Parallel Port CF card reader.

[James]

I finally got around to testing the parallel port CF card reader. It works. It is a DataFab Image Reader, Model MDCFE-SR. So far I've tested it with and 8 MB card but I should be able to use it with any card upto 32 MB since I am running DOS 3.3. It will be another way of getting data on and off the PCjr. What also is good is it has a parallel passthough which works with the Xircom parallel port ethernet card. You can't use them at the same time but it eliminates disconnecting until I can get a second parallel port setup. The keyboard power adapter is not compatible with our keyboard jack but there are always other sources of the required 5V.

I currently have the jrIDE, so I don't need it for mass storage but it works for that as well. I successfully ran a few games off of it. Overhead is about 50K.

Amazon actually has a few of them for $10 each.

[Vorticon]

James, does it require a separate power supply or is the parallel port sufficient?

[James]

It required a separate power supply. I used another PC's keyboard port to supply the power for the test but I am going to cut the keyboard power tap and either feed it with a 5V wall adapter or tap into the light pin power. I looked at the tech ref and the light pen port provides +5v but only signal ground. The wall adapter is easier but then I requires another wall wart.

I have been thinking about this and I may have been going about this wrong. Currently I am using a DOM in a sidecar. If the jrIDE supports a 3.5" drive bay IDE CF adapter, which I can't think why it wouldn't, then I might be better off gutting the Rapport Unit, put the jrIDE in the Rapport side car, putting a ide 3.5" drive bay reader in the Drive II and booting and working off of the CF card in the drive bay reader. The advantages would be ease of software transfer and the ability to scan the drive for Viruses in another computer. I could run the fan and drives off the the Rapport power supply to take the load off of the PCjr power supply.