External CF Drive
The External CF Drive v2.0 is an external CF Card reader solution designed for use on the Apple II MicroDrive controller. The External CF Drive however is standard IDE so it can also be used on other Controllers or Platforms.
The project was conceived, created, and designed by Henry of ReActiveMicro and released for sale to the Apple II Community in early 2006.
Since the development of CF Card Mass Storage solutions like the MicroDrive, Focus Drive, and CFFA users have needed to open their Apple II systems in order to access their CF Cards. For most users this can be an inconvenience as many system setups have Drives and Monitors on them. Disconnection of peripherals and cables may also be required, adding to the time required. CF Card access is required when the user wishes to backup or transfer files between the Apple II and PC/Mac.
Project Status: v2.0 completed and released as of August 5th, 2017.
Support: Post on the Discussion page (link above) or email ReActiveMicro Support.
Sales: Visit the ReActiveMicro Store.
History
The External CF Drive project was released for sale to the Apple II Community in early 2006. As the name implies, the External CF Drive was designed to operate externally from the Apple II platform. It's essentially a CD Card Reader on a long IDE Cable within an External 3.5" Floppy Drive Enclosure.
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The External CF Drive from 2006
The External CF Drive was also produced for a short time in 2008 in an aluminum enclosure. Due to other business projects, slow sales, powered external floppy enclosures becoming harder to find, and the amount of labor needed to construct an External CF Drive sales were suspended at the end of 2008 till a better solution could be found.
In late March 2017 the project was reopened and development started once again. A lot had changed since the last time the External CF Drive was offered for sale. Custom enclosures were now possible which allows for a much better solution at a lower cost. v2 of the External CF Drive was released for sale on August 5th, 2017 in two painted colors to best match what colors the IIgs and IIe are.
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External CF Drive v2 Proto PCB Test
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External CF Drive v2 Proto Aluminum Enclosure
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External CF Drive v2 Proto Aluminum Enclosure
Features
The External CF Drive allows for a more user friendly experience when using a CF Card on the Apple II platform. As the name implies, the External CF Drive allows for simple and easy way to access your CF Card externally. No longer do you need to open your Apple II in order to remove your CF Card for adding files, backing up, or exchanging for another CF Card. They come with a custom 2.5 foot / 75cm long flat IDE Cable. However a custom shorter or long cable can be installed if desired.
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Example Of External CF Drive From 2006 In Use
It looks and acts just like a traditional Floppy Drive. Since the CF Card is located outside of the Apple II (or other platform) the user can more simply access it.
There are no differences or performance decreases compared to a "standard" IDE CF Card Adapter used inside an Apple II case.