Hook up my VGN-A497XP to External S-ATA II HDD with 3Gbps eSATA PCMCIA CARD

[Gobar]

Hi List,

for some days now, I'm searching for a PCMCIA card with wich I could connect my VGN-A497XP to an external RAID array of HDD's.

My preferred setup would be:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
- 4 serial drives in an external enclosure box
- set up in RAID 10 (thats RAID 1 followed by 2x RAID 0 for data protection)
- Enclosure box with 3Gbps SATA II interface for fast data transfer
- PCMCIA card to connect to this SATA II box with RAID 10 capability
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

For the moment, I only found an ExpressCard with these features. Too bad I haven't got a ExpressCard Slot on my Vaio.

Anyone any ideas?

Thanks guys,
Bart

[Blencogo]

Hi Gobar and welcome to Club Vaio.

I must confess I have never heard of a SATA PCMCIA card with an incorporated RAID chip - I doubt that one is made.

By the time you go through the PCI bus then the PCMCIA bus then the PCMCIA card and then the drive, I would guess the benchmarks will be pretty awful.

Sounds like you need a Desktop!

[Gobar]

Thanks, and I believe you're right Blencogo.
It would take quite some time to push the data through this tunnel of busses. Here's what I've dreamed up so far...

Here's one of the Expresscards I found. (Not RAID 10 though :smileywink:)

Expresscard.org > From the documentation I understand that this new PCMCIA standard (the ExpressCard) will allow faster data transport.

"ExpressCard technology is designed to deliver high-performance, modular expansion to both desktop and notebook computers"

Graphic: ExpressCard Technology vs. CardBus

In the list of Mobiles, Laptops or Notebooks having an ExpressCard slot, there's 2 Vaios... So maybe my VGN-A497XP could be upgraded to beeing ExpressCard-able?? Replacing the current PCMCIA Type I / Type II slot.

In the Sony Press Room, about the VAIO FE series notebooks...

"The notebook also features ExpressCard ™, an emerging standard in smaller, faster PC card solutions with the throughput to port data at incredible speeds, making it ideal for transfers of video and large files. The VAIO FE also includes S-video, enabling convenient connectivity to televisions, cameras and projectors."

But still... is my notebook's architecture fit for ExpressCard data transport? Would you think it a complete waste of time looking deeper into this?

Cheers
- Bart


...

[kee-lo_]

Got a lot of cash Bart, you'll need it with this
http://www.321db.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=9928893

connect it to your VAIO via ethernet

[benfmv]

This has no express card interface but it might do the trick :

http://www.geekstuff4u.com/product_info.php?manufacturers_id=&products_id=221

Or this one perhaps :

http://www.geekstuff4u.com/product_info.php?manufacturers_id=&products_id=336

[Gobar]

Thanks guys, for your replies.

Kee-Lo, this would be an ideal setup for multiuser environments,. But fo me, it would be some overkill I guess. It would set me back for some considerable amount of euros, indeed. 😉

Compared to S-ATA, Ethernet is the next best thing though...
--------------------------------------------
3 Gbps > S-ATA II
1,5 Gbps > S-ATA I
1 Gbps > Ethernet
0,8 Gbps > FireWire800
0,48 Gbps > USB 2.0
0,4 Gbps > FireWire400
--------------------------------------------

Benfmv, it's these types of enclosure boxes I found, only with a faster S-ATA II interface. Since I didn't find any PCMCIA cards (Type II / CardBus) offering S-ATA connection, I came to the PCMCIA ExpressCard solution for connecting my Vaio to the RAID Box @fast speed. (No point really in searching for a regular Type II PCMCIA card as Blencogo pointed out earlier)


Cheers,
Bart

[kee-lo_]

Some of the newer VAIOs have gigabit ethenet now

You would need a lot of cash for that enclosure!