max.
Driver Support : ODI - Novell NetWare 3.x, 4.x , NDIS - Microsoft Windows 95/98, Windows NT 4.0
Temperature : 0 to 50°C (oper.)   Humidity : 10% to 90%
Certification : FCC Class A, CE Mark, C Tick
Packing Content: Datasheet, User's Manual (PDF)      $90+GST      10/06

M2821 Converter
      PCMCIA Cardbus to FireWire IEEE 1394 (Centos)   Click here

Kingston Memory

   Compatibility information: click here

IBM Microdrive Compact Flash sized: CF Type II,  1GB
           Use with digital cameras: click here     Data sheet: click here       

PCMCIA Cards with Serial ports, Firewire ports IEEE 1394