Don't Use Lacie 2.5" Usb Hard Disk Drives With A Pandora

[Prometheus]

This is just a little pointer, which I'll get added to the USB Compatibility List when I've got a moment (and when I've tried the same via a powered hub).

Plugging a LaCie Rikiki 2.5" USB 2.0 HDD into my Pandora not only did not work, but it resulted in a frightening display of the screen pulsating wildly - it looks like these drives try to draw way too much power. It looked almost the same as what happens when you place a speaker (or a magnet) too close to an old CRT monitor.

I had actually expected it to simply fail to spin up - I didn't expect it to do what it did. Anyway, I just figured I'd post this in case it's potentially damaging, so everyone else knows about it.

 

[mali]

:huh:
This might actually be worth to be added to the buglist, imo. Maybe the port fails to shut down when 500mA is reached?

 

[BaDToaD]

I've got a 320GB WD My Passport Essential drive and I'm hoping to use that when I get my Pandora. I've been trying in vain to find out how much power it draws...

What's the point of a spec sheet that doesn't show the power the unit draws LOL.

 

[chame]

Pandora with ac plug should be able to provide USB power

but maybe it will require some HW modification

 

[BaDToaD]

I'll go down the root of a powered hub if necessary. No need for HW mod.

 

[tds48]

I've got a 320GB WD My Passport Essential drive and I'm hoping to use that when I get my Pandora. I've been trying in vain to find out how much power it draws...

What's the point of a spec sheet that doesn't show the power the unit draws LOL.

I have the WD2500ME (WD My passport Essential drive 250gb) - Works perfectly!

 

[BaDToaD]

I have the WD2500ME (WD My passport Essential drive 250gb) - Works perfectly!

Excellent News. Many thanks

 

[zohnnyg]

can you provide a link to the western digital my passport essential drive 250gb please? i cant find one. can you give a link to the same one you have thedarkspectrum48k?

 

[BaDToaD]

If you're in the UK I got mine (320 GB version) from Amazon

Under £50... bargain.

 

[zohnnyg]

it says its for windows but it still works on pandora which is linux?

 

[chame]

it says its for windows but it still works on pandora which is linux?

just put a XP compatible label on your pandora

 

[tds48]

can you provide a link to the western digital my passport essential drive 250gb please? i cant find one. can you give a link to the same one you have thedarkspectrum48k?

not sure they are still retail .. mine is quite old but the product code is WD2500ME

Hope you come right ..

 

[lulzfish]

This is a pretty serious bug:
"User tries to power a hard drive from a portable device"

FIXED: Told them to stop watching Kim Possible on Disney Channel.

@zohnnyg: Yeah a lot of stuff says it's for Windows because money changes hands between MS and the manufacturer (not sure which way) to put a re-assuring sticker on the hardware box. USB hard drives are well-standardized and should work in any OS that has mass storage drivers.

 

[almatuk]

I have a Verbatim 250GB Model #47580 and that worked an absolute treat when plugged into the Pandora.
Watched videos directly from it at full speed, no need for powered USB hub.
Had issues playing roms directly off it however as it was formatted NTFS. I'm sure if I formatted to FAT32 these would disappear.

Noticed from the replay above that there is a USB supported list. Would some please let me know where that is so I can upload my own results for various gadgets.

 

[Prometheus]

It's here.

 

[Pinballwzd]

I've got a 320GB WD My Passport Essential drive and I'm hoping to use that when I get my Pandora. I've been trying in vain to find out how much power it draws...

What's the point of a spec sheet that doesn't show the power the unit draws LOL.

I have the WD2500ME (WD My passport Essential drive 250gb) - Works perfectly!

+1

 

[craigix]

Is anyone in to solid state drives? Could you tell me the power use of them and how small they can be? Interested if anyone has used one with the Pandora.

 

[bananajamslam]

I have a Samsung 256GB SSD in my laptop. I pulled it out and it seems to run on "5.0 V and 0.35 A". I personally don't notice a large difference in power usage over a standard HDD but that's probably because drives take up so little power compared to the processor and the video card. I think I probably get like an extra few minutes or so.

Hopefully that helps. I would use it on my pandora but I don't have it yet and, being about 1500 on the list, I don't think I can anytime soon.

 

[Grench]

Is anyone in to solid state drives? Could you tell me the power use of them and how small they can be? Interested if anyone has used one with the Pandora.

It is actually kind of wild how much power the faster SSD's require.

I have an OCZ Vertex 2 60 GB that I could throw into a USB enclosure to test - but probably shouldn't. It is rated at 2W active and 0.5W stand by. So, in theory the Pandora would be able to supply stand by power to it - but that isn't going to get it far.

Even the 1.8" SSDs that I've seen are 1.5W active and 0.5W standby with a few exceptions. Intel makes one that is 150mW active and 75mW standby now - so there are some headed in that direction.

 

[Grench]

Is anyone in to solid state drives? Could you tell me the power use of them and how small they can be? Interested if anyone has used one with the Pandora.

It is actually kind of wild how much power the faster SSD's require.

I have an OCZ Vertex 2 60 GB that I could throw into a USB enclosure to test - but probably shouldn't. It is rated at 2W active and 0.5W stand by. So, in theory the Pandora would be able to supply stand by power to it - but that isn't going to get it far. It's so fast that it would be silly to run it on a USB connection though - kind of like a Formula I car on bicycle tires.

Even the 1.8" SSDs that I've seen are 1.5W active and 0.5W standby with a few exceptions. Intel makes one that is 150mW active and 75mW standby now - so there are some headed in that direction.

Something else I just considered - Panasonic used to make a device called a P2 card that was essentially a PCMCIA form factor with 4 SD cards in a raid array inside them.
http://www.tapestockonline.com/pap2ca2gb12f.html

If you're considering making a data holding USB 2.0 device for the Pandora - maybe something similar? Kind of like a 4 slot card reader where all 4 slots are sdhc? Heck, make an alternate batter cover with a bit of a bulge in it and a 90* connector on a flat cable coming out of the USB port and done - even SDHC cards are getting to where they can fairly well saturate a USB 2.0 port.