Just a brief look at my new product in my iFlash series.
While the iFlash enables the iPod to work with Compact Flash and SDXC cards, the new iFlash-Sata opens up all Sata based storage devices – mSata and externally powered Sata Hard drives and SSD drives.
The iFlash-Sata will work in the Video iPod (5g, 5.5g) and the newer Classics (6g, 6.5g, 7g).
Be warned the current crop of mSata drives are power hungry, so runtimes are not great compared to CF/SDXC – but still worth while if you must have a 1Tb iPod!
Here is some pictures of the mSata configuration.
iFlash-Sata Front
iFlash-Sata side mSata
iFlash-Sata Angled Shot
@Tarkan
A failed iTunes restore is enough to get the iPod to lock up and show up with the red X. That’s what happened to me with the 1TB a few weeks back.
What do you do if your evo840 500gb hard drive fails while syncing. have the red x and will not connect to mac or pc.
@Al Ward – The only way to clear that is to connect to a computer using an mSata – Sata enclosure. What happened for it to enter the Power Loss mode?
I installed the msata adapter into a iPod 30gb 5th gen (Model PA002LL) with Samsung 250gb EVO850 and it is working great. After restoring using iTunes, I have 232GB of space for music, videos, audiobooks. Filling it with Apple Lossless music using just the USB connector – no problem loading 12gigs so far. I will be using it with a speaker dock so am not concerned with (original) battery play time. I followed the video instructions and it was easy to install – hardest part was getting the ipod opened for the first time. As recommended, I did not snap it shut until I was sure it was working. Since it is the thinner 30gb iPod, I only installed one thermal pad.
I’ve just fitted a Samsung 850 EVO 500GB SSD mSATA MZ-M5E500BW to my iPod classic 7th gen 160 GB and it worked perfectly, restored from iTunes just using the std USB cable plugged into a USB 3 port, battery stayed fully charged throughout the syncing now have to fill the 250 GB I’ve got spare!
I have been using the 2000mah battery in my 80gb 5.5 iPod video and running a 512gb Samsung SSD with Tarkan’s adapter. And running everything on Rockbox, as I hate the Apple firmware with it’s limitations. Just had to change the back to a thicker one. As for putting an iPod classic metal front plate on a video, there is an easier way. Use the clickwheel from the video, take the top black plastic piece off. (just peel it off) than take the top black piece from a classic clickwheel and glue it on the video one. And there you go, it will be flush, and you will have the metal front plate on your video. Hope that helps.
@Robert Pelzmann
I’ve used the 2000mah on the iPod Videos and they fit great with the mSATA iFlash.
FWIW – you can use the metal front from a 6 Gen iPod Classic (black, grey, silver) on 5th Gen iPod Video if you have a dremmel tool. You just need to grind flush the ribs (4 on each side) in the middle of the tabs. Everything else fits perfectly.
Also, the 2000 man batteries listed on eBay do not fit well in the iPod Video (5 or 5.5) – they are a bit too long. But the 1900 mah batteries fit perfectly if you have a deep back and a thin drive. The 120 GB Samsung hard drive is fine, but the 240 GB drive is too thick (use the standard battery). All of Tarkan’s flash adapters work fine with the 1900 mah battery.
Tarkan, I’ve finally taken some time and installed the iFlash-SATA with a Samsung SSD 850 EVO 250GB drive. This went flawlessly and while I got the iPod open I replaced the battery as suggested. Now it’s got 70GB more than the original (dead) disk, and it was not hideously expensive, €141.
It’s syncing now and I will not let it do this unattended – I read the warning about the battery draining and the risk of disk corruption.
Once it’s in full shape it will take its space in my car. iPods that I used in my car had the tendency to block from time to time, forcing me to reset the thing regularly. I will see how the “new” one fares.
Thanks for developing this!
@Danny – thanks for the feedback. Your car problem could be more down to the car system rather than the iPod.
@ Tarkan – In some forum websites about iTunes, people often says that -69 and -50 error while syncing may be caused by network timeout that caused by antivirus software etc. So I put my PC offline, and it went well.
@ Tarkan
And if you do please try and run it on Rockbox, and tell me the type of Rockbox program and Emcore that you used that made it work. I could never get my msata 512gb drive to work with Rockbox on my Classic. When I get a 1tb msata in the future, I want to run Rockbox with it on my 6th Generation Classic. I would appreciate anything you can do, thanks.
Tarkan, just want to update u on your compatibility chart. I have a 5 and 5.5g working fine with the 850 EVO 500GB.
I tried the 850 1TB on my 5.5g and it restored fine with iTunes no problem. Synced around 60 songs and the iPod was freezing up when advancing tracks or even changing the volume. It was pretty unstable I should say. I wanted to test it on the 7g slim but just couldn’t get past the red X aka Sad Face.
Ended up returning the drive for the 500GB one and that performs really well.
@rubeN – thanks for letting me know, reports on the 850EVO 500Gb are beginning to come in and seems like a nice mSata drive.
I am surprised by the 1Tb the only concern I had with that was the startup current draw is higher compared to 840EVO 1Tb, but I was expecting it to still work ok, especially on the 7g.
I will have to try and get hold of one to have a play.
I’m K from Japan.
I purchased iFlash-SATA and installed Samsung 840 EVO 500GB onto my 7.5g iPod. I have about 24000 tracks in my iTunes. During syncing I got unknown error -50 and -69 and got Red Cross of death on my iPod screen, although I use dual FireWire cable. Around about 10000 tracks the problem occurred. I tried many times but the results couldn’t be changed.
But when I tried syncing with my PC offline, the syncing completed successfully!!
If anyone has same trouble like me, please refer to my advise! And sorry for my poor English.
@K – thanks for the feedback, can you explain what you mean by PC Offline?
Just got my mSATA adapter, funny I had been thinking today would be the day, so much so I had opened my 5.5 gen 80GB iPod video. fussed with the ribbon cables and such, I think I was more freaked out about the ribbon cables than anything else, followed the instructions with the adapter, dropped in the Samsung EVO850 500GB SSD added the thermal gap filler, (2 Pieces) and closed it back up after making sure it powered on. Got the message to restore with iTunes. The restore seemed shaky I think it was the 500GB iTunes seemed to lock up, but after a bit I got the apple logo on my ipod and am now adding music. I am curious to see how it play with my truck. I also have a 160Gb 7th gen that is full and when plugged into the truck seeking just doesn’t happen.
thanks Tarkan, so far this was a dream, the hardest part was opening the case.
I will update on how everything shakes out. So far case is mildly warm after 11GB, not more heat than I would expect though.
Cheers
David
@Tarkan
I suddenly realised that i wrote your name wrong XD
Thanks for the info was a little worried because when it came to the SDXC cards you had to do all that reformatting stuff on AOMEI.
Anyone got any suggestions on good msata cards in the 512gb ranges? preferably something not too costly?
(thanks for the reply Tarkan)
MyDigital BP4e is meant to be very good and cheap.
@Tarkan Thank you, My last question. Could you possibly link me to where i can find the 12v firewire cable that you have in your 1tb video as i have looked up and down for them and cannot find any,
Thanks in advance!
HI,
I’ve already built and ipod 7th gen with 256gb sdxc memory (Went great plus the adapters are amazing Thanks Tarken!!)
I’m thinking on building and ipod classic 5.5 with 512gb of memory (or 500 gb) two things i really want to know:
1. If i buy a fire-wire cable can i sync all my music at once, without any data corruption?
2. How would i go about installing and formatting one of these drives?
Thanks in advance and i love the work you’re doing Tarken!
Tom
@Tom – Yes the dual firewire/usb lead will allow you to do that, unless of course your ambient temperature is very high then I would suggest a rest between 100Gb of transfers. There is no special procedure to install, just install my board and mSata, then hit restore on iTunes.
Tarkan,
I’m just translating for Vincenzo in Post 259/261. He is asking a question rather than giving a confirmation. He asks whether the EVO850 mSata will work with the iFlash Sata interface and 5 Gen iPod 60GB.
Cheers,
Will
Yes I gathered that after 🙂
Sadly no one has reported on any of the 850EVO models yet, they have only been in stock and for sale since the start of April.
Hi,
this SSD works well with your interface inserted into an ipod? gen.5 (60Gb)
http://www.amazon.it/Samsung-MZ-M5E250BW-850E-mSATA-250GB/dp/B00TV49YFS/ref=dp_ob_title_ce
Thanks
Thanks for letting us know – that is the first confirmation for the new Samsung 850EVO mSata.
Salve tarkan,
Scusa il mio inglese.
Purtroppo tu non hai capito.
La mia era una domanda non una affermazione.
Volevo sapere se quel SSD funzionava con l’interfaccia isata dentro un ipod video 5 gen. (60gb)
@Jon M Curley
I did it after, but the same error occurred. With old HDD same error too.
I had this issue too once I got my battery replaced and everything. I formatted NTFS using Disk Management, then set a drive letter and the frowny ipod error went away. I figured it’d be FAT but NTFS solved my problem so try that?
@fir1st
You need to format the drive using FAT32 format.
Tarkan, please help.
I replaced standard HDD to iFlash-Sata adapter, connected iPod Classic 5.5 Gen to PC and Windows recognized new drive (F:\). Next appeared message: “You want to format?”, I pressed “Yes” and formatted in exFat. I rebooted device and “apple.com/support/ipod” message see, anytime. Safe and diagnostic modes not available. Even after replaced SSD with adapter to HDD back — error message exist. I think I broken my iPod (ribbon cable or other hardware issue) or it could be a software problem?
@fir1st – It is possible the HDD ribbon is faulty. Which mSata drive are you using? certain mSata drives like the Samsung 840EVO can enter power loss corruption mode, which will give you the red cross or sad face on the iPod – only way to clear that would be by using an msata enclosure on your computer directly.