ZIF connector drives on H320/H340

[dwolstenholme]

Has anyone tried connecting a ZIF drive (like the Toshiba MKx008GAx series) to their H320/40? The conventional wisdom here is that it can't be done because the connectors are different, but I think it's possible. Here's how:

Theoretically, the only difference between the ZIF drives and the 40-pin drives we use is the connector. Well, if you open up your H320 and look at this connector after taking your HD out, you'll notice that this connector is attached to a flat cable (called a "FFC": "flat flexible cable", the common type of cable normally used in electronics to connect circuit boards together). This cable goes into a normal FFC connector on the circuit board.

According to the data sheets for the Toshiba and Hitachi ZIF-connector drives, these drives connect using standard FFC cable with 40 wires at 0.5mm spacing. I haven't measured the cable/connector in the H320, but it appears to be the same size.

In summary, if my theory is right, a ZIF-connector drive should be easily installed in an H320 simply by removing the FFC-to-40pin cable, and installing a standard 40-pin 0.5mm FFC cable, available for less than $5 from Mouser Electronics or Digi-Key (mouser.com, digikey.com).

Unfortunately, I don't have any ZIF-connector drives to try this with, but if anyone has one lying around they'd like to sell cheap, I'd be happy to give it a shot.

[T-K]

hmm, sounds like a very good idea and would b good if it worked... i dont have one tho

[radioactive28]

have you ever known a company to give out hardware design specs like these? i think it's worth a shot.
and i believe i've seen the fcc design submission before, just need to dig and find it again.

EDIT: i did a search on fcc, with fcc id QDMH300 (as given on the label of the h320 player). turned up some diagrams and photos listings, but they failed to display.

[dwolstenholme]

Originally Posted by radioactive28

have you ever known a company to give out hardware design specs like these?

What exactly are you talking about here?

I was able to find the data sheets for some ZIF-connector hard drives, both Toshiba and Hitachi. Components like these usually have easily-available data sheets because companies want other companies to design them into their products and buy them. Both the Toshiba and Hitachi drives had the same ZIF connector, 40 pins with 0.5mm spacing.

I can't imagine iRiver giving out any hardware design data however. But that shouldn't be necessary anyway; we have all we need to know from the hard drive data sheets (both the ZIF drives and the older 40-pin drives). I've read both, and they both use standard ATA interfaces; they should be fully compatible. The biggest challenge will be getting the correct cable, since there's several varieties of FFC connectors: pins on top, pins on bottom, and double-sided (I'm sure the H300 doesn't have the latter).

i think it's worth a shot.
and i believe i've seen the fcc design submission before, just need to dig and find it again.

EDIT: i did a search on fcc, with fcc id QDMH300 (as given on the label of the h320 player). turned up some diagrams and photos listings, but they failed to display.

Can you post a link to this?

[gorcorps]

I don't see why this wouldn't work as long as these fcc cables are connected the same way. I don't have a zif drive either otherwise I'd try it.

[radioactive28]

Originally Posted by dwolstenholme

What exactly are you talking about here?

I was able to find the data sheets for some ZIF-connector hard drives, both Toshiba and Hitachi. Components like these usually have easily-available data sheets because companies want other companies to design them into their products and buy them. Both the Toshiba and Hitachi drives had the same ZIF connector, 40 pins with 0.5mm spacing.

I can't imagine iRiver giving out any hardware design data however. But that shouldn't be necessary anyway; we have all we need to know from the hard drive data sheets (both the ZIF drives and the older 40-pin drives). I've read both, and they both use standard ATA interfaces; they should be fully compatible. The biggest challenge will be getting the correct cable, since there's several varieties of FFC connectors: pins on top, pins on bottom, and double-sided (I'm sure the H300 doesn't have the latter).



Can you post a link to this?

https://gullfoss2.fcc.gov/prod/oet/c...ericSearch.cfm

i can't seem to link directly to the search result page for the player, so just go to the above link and pop in the FCC ID to do the search again.


what i was talking about at the top was possibly sending an email to iriver, and asking them for info on the ZIF connector found on the player's main board. should save a fair bit of trouble, in case we out that a regular ZIF-ZIF FFC isn't going to work because they decided to mess up the pin-out configuration. this assuming they do reply positively =p

EDIT: I've popped a query over to the 'Contact Us' guys at iriver.

[inluxication]

Count me as someone interested in the answer; I hope someone can find it out. Experiment would be more persuasive than an iRiver answer, but I guess it may take time till someone's willing to try it.

[Dommo]

I have an iPod 80gb (I used to own an H340 - but still), and I'm willing to take it apart... My brother has an iriver iHP-140, who would be willing to let me take it apart, I have done before now anyway!

Is me putting my drive and connector into his iriver what you're asking (well not me exactly, just anyone willing to)?

If so, I'm not sure if it'd kill anything? I hope not? But why would they change to ZIF drives if the connector on the motherboard was the same for both, what's the advantage?


Edit - or is that not what you're asking?
I'd defo try it if I was sure there wasn't a difference on the connectors, I can't afford to replace things if things go up sh*t creek!

[radioactive28]

I have an iPod 80gb (I used to own an H340 - but still), and I'm willing to take it apart... My brother has an iriver iHP-140, who would be willing to let me take it apart, I have done before now anyway!

Is me putting my drive and connector into his iriver what you're asking (well not me exactly, just anyone willing to)?

If so, I'm not sure if it'd kill anything? I hope not? But why would they change to ZIF drives if the connector on the motherboard was the same for both, what's the advantage?

the thing is, there are now solid-state drives in large capacities available, but the common connector is ZIF, hence this topic. the solid state drives promises lower power consumption and extreme shock resistance

the requirement though, is that you have a ZIF-ZIF cable connector, for use on the iriver player. i'm not sure whether it would work for the H1x0 though.

Edit - or is that not what you're asking?
I'd defo try it if I was sure there wasn't a difference on the connectors, I can't afford to replace things if things go up sh*t creek!

there's no guarantee that the connector pin-outs are the same. and there's no guarantee that both the player and drive will stay alright, so unless you're adventurous and can afford the loss, you should wait for someone else to take the plunge.

typically, that someone probably doesn't believe in "don't fix it if it ain't broke" =p

[ihatelongnicksevenmore]

I would be really interested in an answer to this riddle... Compatible IDE drives seem rather scarce this days.

[juanpa74]

Me too would be so interested!

[stolltech.ch]

Hello!
I'm new here, i do not write a good english and i have the same problem. I think that you can not use a simple ZIF-ZIF-cable because the connections is not the same. I made a pdf with the two assignements IDE and ZIFhttp://www.stolltech.ch/vergleich_ide_zif.pdf
I think i have to make a adapter. Now i'm looking where i can buy a cable....
Greets

[Danfried]

Radioactive, any reply yet from the guys at iRiver?

[juanpa74]

Anybody has seen this? anybody willing to try?
http://www.span.com/catalog/product_...&t=side_right1

[shadesbass]

Originally Posted by juanpa74

Anybody has seen this? anybody willing to try?
http://www.span.com/catalog/product_...&t=side_right1

Yes I've seen those before. They won't fit into an H1/3xx as the IDE connector is perpendicular to the pcb.

[juanpa74]

But do you think it should work?I mean it is just means of an adapter?We just have to wait for someone to make the right adapter (or someone to find it).
thanks

[shadesbass]

Yes it should work, but I don't know if it's possible to make the adapter small enough to fit into an iRiver.

[dwolstenholme]

Originally Posted by stolltech.ch

Hello!
I'm new here, i do not write a good english and i have the same problem. I think that you can not use a simple ZIF-ZIF-cable because the connections is not the same. I made a pdf with the two assignements IDE and ZIFhttp://www.stolltech.ch/vergleich_ide_zif.pdf
I think i have to make a adapter. Now i'm looking where i can buy a cable....
Greets

You're right. I checked the connector on my H320 at the ZIF connector on the motherboard, and the connections do not match the standard 40-pin ZIF hard drive pinout.

Oh well, so much for that idea.

[stolltech.ch]

I made the Cable. Now i have a H340 with ZIF- Connector. Details: http://www.stolltech.ch/iriver.html
Greets
Mario

[TripleJ85]

Originally Posted by stolltech.ch

I made the Cable. Now i have a H340 with ZIF- Connector. Details: http://www.stolltech.ch/iriver.html
Greets
Mario

Wow. Very nice work Mario.

[jumbuck]

Originally Posted by stolltech.ch

I made the Cable. Now i have a H340 with ZIF- Connector. Details: http://www.stolltech.ch/iriver.html
Greets
Mario

Totally awsome

[shadesbass]

Originally Posted by stolltech.ch