Boot from USB 3.0 expresscard on non USB 3.0 laptop

[HR100]

Gents,

This is my first message on this forum.
My laptop is a Futjisu Siemens Lifebook S7220.
The Futjisu BIOS, last release v1.15, is able to boot from USB 2.0 pendrive or USB 2.0 HDD.
I've made a pendrive with Windows XP Pro SP3 and I can boot on it but Windows XP is very slow.
So, I've bought an USB 3.0 expresscard from VANTECUSA based on the USB 3.0 PCIe chipset from RENESAS/NEC and a Mach Xtreme Technology FX 32 Go USB 3.0 pendrive.
From the time being, the USB 3.0 pendrive is on the way but I can play with the USB 3.0 expresscard and my USB 2.0 Windows XP pendrive.
As the USB 3.0 RENESAS/NEC chipset is USB 2.0 backward compatible, I have tried to boot from the USB 2.0 pendrive connected to the USB 3.0 expresscard but without success. The BIOS does not recognize the USB 3.0 chipset.
Googling on internet for a workaround, I have discovered Plop bootmanager and tried the PCMCIA version from the iso image. The CD-ROM boots fine on my laptop but Plop is unable to find my USB 2.0 pendrive connected to the USB 3.0 expresscard.
Did I miss something ? Expresscard is the new standard from the PCMCIA group but may be it requires other driver than Cardbus standard ?

Thanks for your help.

[Elmar]

hi,
i don't know how backward compatible expresscard to pcard is, but i think not much, but i don't know. i have to look at the expresscard documentation to be sure. you say its not detected, so my driver will not work for expresscard. i don't know if booting from an usb expresscard is often used, i don't think so.

however, is usb 2.0 so slow for booting? don't you think that windows is not faster?

regards
elmar

[HR100]

Elmar,

Thank you for your message.

As far I know, the issue is not the USB 2.0 speed itself but USB 2.0 pendrives read/write speed.
I've received the Mach Xtreme Technology FX 32 Go USB 3.0 pendrive and, even used through the legacy USB 2.0 interface, it is 50% faster than the EMTEC S400 EM pendrive I have used before.
So, the only way to boot my laptop from an USB 3.0 pendrive at USB 3.0 speed is to use and USB3.0 Expresscard as there is no Cardbus slot.

Concerning comparison between Cardbus and Expresscard, the first one is compatible with a PCI bus whereas the second one is compatible with a PCI Express bus and offers an extra USB 2.0 interface.
Source : http://www.bixnet.com/pccaandex.html

May be Plop cannot deal with the PCI Express bus ?

Regards,
HR100

[Elmar]

even if expresscard is supported, then there is still the problem that the usb 3.0 driver is not developed now. so it will not work now.

regards
elmar