Memory Card Explorer for the Elan P423

[Glen Slick]

On Tue, Jul 5, 2022 at 6:31 PM D. Resor via cctalk
<cctalk at classiccmp.org> wrote:
>
> Does anyone have past experience with Memory Card Explorer and the Elan P423
> BUS to PC Car Reader-Writer 2 Slot Internal unit?
>
> https://www.synchrotech.com/products/card-rw_33_p423_elan_pcmcia_pc-card_rea
> der_slot.html
>
> Memory Card Explorer has certain compatibility rules for the Motherboard it
> is installed in.  The software seems to be a bit picky.
>
> Which mainboard/motherboard is best suited for the task and using Windows XP
> x32 SP3?

If you are trying to use a PCI bus PC Card adapter on Windows XP, my
guess is that most of those system restrictions don't really apply, as
long as the system has a PCI slot.

I have never used Memory Card Explorer, nor do I have a copy of it to
try. Seems too expensive to justify buying a copy (if it is still
available for purchase) for anything I would do with it.

What do you actually need to accomplish with the PC Card adapter and software?

In the last year or so I wanted to read and write to some linear flash
cards, which were used to store firmware for some older devices (e.g.
DECserver 900TM, NCD Explora X-Terminal).

I ended up getting a PCI bus PC Card adapter based on the TI PCI1131
PCI-TO-CARDBUS CONTROLLER UNIT chip. I set that up in a Linux system
and eventually managed to get some MTD (Memory Technology Devices)
software installed so that I could read and write to a variety of
linear flash cards. It was not trivial to do so. I think I had to
rebuild the kernel at some point to get some of the drivers to work.
I'd have to dig up notes I might have about it to remember the
details.