Re: Flash Cards and OmniGo

Domenic Romeo (dom.romeo@worldnet.att.net)
Wed, 17 Jul 1996 00:55:06 -0400

GWSteve@aol.com wrote:
>
> In a message dated 96-07-16 01:36:46 EDT, dom.romeo@worldnet.att.net (Domenic
> Romeo) writes:
>
> << Some ATA FLASH Ram cards will work(Pretec, Magicram ...) but may require
> addtional
> drivers. The Omnigo, I've been told has ATA drivers built in (Not well
> publicized) >>
>
> This is true.
>
> However, except for perhaps the new low-power flash cards like those from
> MagicRam, using ATA cards in the OmniGo can be dangerous to your data.
>
> An ATA card may install, format, and appear to function properly for a while
> -- but one day when your batteries are just a little bit low, the flash card
> will fail, and when it does it will take your data with it (both on the card
> and in the OmniGo's ramdisk).

Has this happened to anyone? My understanding of Flash Ram, is that no power is
required to maintain the memory (That why their is no battery backup on Flash).
Shouldn't the systems low battery protection shut it down in time? For things
to get this bad wouldn't the OGO Lithium battery backup have been close to dead?

Manufacters Advertized Power numbers:

SRAM Power Consumption

MagicRAM SyncroTech Pretec
--------- ---------- ----------
Standard: 16mA 16ma
Peak: 150mA 150ma 120ma(max)
Standby: 1mA Max. 1ma 0.4ma(max)

Pretec ATA Flash Ram
--------------------
Power-saving read: 20 mA (Max.)
Power-saving write: 25 mA (Max.)
High-performance read: 65 mA (Max.)
High-performance write: 80 mA (Max.)
Sleep mode: 0.6 mA

Pretecs ATA Flash doesn't appear to be anyworse than the SRAM cards (assuming
power saving mode). If anything the peaks are significantly less. Sleep mode
too.

>
> ATA cards are not certified for use in the OmniGo 100. According to HP, only
> SRAM cards should be used. Your warranty for using the new low-powered flash
> cards rests with the manufacturer of the card.

HP must have had some plans for ATA, since they included ATA driver in the OGO ROM.
The HP manual, and web site are not very clear on what will work.

That brings me to my next point. Since this topic has been so confusing to many, it
needs to elaborated more in the OGO FAQ. I already talked with Ron Pike, and he
agrees. I am willing to help anyway I can to do this. I have already visited many
manufacturers web sites, and called some. I've saved many of the Email message
over the last month pertaining to RAM cards from all of the news groups and the
mailing list. I was even thinking I could take a survey on OGO users that have
RAM cards and find out what types, specs, formatting and battery issues they had.

Is this worthwhile?

Dom