Want to add USB 3.0 and eSATA ports to old laptop w/PCMCIA slot - how?

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Hello everyone,

I have two laptops, a newer one with an Expresscard 34 slot and an older one with a PCMCIA slot. I bought two USB 3.0 Expresscard 34s, thinking that both computers had Expresscard 34 slots (should have checked first).

I'm not sure how to proceed to add the USB 3.0 ports to my old laptop (I also want to add eSATA ports to my laptops - I'm pretty sure an eSATA Expresscard 34 adapter will work with my newer laptop, as the USB 3.0 Expresscard 34 adapter has for the most part, outside of the one HDs giving me a little bit of trouble, mentioned more below). I'm thinking of one of two ways:

1. I can purchase an item like this - SYBAUSA - SD-EXP-PCB >> Converts PCMCIA (CardBus 54mm) slot for Expresscard 34mm Devices, NEC Chipset - that will convert the PCMCIA bus port into an Expresscard 34 port, to which I can insert the USB 3.0 or eSATA ExpressCard 34 adapter into it and add the ports.

OR

2. I can purchase an item like this - PCMCIA Port USB3.0 CardBus Card adapter for win XP/ME | eBay - that will add the USB 3.0 or eSATA (I'm showing a USB 3.0 in that link) ports directly via the PCMCIA adapter?

Questions:

1. Will either method work or will only 1 work? If so, which one?

I already have an additional USB 3.0 adapter card from thinking that the old laptop had an Expresscard port, so I was leaning towards #1, but the more I read and think about it, I'm starting to think that #2 is the better option.

2. I'm not sure if USB 3.0 is possible on the old laptop (again, I already have the card, so I might as well give it a shot). From what i have read, it sounds like eSATA would be faster than USB 2.0 via Cardbus, even if it's not the full eSATA speed - more like 2-3 times faster rather than up to 6 times faster from what I hear, which would still be useful for transferring much data off of that laptop onto external hard drives that can utilize USB 3.0 or eSATA speeds.

3. With this old laptop, would the USB 3.0 or eSATA adapter need their own power sources or not? Some of the hard drives I plan to use have their own power supply, but others don't. If a power supply is needed, do you know of a reasonably priced, good option for either or both of #1 and #2 that has a power supply included or that can be had for minimal cost?

I know with working with the USB 3.0 adapter on my newer laptop, a power supply is a must for portable hard drives, as two won't work together without additional power, and one of the HDs (an Iomega 1TB eGo USB 3.0 portable hard drive) doesn't want to work at all at USB 3.0, either with or without the power supply.

I'd appreciate any and all advice you can provide on this, as I'm not sure which option is better or the right choice, and I'd hate to spend money on the one option, then find out it was the wrong option and have to spend again on the right option. Thank you.

Please take care and have a great day!

Joe Chengery III
#cardbus #esata #expresscard #pcmcia adaptor #usb 3.0
  • Profile picture of the author seasoned
    USB should be possible with ANY IBM PC. And USB 3.0 should certainly be possible with PCMCIA. The trick is finding the right adapter. Sorry I can't give more detail.

    Steve
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  • Profile picture of the author blow96
    2-Port SuperSpeed USB 3.0 PCI-e Host Card .... PRESS RELEASE - “Vantec Launches Laptop Docking Station with Video Providing a Universal Docking ... looking for higher transfer speeds and do not have a built in eSATA port or USB 3.0 Port. ... to install and provides a hefty increase in performance over the old USB 2.0
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    • Profile picture of the author seasoned
      Originally Posted by blow96 View Post

      2-Port SuperSpeed USB 3.0 PCI-e Host Card .... PRESS RELEASE - "Vantec Launches Laptop Docking Station with Video Providing a Universal Docking ... looking for higher transfer speeds and do not have a built in eSATA port or USB 3.0 Port. ... to install and provides a hefty increase in performance over the old USB 2.0
      OK, you missed something. The card needed would be at least PCMCIA. ALL the options they have require things the current laptop apparently DOESN'T have.

      Steve
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  • Profile picture of the author jchengery
    Hello Steve,

    I appreciate the info. - thank you.

    From what I understand, and I could be incorrect, I thought PCI-e Host Cards and such only applied to Desktop computers, not Laptop computers, which originally used PCMCIA cards, then ExpressCard 54 slots, then (currently now) ExpressCard 34 slots?

    Regarding the situation I mentioned, is it possible to use a PCMCIA to ExpressCard adapter and then add an ExpressCard with USB 3.0 or eSATA ports to the adapter and have it work properly (Option #1) or is it more likely that Option #2, the PCMCIA adapter with the ports already on it, would work?

    As mentioned, I already have the USB 3.0 card, so I was tempted with Option #1, since I only need the PCMCIA to ExpressCard adapter to potentially make it work, but if that is unlikely to work compared to Option #2, then I'd rather just get the PCMCIA Cardbus Adapter (and would only have to get one eSATA Expresscard for my newer laptop, not two of them for both laptops, as I haven't gotten those yet - planned to get those within the next day or two).

    I'm just not sure if there is a more likely option between the two to be successful, or if either of the options could work and it's just my call on which one to go with.

    By the way, one other question:

    I have two different USB 3.0 ExpressCards (one that uses a cable to a USB 2.0 port for additional power, another that uses a DC Adapter - wasn't sure which would work better; turned out one worked well with one portable hard drive, the other worked better with another portable hard drive, and neither working all that well with the third portable hard drive), the first that uses a Renesas Electronics USB 3.0 Host Controller as its driver program, the second has an NEC Chipset Host Controller as its driver program.

    However, I just inserted the second ExpressCard into the slot (without uninstalling the Renesas USB 3.0 Host Controller) and the Renesas Controller adapted itself to work the second ExpressCard as well. As mentioned above, one HD works well, one HD works okay, one HD doesn't work too well with it (the first two mentioned were opposite with the first ExpressCard in terms of working well and okay).

    What I was wondering was, would it be possible to improve performance of these portable HDs with the second ExpressCard (which needed the DC adapter to really work, as expected) by uninstalling the Renesas Controller and installing the NEC Chipset Controller, the controller that was included on the second ExpressCard's included Driver CD? I've heard that NEC is the most compatible with most hardware, so I was just wondering if reliability and performance are improved that much with changing the Driver program/controller and using the Driver program/controller on the included Driver CD that came with a specific ExpressCard?

    I hadn't intended on using the Renesas Host Controller with the second ExpressCard, thinking that the second ExpressCard would cause the computer to find the specific drivers for it upon insertion into the slot, but instead, the Renesas Host Controller adapted itself to work the second ExpressCard as well.

    If I did decide to change the Driver program/controller, would I just uninstall the first controller via the "Add/Remove Programs" option like any software program, then allow the NEC Chipset to be found online and installed or installed from the Driver CD? If I decide to go back to the Renesas Driver program/controller, would I then just use the "Add/Remove Programs" and remove the NEC Chipset Driver Program/Controller and reinstall the Renesas Driver program/controller?

    Or is there more to it to uninstalling and installing a USB 3.0 Host Controller/Driver Program?

    I'd appreciate any advice you may have - thank you.

    Please take care and have a great day!

    Joe Chengery III
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    My free ebook on pancreatic cancer: http://ow.ly/nPVhm Let's help my friend Courtney Reagan strike out cancer!

    Are you WORRIED about what wheat is doing to your waistline and your health? You SHOULD be! http://ow.ly/jSIY9 Internet marketer, copyeditor, copywriter, content creator, author - http://www.joechengery.com

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    • Profile picture of the author seasoned
      Originally Posted by jchengery View Post

      Hello Steve,

      I appreciate the info. - thank you.

      From what I understand, and I could be incorrect, I thought PCI-e Host Cards and such only applied to Desktop computers, not Laptop computers, which originally used PCMCIA cards, then ExpressCard 54 slots, then (currently now) ExpressCard 34 slots?
      Yeah, I believe you are right there. In any case, the pci-e card HERE is for a laptop. They have a picture of the card.

      Regarding the situation I mentioned, is it possible to use a PCMCIA to ExpressCard adapter and then add an ExpressCard with USB 3.0 or eSATA ports to the adapter and have it work properly (Option #1) or is it more likely that Option #2, the PCMCIA adapter with the ports already on it, would work?
      There shouldn't be a problem with either approach from what I can see.

      I have two different USB 3.0 ExpressCards (one that uses a cable to a USB 2.0 port for additional power, another that uses a DC Adapter - wasn't sure which would work better; turned out one worked well with one portable hard drive, the other worked better with another portable hard drive, and neither working all that well with the third portable hard drive), the first that uses a Renesas Electronics USB 3.0 Host Controller as its driver program, the second has an NEC Chipset Host Controller as its driver program.
      I was suspicious of Renesas since I didn't know about them. They "integrated" with NEC! Although I hate the unusual word choice, they are the SAME company, apparently:


      Established
      April 1, 2010 - as part of an
      agreement to integrate the
      business operations of
      NEC Electronics Corporation
      and Renesas Technology Corp.
      President and CEO:
      Daniel M. Mahoney, J

      The specification of america, and business, doesn't sit well either, but they are supposed to be good, etc....

      What I was wondering was, would it be possible to improve performance of these portable HDs with the second ExpressCard (which needed the DC adapter to really work, as expected) by uninstalling the Renesas Controller and installing the NEC Chipset Controller, the controller that was included on the second ExpressCard's included Driver CD? I've heard that NEC is the most compatible with most hardware, so I was just wondering if reliability and performance are improved that much with changing the Driver program/controller and using the Driver program/controller on the included Driver CD that came with a specific ExpressCard?
      NEC DOES have a good reputation and apparently it is deserved.

      I hadn't intended on using the Renesas Host Controller with the second ExpressCard, thinking that the second ExpressCard would cause the computer to find the specific drivers for it upon insertion into the slot, but instead, the Renesas Host Controller adapted itself to work the second ExpressCard as well.
      Yeah, that fits with them being the same company.

      If I did decide to change the Driver program/controller, would I just uninstall the first controller via the "Add/Remove Programs" option like any software program, then allow the NEC Chipset to be found online and installed or installed from the Driver CD? If I decide to go back to the Renesas Driver program/controller, would I then just use the "Add/Remove Programs" and remove the NEC Chipset Driver Program/Controller and reinstall the Renesas Driver program/controller?

      Or is there more to it to uninstalling and installing a USB 3.0 Host Controller/Driver Program?

      I'd appreciate any advice you may have - thank you.

      Please take care and have a great day!

      Joe Chengery III
      The difficulty in remving and adding software can vary greatly. I won't make any claims there. Still, the two drivers MIGHT be IDENTICAL.

      Steve
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  • Profile picture of the author jchengery
    Hello Steve,

    Again, I greatly appreciate your response - thank you.

    I had considered removing/uninstalling the "Renesas" Host Controller and installing the NEC driver from the included CD with the second USB 3.0 ExpressCard, being that I had used System Restore to back up my system before installing the first USB 3.0 ExpressCard and figured that I could revert back if something went wrong.

    However, reading a little further and checking out some of the "properties" specifications, I think I determined that the Renesas driver is actually more up-to-date than the NEC driver on the included CD for the 2nd ExpressCard. The Renesas driver is from March 29 (I believe) 2011, while the NEC drivers are between November 2009 and January 2010, so I concluded that it's likely that the NEC drivers would probably work no better than the Renesas drivers with my portable hard drives, and probably would be worse with them being that they were older drivers.

    I can't say for sure that that would be the case, but I think it would be a fair assumption, so I didn't bother with the uninstalling of the 1st Driver and installing the 2nd Driver - I figured there was no need to chance it, since it's probably likely that not all HDs will work equally well with an ExpressCard, plus it seems that the Iomega is more picky in terms of needing additional power. I'm guessing that the Iomega will need to have its auxiliary power cable attached to a USB 3.0 port (probably either a native port or a powered USB 3.0 hub port; the additional USB 3.0 port on the ExpressCard itself isn't enough, even with additional power) in order to truly run at or near USB 3.0 speeds, whereas the Buffalo and Seagate run closer to USB 3.0 with or without the additional power (without if just one is attached, with if both are attached at the same time).

    Again, I greatly appreciate your advice and research - thank you.

    Please take care, keep up the great work, and have a good day!

    Joe Chengery III
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    My free ebook on pancreatic cancer: http://ow.ly/nPVhm Let's help my friend Courtney Reagan strike out cancer!

    Are you WORRIED about what wheat is doing to your waistline and your health? You SHOULD be! http://ow.ly/jSIY9 Internet marketer, copyeditor, copywriter, content creator, author - http://www.joechengery.com

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    • Profile picture of the author jcbenten
      Joe,

      Were you able to resolve the old laptop issue and generate close to USB 3 speed? I am now faced with the same issue.

      My thinking is to just get the adapter and try as it is relatively inexpensive. The 1-port cardbus adapter does not really meet what I want which is 2 or more ports.

      Thanks, Chris
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