Glass Optical Fiber Repeater 800

The Glass Optical Fiber Repeater 800™ provides the most reliable and straight forward solution applications requiring long FireWire 800 (IEEE 1394b) cable runs. Available with either LC or MT-RJ connectors, the GOF Repeater extends FireWire 800 signals up to 550 meters over standard glass optical fiber cables. No need for daisy chains of repeaters and long cables, each Glass Optical Fiber Repeater-800™ provides two FireWire 800 bilingual copper ports and one optical port.

GOFR 800™ is an excellent solution for many situations requiring long distance FireWire 800 or FireWire 400 applications. Unibrain has tested and recommended the following over distances of up to 550 meters: FireWire cameras, DV Camcorder, Hard Drive storage, and high performance networking. Glass Optical Fiber Repeater 800™ utilizes the Texas Instruments TSB81BA3D, and is constructed from heavy duty, coated galvanized steel.

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Best in Class for Court Reporters and Stenographers

Court reporters and stenographers often deploy steno machines featuring RS-232 Serial ports (often called COM ports in Windows-speak). Some transcription software packages for court reporters and stenographers require hardware keys that are RS-232 Serial port based as well. In many cases, USB to Serial devices don't work with steno machines or transcription software package hardware keys. In the past, a PC Card based RS-232 adapter was the optimal solution for notebook computers to interface with these devices.

With the transition to ExpressCard slots on notebook computers, there a number of ExpressCard to RS-232 serial adapters that don't work because they utilize the USB portion of the ExpressCard standard. As mentioned above, USB to Serial devices typically don't work with steno machines or transcription software package hardware keys. Fortunately there is a solution to this situation. Synchrotech offers the Quatech Performance PCIe based RS-232 Serial ExpressCards. Being PCIe based, these ExpressCards are true RS-232 host adapters and don't exhibit the compatibility issues that USB based devices suffer from. For court reporters and stenographers with ExpressCard equipped notebook computers needing to interface with RS-232 Serial ports on steno machines or transcription software package hardware keys, PCIe based RS-232 ExpressCards are the perfect solution.

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Memory Card Data Retrieval?

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6into9 FireWire Adapter around the Web

MacBook Pro (15-inch, Late 2008) Ready! The 6into9 (CAB-FW8-6-9-CONV) is an inexpensive alternative to using 6 to 9 Pin FireWire cables with the latest MacBook Pro which features a single FireWire 800 port. Allows use of 6-Pin FireWire 400 devices and cables on any 9-Pin FireWire 800 port, including the MacBook Pro. Here is a list of links with information on this item.

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Adaptador para la conexión FireWire 400 de las nuevas MacBook Pro

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Ars Technica includes Synchrotech's K13 USB 13 Port Hub in its Holiday Gift Guide 2008

Ars Technica includes the Synchrotech 13 Port USB 2.0 Hub in its Holiday Gift Guide 2008. The Guide also features a short review. The link for purchasing the devices is a reseller selling the device for more than $16 more than what Synchrotech sells it for. For a much better price see Synchrotech's product page for the devices is http://www.synchrotech.com/product-usb/hub_03_usb_13-port.html.

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Synchrotech 2008 Winter Holiday Specials

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Can I 'rescan' the PCI expansion slots?

This is in response to a question we saw on an archived Apple Discussion board": "Can I 'rescan' the PCI expansion slots?" Many of the answers you've been provided with here are incorrect. By specification, PCIe (PCI Express) is supposed to feature hot swap capability. This is why the ExpressCard standard features it for the higher end of the specification without modification. The has nothing to do with drivers or any of the other erroneous information put forth in this thread.

The inability of Mac OS X and Windows (Windows requires user intervention via their bizarre "device manager" interface) to hot swap PCIe based devices may stem from the fact that vendors didn't expect devices on the market which took advantage of PCIe's hot swap capability. Since Apple has implemented hot swap on the MacBook Pro's ExpressCard slot [1], there is no reason why they shouldn't be able to do the same with Macs featuring PCIe slots. At my day job, Synchrotech, we have to answer to people wanting to use Sony/Sandisk SxS cards on PowerMac G5 (PCIe) and Mac Pro systems almost every day. When we explain that a PCIe to ExpressCard reader currently requires a reboot between card swaps.

To put this in perspective MS argues that PCIe hot swap isn't possible, and that manually refreshing to rescan is the fault of BIOS/Firmware. Putting this theory to the test, we sent a PCIe to ExpressCard reader with several PCIe based ExpressCards to the OpenBSD team. Within three days the OpenBSD developers had implemented full hot swap PCIe in the kernel and we were able to hot swap PCIe based ExpressCards on a desktop PC with no issues.

The ability to add an inexpensive PCIe to ExpressCard reader to and PCIe based Macs and have them hot swap is crucial with the emergence of the Sony/Sandisk SxS cards and the professional cameras using them. Apple could easily become the premier platform for ingesting and processing these cards. We doubt it will be any more trouble for Apple to implement PCIe hot swap in the kernel than it was for the OpenBSD team.

[1] Important to remind people that ExpressCard is a dual bus standard. For slow and simple minded devices, ExpressCard employs USB 2.0. For high performance and complex applications ExpressCard utilizes PCIe. The ExpressCard standard effectively defines no new busses, it merely provides a different form factor and set of connectors for the existing PCIe and USB 2.0 standards.

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Jobs responds to no FireWire on MacBooks

Easily the worst decision Apple has ever made.

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CFMulti Issues Thread

CFMulti CompactFlash Type II to Eye-Fi™ + Multi-Card Adapter. This thread is for discussing issues with the CFMulti. Issues include, but aren't limited to: unsupported cameras, incompatibility issues, experiences, etc. Be sure to read the CFMulti FAQ before posting here.

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Adapt any 6-pin FireWire 400 connection to Apple's new MacBook Pro just $9

Synchrotech's 6F to 9M adapter plugs are an affordable solution to deploy existing 6-pin FireWire 400 devices and cables with Apple's latest MacBook Pro computers. Instead of purchasing new 6 to 9 pin cables or peripherals to accommodate the new MacBook Pro's single high performance FireWire 800 port, our adapter protects existing investments in FireWire 400 peripherals and cables. Crafted from the highest grade materials and featuring worry free shielding, the 6F to 9M adapter allows for full 400Mbps operation. The device's part number is CAB-FW8-6-9-CONV, and retails for just $9.00 USD.

CAB-FW8-6-9-CONV: FireWire 800 IEEE1394b 6pin (female) to 9pin (male) Converter Plug

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Use SD cards in your Compact Flash gear

Terry White reviews the CFMulti CompactFlash to Eye-Fi™ Adapter.

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Synchrotech's ExpressAdapt Shines on PowerBook G3 Pismo

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PCIe (PCI Express) based FarSync X.25 Adapters for Linux and Windows

FarSite's FarSync X.25 adapter line now includes PCIe based products for modern motherboards. The T4Ue and T2Ue provide the same high performance and high reliability X.25 connectivity for 32 and 64 bit Linux, Windows XP, Server 2003, and The Vista on a PCI Express host adapter as FarSite's other T-Series adapters. The PCIe to X.25 host adapters come with FarSite's extensive APIs and SDK. The four port T4Ue is available now, and the two port T2Ue will be available soon.

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Performance PCIe based RS-422/RS-485 Serial ExpressCards

Synchrotech is now offering Quatech's 1, 2, and 4 port PCIe based ExpressCard to RS-422 and RS-485 Serial host adapters. Advantages of a PCIe-based ExpressCard design are in the interface to the laptop's motherboard. The PCIe bus interface is the successor to the PCI bus, which in turn was the successor to the ISA bus to which built-in serial ports were originally attached. As such, the ExpressCard adapter design utilizes a PCIe-based design and can still directly use I/O space addresses and interrupts, thus more closely emulating built-in ports than can be done via USB-based design. Moreover, because there's no USB stack for the drivers to contend with, throughput can be higher and latency will be lower (considerably so in many cases). Due to improved data transfer rate, the ExpressCard is considerably more efficient for multi-tasking operations.

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New FAQ: Considerations for Ratoc's FireWire and USB 2.0 to SCSI Adapters

Recently there has been a shift in interest from internal SCSI host adapters SCSI host adapters utilizing external busses like high performance FireWire and prosaic USB. While Ratoc's FireWire and USB to SCSI adapters have been on the market for quite some time, they are beginning to grow in popularity since they are an inexpensive and accessible way to work with older SCSI devices. This FAQ document is intended to clear up some of the confusion over deploying Ratoc adapters with SCSI devices.

Covered in the FAQ: matching SCSI connector types, Term Power and other power considerations, SCSI converter adapters, and links to compatibility lists.

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September 2008 Synchrotech Specials

Sale: 5% off DuelAdapter
5% off EXP34-DA-001 ExpressCard 34 to PCMCIA PC Card and CardBus Read-Writer DuelAdapter 1 Slot offer expires 09/30/2008.

Sale: MicroU2E-MV with FREE AirQueue
Buy a MicroU2E-MV USB 2.0 to USB Mode ExpressCard 34|54 Multi-Voltage Host Adapter and get a free AirQueue USB 2.0 A (Male) to A (Female) Extender Cable offer expires 09/30/2008, limit 5 per customer.

Sale: MicroU2E-MV with FREE DoubleQueue
Buy a MicroU2E-MV USB 2.0 to USB Mode ExpressCard 34|54 Multi-Voltage Host Adapter and get a free DoubleQueue USB 2.0 A+A (Power) to A (Female) Y Extender Cable offer expires 09/30/2008, limit 5 per customer.

Sale: MicroU2E with FREE AirQueue
Buy a MicroU2E USB 2.0 to USB 2.0 Mode ExpressCard 34|54 Host Adapter and get a free AirQueue USB 2.0 A (Male) to A (Female) Extender Cable offer expires 09/30/2008, limit 5 per customer.

Sale: MicroU2E with FREE DoubleQueue
Buy a MicroU2E USB 2.0 to USB 2.0 Mode ExpressCard 34|54 Host Adapter and get a free DoubleQueue USB 2.0 A+A (Power) to A (Female) Y Extender Cable offer expires 09/30/2008, limit 5 per customer.

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ExpressAdapt PCMCIA PC CardBus to USB Mode ExpressCard Adapter

ExpressAdapt CardBus to ExpressCard

ExpressAdapt represents the second generation of CardBus to ExpressCard adapters, combining benefits of previous generation 16-bit and 32-bit adapters. Integrating the latest NEC ECOUSB™ controller with Synchrotech's advanced voltage regulating circuitry gives ExpressAdapt major advantages over competing devices. Utilizing ECOUSB™ provides ExpressAdapt with significant compatibility and performance features. First ExpressAdapt needs no drivers on contemporary mainstream operating systems, it is recognized and supported automatically. Second, it harnesses the fastest USB 2.0 throughput to complement the latest HSDPA and EVDO Rev. A ExpressCards. Lastly, ExpressAdapt's integrated controller allows for low power consumption and price.

ExpressAdapt overcomes power considerations of earlier 32-bit PC CardBus adapters providing 1000mA at 3.3V and 650mA at 1.5V. With the ability to supply power on both ExpressCard rails, newer cards like the Option Wireless GT Max 3.6 Express are fully supported. Crafted with the highest quality connectors and frame materials, ExpressAdapt meets or exceeds the requirements of every standards body it falls under.

ExpressAdapt is a PCMCIA PC CardBus to USB ExpressCard Adapter. It works with USB 2.0 Mode ExpressCards only. This includes WWAN Wireless broadband cards like the Kyocera KPC680 and the Sierra Wireless AC597E. Like all PC Card to ExpressCard adapters, ExpressAdapt does NOT work with PCIe based ExpressCards. ExpressCards using the PCI Express (PCIe) portion of the ExpressCard standard include very high performance devices like FireWire 800 and eSATA host adapters.

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CradlePoint CTR500 Cellular Travel Router for WWAN 3G/4G to

The CradlePoint CTR500 Cellular Travel Router creates a secure Wi-Fi Hotspot from broadband enabled cellular data modems. The CTR500 is the world's most compact router that is able to support Both ExpressCard and USB-style Cellular Modems. Powered by CradlePoint's WiPipe™ technology, it supports a wide variety of modems and handsets on the ATT, Verizon, Sprint, and Alltel networks and gives users hassle-free Wi-Fi access nearly anywhere. Pictured here with WWAN wireless mobile broadband ExpressCards. Synchrotech.

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RS-530, EIA-530 (RS530, EIA530) Connector / Signaling Standard

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AirQueue USB 2.0 Extension with MicroU2E and ExpressCard for MacBook Air

AirQueue
Originally uploaded by Synchrotech

AirQueue USB 2.0 Extension with MicroU2E-MV/MicroU2E to enable USB 2.0 ExpressCards with the MacBook Air. AirQueue USB 2.0 A (Male) to A (Female) Extender Cable 19cm/.62F. Avoid damage to MacBook Air USB port and allows use of MicroU2E ExpressCard Adapter pictured here with a 3G/4G (EVDO) WWAN Wireless broadband card. Synchrotech.

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FarLinX X.25 Gateway X.25 to XOT and X.25 to TCP/IP Appliances

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Special Holiday Offer for MicroU2E-MV

For three days only, purchase a MicroU2E-MV USB to ExpressCard adapter and get the specialty cable of your choice absolutely free! Choose from either the DoubleQueue cable for supplementing MicroU2E-MV power in areas with low WWAN signals, or the AirQueue cable to use the MicroU2E-MV with slot-less notebook PCs, the MacBook Air, and MacBooks. This special offer is for three days only, for orders placed July 4, 5, or 6 2008 (PST) and there is a limit 5 specials per customer.

MicroU2E-MV accepts 1.5V ExpressCards like the range of Option Wireless WWAN mobile broadband devices popular with AT&T and on European networks. The 3.3 and 1.5V multi-voltage capability of the MicroU2E-MV makes it unique among USB to ExpressCard adapters. The cross-platform MicroU2E-MV enables USB based ExpressCards like the latest generation of 3G WWAN wireless devices on slot-less PC notebooks, Apple MacBooks, and the MacBook Air. AirQueue allows use of the MicroU2E-MV or USB devices with large or unusually designed connectors with MacBook Air! DoubleQueue is an extender with option of drawing current from second USB Port for MicroU2E-MV.

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July 2008 Sales and Specials

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New MicroU2E-MV Supports Wider Range of ExpressCards

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Note from Elan regarding their new USBScope50 Java based software

USBscope50
Originally uploaded by Synchrotech

I wanted to let you know about the new software we have released for the USBscope50 unit. This is Java software, and so will work on more platforms (Linux and Windows at the moment, Mac OS X to follow)

You can download the latest software from here:
http://www.elandigitalsystems.com/support/usbtmfaq/software.php

There are some customers who will try the software out and once we have had a chance to review their feedback we will start including this software on the CD that ships with the measurement products. We plan to extend it to support the other models in the range as well.

If you or your technical guys or any of your customers have any comments, we'd love to hear them. (Like the current software, this software will run in demo mode if no scope is plugged in)

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10 Meter Full Throughput FireWire 800 and FireWire 400 Cables

FireWire 800 and FireWire 400 Cables
Originally uploaded by Synchrotech

10 Meter FireWire 800 9pin to 9pin Cable
Our FireWire 800 IEEE1394b 9pin to 9pin Cable UB 10M/32.8F are perfect for those needing extended FireWire 800 cable runs. Utilizing the highest quality control in shielding and insulation, these cables feature consistent 110 Ohm impedance, and high performance in terms of skew, attenuation and crosstalk. Such attention to detail allows full 800Mbps transmission speeds over 10 meter (32.8 foot) cables, perfect for many broadcast and production environments.

10 Meter FireWire 800 9pin to 6pin Cable
Our FireWire 800 IEEE1394b 9pin to 6pin Cable UB 10M/32.8F are perfect for those needing extended FireWire 800/400 cable runs. Utilizing the highest quality control in shielding and insulation, these cables feature consistent 110 Ohm impedance, and high performance in terms of skew, attenuation and crosstalk. Such attention to detail allows full 400Mbps transmission speeds over 10 meter (32.8 foot) cables, perfect for many broadcast and production environments.

10 Meter FireWire 400 6pin to 6pin Cable
Our FireWire 400 IEEE1394b 6pin to 6pin Cable UB 10M/32.8F are perfect for those needing extended FireWire 400 cable runs. Utilizing the highest quality control in shielding and insulation, these cables feature consistent 110 Ohm impedance, and high performance in terms of skew, attenuation and crosstalk. Such attention to detail allows full 400Mbps transmission speeds over 10 meter (32.8 foot) cables, perfect for many broadcast and production environments.

10 Meter FireWire 400 6pin to 4pin Cable
Our FireWire 400 IEEE1394b 6pin to 4pin Cable UB 10M/32.8F are perfect for those needing extended FireWire 400 cable runs. Utilizing the highest quality control in shielding and insulation, these cables feature consistent 110 Ohm impedance, and high performance in terms of skew, attenuation and crosstalk. Such attention to detail allows full 400Mbps transmission speeds over 10 meter (32.8 foot) cables, perfect for many broadcast and production environments.

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June 2008 Sales and Specials

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MicroU2E and MicroU2E-MV ExpressCard Adapter Compatibility Table

AirQueue/MicroU2E/KPC680
Originally uploaded by Synchrotech

USB 2.0 to USB Mode ExpressCard Adapters only work with ExpressCard 34 devices utilizing the USB 2.0 portion of the ExpressCard specification. They will not work with and ExpressCard 54 device, or any ExpressCard utilizing the PCIe (PCI Express) portion of the ExpressCard specification. The new MicroU2E-MV adds support for ExpressCards utilizing both 3.3 and 1.5V portions of the ExpressCard standard, while the original MicroU2E supports 3.3V only. The following table is by no means comprehensive, nor guaranteed completely accurate.

WWAN Wireless Cards

MicroU2E and MicroU2E-MV
Kyocera KPC680 EV-DO Rev. A (Verizon)
Novatel Wireless Merlin XU870
Novatel Wireless Merlin EX720 (Sprint)
Novatel Wireless Merlin V740 (Verizon)
Novatel Wireless Merlin V740 (Verizon)
Sierra Wireless Air Card 597E (Sprint)

MicroU2E-MV Only
Option Wireless GT Max 3.6 Express (AT&T)
Option Wireless Option GT Ultra Express (AT&T)
Option Wireless GlobeTrotter Express 7.2 Web'n'Walk (T-Mobile)
Option Wireless GlobeTrotter Express HSUPA
Option Wireless GlobeTrotter Express 401

Full Device Support Documents
USB ExpressCards Supported by MicroU2E and MicroU2E-MV (HTML)
USB ExpressCards Supported by MicroU2E and MicroU2E-MV (scribd)

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FireRepeater 800 Pro FireWire 800 IEEE 1394b Repeater Hub 4 Port

FireRepeater 800 Pro
Originally uploaded by Synchrotech

Unibrain's 4 Port Repeater Hub provides port expansion on FireWire® 800 IEEE 1394b device chains. Oriented towards industrial and machine vision applications, FireRepeater-800 PRO™ provides the ability to connect up to four FireWire 1394b devices and it's metallic compact case minimizes the risk of physical damage. The platform agnostic device provides four 9 pin (bilingual) IEEE 1394b ports with a maximum throughput of up to 800 Mbps each. The Hub utilizes IEEE 1394b bus power, or accepts an optional power adapter for use with devices requiring more power. Repeater hubs provide bus flexibility in that they allow for daisy chaining and/or hierarchical (tree) bus configurations. Repeater hubs also provide a means to lengthen the distance between devices when 1394's cable length of 4.5 meters (15 feet) is inadequate. Simply daisy chain repeaters between cables to extend your reach to 110m. FireRepeater 800 Pro incorporates locking 9 pin bilingual ports, multiple mounting points and an optional metal bracket to ensure an even more secure physical connection.

FireRepeater 800 Pro FireWire 800 IEEE 1394b Repeater Hub 4 Port

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Modern UDMA CompactFlash Reader Benchmarks FireWire vs. USB 2.0

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May 2008 Specials and Sales

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Hot swapping PCIe based ExpressCards with PCIe to ExpressCard Drives

This is intended to address questions regarding PCIe to ExpressCard readers. The PCI-Express (PCIe) specification allows for hot-swapping of PCIe devices. Since ExpressCard is simply PCIe and USB with different connectors, it would follow that PCIe to ExpressCard adapters should inherit such behavior when installed in computers with PCIe slots. Unfortunately this isn't always the case. A system's BIOS (or firmware) and the host operating system need to treat an PCIe slot as having hot-swap capability. This behavior is taken for granted on notebook computers. When PCIe to ExpressCard drives were released, manufacturers assumed host systems would treat them the same.

Most desktop machines are not setup to hot swap on their PCIe slots. At first operating system vendors blamed BIOS makers for the problem, but recent developments seem to indicate it is not only the BIOS makers to blame. Synchrotech learned this with a desktop machine with a PCIe to ExpressCard drive (EXP54-CR-PCEIR1) installed. When the drive wouldn't hot-swap under The Windows Xp, Synchrotech was told the BIOS was to blame. However, with the release of OpenBSD 4.3, our tests showed the PCIe to ExpressCard drive could hot-swap PCIe based ExpressCards without any modifications to the system's BIOS. Our conclusion is it is a combination of both the BIOS and operating system. Synchrotech is working hard to get operating system and BIOS vendors to rectify this problem. Currrently, many systems require booting with a PCIe based ExpressCard in the ExpressCard slot in order to have the card recognized.

For More Information

• Firmware Support for PCI Express Hot-Plug and Windows
• ExpressCard FAQ for ExpressCard 34 and ExpressCard 54

Possible Work Around Procedures

• With The Windows Xp, many end users have reported that after inserting a PCIe based ExpressCard into a PCIe to ExpressCard drive they can evoke the 'scan for new hardware' command in the 'device manager' resulting in the ExpressCard being recognized. These finding have been confirmed by Synchrotech (with the test system mentioned above). However, we also have reports of this not working with all systems.
• With The Vista version of The Windows, Synchrotech hasn't obtained any information whether it behaves like The Windows Xp.
• We currently have no solution for Mac OS X, although we would be happy to find a solution for PCIe based Mac desktops quickly. Because of the superior quality of Final Cut Pro and Mac OS X, we have had many video professionals wanting to use Sony/Sandisk's SxS ExpressCards with our PCIe to ExpressCard Drive.
• For OpenBSD, upgrading to version 4.3 seems to enable PCIe to ExpressCard hot-swap.

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CFMulti Provides CompactFlash Connectivity to Eye-Fi, SDHC, and MMC

CFMulti allows CompactFlash Type II slotted digital cameras to utilize WiFi via Eye-Fi(TM) SD Cards for wireless transfer of photos. Most high end DSLR and late model midrange digital cameras feature CompactFlash slots. CFMulti allows such cameras to use the wireless capability of Eye-Fi(TM) Cards, while still allowing switching back to UDMA CompactFlash when high performance is more important than wireless. CFMulti also allows the use of popular SDHC, SD Cards, MMC +Plus, and MultiMediaCards in place of CompactFlash.

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PCI to PC Card(Bus) Bridge Chips in Select PCMCIA PC Card Readers

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Elan Lowers Pricing on USB Test, Measurement and Scope Products

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G-Tech G|Drive mini FireWire and USB Hard Drives

G|Drive mini hard drives are the ideal storage solutions for people on the go. Weighing less than 9 oz., G|Drive mini is the ultra-portable way to travel with up to 250 GB of storage space for your important documents, MP3s, digital video and digital photo files. G|Drive mini is bus powered when used with FireWire connections, eliminating the need to carry external AC power supplies. G|Drive mini features the latest hot-pluggable FireWire and USB interfaces to provide industry leading performance and universal connectivity.

G-DRIVE mini Triple FireWire 400/800/USB Hard Drives features screaming fast FireWire 800, fast FireWire 400, and ubiquitous USB 2.0 connections. G-DRIVE mini Combo FireWire 400/USB Hard Drives have fast FireWire 400, and ubiquitous USB 2.0 ports. G-DRIVE mini is available in 160, 200, and 250GB 5400 RPM configurations, or choose the 200GB 7200 RPM for optimal performance.

G-Tech G-DRIVE mini Triple FireWire 400/800/USB Hard Drives

G-Tech G|Drive mini Combo FireWire 400/USB Hard Drives

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Creating Fastest Portable RAW Photo Import for Pro-Photojournalists

FireRepeater 800 & CFFire800 Pros
Originally uploaded by Synchrotech

When sports photojournalists from tallahassee.com contacted Synchrotech for a specialized solution to improve their RAW DSLR photograph ingestion work-flow, we had to be creative. The photographers had the following requirements for a solution: it had to fully utilize the speeds of the latest UDMA CompactFlash memory cards, it had to ingest at least two UDMA CompactFlash cards at once, it couldn't require an external power source, it had to work with Camera Bits' Photo Mechanic software, and it had to work with Apple's MacBook Pro.

Meeting any one of those prerequisites was no problem, but meeting all those requirements was a tall order. The UDMA speed requirements were no problem; both Synchrotech's CFFire800 Pro and CFExpressPro+ CompactFlash readers work with the fastest UDMA CompactFlash memory cards. The MacBook Pro features both a FireWire 800 port and an ExpressCard slot, making either product compatible. Unfortunately, only the CFFire800 Pro works with Photo Mechanic software. This presented another problem: the MacBook Pro only provides a single FireWire 800 port; adding more FireWire 800 ports via the ExpressCard would require an external power supply to power the CFFire800 Pro readers.

Toolbox
Synchrotech CFFire800 Pro UDMA
Unibrain FireRepeater 800
Unibrain 9pin to 9pin Cable 1M
SanDisk Extreme FireWire

While our CFFire800 Pro uses FireWire bus power, we knew it draws less than 500mA, while the MacBook Pro provides just under 1A of current while running on batteries. One product we offer, Unibrain's extremely portable FireRepeater 800, splits source current between two ports. With that in mind we set out to test two CFFire800 Pro readers with FireRepeater 800 to see if it provided enough power off a single FireWire 800 port to enable both CompactFlash readers; we found it worked flawlessly.

When we informed the tallahassee.com photographers of our findings, they were elated. Since they already had an investment in SanDisk's Extreme FireWire 800 CompactFlash readers, they purchased and tested the FireRepeater 800 to dual reader configuration and had the same success. They are now deploying this solution at their location shoots.

Synchrotech is proud to offer our innovative UDMA CompactFlash ingestion solution as a bundle package to photographers requiring the fastest turnaround on their work-flows. While the Sandisk reader combination is also available, it is a UDMA Mode 4 device; the CFFire800 Pro is UDMA Mode 6 capable.

BNDL-FW8CF-01
2) CFFire800 Pro FireWire 800 to CompactFlash Drive Read-Writers
1) FireWire 800 IEEE1394b 9pin to 9pin Cable UB 1M/3.3F
1) Unibrain FireRepeater 800 FireWire 800 IEEE 1394b Repeater Hub 3 Port
All for $206, save $10 off items purchased separately. Requires a powered FireWire 800 9-pin port.

BNDL-FW8CF-02
2) SanDisk Extreme FireWire 400/800 to CompactFlash Read-Writers
1) FireWire 800 IEEE1394b 9pin to 9pin Cable UB 1M/3.3F
1) Unibrain FireRepeater 800 FireWire 800 IEEE 1394b Repeater Hub 3 Port
All for $242, save $10 off items purchased separately. Requires a powered FireWire 800 9-pin port.

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PC CardBus to IEEE 1284 Parallel Port Host Adapter

PC CardBus to IEEE 1284 Parallel Port Host Adapter
Originally uploaded by Synchrotech

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March 2008 Specials and Sales

10% off EXP34-DA-001 ExpressCard 34 to PCMCIA PC Card and CardBus Read-Writer DuelAdapter 1 Slot

Our lowest sale price ever on DuelAdapters. Thanks to a large volume purchase, Synchrotech is able to pass on significant savings on this wildly popular ExpressCard to PCMCIA PC CardBus adapter. Hurry the deal ends March 31, 2008

15% off PCM-CR-FW81ECF-02 CFFire800 Pro FireWire 800 to CompactFlash Drive Read-Writer

Pay just $50 for the fastest FireWire 800 to UDMA CompactFlash reader on the market. A favorite of professional photographers, at an unheard of price. Hurry the deal ends March 31, 2008

10% off EXP54-CR-PCEIR1-2 PCI Express to ExpressCard 34|54 Drive Read-Writer PC/Mac

Just $46 for the Express to ExpressCard 34|54 Drive Read-Writer PC/Mac. This reader allows the use ExpressCards with PCI Express (PCIe) based computers. Hurry the deal ends March 31, 2008

15% off EXP34-FW8IO-01 ExpressCard 34 to FireWire 800 (IEEE 1394b) Host Adapter

15% off the ExpressCard to FireWire 800 brings its price down to $76. This cross-platform host adapter adds or supplements FireWire 800, one of the fastest consumer buses ever devised. Hurry the deal ends March 31, 2008

15% off PCM-FW8IO-01 PC CardBus to FireWire 800 IEEE 1394A/B Combo 2+1 Port

PC CardBus to FireWire 800 IEEE 1394A/B Combo 2+1 Port for under $70 during this sale. This cross-platform host adapter adds or supplements FireWire 800 on CardBus equipped computers. Hurry the deal ends March 31, 2008

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USB ExpressCards Supported by MicroU2E and MicroU2E-MV

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MicroU2E-MV USB 2.0 to USB Mode ExpressCard 34|54 Multi-Voltage Host

MicroU2E-MV
Originally uploaded by Synchrotech

MacBook and MacBook Air ready, MicroU2E-MV, like the MicroU2E, enables USB Mode ExpressCard devices on USB 2.0 ports. MicroU2E-MV adds dual voltage support (3.3/1.5V) for an even wider selection of ExpressCards. Diminutive in size, MicroU2E-MV accepts USB based 34 or 54 form factor ExpressCards. Supported USB mode ExpressCards include: wireless broadband cards like Novatel Merlin ExpressCards V740, Option GT Max 3.6 Express and GT Express 7.2, Kyocera KPC680, storage media ExpressCards, most ExpressCard to memory card media adapters, and others. AirQueue and DoubleQueue compatible. The device does not work with any PCI Express (PCIe) based ExpressCards.

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AirQueue USB 2.0 Extension with MicroU2E and ExpressCards for MacBook Air

AirQueue/MicroU2E/KPC680 for MacBook Air
Originally uploaded by Synchrotech

AirQueue USB 2.0 Extension Cable with MicroU2E to enable USB 2.0 ExpressCards with the MacBook Air. AirQueue USB 2.0 A (Male) to A (Female) Extender Cable 19cm/.62F (CAB-USB2-AFA-0020C). Avoid damage to MacBook Air USB port and allows use of MicroU2E ExpressCard Adapter pictured here with a 3G/4G (EVDO) WWAN Wireless broadband KPC680 ExpressCard card. The AirQueue extension cable can be used with any USB 2.0 device with an upstream (male) USB A connector, not just the MicroU2E. Also prevents MacBook Air port door blocking by large or unusually designed connectors on USB devices.

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Synchrotech offering G|DRIVE Q Hard Disk Drives

Synchrotech is proud to offer G-TECH's G|DRIVE Q series of quad-interface external hard disk drives featuring the blistering FireWire 800 and eSATA 3Gb/s interfaces, the fast FireWire 400 interface, and the ubiquitous USB 2.0 interface. All four external interfaces are coupled with capacious Hitachi 7200 RPM SATA 3Gb/s (SATA II) drives via Oxford Semiconductor's next generation 924 chipset. G|Drive Q sport stylish high quality aluminum enclosures with and integrated unique "fan-less" cooling system is designed to silently dissipate heat for superior reliability and data integrity. Cross-platform compatible, G|Drive Q is available in 500GB, 750GB and 1000GB (1TB) configurations. G|Drive Q features a standard 3-year warranty and are recipients of a MacWorld five mouse rating and a 2006 Eddy Award.

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Hot Specials for March 2008

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PCI Bus to PC Card and CardBus Read-Writer 2 Slot Internal Front R5C486

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Note on Elan P-Series Controllers

The Elan P-Series card readers have switched CardBus controllers several times over the years. While they have used Texas Instruments and TI compatible controllers, the changes in specifics sometimes cause issues. While not completely chronologically accurate, the following rough timeline should be helpful. Elan P-Series devices prior to 2002 used the TI PCI-1420 for their two slot readers and either the TI PCI-1410 or PCI1211 (depending on availability at production) on their one slot readers. For a stretch of several years (roughly 2002-2006) Elan used ENE Technology Inc. CardBus controllers in place of TI. The CB1420 for two slot readers and the CB1410 for one slot readers. A reliable, and widely support TI PCI-14xx clone series, ENE's controllers actually fixed many of the errata from the chips they cloned. This, however, caused problems for systems coded around the problems with the original TI PCI-14xx series. Around the beginning of 2006 Elan switched back to TI PCI-1420 for their two slot readers and either the TI PCI-1410 on their one slot readers. However, there still is a lot of ENE based P-Series readers in inventory, and certain models of the P-Series will not be replaced with the TI based controllers until the existing stock of ENE devices are sold.

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FarSite Device Replacement Guide

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Possible Probe Source for Elan USB Test Equipment

Synchrotech isn't endorsing this vendor or products, but so many customers ask where they can purchase probes for the USBscope50, USBwave12, USBpulse100, and USBcount50, we decided to provide this link as a helpful starting point.

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Terry White Puts Synchrotech's 13 Port Hub Through Its Paces

Terry White deploys Synchrotech's 13 Port USB 2.0 Hub and reviews it in: The mother of all USB hubs. Terry connects a wide variety of devices to the Hub. From Terry's review:

If you have two or more hubs that you would like to consolidate down to one, then I highly recommend the Synchrotech 13 port USB 2.0 Hub.

USB 2.0 Hub 13 Port Powered with Power Supply

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Terry White Reviews CFFire800 Pro

Terry White tests, benchmarks, and reviews Synchrotech's CFFire800 Pro FireWire 800 to CompactFlash Drive Read-Writer (PCM-CR-FW81ECF-02) in a recent post: Super fast CF reader for your desktop. Terry times the CFFire800 Pro's read and write speeds with three different brands of UDMA enabled CompactFlash cards. He also includes the best time of a USB 2.0 based reader for comparison. From Terry's review:

The Synchrotech CFFire 800 Pro FireWire 800 to CompactFlash Drive Read-Writer goes for $59. If you have a FireWire 800 port and speed is important to you, then you can’t go wrong with this purchase.

CFFire800 Pro FireWire 800 to CompactFlash Drive Read-Writer

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Benchmarks for CFExpressPro+ PCIe ExpressCard to UDMA CompactFlash

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EVDOInfo.com Reviews the MicroU2E

EVDOInfo tests and reviews the MicroU2E and finds it works with the Kyocera KPC680 (Verizon), Novatel Wireless Merlin XU870, EX720 (Sprint), V740 (Verizon), V640 (Verizon), and the Sierra Wireless Air Card 597E (Sprint). Additionally, EVDOInfo tested the KPC680 with CradlePoint's CTR350 and PHS300 EVDO routers using Synchrotech's MicroU2E. MicroU2E enables the use of USB 2.0 based 3G/4G ExpressCards with a whole range of computers that don't include an ExpressCard slot including Desktop PCs, MacBooks, MacBook Air, iMac, Mac Pro, Notebook PCs, and more.

EVDOInfo and its online store are authorized resellers, and are selling both Synchrotech's MicroU2E and MicroU2E 'Y' Extender Cable. They are experts on deploying 3G/4G devices, and are sure to find many uses for Synchrotech's innovative MicroU2E technology. These items are available on EVDOInfo's 3gstore.com at the following links:

http://3gstore.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=15&products_id=691
http://3gstore.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=716

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Elan USB T&M Devices CD-ROM for The Vista

The latest from Elan regarding their software for their USB Test and Measurement devices:

USBscope50 USB DSO Digital Storage Oscilloscope
Originally uploaded by Synchrotech

We have released a new installation CD for the test and measurement products.

There has been no change to the drivers themselves, but the CD has been changed to reduce installation problems that some customers encountered in Windows VISTA.

During the installation the INF files required to install the hardware are automatically placed into the Windows/INF folder. When the hardware is plugged in, selecting 'search automatically' for drivers should prompt the O/S to find them there. However VISTA (for some reason unknown to us) does not find the files in the INF folder all of the time, so sometimes the installation does not suceeed automatically and the user is them prompted to find the INF files 'by hand'. (Which can be a labourous process for a user who is not familiar with where they should be.)

This new CD image includes the INF files directly in a folder on the installation CD, as it appears that the new hardware wizard in VISTA will search the CD for the driver files. Please see link below:

http://www.elandigitalsystems.com/eng/software/usbtestandmeasurement/

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