Howdy all. Just a little curious - Does anyone know of any small interface boards, that would allow a microcontroller to access an IDE hard disk drive, or ATAPI device (cdrom drive)? Not any kind of combo-board (SBC, MP3 player capable, etc), just a single, small board that connects an ATA device to an MCU. If not...Would there be any interest in such a board? I know the applications might be a little limited, but it seems like such an interesting project that I can't help but wonder... If there is interest, what kind of specifications would be usefull? -Alex
IDE interface board
Started by ●May 9, 2004
Reply by ●May 9, 20042004-05-09
"Alex Wisnieski" <REMOVEnostromo@xecuREMOVE.net> wrote in message news:bpSdnR0bhpFNXgDdRVn-tw@adelphia.com...> Howdy all. > > Just a little curious - Does anyone know of any small interface > boards, that would allow a microcontroller to access an IDE hard disk > drive, or ATAPI device (cdrom drive)? Not any kind of combo-board (SBC, > MP3 player capable, etc), just a single, small board that connects an > ATA device to an MCU. > > If not...Would there be any interest in such a board? I know the > applications might be a little limited, but it seems like such an > interesting project that I can't help but wonder... > > If there is interest, what kind of specifications would be usefull? > > -AlexI don't know of one, but something I think that would be much more useful is a way to interface a microcontroller to those USB flash drives, or to a CF card (probably been done?). For most applications, if its big enough and needs enough memory to use a hard drive then its better to use an embedded PC anyway. To interface to a flash drive it might be a problem because they all seem to need different drivers (eg for win98) so it would depend on what chips are in the flash drive. -Daniel
Reply by ●May 9, 20042004-05-09
> > Just a little curious - Does anyone know of any small interface > > boards, that would allow a microcontroller to access an IDE hard disk > > I don't know of one, but something I think that would be much more useful is > a way to interface a microcontroller to those USB flash drives, or to a CFWe've been down this path many times in c.a.e, so here's a summary: 1. There is a standard (storage class) for those USB pendisks. The same class is implemented by USB card-readers, USB CD-ROM drives, and USB hard drives. Win98 didn't have a generic storage class driver, which is why all those devices ship with Win98 drivers (or don't support Win98). 2. In order to connect to one of those devices, you need a USB host implementation. While this is doable, the resources required to do it are more than your average 8-bit controller has available. 3. It's much simpler and less painful to connect directly to different storage media, ATAPI devices, etc. But you CAN do an embedded USB host if you want to.
Reply by ●May 9, 20042004-05-09
I and others have used a standard 16 bit Super I/O controller card for years on micros. For me it was a 'no-brainer' way of getting a PIC16F877 to have a parallel port, 2 extra serial channels as well as floppy and HD interface. Dr. Cheung(sp) used a similar approach to win thousands in the INK contest a few years back when he added an NIC card to the same PIC. Using the Super I/O card is cheap($5 or less),easy to wire up, and easy to program. All info is readily on the 'web' just remember 'Google is my friend'. hth j
Reply by ●May 9, 20042004-05-09
"Alex Wisnieski" <REMOVEnostromo@xecuREMOVE.net> wrote in message news:bpSdnR0bhpFNXgDdRVn-tw@adelphia.com...> Howdy all. > > Just a little curious - Does anyone know of any small interface > boards, that would allow a microcontroller to access an IDE hard disk > drive, or ATAPI device (cdrom drive)? Not any kind of combo-board (SBC, > MP3 player capable, etc), just a single, small board that connects an > ATA device to an MCU. >Elektor Magazine (www.elektor-electronics.co.uk) has published interfaces for IDE and compact flash to a 8052 Wim
Reply by ●May 9, 20042004-05-09
Alex Wisnieski wrote:> Howdy all. > > Just a little curious - Does anyone know of any small interface > boards, that would allow a microcontroller to access an IDE hard disk > drive, or ATAPI device (cdrom drive)? Not any kind of combo-board (SBC, > MP3 player capable, etc), just a single, small board that connects an > ATA device to an MCU. > > If not...Would there be any interest in such a board? I know the > applications might be a little limited, but it seems like such an > interesting project that I can't help but wonder... > > If there is interest, what kind of specifications would be usefull? > > -Alex >There is a company called Mack-Tack (Hackensack, Merrimack??) or something like that that makes a "Stamp Drive" that apparently does this. I have never dealt with them. http://www.star.net/people/~MVS -- Joe Legris
Reply by ●May 9, 20042004-05-09
"Alex Wisnieski" <REMOVEnostromo@xecuREMOVE.net> wrote in message news:bpSdnR0bhpFNXgDdRVn-tw@adelphia.com...> Howdy all. > > Just a little curious - Does anyone know of any small interface > boards, that would allow a microcontroller to access an IDE hard disk > drive, or ATAPI device (cdrom drive)? Not any kind of combo-board (SBC, > MP3 player capable, etc), just a single, small board that connects an > ATA device to an MCU. > > If not...Would there be any interest in such a board? I know the > applications might be a little limited, but it seems like such an > interesting project that I can't help but wonder... > > If there is interest, what kind of specifications would be usefull? > > -Alexwww.edtp.com used to sell one with an Avr Atmega128 and ethernet that interfaced to an ide hdd. Still have code and schematics on their download page. Some one made an avr dos. Could use ethernut for this as well www.ethernut.de you may class this as a combo board though can find a few via a google search Alex
Reply by ●May 9, 20042004-05-09
"Daniel Watman" <pywo@optushome.com.au> wrote in message news:<409dc805$0$27657$afc38c87@news.optusnet.com.au>...> "Alex Wisnieski" <REMOVEnostromo@xecuREMOVE.net> wrote in message > news:bpSdnR0bhpFNXgDdRVn-tw@adelphia.com... > > Howdy all. > > > > Just a little curious - Does anyone know of any small interface > > boards, that would allow a microcontroller to access an IDE hard disk > > drive, or ATAPI device (cdrom drive)? Not any kind of combo-board (SBC, > > MP3 player capable, etc), just a single, small board that connects an > > ATA device to an MCU.If you have approx. 20 spare pins (16 Data, IRQ, CS, R, W), you can just program the micro to talk in IDE mode. You don't need any external hardware. If you are short on pins, you can always multiplex the pins.> > > > If not...Would there be any interest in such a board? I know the > > applications might be a little limited, but it seems like such an > > interesting project that I can't help but wonder...It is very software specific to the micro.> ...> I don't know of one, but something I think that would be much more useful is > a way to interface a microcontroller to those USB flash drives, or to a CF > card (probably been done?).Yes, for example, http://ide-cf.info-for.us> For most applications, if its big enough and > needs enough memory to use a hard drive then its better to use an embedded > PC anyway. > > To interface to a flash drive it might be a problem because they all seem to > need different drivers (eg for win98) so it would depend on what chips are > in the flash drive.If one of the maker (Sandisk?) gets big enough to kill off all others, then there will be a standard for USB flash drives.> > -Daniel
Reply by ●May 9, 20042004-05-09
"Daniel Watman" <pywo@optushome.com.au> wrote:>I don't know of one, but something I think that would be much more useful is >a way to interface a microcontroller to those USB flash drives, or to a CF >card (probably been done?).You might also want to take a look at SanDisk's application note "Interfacing CF to 80C51 Microcontroller", available at http://www.sandisk.com/pdf/oem/AppNote80C51FlashATAv1.0.pdf Regards, johannes
Reply by ●May 9, 20042004-05-09
Hi, Check this out : http://www.elektor-electronics.co.uk/ Recently a similar project was published. Good luck, Philip "Alex Wisnieski" <REMOVEnostromo@xecuREMOVE.net> schreef in bericht news:bpSdnR0bhpFNXgDdRVn-tw@adelphia.com...> Howdy all. > > Just a little curious - Does anyone know of any small interface > boards, that would allow a microcontroller to access an IDE hard disk > drive, or ATAPI device (cdrom drive)? Not any kind of combo-board (SBC, > MP3 player capable, etc), just a single, small board that connects an > ATA device to an MCU. > > If not...Would there be any interest in such a board? I know the > applications might be a little limited, but it seems like such an > interesting project that I can't help but wonder... > > If there is interest, what kind of specifications would be usefull? > > -Alex >