Neuros Technology Forums

From Hitachi.....


It has come to our attention that many others selling on eBay are offering bare 4GB Hitachi Microdrives that were actually removed from OEM equipment such as the Creative 4GB Muvo2, Samsung's 4GB YEPP or pre-release versions of Apple's mini-ipod. The version of the Hitachi 4GB Microdrive found in these OEM devices is NOT generic and these modified drives will NOT reliably work in most other CF based equipment despite the claims of these sellers. The reason for this is that many OEMs using Hitachi 4GB drives in their products are doing so with proprietary firmware written to their specialized OEM hardware implementation . In the case of Creative's Muvo2 product it not only has proprietary firmware, but it also uses a different CF connector pin out and operating voltage than the CF industry standard supports. Any unknowing buyer who purchases and uses one of these hybrid Muvo2/Hitachi 4G microdrives in their CF equipment for prolonged periods of time will destroy both the Hitachi 4GB drive and their CF based equipment. For other OEMs using proprietary firmware in their Hitachi 4Gb Microdrives, you will experience intermittent read/write problems if you use their hybrid 4GB Microdrive in other CF devices. If buying elsewhere on eBay, please be sure to ask the seller the origin of their 4GB Hitachi Microdrive before buying or you may be making a costly mistake! In contrast, all our Hitachi Microdrives are guaranteed fresh OEM product direct from Hitachi and have not been modified in any way from the Hitachi supplied specifications stated below. If you have any doubts about our special OEM warning statement above feel fee to contact us and we will gladly provide legitimate buyers with our Hitachi OEM reseller ID so you can call Hitachi OEM and verify our statement as well as our reseller status or you can contact Hitachi Storage Technologies OEM directly @ 1-800-801-4618 to verify anything we have stated in our warning statement above. Buying a OEM drive removed from any of the OEM equipment stated with proprietary firmware will ruin your Hitachi Microdrive as well as CF based equipment.

Ex-Navy

Read FJ's comment about Datatel's 4GB microdrive (and it works)
You can purchase a cheap CF to IDE (3.5inch)adaptor that fits in the front of your PC. It is installed just like another hard drive with the CF slot in the front of the pc.

You can see here:

http://www.logicsupply.com/default.php/cPath/47_67?referrer=googleAd

Be wary of cheaper Microdrives. Even if it is a Hitachi brand.
Alot of the microdrives offered (very cheap) are ones that are removed from mass produced OEM MP3 players. The Creative Nomad 4GB MuVo2 is an example. It was cheaper to buy the Nomad for its 4GB microdrive then it was to buy a drive.
The problem with this situation is that the microdrive has been purposely disabled for ATA mode and only works in True IDE mode. It will not be recognized in alot of other portable digital devices.

Ex-Navy

So if I use your recorder on a bus, motocross, mountain bike, skateboard, train, subway, car, airplane, my warranty is void??

God, what have I been doing...............




Ex-Navy

Download a sample at www.olson-engineering.com under the Neuros link.

More video samples to come.

Video is from a Sony colour bullet cam at 480tv lines

Ex-Navy

Jack problem into the Neuros. New jacks, take a small piece of sandpaper and lightly sand the cable jacks. Just to dull the shine a bit. The rubber diaphrams on the tips will usually prevent the jacks from inserting properly. As you put in and remove several times, these will wear and seat properly.

Ex-Navy

Page 89 of http://www.compactflash.org/cfspc3_0.pdf

the specs for CF1ⅈ tell how to disable the True IDE mode

[8D]

Ex-Navy

More interesting news: Manufacturers of microdrives purposely disable  them..................from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microdrive

Maybe you guys are getting these microdrives..........

    * Microdrives are found in the recently discontinued iPod mini and Zen Micro mp3 players, among others. Companies making such players order the Microdrives in large quantities, which can mean that it is cheaper to buy a mp3 player with an integrated Microdrive than a separate Microdrive to add to an expandable mp3 player. An example is the Creative MuVo; many of these were bought up by those interested in purchasing a Microdrive and stripped for their Microdrive which was then replaced by a lower capacity CompactFlash card.

    * When combined with a PCMCIA adaptor and used in a laptop Microdrives can be a viable alternative to USB flash memory sticks purely due to their price. The use of Microdrives over chip-based CF cards is unlikely to make any notable difference to the battery life of the laptop, and any impact that would damage the Microdrive is likely to break other components of the laptop as well. However these cannot devices cannot be used with ordinary desktop PC's unless they are fitted with PCI PCMCIA adaptors or CF card readers.

Sometimes when a device with an integrated Microdrive stops working the device is taken apart and stripped of its Microdrive, which is then sold on. Unfortunately Microdrives taken from such devices may not work in digital cameras. The device must be accessed using ATA mode and therefore such drives do not fetch anywhere near as much as CF-enabled Microdrives as they cannot be used in devices that do not support ATA mode.

Ex-Navy

For the developers at Neuros,
Maybe this link might help solve the problem;

http://www.tjotala.com/hardware/storagebrick/#Software

Ex-Navy

For the guys with the microdrive problems, and you have a access to a multimeter, if you can, take a sewing needle and gently insert it into pin 9 of the microdrive connector.
Measure the resistance between the needle and the casing of the microdrive.
If pin 9 shows a resistance of around 1.5k ohms, the drive maybe disabled in CF mode. IDE drives do not work in PCMCIA slots as PCMCIA only uses ATA disks. This is disabled by the manufacturer.
Another way is to get an microdrive to IDE adaptor for your pc.
Connect it as a regular hard drive. If it works, then it is strapped to be an IDE drive, nothing more.




Ex-Navy

You could be right. A good example is the PDA market. Depending upon the type of processor used in a PDA there is a different ATADSK.DLL used to recognize processor/microdrive combinations.

Hitachi has different utilities to install the ATADSK.DLL for MIPS, SA1100 processors running Windows CE for instance.

I think if Neuros staff have tested a Hitachi to 6GB, then I would stick to the Hitachi brand. Probably a firmware issue.

quote:Originally posted by cyt0plas(at)gmail.com

I'm going to take a stab at this:

Microdrives tend to come in two styles - ATA/IDE and IDE.  When you buy a standard microdrive, it's the ATA/IDE style, which lets you use it in a CF-IDE adapter, or on a CF-PCMICA (ATA) adapter.

Some devices (MP3 players, etc) have a 4GB microdrive in them, and are sold for less than the cost of the bare drive.  To avoid people using them as memory cards, the OEM can cripple the card, and make it only support IDE mode.

So, if you have an IDE-Only drive, it won't work in a PCMCIA adapter, or devices that are based off the ATA standard.  Sorry.

Ex-Navy

We just built a unit, not with S video, remote is to be the control panel, inside weatherproof housing, 80GB HD, USB, alarm inputs, up to 4 video in, download the video from it and convert the files to SVD, DVD using CUCUSOFT converter.

quote:Originally posted by Merickson

I do audio/video for a public agency and I’m testing the NR2 for our public meetings. Right now we record audio to digital mp3 format and video(w audio) to big ol’ VHS tapes.  The NR2 could work to record and store these (many) meetings in digital video format for public record.  
What I’d like to see:
-A more robust unit with dedicated A/V ports, possible s-video, and user controls on the front.
-Switch-able formats (avi-wmv?) might be a lot to ask.
-Time-lapse: Our construction projects need TL recorders in rough conditions.  A 12 volt battery adapter and a firmware change could open the NR2 up to a whole new market.
-An easy way to move mp4files to playable DVDs.
Anyway, those are my thoughts.



me

Ex-Navy

Walt,
Your primary problem would appear that your Sony VTR has a mic preamp built into the mic input circuit.  You most likely will need a amplifier (known as a mic preamplifier) to boost any microphone audio(electret, dynamic, powered or not) to line level for the Neuros.
Your audio levels from your current mics are insufficient to drive the audio input circuits of the recorder. A quick fix is to buy a battery powered mic (cheap) one with a 30 day return policy on it. Try it, if it works keep the mic. If it does not, return it.

quote:Originally posted by waltz

I have just taken delivery on a Neuros MPEG4 Recorder 2 and wish to use it in my race car.  It will be taking the place of a Sony VTR.  In testing, the video works perfectly with my Sony 480-line High Resolution Bullet Camera.  

But I cannot get either of my microphones to record.  One is a 600 ohm dynamic, and the other is a "Super Hi-Gain Mini Microphone" according to the catalog description.  It is sold for use with a Sony VTR and worked fine.  

Any help would be appreciated.  I will be leaving for a race event day after tomorrow.

edit: In the above post, I forgot to mention that the Recorder 2 records sound from the TV perfectly so I think it is not the fault of the the recorder.

I meant to say that the "Hi Gain Mic" worked perfectly with the Sony VTR.

Walt

Walt  waltz@satx.rr.com

[8D]

Ex-Navy

5 volts + at center
The unit will draw up to 1 amp (1000ma) when recording.

This will keep the battery charged.

[8D][8D][8D]

Ex-Navy

Need a custom display for remote applications using the MPEG4 recorder??
We have qty (4) of 4 inch TFT colour displays. Units are weatherproof, compact and new. Complete with RCA audio in (L&R;) video in, 12 volt adapator, power on, volume, brigthness.
Email for pics and info

info@wildlifeperimeters.com

Ex-Navy

Dave,
Sorry but I always refer to the wrong Neuros products in the wrong forum. I can never remember which forum I am in. I referred to the recorder saving to SD which in fact is wrong. Either CF or Duo.

Screens for 12 volt systems are available here (You can use it for other applications too)

http://www.accele.com/accele2/Housed_LCDs.htm


Also, your question about power via 12 volt (car system). I have been working with an engineering company who has developed a cool voltage regulator system. About the size of a 25 cent piece, it will deliver 2  amps out (max) and you can dial up whatever voltage you want.
For example, imagine you have 4 old (AA batteries) at home, not enough juice to run the 442 or MPEG??? Now you can. Put the AA's in a holder, turn a dial until it reads 5 volts, connect the right power adaptor to the output (+ center) and you have an adjustable Neuros battery pack.
We are working on the casing so it is easy to put in your pocket.

Coming soon!

Ex-Navy