How to connect a PCMCIA card to a laptop with only USB ports

adapterpcmciausb

I have several older PCMCIA cards I use on my desktop for data acquisition (Vector Informatik, in the automotive industry). For some tests in a climate chamber we normally use laptops, but the more modern laptops do not come with PCMCIA slots, not even as an option.
Is it at all possible to have an external "drive" offering a PCMCIA slot, connected to my laptop by USB? I'm not talking about memory cards, I found those solutions on several websites, but a connection of a PCMCIA slot using a USB cable is apparently a rare request.
Any pointers are appreciated, as is a description why this isn't possible or feasible.

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Is it at all possible to have an external "drive" offering a PCMCIA slot, connected to my laptop by USB?

No. It is flatly not possible.

A PCMCIA slot - rather a CardBus slot in more recent laptops, although CardBus slots will take PCMCIA cards - is basically a PCI slot in compact, hot-pluggable form. You can have a USB controller that's a PCMCIA device (i.e. plugs into a PCMCIA slot), but you can't implement a PCMCIA slot with a USB device. (PCMCIA is older, and it's actually ISA-like rather than PCI, but the same principles apply.)

A device plugged into a CardBus slot has direct access (via DMA) to the host's RAM. And CardBus devices can be directly addressed as "memory" in the address space of the host CPU. (This is not at all the same thing as a "USB memory" stick; or an SD card, or the like; the "memory" in such devices does not appear in the host CPU's physical address space.)

These capabilities cannot be implemented in a USB device (i.e. a device plugged into a USB port). USB doesn't have any way for devices to do those things. Those concepts just don't exist on USB. There's not even any way in the USB protocol to ask for them. It would be like trying to use a can opener to wash the dog.

As you've noted, these slots are now obsolete, along with PCI. With PCI Express (PCIe) we have a new external slot called ExpressCard. What you need to do is find an ExpressCard equivalent for the PCMCIA (or maybe CardBus) card you used to use, and buy a laptop with an ExpressCard slot.

Either that, or buy old laptops on eBay or similar and keep using your existing cards.

Related Solutions

How to setup PCMCIA card/socket services in DOS

Cardsoft Services

download and install the following program and copy all files to formatted floppy then follow these instructions

   1.  Boot to a DOS Prompt (C:\) and insert the PCMCIA or XP-PCM diskette into drive A:.
   2. Type A: and press Enter.
   3. Type Install and press Enter.
   4. You will be given a prompt to press Esc to quit or any other key to continue. Press Enter to continue.
   5. A menu of four choices will appear. First Time Install will be highlighted in gray. Press Enter to select this option.
   6. You will be given a new menu, with Standard Installation highlighted in gray. Press Enter to select this option.
   7. The installation will ask how many PCMCIA Sockets are in your system. Press the down arrow key to highlight the number 2. Press Enter.
   8. Press Enter to select Drive C: as the destination drive.
   9. Press Enter to accept \CARDSOFT as the directory for installation and press Enter once more to confirm this selection.
  10. Once the installation finishes copying files to your hard drive, it will ask to modify your CONFIG.SYS file. Press Enter to accept this and then press Enter again to confirm the process.
  11. You will be prompted to press Esc to continue or any other key to continue. Press Enter to continue.
  12. Again, you will be prompted to press Esc to continue or any other key to continue. Press Enter to continue.
  13. It will prompt you to remove any PC Cards presently in the system. Remove any cards in the unit and press Enter to continue.
  14. You will see a message that Card Services Allocation Utility has completed. Press Enter and then press Enter again to exit to DOS.
  15. The installation will place you in C:\CARDSOFT. Type CD \ and then press Enter.
  16. Type edit config.sys and press Enter.
  17. Locate the line that reads either: device=c:\dos\emm386.exe noems or device=c:\windows\emm386.exe noems
  18. Make this line end as follows: noems x=d000-dfff (three zeros not the letter O)
  19. Use the down arrow key to scroll down until you find the line that reads: REM CardSoft (TM) 3.1 PCMCIA DRIVERS
  20. The following 4 lines are necessary for the PCMCIA slots to work. Delete any extra lines that are in this section:
      DEVICEHIGH=C:\CARDSOFT\SSVADEM.EXE
      DEVICEHIGH=C:\CARDSOFT\CS.EXE
      DEVICEHIGH=C:\CARDSOFT\CSALLOC.EXE
      DEVICEHIGH=C:\CARDSOFT\CARDID.EXE
  21. Press the Alt key then F. Choose Save and press Enter.
  22. Press the Alt key then F. Choose Exit and press Enter.
  23. You will be returned to a C:\ Prompt. Shut the system down with the power switch and eject the diskette from the floppy drive.
  24. Wait 10 seconds and power the unit up normally. You will see the lines for PCMCIA support load as the unit boots.

http://www.winbookcorp.com/_technote/WBTA01030641.htm

and you should be on your way...

as well if your having problems with the installation of your cardservices and socket services just change the DEVICEHIGH=C:\CARDSOFT\SSVADEM.EXE files to other ones in the cardsoft directory (prefix "SS" stands for Socket Services and "CS" stands for Card Services)

this took me a good half a week to implement because information on this problem is so rare hope it helps you out!

USB to PCMCIA adapter

I have looked for similar device and found some listed here Adapters. One issue we have found is that some cards have issue with the adapter and do not read properly. Mostly older 16 bit cards not cardbus

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How to setup PCMCIA card/socket services in DOS

USB to PCMCIA adapter

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