# CompactFlash PCMCIA/PCCARD Adapter with 512MB CompactFlash



## vermaden (Mar 19, 2013)

Hi,

I have tried to grep(1) the Internet for the answer but its pointless.

I have CompactFlash PCMCIA adapter with 512MB CompactFlash card in it. It behaves line pendrive on _CrunchBang Linux_, mounts etc but on FreeBSD the only thing I see at dmesg(8) is that:

```
ata0: <PQI 512MB> at port 0x10c0-0x10cf irq 19 function 0 config 1 on pccard0
```

The FreeBSD Handbook states something about wireless cards on PCMCIA/PCCARD but I havent found anything useful about my problem.

Any help on how to use PCMCIA/PCCARD CompactFlash adapters/drives on FreeBSD?


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## Crivens (Mar 20, 2013)

IIRC the card can be used as a disc device, but no hotplug is supported. That would require AHCI (which I doubt would work) or some pixi dust in the PCMCIA layer to generate events for the attach/detach (which I assume is what Linux does).

I had the idea to use one of those cards for the system and the rest of the disc as /home, but first checks using dd showed bad transfer rates and even transfer errors. No idea where they came from, I did not investigate, so your mileage may vary.


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## vermaden (Mar 20, 2013)

Thanks for suggestion, I will try to boot with the card inside.


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## Crivens (Mar 20, 2013)

I was close to use a glue gun on the part to make sure it will not come off by accident, but then it did not work out for me. If you want to use it as zfs cache or boot medium, that would not be a problem, would it?


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## vermaden (Mar 20, 2013)

Booting with the card inside does not helps 

```
# dmesg | grep pccard
ata0: <PQI 512MB> at port 0x10c0-0x10cf irq 19 function 0 config 1 on pccard0
```


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## Crivens (Mar 20, 2013)

Maybe a grep for ata0 would show more?
What is present in /dev?


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