EX1 - Recording on Hard-Disk?
 

Hey everybody!

recently i read about using a "normal" ExpressCard to USB-Adapter (called BC268) to record on a USB-Hard-Disk.

So i bought the ExpressCard-Adapter, put it in the Card-Slot of my EX1, connected a USB-HardDisk.... but my EX1 only gives me an error-message. ("Unknown Media (A) Please Change")
The error message appears when i connect the HD to the USB-Port... As long as i only put the BC268 in the Expresscard-Slot, there is no error-message...

What could be the reason? My EX1 is updated to the latest firmware, so Harddisk-adapters should be supported... And i can hear the HD working, so the adapter is providing power to the HD....

Any idea why this doesn't work?

Thanks!

Re: EX1 - Recording on Hard-Disk?
 

You have to format the hard drive using the camera, unless the hard drive is the problem. What kind of hard drive, and is it blank?

John

Re: EX1 - Recording on Hard-Disk?
 

i cant format the drive within the camera, it only tells me "please change" and i can't access the format->Slot A menu.

i used this HD:
640 GB externe 2,5" USB 2.0 Festplatte WD My Passport | eBay

Re: EX1 - Recording on Hard-Disk?
 

Some manufacturers like to be "helpful" and preload their disks with a load of software on a partition. The drive will need to be either a single partition FAT32 drive or have no partitions at all.

Platter based hard disks seem awfully archaic when you have a solid state camera. The least it deserves is a solid state hard disk!

Re: EX1 - Recording on Hard-Disk?
 

Hi Thomas,

The likely culprit will be the USB Drive chipset.

When you open it up, what chipset is being used? Not all chipsets will support the EX camera, from our testing. Even fewer will do it reliably.

You can get a range of error messages from "Unknown media" error, or just plain nothing.

Re: EX1 - Recording on Hard-Disk?
 

Hide USB 2.0 to ExpressCard 34 54 Express Card Adapter BC268 - Express Card - Trait Tech - Wholesale Electronics - China Wholesale - Dropship From China

There is the BC268 in various remarks, not all functions in the EX1. I have 5 pieces BC268 from Trailtech (see link) those to function perfectly.

Re: EX1 - Recording on Hard-Disk?
 

i use the same BC268 as Wolfgang posted in his reply! (Wolfgangs Blog was where I read about this adapter ;) )
I tried the USB 3.0 version before, but i got the "change media" error-message the moment i put in the adapter in the slot.
so i think my USB 2.0 adapter is ok because now i get the error AFTER connecting something to the USB-port.

i also tried several usb-sticks (like in Wolfangs Blog...), but every time i just got "Unknown Media"...

Can you tell me which HDs/Chipsets work with the EX1?
How can i figure out what chipset my HD has?

Re: EX1 - Recording on Hard-Disk?
 

It's probably not the adapter unless you got a bad one. I have two of them.

That exact model Western Digital number is European only, but it is the same as this one:

http://www.amazon.com/Western-Digital-Passport-Essential-Portable/product-reviews/B002OHAH78/ref=cm_cr_pr_top_recent?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=0&sortBy=bySubmissionDateDescending
Read the comments regarding the cable. Did yours come with a mini USB to USB cable?

John

Re: EX1 - Recording on Hard-Disk?
 

The USB3.0 version of the AKE card will not work in an EX series camera because the expresscard interface is PCIe not USB, ie PCIe ---> USB3.0. Sony specifically block any PCIe interface card accessing their cameras, so it will not work. You know it is PCIe if you need a driver to make it work on your computer.

The AKE BC268 card is a USB2.0 ---> USB2.0, and the USB2.0 interface means it thinks it is talking to a MxR card, it can't tell the difference, and that is why it works.

The downside is that is has a USB Type A plug which means you get a lot of hardware sticking out the side of the camera.

The chipsets that we tested that work fine are JM20336 SATA II 3GB/s and Initio 1608 and 1611 SATA I 1.5GB/s.There are some others but they are less reliable, and we gave up on them.

Apart from pulling your drive apart and using a magnifying glass, I can't offer you any way to tell what chipset it has in it. Maybe contact the manufacturer, they should be happy to help.

Re: EX1 - Recording on Hard-Disk?
 

Yes, mine has a Mini-USB to USB Cable, but it workes fine and stable on my Mac. Why?

Re: EX1 - Recording on Hard-Disk?
 

are you shure the BC268 works with the EX1, not only with the EX1R ?

Re: EX1 - Recording on Hard-Disk?
 

I have an EX1 not an EX1R. I use two BC268 adapters with the camera. Bought them from Deal Extreme.

John

Re: EX1 - Recording on Hard-Disk?
 

I still can't get this to work!

I tried different BC268-Adapters, different Hard Discs, updated the Firmware to the Latest .26 version - but still i get the "Unknown Media - Please Change"-Error..... i have no more idea how i could get this to work.

Do the Hard-Disks have to be Formated in a specific way (NTFS, FAT, FAT32, etc?) so the EX1 will recognize it? Is there a size limit for the partions?
I cant format the disc with the EX1, the Format Media-Option is not available for the Slot I use for this.

Re: EX1 - Recording on Hard-Disk?
 

The problem I suspect is the chipset in the enclosure itself. From an earlier post above:

"The chipsets that we tested that work fine are JM20336 SATA II 3GB/s and Initio 1608 and 1611 SATA I 1.5GB/s.There are some others but they are less reliable, and we gave up on them."

Try and find one that is using either of these.

Our custom built PCB uses the JM20336 in our e-HDR product, and it has proved over the last two years to be extremely robust out in the field.

Re: EX1 - Recording on Hard-Disk?
 

<I still can't get this to work!>

Soll ich dir mal meinen Adapter zum testen leihen?