How to get USB3 devices connected to a T61p with 54mm PCMCIA

[DNL]

How can I get usb 3 on my t61p? I have a PCMCIA 54 mm slot on the left side of my computer. I bought a "54mm" USB expresscard usb3 adapter made by Startech from Walmart.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Startech.com- ... iewedItems

Alhough it starts to slip into the slot it doesn't really fit, it doesn't have the same form factor surrounding the pins. It seems like it is not really meant for a 54mm slot but for an express slot. Why call it a 54mm card?

Others on this site seem to have successfully inserted similar cards into the PCMCIA slot and have been able to connect USB3 devices.

Second question: Some here on the forum say that I can't get USB3 speed. Is this true? Am I just as well off to hook up the usb capable deviced to a usb 2 slot? CanhI at least get something faster than 2, if not full 3 speed?

[automobus]

How can I get usb 3 on my t61p?

Use Advanced Dock and a certified compliant USB, PCIe card.

I bought a "54mm" USB expresscard usb3 adapter made by Startech from Walmart.

I doubt Startech made it. Anyway, does what you have match the stock photo?

Why call it a 54mm card?

Because 54mm ExpressCard, is what it is. Not every socket accepts 54mm cards.

Can I at least get something faster than 2, if not full 3 speed?

High Speed is significantly faster than Full Speed. And one really nice thing about USB 2.0, is how multiple hubs and multiple Transaction Translators can share the bus with almost no performance loss. I wish 2.0 devices could be grafted onto SuperSpeed bus.

[twistero]

You can certainly use the ExpressCard you bought in your T61p if you actually have an ExpressCard slot. ExpressCard is not PCMCIA (technically PC Card or CardBus card; PCMCIA is the name of the organization, not the card or technology.)

Depending on configuration, you can have:

1. PC Card slot + ExpressCard slot;
2. PC Card slot + smartcard reader; or
3. PC Card slot + multi (flash memory) card reader

in a T61(p).

[dr_st]

I think if you have (2) or (3) you can remove the reader (which is just a device in an ExpressCard slot) and gain access to the native ExpressCard slot (1). You may need to open the frame/replace some plastic components, but I don't think you'll need a whole new motherboard. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong.

[Medessec]

I think if you have (2) or (3) you can remove the reader (which is just a device in an ExpressCard slot) and gain access to the native ExpressCard slot (1). You may need to open the frame/replace some plastic components, but I don't think you'll need a whole new motherboard. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong.

I think you are... in the T61 the bottom slot has the different options, and the Smart Card reader and multi-card deck has a different PCB than the CardBus/ExpressCard assembly.

After checking with the parts I have on hand (a Frankenpad conversion kit I got from TuuS), on the ExpressCard option, the Expresscard slot is in the top, and the CardBus slot is in the bottom. Shine a flashlight in it, you should see the difference. ExpressCard has a newer, offset small interface, CardBus takes the whole width and looks like IDE, with all the tiny pins. On the Smartcard option, the top is CardBus, and the bottom is a really slim slot with plastic angled pieces against a PCB to funnel the SmartCard in. I'm not sure what the media-card option looks like.

When they talk about 54mm ExpressCard, that's to distinguish it from the 34mm ExpressCard, where the chunk outermost from the device away from the interface that makes it "L-shaped", is "removed" in favor of making a simpler, slim ExpressCard.

Here's a picture that shows the comparison: http://www.amtron.com/service/expressca ... nsions.jpg

A 34mm ExpressCard device will work in both 34mm and 54mm ExpressCard slots, because it uses the same interface, it just doesn't have the extra chunk on it that makes it 54mm wide at the outside. But a 54mm device will NOT work in a 34mm slot, because... obviously, it won't fit (without horrific modification). I imagine the reason they have the 54mm variant is to streamline production between CardBus and ExpressCard interfacing devices and units.

Use Advanced Dock and a certified compliant USB, PCIe card.

This is the 100% best solution, and does mean you can get a pretty good card too... with like, 5 USB ports on it, and they'll all operate at full speed. However... this does require said Advanced Dock, which... doesn't go anywhere, and isn't cheap. A USB 3.0 card won't be too expensive, but he'll still have to buy one, and install it. It's quite an impractical solution when compared to an ExpressCard device, even if you don't get full 3.0 speed on it.

[jcvjcvjcvjcv]

That's why I made sure my T61 was the one with an Expresscard slot. I would have opted for the card reader if it would come instead of the ancient PCMCIA slot, but alas.

Funny enough the T61 that do have Expresscard (and X220 to name an even funnier one), have the 54mm version. The W520 only has the 34mm version.

As for full speed on the dock with a PCIe card... I don't think so. Isn't that a PCI express x1 version 1.0 with 250 MB/s? USB 3.0 is in theory 625 MB/s. Not that you'll ever get close to that.

[DeDragonSlayer]

Last Thursday evening I upgraded my T61p to an ExpressCard slot, exactly in order to be able to stick in a USB 3.0 card. Originally I had a single PCMCIA slot and a SmartCard reader.

Yes, the cages are totally different, and you need to totally dismantle your Thinkpad, because the only way to do it is by completely removing the motherboard from the structure frame. You also need a different plastic flap from the donor computer. I believe both the cage and the flap are identical between the 15 and 14 inch versions. Once you remove the motherboard, the rest is just plug and play. It's quite tricky to transplant the flaps without breaking anything; it might be better to simply reuse the whole plastic bottom from the donor, if both the Thinkpads had the same screen size.

As to the USB 3.0 express card, I bought a 3-port device made by AKE, since the 2-port jobs usually have a power jack in between the ports. I figured I would probably never in my life use external power (not very portable), so it would be just wasted space. The 3-port card is based on a Fresco FL1100 controller. I got the newest drivers directly from their webpage. The card works without any problems, however it does not supply enough power to my external HDD enclosure (which works flawlessly when plugged into a standard Thinkpad USB 2.0 port). So I ordered a Y cable (USB 3.0), which should take care of the power problem.

[dr_st]

Yeah, that does bring up memories. Now I remember it clearly. You don't need a new board, but since you need to basically disassemble the old board, and everything else, it is small consolation. Thanks for the correction.

Regarding PCIe 1.0 vs 2.0 - it does make some difference on USB 3.0 performance, depending on the card (controller chip) used and the drive itself, of course. But even with PCIe 1.0, the boost over USB 2.0 speeds is huge and every bit worth it. You can read more in my thread here:
http://www.thinkpads.com/forum/viewtopi ... 8&t=110163

In any case, any PCIe solution in T61 is going to be 1.0, whether ExpressCard or PCIe via Advanced Dock, because that's what the chipset itself has.

[DeDragonSlayer]

Thanks for the link. A very interesting reading, especially since I just hopped onto the the express card bandwagon.

[Medessec]

ExpressCard is far more worthwhile to have... especially since you can get a SmartCard device.

And indeed- it is kinda a downer that PCIe 2.0 isn't in the books with the T61. But at least you can experience the USB 3.0 speeds a little bit. Fully agree that a device should be installed.

[dr_st]

And indeed- it is kinda a downer that PCIe 2.0 isn't in the books with the T61. But at least you can experience the USB 3.0 speeds a little bit.

Much more than a little bit.