HDD Connector

inside the 1k




2.5" HDDs found on the web

http://www.pcguide.com/ref/hdd/op/formIn25-c.html



any comments?

I suspected something like this, since I vaguely recalled seeing a drive like this on a Compaq laptop years ago.

Now, who's going to buy it and try it, bearing in mind that we have no confirmed HDD support in the OS?

Remember I wrote earlier that I emailed PLOTECH with these images
and asked what type of connector for what kind of HDD it is ?

Guess what ...

I got my mail back after a few days and as an ISP expert I could clearly see that it was manipulated. It stated that it was rejected by PLOTECH's
mailserver because the mailadress was outdated etc. but that was clearly
not the case. They read it and decided to do as if they never recieved it.

I hoped a blue eyed guy would simply inform me because of his knowledge and because of pleasing a potential customer.

I would have laughed my ass of when AKAI's own assembler would have
solved the mystery. AKAI would have been pissed !

...

stereoroid wrote:Now, who's going to buy it and try it, bearing in mind that we have no confirmed HDD support in the OS?

I looked at the OS with an hexeditor and there's the word "hard disk" in ascii in there. Maybe harddisk support is already hidden in the code.

dubnov wrote:
I looked at the OS with an hexeditor and there's the word "hard disk" in ascii in there. Maybe harddisk support is already hidden in the code.

Agreed - it might just appear as another "USB Mass Storage" device, but by "confirmed" I meant the word, from Akai, that it's ready to go now.
I'll take a look for a suitable drive myself, I don't mind spending a few quid for an experiment. Thanks for the update!

yea im hoping it'll be like you said stereoroid...seems like the HDD in the os is already in there...but only testing the installment and the OS reading it and noticing it will be the main problems...

Im going to try another experiment this weekend. soldering a standard IDE connector to the socket.

since the first 40 pins on a 2.5" HDD and the first 40 pin on a 3.5 " standard IDE HDD is the same

connecting a standard HDD to it , with obviously an external powersupply attached to the HDD.

Of course the whole mpc will be open when testing - but it can always be modified for permanent future use, if it works.

lets see what happens? will post images if it works.

"any comments?"

Yes. It is obviously the wrong type of connector.

Almost all laptops have a IDE adapter of some sort like that shown in the pic (I have dozen different types myself). Most of them are proprietary to the manufacturer of the laptop. This is a carryover from the removable drive days and the manufacturers would charge $$$ for a second caddy.

I doubt one would find a compatible adapter for the Akai since I suspect Akai is having them made just for them so Akai can sell them as an option (and be only supplier).

Didnt work connected pin for pin of the board following the printed number sequence.. i.e

1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25

2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 34 26

27 29 31 33 35 37 39

28 30 32 34 36 38 40

HDD would not properly spin up.. On closer inspection saw that the zif socket connector is not soldered pin for pin on the custom connector.

so I will need to attempt this again by 1st unsoldering AKAIs custom connector as mpc3000 explained

PS.
Thanks for sharing your wisdom MPC3000

"HDD would not properly spin up.. "

Laptop drives are very susceptible to bad wire configurations and fry easily. I have a couple dead drives just from an XL internal drive mod. Be sure to check the drive in another system to make sure it still works (2.5"-3.5" adpater to test in PC would be good) before trying another wire configuration else you will be chasing this for a long time.

great advice mpc3000.

I have tested it in a pc, functions fine, I used a 3.5" drive. The good thing about this if it works is that if you dont have a laptop HDD you can you can use a standard PC's Hard Disk. Which I believe might be more the scenario with most people.

"you can you can use a standard PC's Hard Disk"

I am not sure I follow. How would it fit in the casing? How would it be powered (particularly 12V)?

by possibly running the internal cable to one of the side panels that would be modified to house a socket on the outside then running a cable from that socket to an external drive bay which obviously has a built in power supply.


I tested it in a similar way but without modifying the side panel.

Im now looking for a zif to IDE cable converter, might have to make one. If I do this then I wont have to desolder AKAIs custom connector.

To help with wiring, you might check out how the CF card is connected...It uses ATA just like the IDE drive would. So I'd guess the wiring is MOSTLY identical, maybe a different chip select is added in somewhere.

dubnov wrote:

stereoroid wrote:Now, who's going to buy it and try it, bearing in mind that we have no confirmed HDD support in the OS?

I looked at the OS with an hexeditor and there's the word "hard disk" in ascii in there. Maybe harddisk support is already hidden in the code.

Where you get a hex editor from?