HP 200LX > Storage >

This page is very very rough.

Overview ∞

• Memory past 640 kB can be used as a RAM drive (as a drive letter).

  • Setup-F5

• PCMCIA type II 2.0, non-cardbus, 150mA at 5 or 12V, hot swappable.

  • Natively supports SRAM cards
  • Natively supports Parallel ATA flash storage cards up to 256MB without drivers.
    — Can use most adapters for other storage card types: CompactFlash, SD, etc. and use most of those types of storage cards.
  • Supports modems or network cards with their appropriate drivers and software.

Notes ∞

• Some flash cards over 256MB are supported with the acecard3.com drivers.

  • TODO – details

• Supports Intel linear flash cards using a M-systems driver.

  • TODO – details
• TODO – drivers for storage cards over 256 MB.

• TODO – list compatible storage cards

Dump ∞

• The internal storage can be upgraded to 4, 5, 6 ^[ 1 ] 6MB is possible with the 2MB models only. , 8, 32, 64 or 96 MBs.
• On-board memory can be converted to EMM. See HP 200LX memory

• There is no need to defrag memory-based storage space.

PCMCIA ∞

• The maximum current draw allowed for a PCMCIA card is limited to 150mA.

  • The IBM Microdrive and comparable products (including the Iomega Clik) are too power-hungry.
  • TODO – Link to that review site.
  • A high drain PCMCIA device (proportional to the current used) will cause an audible buzzing near the screen.
    — I’ve never seen this myself.
  • Power-hungry devices may work when using AC power, but 200+ mA won’t work even then.
  • Power-hungry devices are supported by an externally powered adapter.
    — TODO – describe
    — A doubleslot expander exists — 2 pcmcia2.0 slots https://web.archive.org/web/20080725002447/http://www.rundel-d.com/palmtop/

• PCMCIA Slot Expander for the HP Palmtop

  • 2x pcmciaII or 1 pcmcia III for the 100/200, with an optional ac power adapter to power them!

Memory cards are slower than the internal RAM, and take up more power.

• Compact Flash type 1

  • May be used with a PCMCIA convertor.
  • Up to 256 Megs without a driver.
    — TODO – link.
  • The card is formattable with the FAT32 filesystem, and works flawlessly.
  • SanDisk, their inventor says their cards last 100 years

• flash

  • No power to maintain their memory, may wear out

• sram

  • Needs a backup battery, write speeds are supposedly a bit faster than flash, read is about the same

• Socket Services 1.0

  • built-in
  • very primitive Card Services is provided
  • does not provide the BIOS service (INT13) for reading from a hard disk. Drivers have been partially written (to boot MINIX)
    — TODO – link to minix and determine status of those drivers.

Other Notes ∞

• To reinitialize the 32MB drive, boot clean and run rdt2t.exe to reinitialize. Boot clean or the drive will initialize to under it’s 32MBs.

• You can make sure that your 2MB unit is upgradable to 6MBs (with a 4MB daughtercard) by:

  1. Checking the serial number, if it is SGywwnnnnn where y = 6 — the motherboard has 2MB onboard, and a daughtercard port has to be soldered on, to accept the 4MB upgrade. All y = 1-5 should have 1MB on the motherboard and 1MB on the daughtercard, it is rumored that some y = 5 have 2MB on the motherboard.
  2. Running the escape-ON internal RAM test — make sure that you close all your open apps before doing this test. Turn the unit off, press the escape-ON keys, go to the RAM test, press ENTER and watch the counter. If the first number counts to 127, then you will have 6MBs after the memory upgrade. You can press backspace to then cancel the test, and then press escape to reboot your palmtop.

• Drive95 can be used with the 100LX, but it is a bit slow.

  • Craig Finseth says: “Install the driver on the 100LX as you would on a 95LX. Connect the Drive95 cable to the HP 100LX serial cable. Now go to FILER and press (F10) (Connect), and let the 100LX time out. The drive should now work normally in all modes.”

• Sparcom is looking for user feedback as to whether to create a DRIVE100 or a STATION100. They can be reached at 800-827-8416 or 503-757-8416; Fax: 503-753-7821; CompuServe ID: [75320,2440].

  • The www.sparcom.com homepage is dead.. they’re dust.
  • Station100 exists for the 100/200lx

The 200lx supports the following San Disk devices, according to SanDisk:

• SDP-XX
• SDP5-XX
• SDPL5-XX

• SDP5A-XX (unless XX=80, 110 or 175, because these are Type II cards)

hot insertion is supported

• Ignore any error message of “RAM4 bad Plug in Card” — from the hardware test
• no drivers required for the 200lx

• To format the card:

  • FDISK100 A:
  • FORMAT A:

sandisk orders: 1.888.216.2489

• CompactFlash cards – These are the guys who made the cf standard.
• CompactFlash card