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8300HD - Internal SATA Hard Disk adapter Upgrade

189K views 355 replies 59 participants last post by  ISatOnIt 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
Edit by 57: A firmware update a while back meant that quite a few people have issues with SATA adaptors and the 8300HD. We therefore can no longer recommend this option. Feel free to experiment if you wish...

Edit: See this post for a summary of LesE experience with different adapters.

Since the SA8300HD uses an IDE to SATA converter chip for their external E-SATA port, I would bet that you could use one of the available IDE to SATA adapters to install an internal SATA drive. I've never heard of anyone trying it, though.

Here's what I'm talking about (first hit on a Google search).
This idea caught my interest when I first read this post. I finally got around to picking up one of these adapters on eBay and I decided to give it a try. For the test, I used a WD3200KS drive and I followed the previously posted instructions for cloning the original 160G drive and enabling the acoustic management. After putting it back together, it came up just as it would with an IDE drive. It's been running for 24 hours and so far, it's behaving pretty much they way the original IDE drive did. I'll probably run it for a while longer to make sure that there are no problems and then I'll probably go to a larger drive.

Here are a few pics of the SATA drive with the adapter installed.



 
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#54 ·
I haven't tried that one yet Jake. It's anyone's guess as to how well it will work but if the reviews on Newegg are any indication, then I wouldn't be too optimistic.

I finally managed to get my hands on an IDE-SATA01 adapter with the Marvell 88SA8040 chip. I had high hopes for this one but unfortunately, the performance was very poor. Although the PVR did recognize the drive, it would freeze momentarily every 10 seconds or so and wouldn't record at all. On the other hand, the IDE-SATA04 continues to work reasonably well.

So, the search continues.
 
#55 ·
My understanding is that the PVR uses an IDE to SATA converter chip to provide the eSATA external drive connection. If one could find an IDE to SATA adapter that uses this same part, presumably this would have the best chance of working well.

Unfortunately, the last time I had my unit open I didn't spend any time looking to see if this chip exists and what its part number is. Perhaps some ambitious person wishes to do so.
 
#57 ·
LesE I also found the newegg reviews disappointing. My only question was it seemed some people were attaching IDE devices to SATA controllers. I am pretty sure they would have better luck attaching a SATA device to an IDE controller. But as you said without one to try it is anyones guess. If the IDE-SATA04 was not so rare I would just buy that one.
 
#58 ·
Even with the IDE-SATA04, there's no guarantee that it will work. I believe that the one I have is an older version which has a different physical appearance as compared to the newer ones. So, it's possible that the design may have changed as well. Furthermore, the IDE-SATA04 is no longer on the manufacturer's web site so it appears that it may have been discontinued.

http://www.ioisata.com/products/Bridge-Board/

The IDE-SATA20 shown on their site uses the same JMicron chip as the IDE-SATA04 so it may be the replacement product.
 
#60 ·
So far, the IDE-SATA04 has been the best adapter I've used. I wish I could say with 100% confidence that the one from SataGear will do the trick for you but I can't since it's a different version than the one I have. Here is the pic of mine that you can compare to the one from SataGear.

http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showpost.php?p=830843&postcount=31

Both use the same JMicron chip but it is possible that design had also changed along with the physical layout. I may have just gotten lucky with the one I found on eBay.
 
#61 ·
I did it

Hey everyone. My first post.

I did it on my second PVR today. First one yesterday. I own both and they are out of warranty now anyway.

I could not find the IDE-SATA04 available to ship to Canada but I did find what I believe is the current generation (no-lead solder) IDE-SATA20.

http://www.ioisata.com/products/Bridge-Board/IDE-SATA20.htm

I found it cheapest in UK but shipping cost was highway robbery. I bought two from a US company which charged $15 each board and $15 US to ship both.

If allowed I will respond with supplier link.

I installed WD10EADS 1TB drives.

So far so good. The only thing I would add to the instructions is beware of sharp edges in PVR frame, got a little cut :)

Will report back any problems or if asked and allowed, where I bought them.

Regards,

J
 
#62 ·
JKELSO welcome to Digital Home. I would say since these items are difficult to find online and even more difficult to obtain, go ahead and mention the online vendor. Don't put a direct link though.

Also, be sure to read the image freezing issues that have been known to occur occasionally with this SATA configuration. And by all means keep us up to date on your success.
 
#63 ·
The IDE-SATA20 should be a good choice since it's equipped with the JMicron JM20330 which seems to work quite well on the IDE-SATA04.

For the past week, I've been trying a different approach using a motherboard adapter that is also equipped with the JM2033. These are available on eBay for less than $10. To install the adapter, you have to remove the 40 conductor drive cable and insert the adapter into the the IDE connector on the 8300HD PCB. You will need to get a Y-splitter for the power connections as well as a molex-SATA power adapter for the power connection to the hard drive. The adapter comes with a SATA-SATA cable which prevents the cover from closing but I think that it will just fit using a cable with a 90 degree angle connector (left). For now, I'm testing with the cover off. (Note: Operating this device with the cover off is a safety hazzard and not recommended. Please do not attempt this.)

The results after one week of use have been very promising. I picked up a second WD Green drive (WD10EAVS) which is also performing very well. I would want to go through at least a month of regular use before giving it the thumbs up. Pics to follow.
 
#64 ·
Hello,

Thanks for the welcome.

The company is called Caloptic. Their site says no international orders because of mail fraud except to Canada :) You do have to call them though, can't place on-line order.

I am at 40% on my system, include 500 GB external.

So far I have cancelled scheduled recordings while two movies are recording with no issue. Will try deleting a recording while recording two next time.

Regards,

J
 
#67 ·
Jake, yes you will need a power cable exactly like the one you've show. The Y-splitter is required so that you can power the adapter board as well as the hard drive. You can't quite see it in the picture but there is a power connection on the right hand side of the adapter board which is covered by the SATA cable.

Yes, there are right and left angled SATA cables available. Unfortunately, the left angled version such as the one needed here is much less common but they are around.
 
#68 ·
LesE I came across this thread and wondering how the drive is performing with the new motherboard adapter.

My IDE drive (WD5000AAKB) in the PVR has been jittering for a while and i rebooted the box and now it can't see the drive. I took it out and hooked it up via USB to my PC and attempted a format with Windows overnight and it aborted half way through with unable to format (or something to that effect).

I'm using PQ Magic to format it now but it is like 16% and will take forever. I'm thinking I'll abort the format, maybe try a quick format now and then try putting the drive back in and see if the PVR sees it.

Failing that, put the old 160GB drive back in so I have something to use and maybe go down to College & Spadina to the various computer shops and look either for an adapter like the one on ebay or possibly the same drive I have (they still make it/have it) and hope for the best.

I like this adapter idea as it would make the PVR able to work with readily available SATA drives.

Have you tried the 90 degree SATA connector under the cover?

So if I'm reading this right I would need...
1) IDE to SATA adapter board - will any work or do I need the one on Ebay?
2) SATA to SATA cable (looks like it comes with the box, but would need 90 degree on one end)
3) Y Molex power cable
4) small power to molex power cable
5) SATA power to Molex adapter (I think my USB to SATA/IDE has one but the cable is probably too short)

Off to try hard drive re-insertion first and then possibly researching more parts.
 
#69 ·
Is it a 90 degree or 270 degree SATA cable that would be needed? Is the 90 degree the "right" cable and the 270 degree the "left" cable? (or vice versa?) I'm assuming it is based on the notch on the cable connector. I came across a site that sells them but I'm sure they are available locally but the picture isn't really clear on them.
 
#70 ·
Sorry to hear that you're having problems with your IDE drive.

So far, the motherboard adapter has been working well but I wanted to give it a couple of more weeks before declaring success. I've just ordered a 90 degree SATA cable and I expect to receive it sometime next week. At this point, I don't know if it will fit under the cover but I'm sure that it will be very close.

As far as to which board to use, the important thing is that the IDE-SATA board has the JMicron chip. The board I'm using has the part number HX070227. If you order off of eBay, I suggest that you choose a seller who specifically mentions the JM20330 in the item description. Otherwise, you may get a board with a different chip.

The 90 degree SATA-SATA is the left variety. When plugged into a SATA drive, it angles up instead of down.

Here's what one looks like:

Left Angle SATA Cable

The power adapter cable that goes from the small connector to Molex is usually supplied with the IDE-SATA board.

The SATA power to Molex adapter cable doesn't have to be long since the Y splitter adds to the overall length of the power connection. I also used the cable from my USB to SATA/PATA adapter and it was more than long enough.

To summarize, the power connections are as follows:

1/ Connect the Molex power cable from the 8300HD PCB to the Molex Y splitter cable.

2/ One leg of the Y splitter cable connects to the Molex-SATA power cable which then plugs into the SATA HDD.

3/ The other leg of the Y splitter cable connects to the Molex power cable supplied with the IDE-SATA adapter board.

Hope that helps.
 
#71 ·
LesE I am sure you already checked for this but one alternative to the left-angled sata cable could be a left-angled IDE header adapter. It would sit on the IDE header and have to clear the caps. This would put the IDE-SATA board parallel to the mainboard and hopefully leave room for the cables. Any thoughts?
 
#72 ·
Actually I haven't considered that alternative but it sounds like a good idea Jake. Do you know of a source for an angled header adapter?

I also considered the use of an IDE Male-Female extension cable (Female end plugs into the PCB, Male end plugs into the IDE-SATA adapter) which may work but brings with it the risk of shorting the adapter to the chassis or PCB.

For now I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the angled SATA connector will fit.

Hopefully if the IDE-SATA20 works out for jkelso, we'll have two methods to choose from.
 
#73 ·
Thanks LesE. Well I'm RMAing the IDE drive right now. I haven't had much luck with Western Digital drives in the past - usually going within 1-1.5 years. I like Seagate but I understand that they don't perform as well in the PVRs... perhaps with the new motherboard adapter it may perform better.

I had a Seagate SATA in an eSATA enclosure while back connected to the SA8300HD but I got too much jitter and disconnected it from the drive and when I saw that you could upgrade the hard drive in the 8300HD without having to try cloning disks, etc. I decided to give it a shot and has been fine until recently - say the last 2-3 weeks (well maybe 4 weeks now since it has been removed and the original put back in).

Have you tried other types of hard drives with either the motherboard or direct conversion methods?

I don't see any ebay refefences to the JM20330 chipset in the description but I do see pictures with HX070227 on them. I guess I would have to contact the seller (one in Quebec is quite popular) to find out.

I am looking for a more longer term solution using SATA drives if possible if this solution works then I may move towards this but use the RMA'd IDE drive for the interim.

Keep us posted as to your status with the new motherboard method and the cable under the cover as this method seems a lot cleaner than putting another cable in that bridges the motherboard to the adapter and introduces heat possibly and shorting capability unless you isolated it somehow (taped to the lid?)
 
#75 ·
Thanks Jake.

bolmsted, I personally haven't had any experience using anything other than WD for either internal or external use. It appears that there has been mixed results using Seagate for external use although some have faired better with the 7200.11 drives. I would expect similar results when using a Seagate drive with the internal adapter.

I have PM'd you the eBay link for the adapter that I purchased.
 
#76 ·
Ah, Les, what are you doing to me...

I think with this one, you have hit the motherload, pulverized the barriers, technically, it will work, this is the most direct method.

My ichy fingers ordered motherboard adapter today, will wait to see if the left angle connector does the trick before I dive into another hard disk.

Looking at the specs for the 1TB green, they are much less in acoustics and electrical then the WD5000AAKB that we already have.


WD5000AAKB
Acoustics
Idle Mode 28 dBA (average)
Seek Mode 0 33 dBA (average)
Seek Mode 3 29 dBA (average)

Power Dissipation
Read/Write 8.77 Watts
Idle 8.40 Watts
Standby 0.97 Watts
Sleep 0.97 Watts


Which brings up the subject of the Green 2TB specs which are below.


2TB around $285.99
Acoustics
Idle Mode 25 dBA (average)
Seek Mode 0 29 dBA (average)
Seek Mode 3 26 dBA (average)

Electrical Specifications
Current Requirements
Power Dissipation
Read/Write 6.00 Watts
Idle 3.7 Watts
Standby 0.80 Watts
Sleep 0.80 Watts

It's much less that the AAKB's figures.

We can also consider the 1.5TB,$163.99 and the 1TB is around $98.99.

So, in my mind, if you are successful with the 1TB, logic and the above mentioned specs
for the 2TB says it would work.

To be continued.... if my wife doesn't kill me.

Ruby
 
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