Amtron 5.25 P2 Reader?

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Haven't tried it, but it should work with P2 cards given that it supports 32-bit Cardbus. It's also worth noting that even though it is listed as unsupported, the page claims that it works on OS X10.4 PowerPC G4 systems!

I got a mailer from NewEgg last week, and in it they had a PCI to Cardbus adapter for less than $20.00. The problem with this adapter is that it doesn't provide convenient access to the slot -- here is a link if anyone is interested:

PCI to PCMCIA/PCCard/Cardbus Adapter
 
THoff said:
Haven't tried it, but it should work with P2 cards given that it supports 32-bit Cardbus. It's also worth noting that even though it is listed as unsupported, the page claims that it works on OS X10.4 PowerPC G4 systems!

Hi Guys I bought one of these cards last week , it "works great" in my Dual G4, only hassell is that you have to put it in from behind---But better than nothing..
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/492803-REG/SIIG_JJ_PC1M12_S1_PCI_to_PC_Card_M.html

I also found this little reader after i bought the SIIG card..-
http://www.amtron.com/reader/p2card_reader.htm#Mac
has anyone tried this card reader set-up in a MAC ?

Now I just have to find one that is PCIe for my G5.... anyone know of one, or a solution.. something like this , with an PCIe card--
http://www.addonics.com/products/host_controller/adexc34cb.asp
cheers
Tom K
Click to expand...
 
David S. said:
You have 2 running on what? A G4 or a MacPro?
Click to expand...

Scotty, May I also ask what compter you have it working fine on, G4 / G5 or a windows box ?.
I believe that that card (http://www.amtron.com/reader/pcdtp110cs.htm) is a PCI only , which won't slot into a G5 (PCIe).

Footnote, I updated my firmware two days ago and now my camera (SPX800) will talk to the G4 & G5 Via firewire and the USB , what a relief, thanks pana.

Tom K
 
OK,

we have all read about every possible solution for a card reader, we all have our work-arounds, panasonic has the solution to all our woes,- https://eww.pavc.panasonic.co.jp/pro-av/sales_o/p2/p2drive/index.html
It's the Panasonic AJ-PCD20 five card reader.

BUT, it's well over priced for our budgets,

SO, why don't we ask Panasonic to produce a "cut-down 2 Card version unit" for us little folk who need to read their P2 cards , bearing in mind we are not in the "broadcast" league but still need a relativley priced solution to a very basic problem.
Panasonic would sell thousands of these units if they were priced at a level where it would be considered "affordable".

Let's face it, it is a simple "card reader", not a VTR, or a HDD unit, so why does it cost one third the price of a HVX200, when the components to manufacture one would cost maybe $400 .
the selling price on B&H is $1899.99-
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/455632-REG/Panasonic_AJPCD20_Panasonic_AJPCD20_P2_Drive.html

Come on Panasonic, make a cut-down 2 slot that we can afford at say under $1k and they'll fly like eagles out the door.
OR
some other manufacturer take on a challenge and reap the rewards.

Tom 4:thumbsup:
 
The AJ-PCD20 isn't just a simple adapter. P2 requires 32bit Cardbus PCMCIA slots, meaning that it must be directly on the system bus of a computer. Expresscardbus is the only thing that can be adapted at all, and even that is very tricky, any other connection requires a new processor in the unit...

The AJ-PCD20 is basically a small computer, so as to provide that critical cardbus for the slots. And that's what you are paying for, the same little computer that makes up the P2 controller of the HVX, or of all the other P2 equipment. The slots themselves probably cost comparatively little to the price of the unit; what you are really paying for is the unseen guts that turn it into a fully independent drive, that simply connects to the computer somehow. Reducing the number of slots would probabaly not lower the cost very much.


- Mikko
 
mikkowilson said:
The AJ-PCD20 isn't just a simple adapter.

The AJ-PCD20 is basically a small computer,
- Mikko
Click to expand...

Hi Mikko
With respect to your views,
If it were such a complicated piece of machinery as you described it would do more than just one Task that of Reading P2 cards .
You could buy two new laptops for the current cost of the panasonic reader, and have some left over for coffee and doughnuts.
cheers Tom K
 
Adding more functions would again add cost (especially if you needed a user interface and controls...)
The AJ-PCD20 is simply designed as a cad reader, and that's what it is: A small simple computer that reads the cards and pumps the data out over firewire or USB ... exactly like the camera.


- Mikko
 
mikkowilson said:
Adding more functions would again add cost (especially if you needed a user interface and controls...)
The AJ-PCD20 is simply designed as a cad reader, and that's what it is: A small simple computer that reads the cards and pumps the data out over firewire or USB .

Hi Mikko
With many years in TV/Video i've seen lots of machines/devices come n go, a simple piece of machinery is usually priced accordingly.
Cheers
Tom K
Click to expand...
 
Look, if it was so cheap and easy to build a cheap reader, why hasn't anyone done so?

Maybe because it isn't so cheap and easy?
 
Barry_Green said:
Look, if it was so cheap and easy to build a cheap reader, why hasn't anyone done so?

Maybe because it isn't so cheap and easy?
Click to expand...

Hi Barry, Maybe too, no manufacturer is willing to spend time on older PCMCIA technology ?, Maybe too they don't realise the sales they could make ?. and are going to Express cards,
just read the boards and see how many P2 users are after such a versatile product at a "reasonable price", I'm only stating the obvious.
these boards are about disscussion, that's whats happening here, maybe someone will come up with a universal product solution , after much discussion, who knows.
I can't see how a simple dedicated card reader using PCMCIA technology can be as expensive as say a BRAND NEW Macbook pro. maybe there's a Macbook inside those 5 card readers. ?? who knows.
cheers
Tom K
 
USB and Firewire/IEEE1394 ports are, well, PORTS .. they have logicall adresses in the system and they provide a gateway for data to be passed around. They are fully dynamic and ports are created and deleted for each device as connected. The "Bus" is simply the backbone that supports the various ports on it.
USB and Firewire allow you to connect devices to your computer, and communicate between those devices.

The PCI Bus in a desktop, or the Card (both PCMCIA/Cardbus and Expresscard) bus on a laptop, are all system busses. This means that when a device is connected, it isn't assigned a "port" but rather a hard addreses within the computer, it is alocated memory to use, processory time, IRQ adresses, and a whole range of ports for it's use as necesarry.
The PC busses allow you to expand your computer.

P2, when connected, is an expansion to your computer. It's got it's own RAID controller built in that needs those system resources, memory, IRQ, Port-range... the works. You can't just plug P2 into a port, it won't have all the sytem resources it needs to run. And you can't magically send those system resources through a port (by way of USB, Firewire, Serial, Paralel, IDE, SATA, SCSI...), you HAVE to connect directly to the system bus to get those resources. Period.


So ANY device that can pass P2 data through a Port based connection (USB, Firewire) MUST have it's own system-bus, that it uses to provide the P2 card the resources it needs. That is why you have basically 2 options for reading P2 cards:
- Directly from a computer's system bus, either into a PCI slot in the back or a desktop. Or into a PCMCIA or PC Expresscard (through an adpater) slot of a laptop.
- Into another "Smart" device that can suport the cards and either use the data, or pass it onto another device through a port based system. This includes cameras, P2-stores, P2-card readers, etc..

The "PCI port extenders" discussed in this thread simply extend the ports provided in the first of those options. You are still connecting to the PCI bus, just with an "extension cable" to the front of the machine. And yes, they are a MUCH cheaper and simpler solution to provide the PC bus in the front of the machine in a PCMCIA form.
They are identical in principal to the adapters that extend the Express-card bus to PCMCIA slots for newer laptops.

- Mikko
 
Tom 4 said:
just read the boards and see how many P2 users are after such a versatile product at a "reasonable price", I'm only stating the obvious.
Click to expand...
Nobody is disputing the demand. We've been asking for such a product for over two years now.

The point is: the key to success in business is to find a need and fill it. Obviously there's a gaping hole here -- why hasn't anyone filled it? Even a company like Spec-Comm, which has the technology and capability to do it?

The only answer is: it ain't that easy.

People keep asking why Panasonic doesn't take the existing $1800 PCD20 and cut it down to one or two slots and cut the price in half. Do people *really* think that it's the number of slots that drives the price up? If you took the PCD20 and chopped it from 5 slots down to one, I bet you'd lower the price by maybe $3. It's everything else in the unit, not the number of slots, that makes it expensive.

So, it goes back out -- if anyone wants to step up and make this product, and can find a way to make it economically feasible for themselves, there's something like 60,000 P2 users out there who would buy it. It's a ready-made business opportunity.

All I'm saying is -- if someone hasn't leaped on it by now, there's got to be a reason. And I'm betting the reason is because it *isn't* so simple and cheap and easy to do as you and others think.

Besides, what's the point? Just get a cheap Windows laptop -- there you'll spend $500 and you'll get a single-slot reader. Isn't that what you want? That product already exists. Connect it via FW to your desktop and drag and drop files from the slot to your desktop, etc. They can do that in laptops because they make millions of them and have amortized the R&D costs completely.

If you want a $500 single-slot P2 reader, a Windows laptop is what you can get right now, today, that will do the job.
 
Barry_Green said:
Nobody is disputing the demand. We've been asking for such a product for over two years now.
If you want a $500 single-slot P2 reader, a Windows laptop is what you can get right now, today, that will do the job.
Click to expand...

Hi Barry and Mikko
Great thread. lots of knowledge , the amtron solution for windows boxes is great, (dirtysanchez), the SIIG PCI card for a G4 (PCI) is also good (I have one in my G4 works great).
But there's also heaps of us on G5 macs (PCIe) running FCP. MAYBE Amtron can design a "PCIe" controller card for their- http://www.amtron.com/reader/p2card_reader.htm
so we are to able to use their single slot reader in our G5's, that would I suspect sell like Hot cakes at a sunday fair.
Cheers
TomK:thumbsup:
 
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