put flash memory into (almost) ANY iPod!
These last few days I’ve been living like a monk. Why? Well, after the success of my former project, turn your iPod mini into a flash based iPod, I started thinking “wouldn’t it be great if we could do this to almost any iPod ever made?”... I mean, eliminating all moving parts out of our current iPods would be great, wouldn’t it? ^_^
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And the thought just wouldn’t let go. The information online about something like this was very scarce, if any, and I couldn’t find a single soul who actually did something like this… So, there I was, (thanks go out to Adam of iPodrepair.nl for some of the material) with two 4G iPods (a 40GB photo and a 20GB ‘normal’ 4G), some compact flashcards, up to 16GB, all from Peak Hardware, cards that have proven to be ideal for the iPod mini upgrade, my kitchentable, my tools and three days to do it in (which became four by the way, and the weather’s been great! not that I’ve been able to enjoy it though… *^_^*)
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the starting point…
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it looks nice, but all I gotta do is make this work! ^_^
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this is NOT a How To
Well, in the process of gathering the information for what was needed to pull this off, the tought of making this a how-to became doubtful. Not that I want to exaggerate my own skills or such, but I had to go into three days of total Zen to get this done and in the end I had to hand-solder 88(!) connections by hand on the smallest of spaces. A drip of solder already was too big and I must’ve had an angel on my shoulder when I soldered this.
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I made a video where I explain my ideas around this:
direct link to the video on YouTube.
...geeeeez… (taken from a screenshot of april 4th from the youtube-video)
in short:
I’m gonna make sure this adapter, which is now a working prototype (as you can see in the video) is going in to production.
the sales pitch
this adapter enables you to take out all moving parts from your current 1G, 2G, 3G or 4G iPod. Batterylife will improve dramatically. The adapter (and thereby your iPod) will be able to hold Compact Flashcards up to 128GB with this. No matter what size your current iPod is now.
Upgrading your current iPod is just better than just to go out and buy a new one… ^_^
If you’re willing to buy such an adapter as the perfect upgrade for your 1G, 2G, 3G or 4G ‘normal’ iPod, leave your mail-address and I will only send you one email once I’ve got all the details pinned down. In that email you can still decide about buying this or not and just to make sure, I will only use your mail-address once.
the making of
For the real hardware pr*n lovers out there, here are some pics of the making of… *^_^*
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The harddrive-connector (top left) proved to be undoable to solder (for me at least) and after a while I came up with an almost identical connector from an old PCMCIA 14K4 modemcard which had solder-connections on each side, thereby making it hand solderable (well, sort of). For me, this was the break-through I needed to prove my schematic would work… and after countless hours of soldering all 88 connections… it worked!
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testing
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Well, in the first test, this adapter didn’t work… and after measuring through all connections it seemed one(!) got loose… When I fixed that, all was good to go.
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And well, what is there to say, this is it. Along with the previous project I guess I can say I found ways of eliminating almost every hard drive out of almost every hard drive based iPod thereby eliminating all moving parts. The only one left is the iPod video which would only need a slightly different adapter. But next to that I’ve got a gut feeling that one’s being upgraded to flash memory by Apple themselves any time soon.
If you want this adapter, make sure you fill out the form on this page and I’ll contact you as soon as I’ve got all the details pinned down.
Terms and Conditions of Use
I would like to point out that everything on this website is licensed through a Creative Commons License.
(c) 2007 mark
You can digg the engadget-article, that one hit the frontpage!
DIY trackback
MAKE:blog
engadget.com
Wired
TUAW
news.com
[H]ard|OCP
slashdot ^_^
you can find all of my projects overhere
Thats great work.
Interested in adapter. Once I get a new one for the Ipod Photo 30gb got stolen last night.
So now i know why you registered geektechnique as a company :)
this looks awesome, interested in an adaptor over here in the UK, my 4th gen 40GB has 1.7GB free and I was looking for a new iPod, but if this will save me some money, it’s all good!
Pretty cool!
My 2g is starting to get some HD problems and I’d love to keep the thing alive for some more years.
What I really want to do is to put a 2.5” drive into an iPod. And yes I know it won’t fit! I need some help with the circuitry to raise the 1.8” drives 3.3v supply to the 5v needed by a 2.5” drive.
Why? Because I want to carry more than 80Gb and 120Gb 2.5” drives are now cheap.
Hey mate neat project. I am also interested in an adapter at the right price here in the UK. I have an ipod with dead hard drive in it, so this could be cool.
Why does this not work on current (5G) iPods??
Oh, I think I’d also like one.
Really Good Work, I would be interested in buying a couple of the adapters also.
i am interested, it’s a great idea
You have no idea how many people have Ipods with dead HD ! just put this on ebay and I’m buying !
Good Job
Could i be made so that you dremel the case to make a slot so you can switch CF Cards?
I was looking at using the following for my iPod but never got around to it:
http://www.apro-tw.com/product/prolinet.asp?ser=217&t=217&s=87
http://www.addonics.com/products/flash_memory_reader/adebidecf.asp
I’m not sure if the connector on the one end is right.
Hite me with an adapter!
hi, i am in
want one
What does your adapter do that existing ones don’t? I would’ve thought a CF-PCMCIA adapter or a CF-ATA adapter would’ve done the trick. That second one has a dual-slot version that’s pretty cool, though useless for a pod.
Let me know when it’s in production.
good idea! – There has to be an adapter somewhere like this already mass produced wouldn’t you think?
regardless, drop me a note when they are in production!
http://cgi.ebay.com/50-to-40Pin-IDE-3-3V-ADAPTER-FOR-Micro-Drive-1-8-HD-CF
(note: comment script removes markup, might want to make that a shorter link)
essentially the same, right? I can’t say I’ve touched the innards of an iPod in a year or two, but IIRC they used 1.8” hard drives. A quick google for “1.8in cf adapter” shows that they are available for ~$10 shipped.
You’d probably have to trim the board a bit, and obviously remove the molex connector and find power in the ipod, but would be a lot easier than hand soldering all that.
If only 16gb CF cards weren’t prohibitively expensive :(
ooo, I told my dad I’d fix his 4G ages ago! but I’m too lazy for all this….I think I’ll just keep throwing it across the room till it works ¬_¬ :D
@Bitman:
>What does your adapter do that existing ones don’t?
Well, I guess I can say mine works and fits inside an iPod ;-)
@n3ldan:
>essentially the same, right?
Well, not quite… there are some adapters on eBay which simply can’t be what they say they are. This one is claiming to have a connection on one side for either CF or 1.8” iPod drive and IDE on the other side. CF and 1.8” iPod drive are totally different as far as pinouts are concerned and the schematic is too simple to handle both in some intelligent matter. My guess is, it’s CF to IDE and not 1.8” drive (even though it physically fits, but I wouldn’t try it out with an 1.8” drive in my possession)
I’ve really been looking around (on eBay mostly) before I started my three day Zen soldering exercise ;-)
Anyway, my goal is to solve this and get a proved-working adapter out there. Just have a little patience, write down your mail address and I get back to you. In the mean time it would be nice if prices of Compact Flash could drop a little more, wouldn’t you say? ;-)
cheers to you all for all the comments and nice words!
Does it work with those SD-CF adapters too? The SDs are cheaper, but I’m not sure about the storage-ceiling
This requires the iPod to be plugged in to work, doesn’t it?
>This requires the iPod to be plugged in to work, doesn’t it?
Euhm, to your headphones, yes :-)
(only kidding, but really, the iPod itself is as it ever was. The pics with the cable connected is from the moment I was restoring it with iTunes and putting mp3s on there…)
Ah, I understand now. Prior to the iPod, 1.8-inch drives were actually PCMCIA. This guy has a better explanation of the reverse project, connecting a pod drive to a computer.
Hit me up when they go production.
Meeeee wanna have one .v. !
thanks!
Very nice, now I can bring my 3G ipod back to life. I’m in.
Let me know when the adaptor is available and the price. I will spread the word among friends here.
I have 4000 songs that take less than that. No one listens to that much music, get off the hype. Even the video thing is just cute. Why would I buy a 44“WS and then pay again for a tiny screen. There’s no logic in this regardless of what the “masses” will pay for. “Geeks” are supposed to be smarter than this.
It’s not always about being “smarter”. As people above have mentioned, this would be handy to repair a dead drive. And some people just find joy in modifying technology. If this isn’t your cup of tea, then move on, no need to berate the people that are interested. Asinine comments like that don’t make you look any “smarter”.
wow, that’s really impressive. I once needed to solder a few traces on a mobo and even that was way hard. good work (and steady hands)!
interested because i like to tinker.
“this adapter enables you to take out all moving parts from your current 1G, 2G, 3G or 4G iPod.”
I’m pretty sure the 1G has a rotating disc control.
Nice project. :)
interesting, id like one
Hi,
I’m a (british) guy livin’ in germany, and I repair iPods professionally (although not officially^^).
I’d be interessted in one of your Adapters – do you ship to germany?
Also, you should think about shipping the adapter together with a compatible card to it.
greets,
cenk
great work man www.computersolution.be
Let me know when available, want to resurrect my original click wheel iPod
Any plans for the 5G iPod adapter?
>Any plans for the 5G iPod adapter?
Oh sure, but first things first. I made this one by hand to show (and also prove to myself) that this is possible. :-) Now that it is, let’s get this one in production and available for everybody, first thing after that will be a 5G adapter, which is essentially the same only with another connector to the iPod.
hi regarding the adaptor on ebay, that everyone is bringing up, is CF I different from CFII? it looks to me that CFI’s fits in ipod mini and CFII’s fit in the big ipods, is that right?
@ken
>is that right?
No, that’s not right. That adapter that everyone mentions simply won’t fit. The CF-cards in my mini and this iPod are the same ones. CF-cards using the ATA/IDE-mode
There’s room inside a regular iPod so why not make it so you can stack more than one CF card in there?
will this work?
http://www.addonics.com/products/flash_memory_reader/ad44midecf.asp
Yay! Death in Vegas, love their stuff and collect the albums.
Something I thought of, would a 1st gen 2200mAh iPod battery fit in an iPod designed for a dual platter hard drive, with a CF card in?
I reckon it’d be bodgable, by taking the connectors apart and so on, as done on www.misticriver.net for the iriver H series
Oh yeah… sign me up!
I have a 3G iPod that I was going to fix up with a new hard drive… but this is a MUCH better idea.
Nice work, great documentation!
You’ll make CF more and more popular each day… You’ll be releasing CF adapters for other MP3 players…
This is so cool (^,^)
I liked the video. You should maybe look into making a podcast and putting it up on iTunes. I’d definitely be one of the first to download it.
i highly recommend you post your mod on www.hackaday.com
Yes, well hacked, but would Steve Jobs buy one? I’m interested, if you do get the adapter to market at a reasonable price. Regards,
MD
I think that mod would void the warranty!
Why don’t you build a dual CF to 1,8” ATA adapter with both CF-cards positioned on the top side? You would have a true mechnical substitute for the mechanical drive (all dual adapters I found on the market today are double sided and thus not mechanical compatible.) and one could use 2 of the usually cheaper CF-cards with next to maximum capacity!
Never mind the adapter, I want a FUCK sticker for my laptop!
Awesome work brother!! I am from New Zealand and would very much be interested in purchasing these. There are not enough people repairing and too many people throwing things out. You have a great message to give to the world.
Global Warming is not warming my heart.
Peace
Wouldn’t this work?
http://www.addonics.com/products/flash_memory_reader/ad44midecf.asp
I am interested too!!
I’m interested! I’ve got a 2nd Gen that’s been gathering dust since the drive died.
Kick Ass!... Can’t wait for these to be in production.
I’d be interested in an adapter, depending on the price. I was looking to do this exact project a while ago when my 4G HDD died .
great work! let us know when you start sellin em!
I’d like one also
i dont even have an ipod..can anyone donate me an old one they have lying arnd..even a shuffle will do …mail me if u wanna help this poor guy ibzfiles@yahoo.com
I’d be interested, not for an ipod but to replace the 1.8” drive in my UMPC with a fast CF drive
I’m interested
Hi, This look great, ideal to remove the clunky drive (no pun intended :) )
www.ipsecuritydirect.com
FUCK YEAH!
This the coolest shit i’ve ever seen!
send me a mail man, when the production begins ^^
I’ll grab one mate when you have it sorted.
Beaut. I’d be interested in a 1.8 ATA->CF slot to convert my old Vaio from 1.8” HD to a 16gig CF drive.
Why mod your awesome ipod? Buy a standard mp3 player with an sd card slot, there’s your flash memory. You buy an ipod for the HD space.
i have a dead 20 gig. bad drive. and a cheap knock off from china. I can’t wait to fix the ipod.
Hey, this adapter I found looks like it could possibly fit: http://www.addonics.com/products/flash_memory_reader/ad44midecf.asp
Those Addonics adapters will not work. To make this work you need a 1.8 inch hard drive (Female) to compact flash (Male) adapter. I looked for one once before, and had to build one too. I would love to buy a professionally made one, mine is a mess.
Great idea. Sign me up for an adapter. I have two ipods in suspended animation awaiting a cure.
I’m a mum, my daughter uses iPod mini 4GB. Your article is very interesting, but I’m not a technical….how can I do to obtain this result and save money?
Thank you very much
Hi Mark,
I am from China, and very interested in it.
And I like to be your partner to make the adaptor in China. But I need to know what kind of adaptor we need to make…can you please email some technical drawings and the pic of your made one?
If you wish to get the adaptor production in China, please contact me for further discussion.
Best regards
sign me up for an adapter once they hit production. thanks!
To the idiot who keeps posting this link http://www.addonics.com/products/flash_memory_reader/ad44midecf.asp
Read the comments, it does NOT WORK, he already responded which is why hes not answering you any more. Not compatable. Stop posting. Damn spammer
This thing is sooo cool!ps.where did you get the FU** sticker i want 1.
Your work is amazing keep thinking outside the box
Amazing work, I would definitely purchase an adapter. I prefer the idea of flash memory to a traditional hard drive. Means I don’t have to handle the ipod like a delicate flower.
You rule! I’d be interested in getting an adapter once you get that going. BTW, if you want help marketing it, I’d be happy to share ideas free of charge. . . Keep modding. . .
Ok the number 1 question is:-
What is the battery life now?
Perhaps one of these will work?
http://ec.transcendusa.com/product/ItemDetail.asp?ItemID=TS2GIFD18
(expensive)
I want one please :)
Let me know when available…
can you post a diagram or at least the pinouts of both drives? google and pinouts.ru fail for the 1.8” pinout…
I wonder if this will work with the iRiver iHP-120/ 140’s?
Hi Mark, good work!
If you like to have a look at my adapter, then go there:
http://tinyurl.com/2973cb
I’m interested as my iPod died today!
I’m interested in the 5G adaptatation; hope that becomes feasible soon.
I would be very interested in this adapter for the 4G, I’ve broken the HD 4 times already.
I’ll take one of those…looks like a nightmare trying to do all that soldering myself…not to mention getting the pinouts right.
Great work. I have a 4G Mini.
Still working, but I would love to upgrade its memory..and get rid of the moving HDD.
does any one have the information to do this yourself? im confident in my soldering and need to know pinouts.
Ipod HDD’s are 1.8” mini 44pin IDE Connections. There is an adaptor here http://www.addonics.com/products/flash_memory_reader/adeb44idecf.asp That is already made and for about $34 US Shipped, works great.
>works great.
that’s funny, cause it won’t fit. So knock yourself out, spend the $34 you already suggest others should do and fit it inside an iPod.
(and you’re probably number 25 in this thread, on other sites and by mail pointing me and others to the addonics adapter which is meant for 2.5” drives, not 1.8”)
You know what really works great? Thinking about two seconds and going through a thread for another two seconds before you hit ‘submit’... Just an idea
Count me in
Go Mark!! Ik hoop dat je er 100 miljoen gaat verkopen :)
http://www.ably.com.tw/pdt/viewpdt.asp?absp=32&cat=CHASSIS_PARTS
Too bad it’s a bit too wide to fit in the case. It’s the right pinout.
“It’s the right pinout”. Uh, no. We need a female interface on the CF end. All of these cf>ide thingies provide male interfaces. Hence the dilemna here. Try finding a female>female ide gender changer adaptor – I can’t find one.
I want one! Mostly because I think it is a great way to upgrade and already cool product.
Heck even if it doesn’t go into production, post the pinout. I would love to give this project a go.
Thax for all the good work!
I want one too! It is a great idea, but even if it doesn’t go into production, can we get a DIY on this project?
Hi Mark, do you perhaps have the schematic or maybe even the boardlayout ready for that Ipod Adapter? Bought a G3 at Queensday, but has a broken drive (and a broken headphone flatcable, my own fault but i’ll fix it).
I’ve got a CF socket and a harddrive connector, i’m just lacking a board in between :)
@bas: about your ‘problem’, you need another adapter for that and one that’s ready available… on eBay they’re sold for near-to-nothing. A 2.5” to CF adapter, the same as the addonics-adapter everyone thinks is the same…
@everybody: about the schematics. I will reveal them once the adapter is for sale, not at this moment. I need time to get it to the market, that’s all.
What kind of time frame before a product is available and do you have a ballpark price range?
>What kind of time frame before a product is available and do you have a ballpark price range?
Well, I’m a little cautious on those… but, since you ask and we’re also already on our way for a couple of weeks… I guess it will still take about 2 months before the first batch is produced and actually ready for shipment to where ever. I will inform everybody on the mailinglist before that.
About the price, well, you’d be surprised I guess how many parties are involved even for the production of something simple like this and they all need to get paid… Anyway, I’m doing whatever I can to keep the price reasonable and I guess it’s safe to say it’ll be around or under $30
the adaptor that we need exists:
http://www.intproducts.com/ideflashmodule.html#data
>the adaptor that we need exists:
Now for once… do you have a 1.8” ipod drive available there? Compare it to the pics and compare it to the size of a Compact Flashcard… That pinheader is simply way too wide… (and probably also for a 2.5" IDE-drive)
Need I say this anymore? It won’t fit (for several reasons). But you go ahead, order it and knock yourself out by fitting that one inside an iPod…
I have a 4 gig video ipod that I have been waiting for flash memory to become available. I understand what you working on now is not for my ipod but I would still like to know what is happening so when you do complete for video I will find out.
Wonderful! An email would be ace.
I wanted to try my hand at this and ahve a few questions so what mode is the drive & CF card in? I am having issues trying to figure out how the drives pins 33,35,36 interface with the compact flash because the drive specs done give mutch and if it is in true IDE mode then only one of those pins is in use? Send me an email if you can please…
i have a ipod nano 2nd gen. i wonder if a flash card just fits in it.
I am interested. Please leave inform me as soon as your adapter is produced.
Hit me with the adaptor. I’m in! I’ve got a 1G and two 3Gs ready to go!
Sounds Great!! I want one too! Can’t wait! Thanks so much!
“I am having issues trying to figure out how the drives pins 33,35,36 interface with the compact flash”
Correspond with CF pins 19,20,18.
Let us know when they are ready, i have a dead pod too
Please let me know when the flash memory and no-moving-parts adapters are available for the 6Gb iPod mini.
Your other form would not accept my email address.
The ipod mini is a straight fit for a flash card – just get the size you want , and put it in – no adaptor needed.
I was just wondering, this adaptor, would it let you hook up an ipod mini drive to a normal ipod, since I still have an old ipod mini drive around here somewhere, which would be quite cool…
Hi Mark,
I have an iPod mini with a broken hard disk. I’m not sure the batter is ok. So I am very excited about your discovery.
So what exactly does your adapter include?
I’ll appreciate some details.
Thanks
Mark!
I need this adapter like now! A compact flash card fits the pin header in the ipod, but it reads anywhere from -509gb to 528gb when i hook up my 4gb microdrive. I would be willing to paypal some capital if it would help get this off the ground quicker.
let me know when the adapter becomes avail.
you could always start up a refurb business via mail order.
people could send their ipod and a self addressed return envelope. charge them for parts plus labour.
i’d be happy to do it if your lab costs were reasonable (I’m a klutz!)
This is awesome. The hard drive in my iPod has started to only work sporadically, so it would be awesome to replace the hard drive with a CF card instead of buying a new hard drive (that would probably just break again).
This is a truly awesome project…
I would be interested in seeing a 5G adapter, I was planning on buying one and tinkering with it, and I honestly don’t need 30GB right now, so CF would be perfect…
Drop me a line if you get some kind of 5G into production, I’d be more than eilling to buy one to get the project off the ground…
if u could send me a manual on how to do it or prices on your converter would be nice i have a gen 4
im lookin into mabey a thumb drive as a way i know the pins are very diffrent but mabey there mite be a way
marvelous. the converter beeing mass producted would be worth a lot :)
If you could send me directions on how to do this, it would be nice. Thanks
great project, i’m interested! keep up the good work!
Mark,
Any updates for us hungry broken ipod users? At this point i’m definitely in for two adapters and would probably buy a 3rd for when one of my family members has a problem.
Good Luck!
Adapter for 3rd grn Ipod would be great, send info thanks.
please sign me up for updates, too!
Oh boy! I need one of these for my U2 Ipod! The HD is going fast, and I can’t justify an Ipod video, not until they have flash memory and bigger screens! Count me in for one!
*strong*Awesome!! Great work man, really looking forward to hearing from you!
this is a great way to beef up a 1G iPod!
=]
-Isaac
gotta love that laptop :P
we are extremely intrested in this. great work! would be very useful to iRepairs
hello, i bought a cf-44 pins adapter and got a pcmcia female parts. i try to make it, the computer can detect my item, but cannot format the CF, do you know what’s the problem? the pins are quite direct from the 44 pins to the pcmcia pins, they are of the same arrangement, right? any tricks?
thanks alot!
regards,
ric
Hey I know it seems like I’ve been posting a lot, but I check this page for updates whenever I am by my computer so really i’m only posting about every 20 times I look at the page. A progress update would be great. I’m ready to give you some orders if you’re ready to take them.
I would like one.
I too am interested in the adapter. Ipod Video to repalce HDD with CF. This is fantastic idea!
look forward to the adapter
Would love one.
great job!!
it s ok on an 1st 10gb ipod??
wait your answer thanks
I am interested in the adapter. Also, I live in the US.
Thanks,
Justin
Hi,
I am really interested in the adapter.
Many thanks,
Eric
Will this also work for the 5ht gen Video iPOds ? they use the small Hitachi IDE connectors.
I don’t hate the Ipod, it is a wonderful product. But I hate the way these things are made —fragil— and Apple is too greedy to offer longer warranties or less expensive service. For me $300 investment should last longer than under two years. I will not throw my Ipod away and I know some day someone will offer an easy, less expensive fix. It could be you. BTW: I will never buy an Ipod again.
Cmon Dave you cant blame Apple for the fragility of the hard drives they use, drop your Zune or any other HD based player and it will not do any better. I am willing to bet Apples next video ipod WILL feature flash memory and perhaps the price of flash memory will come down enough to update present Ipods. Unfortunately you can bet that a flash based Ipod will be far thinner and you wont be able to use the memory it uses for prior generation ipods, think a wider, thinner Nano.
Yes I’m anxiously waiting to stuff a 16GB card in my old 20gig (dead) Ipod.
Hey Mark do you have an update as to when these adapaters might be availible? if not anytime soon do you think it would be possible to offer schematics of the adapater for a price?
**** update ****
People are asking about how things go and of course, I understand. I have been a tad too optimistic in the beginning I guess, there have been some problems with the first prototypes which have caused some serious delays. Even though everybody is anxious, including myself, I do want to get this right. So please have some more patience and we’ll all have a great adapter in the end. Nothing’s changed really, it all takes much longer than I (naive maybe) thought it would take ;-)
For people who haven’t signed up already, you can still leave your mailaddress (scroll up ;-)) and as soon as all the details are final, I’ll write you a mail.
Thank you all for your patience already,
-mark
i am interested in one please
thanks
rob
please sign me up for one adaptor.
Thanx.
Please mail me when your project will be available for the rest of us :)
I would be interested in an adapter depending on the price. Please advise via email.
Thank you!
This seems like a great idea, but does it require any soldering on my part? Or is it just connect and away we go?
If anyone wants to make the most expensive 32GB Ipod ever you could always go this route. (Samsung solid state 1.8” drive $499) http://www.newegg.com/...
Let’s make our wait worth it Mark, we count on you to come through.
Greetings, -F
I killed my 30 gig Ipod by dropping it down the elevator shaft. Oh well this article is useless for me
i am looking for someone to assist me in a small project. it involves ipods and flash memory. it could be very profitable and it would only take a couple of days. i have the patent and money i just need someone with the tech brain. please email me at proper111@aol.com
I heard that the 1st gen iPod (Firewire) would not work with any generic storage. It require original iPod harddisk to work. Is that true?
hi, could you please release the schematics for your prototype adaptor, i am too lazy to work it out myself. i still want to buy your adaptor when it is released but, i think it would be fun to have a go myself, thanks
I would be interested in this project, Thank You
Pete
great idea my ipods 20gb hardrive as packed up got another from ebay but thats faulty sounds like a good project not sure of the type of connector you would need for the flash card would love to see the Adaptor if you have completed it yet?
I’ve got a photo that is dead and would be interested in the conversion as this was my 2nd HD out of warranty.
Wow! I love it! my G4 hdd just died! so i would love 1 of theses when you get them made!
My 20G disk died recent. Very interested this adaptor as well!
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/CF-to-ipod-IDE-Adaptor-work-as-1-8-toshiba-Hard-Drive
will that not do the job?
yeah, it probably will. That one’s available since ? this week ?
anyway, I already reacted to that one over here and I can’t see how that one will fit fine in an iPod. There’s where my main concern has been in the development of this adapter. I mean, this thing has to survive inside an iPod and I don't see that one do that to be quite honest.
I know I’ve taken my time for the development, but I’m confident that it will pay off in the end as far as quality is concerned and I’m willing to put my product next to that one. But if you can’t wait, try out the chinese copy! ^_^
i love the hack of the 16g mini… i want to do that… but i dont know where i can buy a harddrive that big and cheap… if u got and ideas.. plz telll me
Sign me up,- good show!!
Heb een kapotte hd in een 2G ipod. Ben wel geïnteresseerd in je connector. Mooi project! ga zo door.
IF YOU GOT THE ADAPTOR, I GOT THE $ .............
THE WORLD NEEDS MORE GEEKS LIKE YOU !
Hello i just want to know if there way to use flash memory on ipod video 5G and how please
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/CF-to-ipod-IDE-Adaptor-work-as-1-8-toshiba-Hard-Drive
what a good item?! I just got one from him. works Great! Thank you!
>works Great!
yeah sure, you should know, reacting from Hong Kong and probably the seller of that item or in any other way connected to that item, why else would you, located in Hong Kong, point to British eBay to an item sold from ...Hong Kong?
Anyway, I got that adapter here right now (I bought one) and mine too (of course) and I’ll continue some development on mine which is impossible on yours since it’s already produced. Next to that, I can't say I'm that impressed with what you guys did, how many did you guys make of those?
I don’t see how I can mount yours in a secure and long-lasting way into my iPod and that’s exactly why I’ve been developing mine further instead of rushing it to the market while flash memory prices are still too high.
Anyway, it’s truly nice, to see you guys first get the idea from this page, totally ignoring the Creative Commons license, not even have the decency to drop me a mail, still rush it into production and then try to use this page for promotion too, acting as a happy customer, while you’re the seller of the item. Really, your mom should be proud of you.
Now if you don’t mind, I’ll continue on some development and real-life testing, you know, the part you guys forgot (and the sole reason you beat me to the market). It's my goal to come up with a quality product, living up to the expectations of all that have been waiting and ready and available at the moment flash prices have dropped to more interesting levels.
The only thing I hope for is that people know that yours is a total rip-off (with the expected quality). I have chosen to develop mine further and we'll all gonna see if it was needed in the end, right? ;-)
For those who are still willing to wait, here’s what my adapter at this point looks like, it fits great inside an iPod and it’s almost ready for production.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/geektechnique/tags/flashpod/
...and for those who can't wait, it somehow seems there's a rip-off already being sold on eBay ;-)
Hi Mark !
Amazing work, i’m very interested of your adaptator.
You can add me to your list =)
Many thanks
Alrick
I have managed to get a version going for the 5g Video Ipods. Not easy but I think it does the trick nicely.
Your article inspired me that it was possible.
regards, Tarkan (www.tarkan.info)
they do make 1.8 sdd’s but they have a strange plug
http://www.sandisk.com/Assets/File/pdf/oem/SanDisk_SSD_UATA_5000_1.8_DS.pdf
HELLO FOR DOES LOOKING FOR 1.8” ZIF CONNECTOR TO COMPACT FLASH MEMORY CARD FOR IPOD VIDEO OR ZUNE HARDDRIVE I HAVE FOUND THIS 3 PAGES : http://www.ably.com.tw/main.htm
http://www.ameri-rack.com/APA-CF18Zm.htm
http://www.tarkan.info/20070804/tutorials/modding/ipod-video-compact-flash-mod/
THE ONLY THING IS THAT I CAN FIND WHERE TO BUY THEME
so its just a cf card adapted to an ide interface and then soldered straight to a smaller plug?
Do you have a date (even approximately) that you will begin production/sales?
Well, yeah I think so. I’m testing it here for a week on the CCC and it holds really good. It’s quick and works like it should. No rattle or anything, I can truly throw it around.
So I guess we have a go for this prototype and then it will take something like 12 weeks before the production is finished. I’m sorry but there’s no way (except making it really expensive) to shorten that timeline.
Just before it’ll be available I also send a mail to everyone who showed interest.
Hey,
Great job!
Could you add me to the list too? I would love to have my 3G iPod last a little longer!
Have you tried this with CF-to-SD adapters? High-capacity SD cards are much easier to find these days in North America (and less expensive than the large CF cards), and i was wondering if this extra conversion step would still work.
Nicely done. Interested in having one.
Pls add me to your CF iPod mod list
Great mod, I would love to have that adapter to keep my 3g Ipod longer.
Thanks.
This would do a great job of reviving my 4G ipod from the grave without shelling out for a new 1.8” drive.
I too have a 4G 40Gb on it’s second dead drive. I was just telling a coworker about how I would never buy another HD based iPod and I wish they had a large CF model. Wala! Presto! A week later and here I am. Send me an email when you have it worked out.
I would be quite interested myself! I have a dead HDD in a 3g that would love to be brought back to life!
excellent, I’m all for ipod improvement, especially on my 4rd gen
This sounds GREAT!! i Have 2 4G 20gb IPods, Id like an adapter also. Please contact me. Thanks
Excellent i have a 3G ipod with a dead HD , Id like an adapter also. Please contact me. Thanks
I was wondering: #1. Where did you get your CF adapter #2. I know that not all CF cards will work, so what should I look for in buying one for the hack
interested in your adapter for my ipod mini – thanks
best of luck!
Peter Barra,
No adapter is necessary for your ipod mini. It is simply plug and play compatible
higly interested for my iPods 4G (one 40go and one photo 60Go)
when do you think you’ll be at the end of the “testing period”?
and…
BRAVO for the great job!
You are a very smart guy. Maybe you can tell me if it is possible to make an adapter that will allow a compact flash card to adapt to an SD slot or somehow piggyback onto an SD card while it is in the slot. There are lots of CF to SD adapters but I’m needing an SD to CF adapter. Any ideas? I’d buy one if it existed. Thanks.
Looking forward to this adapter when it becomes available. There is no substitute for quality.
Please add me to the list. Thanx.
B
Excellent job mark. I am especially interested because my 4G iPod HDD just died. I also have a broken Mini with a good HDD. Is there a way to use the Mini HDD in my 4g?
Thanks for the ray of hope… mine was dying on me… though i did get it second hand for free…. it wouldn’t sync up well with itunes, it would get stuck after a certain number of songs and if you disconnected it, it would automatically corrupt.. i got a bit pissed at it so i took my ipod photo appart and took out the hdd and banged it around.. not a good idea lol .. i pretty much turned the hdd into a maraca… i hope to get an adapter soon, maybe i could purchase a 16 gb cf card like what you have with the adapter. Thanks again.
I’m totally interested in this adapter.
Please add me to the list.
In case anyone is wondering, I went ahead and got one of those asian knock-offs of what Mark here is developing. After lots of experimentation, I can pretty safely report that they don’t work. Don’t bother with them.
Please put me on the list. Thanx.
Very, very interesting. I am impressed.
Add me to the email list, and I will keep checking back, eagerly awaiting the 5th gen version!
Great work.
This mod with one of the iVue clear backs would be awesome.
I am interested in your ipod compact flash adapter. Please let me know when they are available.
Thanks!
idk about 1g-3g ipods, but with 4g you dont need the adapter, just MAKE SURE that its the right way up, otherwise you will totally brick it, and i mean BRICK! it wont even show a sad ipod icon, itll be dead! nothing, blank screen when anything is done
@jack, I’m not sure where you get that from but in any case you’ll need an adapter. CF straight on the hdd-header inside an iPod, being 1-3g or 4g won’t work (that only works in iPod minis). There are several reports already from people trying such a thing and the CF gets really hot(...) and you’ll probably wreck the CF and the iPod… nice tip…
People, don’t try Jack's tip, it won't work and you'll probably wreck your gear...
Pse let me know when adapter is available.
Hey,
Done some searching on the net and i have found LinITX.com selling adapters ready made and even one to fit an ipod video zif connector.
http://linitx.com/viewproduct.php?prodid=11521
http://linitx.com/viewproduct.php?prodid=11676
I’m gonna try fixing a broken ipod video with this!!
Rob
I have one of the earlier 40GB iPods when they were new and very expensive. I am a music lover who wants to carry his entire collection with him everywhere, and I’m willing to spend the money on a DURABLE product that would make this possible, such as your adapter plus a 128GB CF card.
One thing is certain – I have been so disappointed with the dismal lifespan of the HDD-based iPod I will never buy another one unless Steve Jobs himself personally signs a guarantee that it will last at least a decade. An iPod is several orders of magnitude less complex than a modern automobile and certainly endures less hard use. I wouldn’t spend 15,000 USD on an automobile that will simply stop working three years later when I go over a few road bumps. Apple has BETA-tested their 300-400 USD product on the public for several years now; it’s time to stop enabling their profits.
I am tired of Apple’s development of the iPod as a toy for teenagers. There are many music lovers over 30 who are tired of constant format changes – 8 track, cassette, MiniDisc, CD, MP3, AAC – and all we want is for an allegedly mature company like Apple to bring a mature product to market that will allow us to enjoy our music for the rest of our lives.
I agree with the durability issues but if technology did not evolve, we would still be listening to vinyl records. The MP3 file format is already about 10 years old which is technologically ancient. I’m just glad it has stuck around for so long…
Rob H – those won’t work. Wrong size, wrong format, all wrong. Don’t waste your time.
the second one might work but it would need to be tested
do you have an estimate (however rough) of how much you will charge once you can begin to sell this?
nonya – no, it won’t work. The devices that we’re talking about here have 1.8in ide connections, not zif. Sorry.
Yes please for an adaptor .. I have a 1st gen 10gig ipod with a dead disk and I would love to go retro and put some life back in to it 8-)
the ipod video has that conector that is why this method won’t, work hence the “almost any”.
http://media.arstechnica.com/reviews/hardware/video-ipod.media/dissection-harddrive2.jpg
Okay, another n00b question:
http://www.dvnation.com/microatapics.html
This drive appears to what folks want. Expensive as hell at $400 for 32GB. The adapter appears to be a less expesive route as small memory can be used.
Hi Mark – any update on this? I’m keenly looking forward to breathing new life into my 1st Gen iPod. :-)
Same here :). My 2G iPod is making eerie noises, and I stumbled upon your project by chance (I was actually looking for a replacement option on eBay and found the cheap ripoff – and after some googling I found this page).
I’ll probably wait a bit until 16 GB cards get cheaper, so please drop a note when you’ve got your project on the road. After all, I’m looking for a durable method of breathing new life into my trusty old music-brick :).
never ever considered buying an ipod until now!
hopefully i can get a cheap ipod mini with a dead HDD.
very impressed with all your mods mark, hopefully your release of the compact flash adapter isn’t far away.
will you be selling them on eBay and posting worldwide? i live in Australia.
Interested in buying one; a kit form would be good and probablly within the capability of people who take apart their ipods.
I’m interested. At the adapter’s proposed selling price, and with the low price of CF cards, this would be a great alternative to the still-expensive 1.8” HDDs that you can find on eBay. I have two dead 4G iPods just waiting for new drives!
Yeah, I want one if the price is right. I got a 4G with a dead drive in my drawer.
I’m in!! 2 dead photo’s in need of CF. Here in the US, these will sell like mad
Greetings from Germany :)
Looks very good your work.
I need a new MP3-player and I think it’ll be a 3G iPod :)
Good to know that you can put a CF card inside with some work :)
There are also 1.8” Flash HDDs I guess, maybe an alternative?!
Anyone has tried this CF to iPod adapter?
I think i ll buy it to try.
http://cgi.ebay.com/CF-to-ipod-IDE-Adaptor-work-as-1-8-toshiba-Hard-Drive
yeah I tried it ;-)
It’ll only support 4G iPods and can not be mounted very nice inside such an iPod. If yours is 3/2/1G, forget it, it won’t work. (Stuff the seller won’t mention of course ;-))
...and if you guys think I have forgotten about all this, you’re wrong. The 1/2/3G-compatibility is something I’m solving and… I’m busy with more flash-adapter-stuff…
image 1
image 2
I’d like the adapter email when it’s available.
I definitely want one of these.
The form above says it has expired though, hope it went through
cool project!
You might be interested in my DIY CF->SATA Poor Man’s SSD Hard Drive Adapter here-
http://www.flickr.com/photos/47642593@N00/447124880/
glad I read a little more here. Thanks for the heads up, Mark. I almost made the mistake of getting one of the eBay ones for my 3G iPod that I want to resurrect. Keep up the work and research! Can’t wait to see the final product!
Great project, really look forward to getting one.
Cant wait to see the final product. keep up the good work.
Sounds like this could save a lot of people a lot of headaches (or worse)... Here’s to hopin’...
Mark, seems like recent development favors high capacity SD over CF cards, from what’s available on the news Toshiba allegedly will start to produce 32GDSDHC in January (let’s forget the price for the moment) ... is your adaptor going to work with sf2cf adaptors as well?
Have been looking for one of these for a long time. If life hands you an apple, make apple-aid….and stuff… Cheers mister.
I just bought a 1.8” HDD -> CF adaptor from:
http://linitx.com/viewproduct.php?prodid=11521
For my little laptop. I plan to replace the Tosh HDD with an 8GB CF card (less power, more speed, no spindles in my laptop).
> The 1/2/3G-compatibility is something I’m solving
What’s so different between 4G and the earlier ones? I mean, I guess it’s the same connector, so won’t it fit physically, or is the pinout different?
Please let me know as soon as you have an adapter for replacing ipod hardrive with CF card.
Good work
I have a 40gig Toshiba 1.8 hdd, like to install this in my 4th gen I-pod, like to know how….
Thanks,
Johan.
Awesome! I really hope this does become a marketable product. My old 4G is starting to really show its age and something like this would be vastly preferred to buying a whole new one.
i have a 5th gen video ipod. i am interested in an adapter for this model if you have one.
Any chance you have a part number for the edge connector that the ribbon cable connects to? I’m trying to do this mod, but can’t seem to find any of these connectors anywhere (besides tearing apart an iPod hard drive).
Today on a walk with my dog my iPod 5 G 30 Gb says good bye to me. It´s the drive i thing. Can I have an adapter too?
Any updates on how long before you will start manufacturing and how much it will cost?
I need one too… Please… Can’t listen to my iPod anymore ‘cause my disk drive is broken!
This is the best idea ever. So, in theory, I could turn my busted-HD iPod into a functional one? Very, very cool indeed.
Any progress? I really can’t wait for this!
When this adaptor is available, 1.8” SSD may become common.
This is taking so long that its becoming closer and closer vaporware…..
Hoi Mark,
Ik ben op zoek naar een vervanging voor een 1.8 hdd met een zif connector welke in een handcomputer zit. Kan jouw 5G adapter met CF kaart de hdd vervangen? D.w.z. met Windows XP erop?
Groet, Pieter.
Is this going to be a reality anytime soon?
Hi Mark,
Could we have some fresh news from this project ?
Can we expect a release for the begining of 2008 ?
I can’t wait any more and I think a lot of us who could not wait have bought a new ipod !
pleaaase give some news !!
thank you
Hi Eric (and others),
Your timing is perfect ^_^ I’ve been in negotiations with all kind of parties for getting this into production the last couple of months. The hard part is/was that from an investment PoV it’s pretty insecure (because there are no patents and such) but (just today! really) I’ve had a breakthrough and everything should be in time for a release somewhere in April. And that is for both adapters, the 1-4G and the 5/5.5G-version. In the mean time (when I was searching for the right investor) I’ve been developing these adapters further, but I’ve been reluctant to blog every little detail about it. When release date nears, I will uncover the whole operation, all right? :-)
I know this has taken a considerate amount of time from my part and I want to thank everyone who’s been waiting for this.
Well, I have to say that I’ve been following this development since last year when the first iPod mini CF hack was completed, and I was pretty impressed.
All the while I’ve been waiting and hoping for this adapter to see the light of day, especially when I damaged my 3G iPod’s 15GB hard drive while replacing it’s battery. So, for well over a year this thing has sat in my closet… dead to the world.
I’ve read this comment thread about 50 times, and I was really torn about what to do; keep waiting for Mark’s awesome adapter? or find another solution?
After reading a quick little how-to lesson over at Instructables.com about how to use a CF card to replace an iPod’s hard drive, I decided to give the Chinese eBay adapter a try. It took about a week and half to get here.
I charged up the dormant iPod, and just 15 minutes ago completed the process of installing the new adapter with a 2GB Transcend CF card, and guess what? It totally works. I’m listening to some music on it right now.
Upon connecting it to my machine, I had to do a software restore on it then attach it to a power source so it could reboot. After that, synced it with iTunes and voila! I have my old iPod back up and running. I’m really happy right now, the eBay adapter cost me $5 + shipping, and it took me about 2 minutes to install.
Now I want to stress that I’m not trying to shed any doubt on Mark and what he’s doing, but I also want to get the point across that I tried this on a whim, and had success. I praise Mark not only for the idea, but the time and effort that went into hand-soldering 88 connections, the man is a genius for sure.
The other thing I want to add is that the guy over on Instructables.com was replacing the hard drive in his 4th Gen iPod, and he had no problems – however mine was a 3rd Gen, and I encountered no problems either. The 5th Gen iPod video probably will not be able to use this method due to it’s use of a ZIF connector, vs. and IDE connector on the older models.
Anyways, I just wanted to let you folks know that I was able to get this working. Good luck!
Folks who consider these kind of CF conversions to be used with Rockbox should also check out the Rockbox forum (click my name) for the following topic:
Rockbox and Compact Flash
Dear Mark,
compliments for your project! My problem is another: my i-pod tried to swim but it drowned and now is dead. However, I opened it and nothing look on the water and I believe that the hard disk is ok. Exist a connector to open the hard disk 20gb with a normal pc?? Thank you for your help.
I’ll tried to conect two 64 gb cf’s in parallel and it’s function but in some cases not detect the connection and shows the followin message:
“Unable to read memory, please contact whit Apple for more information”
Great job, let me know when you’re up and running. I too tried the Chinese version on my 2G full sized ipod and so far, it’s not working, it starts to reset from itunes and then says the unit is busy.
I was thinking (bad idea, I know), I’m trying to convert my 2nd Generation 20Gb ipod to the compact flash version and as I posted before couldn’t wait and tried the chinese adapter . Didn’t work. Right now I can’t even get it to show up in Disk Utility. Maybe it’s a bad ribbon cable, not sure. But I was wondering, can I format the flash card outside the ipod? Can I fool iTunes into thinking it’s seeing an ipod in a camera, or card reader? Or is there a Carbon Copy or SuperDuper copy of the iPod format that I can copy onto the card? THANKS!
Hi, im intressted! looks wery intresting, great work!
Hi Mark, great work please advise when your 1.8” to CF adapter is available.
I tried the ebay adapter on 4G ipod (color) using a Kingston 4G CF card. This setup worked as long as the ipod was connected to the computer (Mac). Could transfer music, etc. I was happy… until I quit itunes and unplugged the ipod. Ipod went to file/disk error screen… not a happy camper. Found same problem on a second ipod of same generation. Not sure if the card or the adapter is causing problems
Hey guys! one detail:it seems the folks using an iPod Photo with this stuff wont be happy! I just cant get it to work and have the same mysterious problems like the folder icon after formatting the memory…
my equipment works fine, I just put a normal iPod 4G with a 4GB CF card back to life! So, please somebody let us know if there are other experience with that combination and especially waht it means when you see this folder symbol..
is there a need to reFlash the iPod with RockBox or something?
thank you very much for a short reply!
I’ve just had exactly the same experience with the “ebay adapter”: ipod photo, works when connected to computer, gives folder icon when disconnected. Won’t complete restore. I know that it isn’t the CF card at fault as it works in my ipod minis (currently working happily in my silver 1g mini). I also know that it isn’t the ipod photo at fault as it still works (mostly) with the original disk. Question for Mark: (probably a silly one): has your adapter been tested to work on the iPod Photo?
Hi Mark,
great work, I really like your project, since this is exactly a similar thing which I did twenty years ago (fiddling around with electronics for optimizing things), and after all you encouraged me to replace the HD inside my mini by a 16G CF card – I still wait for my replace battery to arrive and then I will begin with the surgery;-)
Concerning the HD adaptor I have another idea someone else above posted already: a dual CF adaptor with cards face2face (connectors), but this needs at least some electronic circuit and configuration jumpers (or a litte mcu) to add the 2 cards together in one address space.
In simple terns you would need just a sort of adress decoder with jumpers, the comfort version will make use of a small mcu or GAL to determine that automatically – but I think this is too much for a solution wich will be set up only once so jumpers will do.
Hi Mark
What you’ve done is pretty awesome. I would be absolutely interested in buying something like this, or trying it myself. Could you point me to where I can see what pins from the ipod should map to what pins on a compact flash.
Also, I did try directly connecting my CF card to the ipod. It began to heat up, so I unplugged it. It still works fine though. Do you think the card will eventually die though?
Hi Mark,
Great idea. Read about it a while back and the time has come to implement it as I now have two dead iPods (3g & 4g). I have been looking for some cheap CF cards on eBay. I found some but for the life of me I cannot understand if they are appropriate. Specifically one says:
“Three variations of mode access which are: memory card mode, I/O card mode and true IDE mode.
...
True IDE Mode:
The card can be configured in a True IDE mode of operation. This card is configured in this mode only when the –OE input signal is asserted GND by the host. In this True IDE mode Attribute Registers are not accessible from the host. Only I/O operation to the task file and data register are allowed. If this card is configured during power on sequence, data register are accessed in word (16-bit). The card permits 8-bit accesses if the user issues a Set Feature Command to put the device in 8-bit mode.”
Does this make any sense? Does the host controller in a 4G ipod actually assert the correct signal thereby putting the card in the mode it should be? Is “True IDE” the mode the ipod wants?
I can send you the link to the item via email.
Kind regards,
Jinger
I’ve soldered all the wires on the 1.8” ide female connector. While I wait for your unit to come to fruitation, I want to try and build my own frankenpod. I was wondering if you could give me the cf to ide pinout schematic so I don’t have to figure all those wires out myself. Thanks
I’m interested
I thinh that a problem with the Ipod Video could be that they have built a mode in it, which prooves the size of the drive. So maybe it could work with a bigger cf card. For example the relatively new transcend 32gb 133x CF Card.
That could be a reason in my opinion…
Anybody having an solution for a ipod 5th gen?
This f***in zif connector…:D
There could be a combination of the different connectors available…( look for http://stores.ebay.com/TRY2B-BEST_W0QQcolZ4QQdirZ1QQfsubZQ2d33QQftidZ2QQtZkm this shop seems to have erverything available, what’s necessary for your mods)
I don’t know if my idea works….what do you mean?
Greetz, Max
Mark, where did u get your CF to ATA adaptor from (found some online, but I am not sure that they will fit so well or even work)?
Hi Mark,
how’s it going? I just stumbled across the news that Transcend is starting to market 32GB CF-Cards (http://tinyurl.com/2e5yxy) at a reasonable price which makes your adapter a definitive must-have. Can’t wait to get one …
Cheers, Uli
I tried the BiWin 16GB card on my iPod and it worked fine. Writes at about 7 to 9 MB/s. Got the HK adaptor for it. Very happy. 50g lighter (125g vs 175g) than the HD too!
will this work for the iPod touch?
Hi Mark
Have you any updates or release dates when this great product will be ready?
great stuff man keep it up
http://mccbcricket.blogspot.com
I’m very interested.
Hey wicked. it’ been just over a year. Any progress?
Hi! thanks a lot for your project!
I would like to add some info about firewire incompatibility and 1G / 2G / 3G ipods:
You can not upgrade them to CF since the firewire connection doesnt’t work anymore when anything else than an original drive is mounted.
This is also true for the 3G, but on the 3G, you can use an usb cable to connect it to a computer.
This info is available elsewhere on the net, but I tested it first hand, since I got a 10gb 2G and a 20gb 3G, both with failed harddrives.
Really looking forward to this adapter, I now have two iPods that I am looking to resurrect. I trust not in those cheapo ebay solutions, I am looking for the real deal to once and for all carry my massive collection of music around with me. Please, I beg of you, let the powers that be grant this project good favor and make it happen! SOO much cheaper/better than flinging another 400 bucks into the can for a flash iPod.
Hope it happens soon, I’ve been following this for seven months! All the best wishes, you’re awesome, an iPod legend!
I’m in for a 5G adaptor, please let me know when they are available!
I have a 3G ipod, and I bought the cheap adapter off of ebay. When I plug in the ipod through a firewire port, nothing happens. When I plugged it in USB, itunes opened and it started syncing. But then after it had synced more than 2000 songs, it suddenly popped out a message saying my device had been removed improperly, when I hadn’t unplugged it, and the battery hadn’t died (3G ipod can’t charge through USB). Now it is stuck in a restart cycle (Plug it into a power source and it restarts) and it won’t show up in itunes. So it seems that the hardware part is working fine, but I’m not sure. I read something somewhere about incorrect partitions/firmware when doing this modification, but it was above my head. If anybody has any tips for me, I would be happy. The CF card is an A-Data 16gb, and this adapter. http://cgi.ebay.com/CF-compact-flash-to-1-8-HDD-IDE-Adapter-for-IPOD_W0QQitemZ310048272487QQihZ021QQcategoryZ41994QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
I really love this ipod, and would love to never hear a clicking hard drive again inside of it.
To Benjamin:
I am attempting to work out a similar problem in resurrecting a 3G, but I would much prefer a Mark-made adapter solution after reading about the problems with the knock-offs. Try reading through a few sites to see if you can repartition the iPod 3G’s guts through the Terminal. The instructions are a little dense, but they should be fairly linear.
If anyone else has anything to offer, I’d be up to hearing it to
Hi Mark
Will this product still be released or is this project dead or finished?
Best Regards
> Will this product still be released or is this project dead or finished?
Well, I can imagine if people think this project is dead by now, but in all honesty, it isn’t. I never imagined it would be such a slow process though to get this in a bigger kind of production and there's (much!) more to it than only the production. But... it’s still running and there will be an adapter at the end for sale for everyone. I will email all the people who left me their email address as soon as I’ve got that on the road. It’s difficult to give a time frame, I think it still could be 4 months from now, I'm sorry for that.
Thanks for your feedback.
Will keep on waiting till the release.
Happy to see it’s still alive :). I hope my iPod’s HDD will survive the wait, and to look at it from the bright side: those 16GB-cards will only get cheaper.
I thought that the ipod hard drive connector would have worked with a cf card straight off o.O the card fits in the slot, i guess its a different pinout though right?
I have also bought an adaptor from http://stores.ebay.com/TRY2B-BEST_W0QQcolZ4QQdirZ1QQfsubZQ2d33QQftidZ2QQtZkm
I also have an IDE (40pin) to 1.8” hard drive adaptor. I have used this before to clone ipod drives successfully. It also works well with a compact flash card fitted in the CF to 1.8” adaptor.
Unfortunately the cf card with adaptor is not recognised by the player. I’m starting to think this is due to my poor choice of CF card. A-Data 16GB.. :(
Please send me the details for your adaptor so i can check the one i have bought. Maybe it is one signal that is tied to ground and shouldn’t be. eg the cable select pin.
i’m thinking about updating my 3d gen ipod to flash memory and wondered if the cache (i think its about 32 mb) thats normally filled from the harddrive decreases the battery life and could be deactivated?
I’m am interested in buying an adapter for my HD based iPod
This is a definite godsend. My old 4th Gen iPod has been sent 8 times to Apple (or HP, whoever) and eight times I’ve gotten that lovely broken iPod symbol. I know it’s the hard-drive, and have been trying to figure out how to dis-assemble my iPod and make it work again (I’m tired of using my mom’s shuffle)
I’d just like to thank you in advanced. From the Flikr photos, it looks to be a quality product!
(Posted this here, since the contact form above is ‘expired’)
is this adapter the answer to this project? http://cgi.ebay.com/SSD-flash-adapter-for-iPod-1-8-hard-drive-to-CF_W0QQitemZ290240008702QQihZ019QQcategoryZ41994QQcmdZViewItem
as they advertise it can do exactly what is trying to be done here!
> is this adapter the answer to this project?
> as they advertise it can do exactly what is trying to be done here!
yes, I’m aware that adapter is for sale, for almost a year already and I have one of them too. And no, I don’t think it’s the answer to this project because it hardly works as advertised. They just produced in a quick and dirty way what I've been showing here (and to make things sure, I've got nothing to do with them). In some combinations it’ll work, but in a lot more it won’t and they point to …this very page you’re now reading for an ‘explanation’ of what it does. So that’s how much support you’ll get on that adapter. But sure, try it out if that’s what you want. Just don’t be surprised if it doesn’t work as advertised.
And in all honesty, that specific adapter has more or less killed the whole business model around this adapter, still, I think that adapter is a lousy product. I'll keep on pushing for an imho good product, but the main question at the end will be, will I be able to sell those, because I will have to sell them at a much higher price than their $1.99 (and it has been for sale for $0.99 too). But well, I guess we'll see about that.
I’ve also ordered the ‘fake’ adapter (had to try it.. I’m not sure how much longer the HDD in my 2G iPod will stay alive), but it didn’t work, tried it with different bits of flash memory, but the iPod just won’t appear in iTunes.
I still would be very interested in ‘the real thing’, as I’d like to keep my old-style iPod in working condition for as long as possible – upgrading to 16 or mabye 32 gigs of CF would be enough to keep me happy and away from buying a new one.
A higher price is not really a problem for me, as long as it’s sort of affordable.. I’d buy it as a kit if it’d save on manufacturing costs.. I’ve grown pretty confident about my soldering skills.
Hi,
I have an iPod G4 photos (colors). With an 60Go hard drive.
This hard drive is out of order since 2 years.
Where i can buy one harddrive- flash memory adaptator ?
Thanks.
éricM.
I am also still interested. $30 to $40 price point for a quality interface is not too high.
Please let me know when you have it ready for ordering.
I’d be interested once in production…my 4G had 5 warranty repairs before the clock expired. Now is just hard-drive dead.
put me in…
hay fag!!!
nice candles and cat!!! ya poofter!
Hi, Wonder how must an adapter for my 3th generation 20 GB iPod would set me back, cotta have one, my hard drive is death.
Best Regards
I’m still waiting :( my 5GB iPod has been dead for a while now sitting in my desk drawer waiting for this adaptor to be sold…
Quick question: If, in the end you decide against manufacturing and selling the adapters (for whatever reason), would you be willing to provide (for either a fee or for free) the schematics on how to build one ourselves? Just a thought that passed my mind as I was fixing my headset the other night.
Hello I am Sir Harry Fadgina and I love this gadget.
I dont have an ipod though, will it work in the Creative Zen?
You said you had 4 days of zen and is this because you didnt have an ipod or because you just prefer creatives?
hahahahaha joke over
Harry Fadgina ready to service Russia any day now – happy WW3
If the project is still alive, please email me when you’re in production.
Yes, please let me know as well. Would love to save all that soldering ;)
Can you let me know, too? Thank you!
i’m interested in 2 or 3 adapters depending on price and shipping to the states. thanks :)
Very interested… has this project progressed? I have a 3rd gen that’s a crapped out HD. Would like to use as an iPod again or at least a really nice external drive. Thanks for the hard work and I hope this become available to the rest of us. Thanks!
i think he’s dead guys, i had his personal email. never responding anymore….... RIP
Here is another supplier that is claiming to have a solution http://www.ameri-rack.com/APA-CF18T_m.html
pinouts: http://web.archive.org/web/20010528020807/http://www.sandisk.com/tech/oem_design/cf/Cf_ide.pdf
similar to http://forums.bit-tech.net/showthread.php?t=120964
Hi.
Wow, I like the hard work you put in to all this.
I’ve pretty much read all the posts here, too.
I’ve gone ahead and splashed out on a 32GB CF card, and because I couldn’t wait to try it, I purchased one of those “fake” adpaters for my 3rd Gen iPod.
If it works, great! – But I’ll probably modify it anyway, so it’s more of a permanent fixing.
Is there any way of beefing up the 32GB CF;
Is dual CF even a possible option?
well if you want to try it for yourself, the mini hdd’s have the same pinout as a regular mini ide drive. the cf-ide is just an easy way to adapt to the standard ide connection. the later generations have a ribbon conector wich is the same as the older ones just in a zif connector. the pinouts are in the pdf’s for the drives.
I replaced the dead Seagate ST1 drive in my daughter’s 2nd gen iPod Mini with a 4 gb Peak Compact Flash card p/n 751ccf0068. Easy and inexpensive replacement, pinout is the same and iPod works perfect now. Card was around $25. Ordered from O2 Brands (their part number is pkcf-4gb). Card was just a little bit thicker than the Seagate drive, but fit just fine. They also have larger capacity cards if you want to spend a bit more.
Hey Mark,
Just going through your post and about 6 months ago (May 22nd) you posted that it would be 4 months until an adapter would be ready for sale. Any news on progress?
BTW I would like to have a 5G adapter.
Sadly Mark passed away about three months ago. You might have some luck searching on ebay.
I was just going to sign up for the adapter — so excited…scrolled down to the sad news. I can’t believe it. R.I.P. Mark. ... 42 is the answer.
its very sad …..so young…..
i wanted also to sign in,does have anyone a link for the adapter…
There are quite a few available on eBay for $5 shipped. They seem to work well. Search for Toshiba Compact Flash Adapter.
Shure – my ipod drive crashed would love to move it to CF…
That’s really cool,when I buy new one,will try with old one.
insanity would be throwing one of the new 128 gig SSD’s into an ipod.. afaik there is one version made by samsung thats 1.8”. not sure if the voltages match.. but it’s fun to dream. sure its cheaper to buy a whole new ipod.. but one might as well go the whole yard :D
I just messaged you about how much you would charge to actually do this whole thing and what the maximum memory and the highest level ipod you could do this to currently and cost would be if you provided the memory…But also wanted to ask…Are you able to switch the logic-DAC- chip on an iPod? Like putting a wolfson chip from the 5th or 4th gen iPod in a 6g iPod instead of their cirrus chip?
Thanks,
Jeremy
has anyone got one of the ebay adaptors and got it working in a 3rd gen click wheel ipod?
dear people,
cf wont work in a lot of ipods as hd-replacement due to the hd-controller switched off or not existing any more (done by hardcoded firmware).
maybe 2nd gen do it, but even the oldest color doesnt boot standalone.
mark must have been faced by this problem months ago and hence his production is pointless.
I an sorry, too; bought a 16G CF which worked fine in an iPod until I booted it standalone; thats for it!
Guess there is no solution – YMMV
reg
dear people,
cf wont work in a lot of ipods as hd-replacement due to the hd-controller switched off or not existing any more (done by hardcoded firmware).
maybe 2nd gen do it, but even the oldest color doesnt boot standalone.
mark must have been faced by this problem months ago and hence his production is pointless.
I an sorry, too; bought a 16G CF which worked fine in an iPod until I booted it standalone; thats for it!
Guess there is no solution – YMMV
reg
wiin What do you mean by “hd-controller switched off or not existing any more …” and “boot standalone”?
Do you think you can find a way of getting a really big memory into a iPod Nano 3rd Gen?
i.e what’s the biggest amount of memory you can shove into an iPod Nano using a technique similar to yours.
I tried to install a Kingston elite pro 16GB S2 in my iPod photo with the ebay adapter. The iPod goes into disk mode, and it can read/write files but it won’t boot.
They sell the aforementioned adapter for $5 at www.dealextreme.com
I’ve successfully upgraded two of my three ipods (3rd and 4th generation) with cf cards and adaptors bought from dealextreme. The 4th gen was easy to do and I also decided to invert the lcd while I was at it (white text on black background), but with the 3rd gen you need to modify the firmware to manually set a flag to allow the ipod to boot and get out of the infinite initialization loop problem. Now I’ve also ordered a cf to zif adaptor so I can upgrade my 5th gen ipod.
I am interested in this adapter for my u2 that has hard drive problems
please send me details of this marvelous invention!
I am interested in this unique adapter so i can upgrade my ipod nano instead of paying a grip of cash for a new ipod
I would be interested in an iPod hard drive to CF adapter. I have a gen 2 ipod which has failed and I would like to get it working again.
i want to upgrade mi ipod, but i guess sending the adapter to Argentina is too expensive… So, could post a kind of How-to or a diagram of which pin is solded??
Hi
I’m really into making DIY adapter for a 1st gen ipod.
Was wondering if you could make your work opensource?
Thanks
Chris
dude, i like the idea.. :)
is it in production already? could i order?
>luigi from the philippines
Are these avail?How much and where do I order.I’d like to up the memory on My 3g.
hey why do you have a FUCK sticker on your laptop? lololol
Hi, not into messing around with the insides myself but really could do with an adapter and let someone else fit it.
RIP Mark. Sad. Well, you live on in the net…
Hello, do you know where I can get some tai yellow poweder for my chicken tikka massala
just want to make sure you got me message the first time about the adapter, interested
I would welcome info on your ipod flash adaptor once available.
It’s been 3 years. Has your development progressed at all?
will the CF conversion if a SD card isplaced in a SD-CF adapter then used as above?
Hi Mark. I keep coming back to this as I have a 1st generation iPod in mint condition, save for a dead hard disk and just for retro nostalgia reasons I’d LOVE to get it working again and would be happy to pay a sensible price for such an adaptor. If the project is dead please say so to put us all out of our misery. Really appreciate your efforts. Ever the optimist, Simon.
Folks. I just had a look around this site after posting my last comment and it looks like Mark sadly passed away. Sad news indeed, he was far too young. Suddenly a disk adaptor doesn’t seem so important. I’m still hopeful someone will do something for the early ipods out there, but in the meantime, belated thoughts are with Mark.
hey i have a new idea to bounce off u, why not take the normal charger adapter, connect the end to a usb splitter, and stick in USB flash drives, all you would have to do is program the ipod to process the cards, and break the encryption code to use the cards. just and idea, and less wire twisting=)
For those who have a 3G iPod (maybe also for 1G or 2G) don’t take the green adapter with jumper, but the red one (tinxi ebay-shop) Worked perfect for me. You have to manualy format the CF-card (for Windows 41Mb free and the rest FAT32) I used Ubuntu live-CD to do that
I have a IPOD photo. How much would the adapter be?
sweet! do you have to open the ipod? how much money is it?
what transcend model is ata adaptable (8GB)? for using in this configuration? I’m ready to repair my broken 4th gen HD but find this detail missing in all reviews and tech info online. Transend tech support can’t even tell me.
People, the guy that wrote all this is dead. Stop posting questions for him without doing your homework. You won’t get an answer here.
Sad news indeed, he was far too young. Suddenly a disk adaptor doesn’t seem so important. I’m still hopeful someone will do something for the early ipods out there, but in the meantime, belated thoughts are with Mark.
I just bought a ipod adapter from era-adapter.com. they have many zif adapter and ipod adapter.
sd to zif: http://www.era-adapter.com/sd-to-toshiba-18-zif-adapter-p-139.html
usb to zif: http://www.era-adapter.com/usb-20-to-ziflif-adapter-p-147.html
cf to zif: http://www.era-adapter.com/cf-to-ziflif-adapter-p-128.html
And many other zif adapter you can find here: http://www.era-adapter.com/ziflif-adapter-c-11.html
Merci. Il s’agit d’un post vraiment super. Tenez-vous au bon travail.