PowerBook 1400c and mSATA SSD

[MikeatOSX]

PowerBook 1400 DOM (Disk on Module) test

 
Question: Can a DOM be used in a PowerBook 1400?
Short answer: YES
 
A DOM is a flash drive with either 40/44-pin PATA or SATA interface with female connector for direct connection to the motherboard.
BTW: I didn't see a 44-pin DOM yet.
 
I recently got a 64GB Kingspec DOM as a gift and so I figured out, how to use it with a PowerBook.
I needed a 2.5" 44-pin IDE Hard Drive Female to 3.5" 40-pin IDE Hard Drive Male adapter and an IDE 44-pin Male to 44-pin Male adapter, shortened the power cables and soldered them together.
Ready!
 
First test in PowerBook G3 Wallstreet: working & fitting
Second test in PowerBook 1400c: same here - Disk First Aid reports "OK".
 
I also did a boot speed test: DOM versus SanDisk Extreme III Compact Flash card (30MB/s).
The DOM is only about 3 seconds slower when booting Mac OS 8.6 with extensions on.
In the end I moved the DOM out of the PowerBook, as 64GB ist really too much for this darling.
 

 

[galgot]

That is nice. And I suppose DOMs last longer than usual CF cards as they are industrial grade ?

 

[butterburger]

I bet, KingSpec's DOM is not any more 'industrial' than their other product formfactors. I highly doubt the KingSpec would last any longer than the SanDisk CompactFlash.

 

[rsolberg]

I can vouch for the SanDisk Extreme III and IV Compact Flash in terms of write endurance. Before using a 2GB Extreme IV as a boot disk in a vintage laptop, I connected it in place of my optical drive in my Quicksilver G4. I ran dd on it for a couple days and over 3TB of writes later, it was still behaving nicely. Talk about a torture test! I haven't put an Extreme III through the same punishment, but an 8GB unit has been running my OS 8.6/10.2 292MHz Wallstreet flawlessly for quite some time.

 

[marmanold]

As an update to this thread, I had some issues selecting the correct IDE to CF adapter and compact flash card to get this working on my PowerBook 1400.  After much trial and error I got it to work.  Documented the exact configuration I used on my site so it's easy for others to find.  The big take away point is to use an **industrial** compact flash card.  I didn't have luck with others.

IDE to CF Adapter: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00EQVTYO2/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

CF Card: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B014H4GQJS/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Full Post - http://www.marmanold.com/retro/booting-a-powerbook-1400-from-compact-flash/

 

[mraroid]

I am looking for a SCSI2CF or SCSI2SD card solution for my Color Classic.  Recommendations welcome.....

mraroid

 

[flecom]

I put one of these in my 1400 without issue

https://www.amazon.com/Zheino-Solid-State-Drive-Laptop/dp/B00QWZQ43Y

 

[AlpineRaven]

Bringing up old thread. This testing was done on PowerBook 3400/240mhz - the hard disk died just before Christmas last year and ever since I've been mucking around getting it to work. Anyway;

I had 3 different generic mSATA to IDE 44pin - didn't work so don't bother with mSATA.

Next step was to find SD to 44pin which I found this, see attached picture;

Found on ebay, search as - "SD/micro IDE 44 pin"

At the start, I had issues, turned out to be fake SD card that I purchased on other week. So got a true SanDisk Extreme Pro 95mbs card and installed Mac OS 8.6 on it without any issues - formatted it in one partition of 64gb - no problems, attached under the old HDD tray with velco and it isn't touching the logic board at all, ensured the settings in energy saver for the HDD to not go to sleep.

See another attachment - Performance testing using Norton System Info; Doubled its speed between original 3gb 4200rpm HDD from another PB3400 (battery cancer).

At the end of the day - such a nice laptop with good performance and uses just to play classic games.
Cheers

AP

 

[FacnyFreddy]

I have started to refer to all those metal framed mSATA adapters as "Red Bastards" or "Red Headed Stepchild". I've not gotten ANY of them to work in my 5300, Pismo, or even older PATA based notebooks.

This is the one and only mode that I have had ANY success with, and it works 100% of the time with Toshiba drives.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/MSATA-Mini-PCI-E-SATA-SSD-To-2-5-Inch-IDE-Laptop-HDD-Enclosure-Disk-Case-White/361991673227

It uses the JM20330 chipset, which tends to run just a little bit warm... wish they could not the voltage down to 4.5VDC instead of 5VDC as the mSATA is really only for 3.3VDC

I don't get any issues with bootup or restarts from cold. My  G3/G4 Pismo books each have one of these in them with a 128GB (prtitioned 8GB OS9 and the rest for OSX 10.4)  Toshiba mSATA drive. My 5300cs has one with a 32GB mSATA (partitioned in MacOS 8.1 2GB/8GB/8Gb/8GB).

 

[AlpineRaven]

Yep this one; It is also JM20330 chipset as well and its used in PB G3 Wallstreet, Lombard and Pismo - no problems at all, I've even used it in Power Macintosh 5500 as well.

It didn't work in PB3400 at all (will boot but corrupts it).

Currently I have 256gb in PB G3 Pismo (partitioned 100gb/100gb/16gb and I had to partition it externally before internal)

OH yeah also - you need to change the energy saving settings to disable Hard Drive spin downs otherwise it wont wake up.

Cheers

AP

 

[FacnyFreddy]

What size msata did you have in it on your 5500?

On my older powerbooks, pre-Pismo/Lombard, I can only use it with <= 64GB mSATA drives, and only SanDisk or Toshiba brand. I find the 16GB SanDisk mSATA SSD is cheap and flexible.

(but, I also backup to my A2SERVER network drive...)

There is a model of the mSATA IDE adapter that is a smaller form factor that has a 3.3v/5v switch. I've not tested it, but, it might run it at lower voltage and reduce heat.

Someone on the Thinkpad forums found a "hack" of sorts to put a different SMD resistor on one of the traces and got it down to 4VDC.

I dislike running these mSATA drives at 5VDC, as that is the BLEEDING edge of what they are rated for. But, they work (a bit warm).

 

[FacnyFreddy]

Never mind... I see that it was a 4GB mSATA. I don't recognize the brand, though.

but, if the CF solution is working, then use that.