"Out of the ordinary" PC Card / PCMCIA cards to use in 2025?

Discussion in 'Mobile and Portable' started by itsmemario1, Jun 6, 2025.

  1. itsmemario1

    itsmemario1 MDL Expert

    Sep 10, 2012
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    I unearthed my Panasonic Toughbook CF-19 Mk.III, added 8GB of ram and a SSD, to install Windows 11.

    I added a PCIe Card to add USB 3.0 to it and now I wonder what kind of freaky PCMCIA cards might be still out ther that might add some nerdy features to the toughbook

    I do already have a PCMCIA Card with FireWirePorts and a PCMCIA Modem as well as a 32GB-flash drive in CF format and a IBM microdrive. The Toughbook does have a SD-Card reader.

    Ive found expensive PCMCIA to VGA adapters, but I cant seem to find some kind of list or "nerdy blog" regarding such cards. Maybe you have something "out of the ordinary" in terms of PC Card / PCMCIA cards, that would add some "freaky" things to a laptop? :)
     
  2. Sajjo

    Sajjo MDL Member

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    Highly proprietary can be discussed... :) they floats around on Ebay
    s-l1600.jpg

    SD496 is the internal name - used in a system developed by Skidata.
    Used with arcnet, this pci card was later replaced with ethernet in what Skidata would name Parking Logic.
     
  3. itsmemario1

    itsmemario1 MDL Expert

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    SCSI :D

    I also slightly remember SKIDATA from back in the days.

    Also on my 1st 8086 computer, with a 20 megabyte MFM Seagate HDD, at some point I remember (having to use) using the tool "park.com" to park the HDD head.
    Some SANYO OS...later DOS 3, or 5...long time ago.

    Anyway, thanks for sharing that, I already found out that eBay is flooded with Adaptec SlimSCSI cards! =)
     
  4. Sajjo

    Sajjo MDL Member

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  5. itsmemario1

    itsmemario1 MDL Expert

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    Sitting here on a hot tuesday evening, watching a 40 minute video about someones PCMCIA collection! =D

    Thank you so much!
    From ZIP Adaptec via Omnibook cards and even SoundBlasters, simple DEMO cards to fancy Intel Ethernet Adapters and the IOMEGA Clik! drive
    I already purchased some for experimenting!
     
  6. itsmemario1

    itsmemario1 MDL Expert

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    That Token Ring CardBus Adapter I am also looking into.

    I always had Desktop/Tower PCs back in the days and never really had contact with PCMCIA cards.

    The SoundBlaster alone is hillarious and worth a purchase.

    I also found Panasonic and Mitsubishi PCMCIA SRAM Cards that are/were used to read out slot machines by Merkur, to store that data.

    upload_2025-7-2_12-27-29.png
     
  7. ExtremelyFancyUsername

    Oct 17, 2018
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    CF-19 mentioned. Still have a 19 Mk7 for legacy purposes and because I like the form factor far more than my 33.
     
  8. Sajjo

    Sajjo MDL Member

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  9. itsmemario1

    itsmemario1 MDL Expert

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    #12 itsmemario1, Jul 3, 2025
    Last edited: Jul 3, 2025
    (OP)
    Found my old LAN + BNC PCMCIA Adapter.
    (and hooray at the gaming port joystick adapter up there. I think my old SoundBlaster Card had that port as well)

    upload_2025-7-3_17-54-38.jpeg
     
  10. Sajjo

    Sajjo MDL Member

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    Yap, I think retro gamers on lap tops find them very useful. I dunno how they work in pure DOS and overall compatibility thoe.

    Since you drag out your collection, here is mine. I'm not a collector btw but if i have a "case" i like to dive into i buy whatever needed if availability and price is "sober" :)
    A firewire and wi-fi, they followed with a purchase when i bought my Compaq EVO n620c
    IMG_0831.JPG.jpg
    IMG_0832.JPG.jpg

    :D the wi-fi card plastic head is a little loosey-goosey so i will dismantle and tighten the metal chassis back to what it once was, and some soft cleaning with tempered water and mild soap :good3:
    (i think i'll stay away from the IPA)

    1-2 years back i bought 2 of these for some legacy programming, boxed and sealed NOS, some of the content layed out. I got them cheap, ~ $30 us for both.

    IMG_0827.JPG.jpg
    IMG_0828.JPG.jpg

    They performed well, programmable ofc but they was not fully compatible? with what i had in mind so i bought the state of the art (Big brother) as well. That solved my "interest" :D

    IMG_0834.JPG.jpg
    The bottom is used but in pretty much prestine condition, the top one boxed and sealed NOS.
    The top one is plug'n play (by flashed software revision), bottom is more "manual" but both can be flashed to same level. Off topic.

    I may never use these again... but you never know.
    They will for sure be taken good care of anyway.

    :)
     
  11. itsmemario1

    itsmemario1 MDL Expert

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    #14 itsmemario1, Jul 4, 2025
    Last edited: Jul 4, 2025
    (OP)
    USRobotics Sportster, Courier. Clean V.34 Modems inside of a PCMCIA card. Great! :D


    There are various bluetooth cards out there

    upload_2025-7-4_1-56-23.jpeg upload_2025-7-4_1-56-32.jpeg upload_2025-7-4_1-56-49.jpeg upload_2025-7-4_1-58-16.jpeg upload_2025-7-4_1-58-35.jpeg upload_2025-7-4_1-58-57.jpeg upload_2025-7-4_1-59-13.jpeg


    and GPRS (Globetrotter) cards:
    upload_2025-7-4_1-57-16.jpeg
     
  12. Sajjo

    Sajjo MDL Member

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    A cool card would be the "bespoke CA card" used to service McLaren F1.
    But that would also mean i had to buy a F1 :eek:

    :D

    (it would be cool to see a picture of that card :) )
     
  13. itsmemario1

    itsmemario1 MDL Expert

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  14. Sajjo

    Sajjo MDL Member

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    Sidenote:
    I've seen those pic's... is that real (in McLaren context)?

    That Compaq seems like, looking at wear and tear, original... but the lcd is 12.1" (Compaq LTE 5300, 5380 or 5400 only)
    If McLaren hoarded Compaq LTE 5280 only that would suggest that pc hw was part of the security dongle emulation...?

    Compaq LTE 5280 was unique in this series with 11.3" active matrix lcd
    Soo... is this just a hype that McLaren was locked to the LTE 5280 only...
     
  15. Rocco Will

    Rocco Will MDL Novice

    Jun 30, 2025
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    Ever thought about adding a PCMCIA GPS....just for fun? :D
     
  16. Sajjo

    Sajjo MDL Member

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    Something like this - Etak ET-GPS1 PCMCIA GPS adapter

    etak-gps-antenna-receiver-1_21920171933244430605.jpg
    etak-gps-antenna-receiver-1_21920171933247711605.jpg
     
  17. itsmemario1

    itsmemario1 MDL Expert

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    #20 itsmemario1, Jul 9, 2025
    Last edited: Jul 13, 2025
    (OP)
    Havent thought about GPS, at all, as the CF-19 has a SIM-Card Slot already. But thanks! :D

    Havent read that article again, but yes, I think it said it was related to the "exact" Laptop model.

    With some tinkering the "hi-res" DOS Screen is close to looking like:

    SM-121 Startup V1.2W Copyright (c) 1999 Inc fleetmenus Systems
    System Monitor Version
    SM 5.2 13.10.04 20:01
    SM 5-171 13.10.04 20:07
    etc.

    TAG GCU nad MCU in the Configuration Name to the right

    Sound pretty much like cars.