gc-forever - Gamecube/Wii Forums

I'm no hater, but what's the advantage to using an IDE-EXI as opposed to an SD card with an SDGecko?

HDD = more space & cheaper

updated first post...

Very exciting Megalo!

It's a realy beautyful and amazing work.

son of a ... !!! looks amazing, i like the new style!

i finally got my hands on the cases today.
i was sent 5 samples to review and determine if i wanted to go forward with production...





so it was time to put these cases to the test...


drop test:
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i would assume the most likely cause of accidental damage that can happen to any of us is from a fall.
i chose a case at random and dropped it several times from about 5ft (1.5m) onto bare concrete. No shatters, no chips. So these cases survived an accidental fall, but what about the typical fit of outrage when you or someone gets pissed and starts throwing shit?? I then threw the case about 15ft (4.5m) up in the air to land on bare concrete...still no damage, just a bit of scuffs if anything.


step test:
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We all accidentally step on something valuable and breaking it beyond repair...
with a typical mild walk over the case, i heard a little noise under weight but no structural damage was seen...i would guess a stomp will indeed crack it, but accidental step seems to not cause any notable damage...


after giving the case a little bit of abuse, time to move onto other testing...


ide-exi fitment test:
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the ide-exi boards i designed seem to fit into the case using just a little bit of effort to ensure it is aligned properly, but once it has that initial insertion, the boards seem to be easy to remove and reinsert thereafter. I tried shaking the board loose out of the case and it would not come out so it seems to stay in nice and snug...trying to remove the ide cable from the board may pull the board out of the case, but thats not such a major issue since the case is really only for protection of the ide-exi board and for properly alignment into the card slot.



slot test / wiggle test:
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with the hard drive running connected to the ide-exi, and during gameplay with the activity led blinking (cutscene) i attempted to wiggle the case within the slot to see if i could break data transmission. I did not bother to pull out the case because we know that will break data transmission....so instead i chose to wiggle...
it seems the cases fit in nice but not tight. there is enough wiggle room to allow the case to be removed properly from the memory slot with no damage, but the wiggle room does not break data transmission which is the important aspect here..


final thoughts:
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for a homemade case on an amateur 3D printer, not too bad at all...
It certainly appears while these cases may not look strong, appearances are indeed deceiving because they seem to be able to hold up to some abuse. since the case is black i wondered about the led activity light...it can be seen as a faint glow thru the case which in my opinion, is a good thing. its not a distracting blink, but can be seen for troubleshooting when required...
an SD card can fit in the next slot as seen in the photo above and the overall length of the device is the same length of sd gecko with an sd card in it..
The shrouded ide header does help to ensure less of a chance of bent pins and the case allows a firm grip to hold the device while pulling the cable....
unlike other cases, sdgecko, usbgecko, action replay memcard, and official memory cards, this case is one whole piece, not an upper and lower piece held together by screws or peg legs...although i originally submitted the designs for a two piece case, the "manufacturer" found this could be constructed as one piece which would allow greater strength and integrity...i was a bit skeptical of his design changes, but now that i have them on hand, im happy with his decision and minor design changes...


i think its time to move forward and get these cases made..

excellent work megalomaniac

I thought it was going to be much bigger, Glad to see that its that small

really, i could have made it a lot smaller...a lot....

but there are certain aspects which cannot be changed, for example, the 40pin connector is a fixed size...
and the length of the device itself needs to be a certain length to properly fit into the slot and clear the slot...
if it were not for these factors, i could have made it the size of an SD card

@least one question:
Why not one with a SATA?

it all comes down to costs...

sata was an option that was looked and considered..
problem is, if you looak at any ide to sata board, you will see there is at least 40 components on it...


then when you consider the cost to buy a ready to use adapter on ebay is 3$...
then when you consider the cost to add the additional sata circuitry is minimum 25$ each due to all the different components it requires...whats better?
buying an ide-exi for 25$ + 3$ premade ide-sata adapter??
or a 50$ - 75$ sata-exi??

I had been helping with the case design from the initial stages. All of the "clamshell" versions felt a bit... soft, on the top half. The early prototypes I have here would not survive being walked/stepped on.

As for the SATA option I agree with MegaIO 100%. Though I think we should group together and make a forum post that lists what SATA-PATA adapters work, and which of them wont. Perhaps define the chipset used, cost, and source. I have come across issues with cheap china adapters that worked on a PC but not in an Xbox 1 (or some other unusual use).

MegalOmaniac, what about the white ones? Can you see the LEDs a bit more through the case? I cant wait to get mine, so hurry your ass up and ship it! ;}

that cheap adapters dont work in the xbox is easy to explain. the xbox is to fast with initializing the hdd. when you put in a adapter which has delay times when booting up the xbox you get an error that the dashboard couldnt be found.

this problem you wont have with the ide exi, because the ide exi only works when its in the memorycard slot, the power is already on and you selected your boot device in swiss.

YEAH!
I understand - BUT:
There are differences betwen SATA Adapters and SATA Adapters!
I checked different Version and all i can say: the cheaper the slower.

The Best and fastest have MARVELL Chipsets.
Maybe this is usefull for any who wants some...

the first batch of cases had finally arrived last week and i was excited to put add this IDE-EXI project or sale...
i posted the first group of 15...it was only a small order since we had to order more plastic stuff from china, but the guy had just enough plastic available to make these first few....

i tested a few and all looked good....
then a few days later i finally managed to test the rest and ran into a challenge with getting data to display...
after a little bit of troubleshooting i got enough test data so sit back and let it soak in while i analyze the issue...
so i put this on hold for a few days, drank some beer and remembered about the SD GECKO that was giving me the same problem....

anyone remember this pic?


so a couple of layers of tape later and the problem is solved....
the cases that were giving me a few issues are now fully working...


I thought a little bit about changing the design just a bit to add thickness to help raise the board, but most of the cases did not require it....there were only a few cases found that need the tape to raise the board to make proper contact...and then what would happen to the next batch using a different thicknesses? would the cases then be too thick?
seeing as how i have been using the same tape in my SD Gecko for years and never had to mess with it ever again ever since the initial tap mod was performed, this should also be a nice permanent solution for these ide-exi cases too ( only for the few that need it )



if anything, at least everyone will know each ide-exi has been quality tested....

Those are great news mega
Cannot wait to test mine

btw....just to add....
any " blue tape's " will not be shipped to anyone unless confirmed with the buyer first....
i will try to hold any blue tapes till the end...

thanks for the updates mega

and well done

Probably mentioned earlier, but no chance SATA code can be written for the Xilinx?

a sata adapter is only 2$ free shipping on ebay

True, but it would make a very small adapter, unless there still had to be applied additional components.

It has already been explained. high costs.

Are any of these still available? I'd really like one.

check megalomaniac's sale thread in the marketplace

How much are these worth. I may sell mine for the right price. I really would like a WODE for my GC instead.