Altec EasyDrive User manual

EasyDrive
PC Card Drive
for the IDE interface
Thank you for deciding to buy an altec product. In order to ensure correct functioning
and to avoid problems when installing this high-quality German-made product,
please read the entire manual and carefully observe the following points:
Observe the general guidelines when handling components or modules which can
be damaged by electrostatic charge or discharge (this applies to the products
described in this manual).
If you should encounter any problems during the installation or use of this product,
please contact our service department and ask for advice. If you do not do this, your
guarantee rights may be impaired.
Support hotline, Monday to Friday, 11 am to 3 pm German time (CET): Phone
[phone]or eMail su ort@altec-com utersysteme.com
All rights reserved. No part of this manual may be reproduced, duplicated, transcribed,
distributed or translated into another language without express written permission
from altec ComputerSysteme GmbH.
The right is reserved to change specifications without prior notice. All trademarks
mentioned are the property of the respective owners.
© altec ComputerSysteme GmbH. HB_Easy_e40.qxd4 Version 08/2002.

User Manual EasyDrive Version 4.0 2
altec ComputerSysteme GmbH disclaims all liability or errors in this manual. Liability
or direct or consequential damages which arise in connection with the use o this
documentation is speci ically excluded inso ar as this does not contradict the law.
The EasyDrive is manu actured to EMC guideline 89/336/EWG and is CE compliant and
CE certi ied to EMVG.
Table of contents
1. Introduction 3
1.1 Product description 3
1.2 Features 3
1.3 Scope o delivery 3
2. Hardware installation 4
2.1 Installation 4
2.2 Connecting the power supply cable 4
2.3 Connecting the IDE inter ace 4
3. Connectors and jumper settings 5
4. Software installation 5
4.1 Installation under Windows operating systems 5
4.1.1 Installation under Windows 95/98 and ME 6
4.1.2 Installation under Windows NT, 2000 or XP 7
5. sing the EasyDrive 10
5.1 Inserting a memory card 10
5.2 Removing a PC Card 11
6. Technical Specifications EasyDrive 11
7. Supported storage media 12

User Manual EasyDrive Version 4.0
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1. Introduction
1.1 Product description
Intended for both commercial and industrial applications, the altec EasyDrive allo s
user-friendly and rapid access to PC Card memory media from a PC and makes it easy
to exchange data ith digital cameras, PDAs and notebooks.
The EasyDrive is an internal 3,5" drive and has an IDE interface and t o slots. It lets you
rite to, read and format PC Cards (Type I or II) or HDDs in PC Card format (Type II or
III). The EasyDrive is compatible ith Windo s 95/98, ME, NT, 2000, XP, MS-DOS, OS/2
and Windo s 3.x.
The EasyDrive can be connected to the existing standard IDE controller in your PC. The
altec driver soft are makes the EasyDrive appear as three additional drives under
Windo s.
1.2 Features
◆Internal 3,5" drive ith IDE interface and 40-pin IDE connector (2.54mm pin
spacing)
◆Rapid data transfer of up to 1.5 MByte/sec
◆2 x PC Card slots for two PC Cards Type I or II or one PC Card Type III
◆Supports SRAM and ATA Flash PC Cards to the PCMCIA standard of any capacity
◆Optimized drivers for Windo s 95/98, ME, NT, 2000, and XP; no additional soft-
are required
◆Automatic detection of the storage medium type (ATA and standard
SRAM/Flash memory)
◆Automatic detection of memory size, even ith unformatted PC Cards
1.3 Scope of delivery
◆Internal PC Card Drive ith 3.5" chassis; four fixing scre s
◆Drivers for DOS, Windo s 95/98, ME, NT, 2000 and XP supplied on diskette
◆Adapter for 3.5" diskette drive po er connector
◆40-pin standard IDE ribbon cable; connectors ith polarity reversal protection
◆Instruction manual supplied on diskette
◆Available as an option: additional IDE controller card for a PC

User Manual EasyDrive Version 4.0 4
2. Hardware installation
The EasyDrive has the same dimensions as a 3.5" diskette drive. Please observe the ol-
lowing points when installing the EasyDrive:
2.1 Installation
➜Switch o the power supply to the computer be ore removing the case!
The EasyDrive can be installed in any unused 3.5" drive bay. The mounting holes at the
sides o the drive correspond to those o a standard 3.5" diskette drive and ensure that
the ront panel o the EasyDrive is correctly lined up with the case o the computer.
Only use the supplied screws and/or screws with a maximum length o 5mm or the
mounting holes at the sides o the EasyDrive.
The mounting holes at the bottom o the EasyDrive allow it to be installed in a stan-
dard 5.25" drive bay. I necessary, the EasyDrive can be installed tilted to any angle.
2.2 Connecting the power supply cable
The EasyDrive has a standard 3.5" diskette drive power supply connector. Connect an
unused connector rom the PC power supply to the power socket at the rear o the
EasyDrive.
Use the supplied adapter i your PC only has a standard hard disk or CD-ROM power
connector available.
2.3 Connecting the IDE interface
Connect the IDE controller o your PC to the IDE connector on the rear o the EasyDrive
using a standard IDE ribbon cable. Use the cable supplied i you PC does not have an
unused cable.
The EasyDrive must be the only device which is connected to the IDE channel (prima-
ry or secondary IDE controller). In other words, do not connect other devices to the
same IDE ribbon cable. An IDE controller card with additional IDE channels is available
rom altec on request.

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3. Connectors and jumper settings
The rear of the device is provided with connectors for the IDE cable and the power sup
ply. The table below shows the jumper settings.
4. Software installation
Please follow the instructions on the supplied EasyDrive support diskette for informa
tion on installing the EasyDrive under MS DOS, Windows 95/98, ME, NT, 2000 or XP.
The »Readme.txt« file on the support diskette lists the driver files which will be instal
led.
4.1 Installation under Windows operating systems
The supplied drivers for Windows 95/98, ME, Windows NT, 2000 and XP allow the two
slots of the EasyDrive to be accessed as two different (logical) drives for exchangeable
media. The PC interface uses a standard IDE hard disk controller. The EasyDrive allows
you to write to, read and format Type I and II ATA PC cards, Type III HDDs, and SRAM PC
Cards.
Pre-requirements
◆Windows 95/98, ME, Windows NT 4.0 SP4 (Workstation or Server),Windows
2000 or Windows XP (Home or Professional)
◆One unused IDE channel which is not used for other devices
The IDE controller must be configured for the following addresses:
0x1F0 0x1F7 (primary hard disk controller)
0x170 0x177 (secondary hard disk controller)

User Manual EasyDrive Version 4.0 6
Note: If no unused IDE channel is available, you can connect the EasyDrive to
an additional IDE controller card (available from altec as an o tion).
◆If DOS drivers for the EasyDrive are already installed on your PC, lease remove
the entries from the files "config.sys“ and "autoexec.bat“.
4.1.1 Installation under Windows 95/98 and ME
Step 1: Start Windows 95/98 or ME
Step 2: Co y the driver files as follows:
◆Insert the altec Su ort Disk in drive "A:".
◆Start the Device Manager in the Control Panel.
◆Choose the o tion "Do not look for new hardware" and click "Next".
You will then be shown a list of device ty es, e.g. modems, HD controllers etc.
◆Choose the device ty e "SCSI Controller".
You will be shown a list of the SCSI controllers which are already known to
Windows.
◆Click "Diskette" and confirm the rom t for "A:" with "Next".
You should then see a single device with the name "EasyDrive Virtual SCSI
Controller."
◆Click "Next" to install the driver.
◆Confirm the rom t for the file "veasy.m d" with the default setting "A:" by
clicking "Next".
Windows will now co y the driver to the following subdirectory:
WINDOWS\SYSTEM\IOSUBSYS
Windows will now rom t you to reboot the PC. Confirm the rom t with
"Yes".
Step 3: Restart the com uter:
◆After installing the driver, it is necessary to reboot the PC to load and activate
the driver. Close all currently running rograms and restart Windows.

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4.1.2 Installation under Windows NT, 2000 or XP
Import information
The EasyDrive must be the only device which is connected to the IDE channel ( rima-
ry or secondary IDE controller). In other words, do not connect other devices to the
same IDE ribbon cable.
When you install the EasyDrive driver, the IDE channel to which the EasyDrive is con-
nected will no longer be available to other devices.You will no longer be able to access
a hard disk or CD-ROM which is connected to the same ribbon cable.
If you make the mistake of installing the EasyDrive driver when both the EasyDrive and
the hard disk with the o erating system are connected to the same ribbon cable, you
will no longer be able to boot the operating system!
Therefore, we recommend you to backup of your PC's hard disk before installing the
EasyDrive.
Take care to attach the EasyDrive to the correct IDE channel. The rimary or first IDE
controller, which is usually marked rimary or IDE0 on the PC's main board, is normal-
ly used for the hard disk. The secondary or second IDE controller, which is usually mar-
ked secondary or IDE1 on the main board, is normally used for CD ROM drives.
The POST (Power On Self Test) routines in the BIOS, which are shown when you boot
the PC and before Windows starts, also give an indication of which channel the hard
disk with the o erating system is connected to. The information which is shown nor-
mally includes a list of the devices connected to the IDE channels, whereby rimary
master and rimary slave refer to the first IDE channel and secondary master and
secondary slave refer to the second IDE channel.
The Windows 2000 or XP Device Manager can also hel : It is not ossible to deactiva-
te the IDE channel which is used for the hard disk with the o erating system. If you
right click the first IDE channel in the Device Manager, the "Deactivate" o tion is not
shown in the context menu.

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Installation under Windows NT
Step 1: Start Windows NT
You need a supervisor password to carry out t e installation.
Step 2: Copy t e driver files as follows:
◆Insert t e altec Support Disk in drive "A:".
◆Open t e Control Panel wit START ->SETTINGS -> CONTROL PANEL.
◆Click SCSI to view t e "SCSI" properties and c oose t e "Driver" tab. T e click
"Add".
◆C oose "Diskette" in t e next dialog box and c oose t e sub-directory WINNT.
◆Follow t e instructions on t e screen.
Step 3: Restart t e computer:
◆After installing t e driver, it is necessary to reboot t e PC to load and activate
t e driver. Close all currently running programs and restart Windows.
Installation under Windows 2000 or XP
Installation under XP and 2000 is very similar and differs only in a few dialog boxes.
Accordingly t e following section jointly describes installation for bot operating
systems and indicates t e differences w ere applicable.
Step 1: Start Windows 2000 or XP.
You need a supervisor password to carry out t e installation.
Step 2: Copy t e driver files as follows:
◆Open t e device manager wit START -> SETTINGS ->
CONTROL PANEL-> ADMINISTRATION -> COMPUTER ADMINISTRATION -> DEVI-
CE MANAGER

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◆Open the device class "IDE/A API Controller" (click on the small "+" symbol to
the left of this entry).
◆For a standard PC, you should see an entry similar to the following:
– IN EL 82801 BA Bus Master IDE Controller
(depending on the PC's chip set, you may also see VIA Bus Master).
– Primary IDE channel
– Secondary IDE channel
◆Select the IDE channel to which you have connected the EasyDrive. his will
normally be the secondary IDE channel. Accordingly, the following steps are
described for the secondary IDE channel..
◆Click the right mouse button to open the context menu.
Step 3 under Windows 2000:
◆Choose "Properties" in the context menu to open the properties dialog box for
the device.
◆Click the "Driver" tab, click "Update driver" and confirm the following dialog box
with "Next".
◆Choose "List all known drivers..." in the following dialog box and confirm with
"Next".
◆Click "Diskette" in the following dialog box.
◆Enter the path "A:\WIN2000" in the following dialog box.
Step 3 under Windows XP:
◆Choose "Update driver" in the context menu to start the Hardware Update
Wizard.
◆Choose "Software from a list or known sources ..." In the following dialog box
and confirm with "Next".
◆Choose "Do not search but choose from a list" in the following dialog box and
confirm with "Next".
◆Click "Diskette" in the following dialog.
◆In the following dialog box, enter the path "A:\WIN2000" in "Copy manufactur-
er's files from".

User Manual EasyDrive Version 4.0 10
Step 4:
◆Insert the altec Support Disk in drive "A ".
◆In the following dialog box, choose the device "EasyDrive on the secondary IDE
Controller" and confirm with "Next". Confirm the following warning about the
Windows Logo test with "Continue installation" (XP) or "Yes" (2000).
◆Windows will now install the driver. Confirm the last message with "Finish".
◆If the EasyDrive is already connected to the IDE Controller, you do not need to
restart the system.
◆The entry "Secondary IDE channel" will no longer be visible in the Device
Manager and you will see instead a device with the name "EasyDrive on secon-
dary IDE channel".
5. Using the EasyDrive
5.1 Inserting a memory card
After installing the altec EasyDrive as described above, you should see two removable
drives which correspond to the two slots in the drive.You can both slots for Type I and
Type II P ard memory media simultaneously. Alternatively, you can use one Type III
HDD in the lower slot.
A small marker (arrow or triangle) on the label of the P ards shows which end to
insert in the drive (the label with the arrow or triangle is attached to the top side of
the card). The EasyDrive recognizes the storage media type and the memory capacity
automatically.
Analogously to diskette drives, you must only insert or remove P ard memory
media when the red LED on the front panel of the drive is not lit. The LED lights up
after inserting a P ard until initialization is finished and also when data on the P
ard is being accessed.

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5.2 Removing a PC Card
Press the respective eject button to remove the PC Card from the slot. Use the left
eject button for the top slot and/or the right eject button for the bottom slot. Make
sure that the red LED on the front panel of the drive is not lit hen you remove the
PC Card.
Under Windo s NT, 2000 and XP, you must "unmount" (eject) the memory cards
before you remove them.Typically, this is done by clicking on a button on the task bar
at the bottom right of the screen.
6. Technical Specifications EasyDrive
Memory card slots 2 x PC Card Type I or II – or 1 x Type III f0r RAM and ATA
Flash PC Cards or HDDs in PC Card format
Interface 40-pin IDE; 2.54 mm pin spacing
Max. cable length: 40 cm
lave or Master use
Supported OS Windows 95/98, ME, NT, 2000, XP and M -DO , O /2,
Windows 3.x
Dimensions standard 3.5" drive dimensions
101,6 mm x 25,4 mm x 149 mm (WxHxL)
Temperature 0°C to +70°C (operating)
–20°C to +70°C (non-operating)
Humidity 0 to 90% (non-condensing)
DC input voltage 5Volt ±5%
Power consumption approx. 15–50 mA (w/o memory)

User Manual EasyDrive Version 4.0 12
7. Supported storage media
◆SanDisk Type II ATA PC Cards
S orage capaci ies: 16 MBy e – 2,0 GBy e*
◆SanDisk Compac Flash memory cards Type I and Type II (use an appropria e PC
Card adap er); IBM Microdrives (use a Type II PC Card adap er)
S orage capaci ies : CF Type I 16 – 512 MBy e*
◆Smar Media memory cards (use an appropria e PC Card adap er)
S orage capaci ies : 8 – 128 MBy e*
◆SanDisk Mul iMediaCards (use he al ec SD Card & Mul iMediaCard Adap er)
S orage capaci ies: 16 – 64 MBy e*
◆SanDisk SD Cards (use he al ec SD Card & Mul iMediaCard Adap er)
S orage capaci ies : 16 – 256 MBy e*
◆SanDisk Memory S ick (use an appropria e PC Card adap er)
S orage capaci ies : 8 – 128 MBy e*
◆al ec Full Me al Cards Solid (ATA PC Card Type II)
S orage capaci ies : 16 MBy e – 2,0 GBy e*
◆al ec Full Me al Cards IP54 (ATA PC Card Type II)
pro ec ed agains spray wa er and dus , indus rial empera ure range:
Opera ion: –40°C o +85°C; 5 V
S orage capaci ies : 16 MBy e – 2,0 GBy e*
◆al ec Full Me al Cards IP68 (ATA PC Card Type II)
can be immersed in wa er, indus rial empera ure range:
Opera ion: –40°C o +85°C; 5 V
S orage capaci ies : 16 MBy e – 2,0 GBy e*
◆al ec Full Me al Cards Herme ic Mili ary (ATA PC Card Type II)
sui able for space applica ions, mee s mili ary s andard vacuum, vibra ion and
shock es s, corrosion pro ec ion and resis an o all ypes of fungus, pro ec ed
agains spray wa er and dus , indus rial empera ure range:
Opera ion : –40°C o +85°C; 5 V
S orage capaci ies : 16 MBy e – 2,0 GBy e* * As of 08/2002
Ask for our produc overview leafle or visi our web si e for informa ion on he full
range of memory media, Drives and Solid S a e Disks which are available from al ec:
h p://www.al ec-compu ersys eme.com