iPod Junior
Back when Command-Tab first started, I did a hack where I managed to connect a full size hard drive to a 3G iPod. I’m happy to present today a much easier solution — the “iPod Junior” — using a laptop hard drive and a nearly pre-built adapter. The end result is an iPod with an attached 2.5″ hard drive with next to no soldering.
In my earlier hack, I noted that the 1.8″ hard drive inside the iPod runs on 3.3v (see for yourself) instead of the 5v used in slightly larger laptop drives. Again, some external power source will need to be connected to power the drive, as the iPod alone can’t even spin up the laptop drive, much less a full desktop-sized drive. What I discovered is that the hard drive caddy inside IBM ThinkPad 240 laptops are almost a perfect iPod-to-laptop drive adapter, with the exception of power. On the front of the adapter is a female 1.8″ hard drive plug normally used for connecting to the laptop bus, and on the back is a standard female laptop hard drive connector. With some slight modification to route in the correct power, this modified adapter can easily attach a laptop hard drive to your iPod’s ribbon cable — ready for formatting and use.
You can see more photos of the modification in my Flickr photoset. To do the hack yourself, you’ll need to acquire a ThinkPad 240 hard drive caddy off eBay, like I did. Cut the +3.3v power trace that leads to pins 41 and 42 on the 2.5″ hard drive bus, and also scrape some of the green coating off both positive and ground traces. With the positive lines cut and some bare copper exposed on both traces, you can then solder on whatever power connector you prefer to run 5v to — I used two simple pins from a pin header, as a floppy drive power connector will easily plug onto them. From there, connect everything up, power up the drive, and then the iPod. Format and use. Rinse and repeat.
1/20/06 Update
Get it while it’s hot - a ThinkPad 240 HD caddy on eBay.
January 13th, 2006 at 4:17 pm
Do you have a the FRU number (IBM Part number) for that drive caddy?
January 13th, 2006 at 8:34 pm
There’s no FRU on this adapter, but there is a part number (labeled “P/N”): DA0BS1TB8D3
January 14th, 2006 at 2:02 am
Thanks!
January 18th, 2006 at 8:22 pm
What about this adaptor?
http://www.addonics.com/products/io/aaedt18ide25.asp
January 19th, 2006 at 5:41 pm
In response to #4,
I’m pretty sure the Addonics adaptor only goes from 1.8″ to 2.5″. It seems like the male and female ends are opposite for what you would need, plus I e-mailed them awhile ago and they said it couldn’t do that : ). There is a place that has the ThinkPad 240 adaptor, if you don’t mind paying $30.00 plus shipping. It’s over at pchub.com
No idea how reputable these guys are, so be careful.
January 21st, 2006 at 9:28 pm
I just ordered one of those adapters from Addonics for iPod hard drive testing purposes. I’ll write about it when I receive it.
Update
I got it, and it works GREAT! Read more…
April 12th, 2006 at 4:58 pm
Sweet mod man.. I am gonna do a similar one.. However one issue looms on my horizon: Powering the seagate 160GB Notebook drive: Powering it.. I have an idea, and perhaps you ca shed some light (Seeing as how youre really the only one with an insight here..)
I had thought of getting a stand-alone battery for the drive itself, and running it on the same line as the iPod’s battery for charging purposes.. I really want to make one of these, and I am unclear on just this aspect.. After that, it is smooth sailing.. Thanks for any help you can give me..
Steve
April 24th, 2006 at 1:11 am
Even though it’d be a bit bigger than a normal iPod I’d gladly trade size for capacity. 100GB could *just* fit my music, I’d really like room for some movies so 120GB would be minimal for my use. Of course this ends up being two of the high-end 60GB iPods. I wonder if it’d be possible to get a drivedead 3G iPod, a 5v lithium polymer battery, a fairly large laptop hard drive and a cigar box to make a sort of FatPod…
June 6th, 2006 at 6:32 am
Great mod and lots of useful info for podhackers - keep up the good work! I was given a 3G ipod with a dead drive and I have a 512MB CF card - any ideas how I can use the CF card in place of the 1.8 inch Toshiba hard disk. Thanks!
November 15th, 2006 at 5:59 pm
You can get this adapter as well
http://www.amug.org/amug-web/html/amug/reviews/articles/mini/
and then use a 3.5″ hard drive
with 750gb drives out there, what else could be better?
January 2nd, 2007 at 4:12 am
just for clarification - is the HD adapter specific to that Thinkpad model, or might any other Thinkpad models have had similar adapters?
also, is the adapter part of the Thinkpad’s primary internal hard drive, or is it from the more generic Ultrabay external HD caddy? (ie could I scavenge it from a Thinkpad 240 sold “for parts”?)
(can’t find the 240 part on ebay)
January 2nd, 2007 at 7:29 pm
As far as I know, only the 240 and 240X has this adapter. I’ve yet to see it on any other ThinkPads. You’ll probably get one if you buy a trashed 240 on eBay, but you may want to ask the seller before bidding — often they pull drives, caddies, adapters, RAM, and other small goodies before selling the bulk of the machine.
February 4th, 2007 at 3:55 pm
I have a problem with my ipod and the problem is that I installed a new bootloader for it by ipodlinux and when I turned it on after I installed it it froze at the default apple firmware and I can’t do anything with it. Can someone help me with problem?
April 30th, 2007 at 5:46 pm
This might work for some great ipod hacks:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/command-tab/91647542/
May 2nd, 2007 at 9:28 pm
Thanks for sharing..I just want to ask, how if I want to connect the hard drive directly to a device e.g. camera etc
December 31st, 2007 at 7:45 am
i think i found an alternate source for the thinkpad adapter and a more complete powered ipod to 2.5 or 3.5 adaptor send me an email if your interested
cyberandroid@gmail.com
March 25th, 2008 at 10:01 am
Hey
i have been trying to create your project. but fail a number of time
can you give me the pin to connect from the ipod side to the other side?