OK here we go, I just got my Microsystems PCD50 SCSI card reader in the mail yesterday and put it in my ESi2000.
Does it work? Yes. Yes it does. It works brilliantly!
It doesn't seem to suffer the issues that the PCD47 has in the ESi - like only being able to load small samples/banks, and if you do load a larger one >1MB on the PCD47 it corrupts everything (although this still may be caused by other things like the card brand used).
Not the PCD50. I loaded a 15MB bank I made into it and loaded it back and everything played perfectly.
BUT!!!! Here was the catch with the PCD50:
The ESi2000/4000 can only see 1 card slot - the PCMCIA card slot.
The PCD50 is a multi-card reader (5 different cards). I messed about with jumper settings for a little while to see if I could get them to appear but I couldn't. I then read the manual for the PCD and it stated that the PCD50 is a LUN (Logical Unit number) based device (which I knew before buying it). The ESi2000/4000 are also LUN based devices, and so I thought that that might make them compatible and not have the issues of the PCD47 (the PCD47 is Device ID# based, not LUN based) and bought it on that basis.
After thinking about it during the night, I think I figured out why the ESi couldn't see the other slots. Here comes my theory about LUN's (I need to read up on this first really but I think it's correct):
Imagine a tree with 8 large branches off the trunk. The trunk is the SCSI main data pipeline.
The 8 branches are the LUN's.
Off each LUN there is up to 8 small branches (or 15 in certain circumstances). These are the Hard drive Device numbers. So each LUN can have up to 15 (but normally only 8) hard drives or devices.
A LUN based device, such as the ESi samplers, has a LUN ID#.
It also has 8 (or 15) device ID's for that LUN that it is set to - this is the SCSI drive ID# you set in the ESi.
The PCD50 is a LUN based device.
Slot #1 (the PCMCIA card slot) is set to LUN #1. (this is from the specs chart of the PCD50 manual)
Slot #2 (the CF card slot) is set to LUN #2.
Slot #3 (the SM card slot) is for LUN #3
and so on for the other cards.
Therein lies the problem. The ESI is set to LUN #1, so it can only see the card slot set to LUN 1. It is fixed at that LUN #1.
So what can we say about the PCD50 card reader and the ESI2000/4000?
You should consider the PCD50 as a single card reader for the purposes of the ESI samplers
So you can use a PCMCIA card with it, or a CF card and PCMCIA card adapter (which is what I am using). Or any number of adapters that will eventually take a certain card to a PCMCIA card should work. CF cards are cheap though, so you may as well just use them and the adapter.
So, unless you can change the LUN # of the Esi, then it won't be able to access the other card slots (There actually may be some jumpers on the Esi mainboard to do this - anyone know about this?). Or change the LUN # of the PCD's slots (there doesn't seem to be any jumpers to do this).
Would I recommend this card reader?
Let's look at it in comparison to other card setups for the ESi.
Firstly, the SCSI for Samplers card reader - the Spyrus MCDISK-2.
SCSI For Samplers no longer exists. You can buy the Spyrus MCDISK-2 off ebay from a shop brand new for $170. They're also getting scarce. It's only a single type card reader (it has 2 slots but they're both PCMCIA). It's proven to work on the ESi sampler.
Next, the PCD47 multi-card reader (3 cards). This IS a device #ID reader (unlike the PCD50).
It has had varying success (the EMUs on Acid forum discussed it at length), and some people have reported it doesn't load large samples or banks without corrupting them (there may be variables here though - like the card brand). Others claimed they could only get 2 card slots to appear on the ESi, or only 1 (again, possible user variation factors). Price: around $170
Now the PCD50.
Multi-card - but only single card in the ESi sampler. Works perfectly. No issues using a PCMCIA-to-CF card adapter and a Sandisk 128MB CF card. Loads large banks perfectly. Fast load time - at least as fast as an external SCSI hard drive. Available new: yes - price $129 from here:
http://www.psism.com/reader.htm#SCSI
You can go for any of these 2nd hand on ebay for any price but i wanted to compare new prices so that there was a definite place to buy these if people wanted them.
There are also other setups that people have done - like an ACARD SCSI to iDE bridge adapter, and then an IDE to CF adapter. Some have reported this working OK, others not.
In summary:
Yes, I would definitely recommend it - but consider it only a single card reader for the purposes of the Esi2000/4000/32. Looked at in that light with the other 2 card readers I mentioned - it is the cheapest of them all brand new, and it doesn't have the varying issues of the PCD47 with the ESi. You'll need a CF card and a CF to PCMCIA adapter card (readily available)
I actually picked mine up for $100 from an ebay shop.
He also has another one for sale for $100 here at the moment:
http://cgi.ebay.com/SCM-Microsystems-PC ... 7C294%3A50
With all of these SCSI card readers, you'll need to buy an internal 50pin SCSI ribbon cable to connect it internally to your ESi. You'll also need to make a power adapter for it to run off the ESi floppy drive power supply socket. Just find an old computer power supply with the floppy drive power lead and plug on it - it will be piggy-back attached to a normal hard drive power plug. Just cut off this hard drive-floppy drive connector cable together, so they're still joined together and it will fit directly into the card reader power socket and also into the floppy drive socket on the ESi circuit board.
With the PCD50, i found it was a vey long drive - longer physically than the floppy drive that it replaced. When you plug the power plug into its socket, it hits against the Esi internal power supply unit components - not a good thing. You can unscrew the whole ESI power supply unit and move it away slightly - drill some new holes in the casing bottom and remount it - easy.
You could, of course, mount it in an external case and external power supply and connect it to the Esi through the port at the back - this would save any mounting issues I mentioned, and you could also then use the card reader on the computer and you WOULD get all 5 card slots seen there.
I hope that helps someone going through the same journey as me. It felt like h**l at the time but now I look back it was easy, had I known what I know now - at least you all can start off knowing now!
I don't understand why this happen! the external ATaPi has his own power cord, I just connect the cable to the SCSI input and the thing does not power up.
but instead, a kit that makes no permanant modfications to your MPC and installs in about half an hour. You'll be crying tears of joy, just like this fellow.
