mSATA to SATA/USB converter
Moderators: NeilBlanchard, Ralf Hutter, sthayashi, Lawrence Lee
-
- Posts: 41
- Joined: Wed Jul 13, 2011 4:11 am
mSATA to SATA/USB converter
Recently, somebody on the Dutch forum I frequent said that it was pretty hard to source mSATA to SATA and/or USB boards. As you might know mSATA ports are increasingly being used in laptops and small form factor PC motherboards for SSDs.
However, such an mSATA port does cost you a normal SATA port on such a motherboard, i.e. a chipset with nominally 4 SATA ports will only expose 3 on the motherboard itself and one, electrically, in the mSATA/mPCIe slot. So you're out of luck if you want to attach 4 'normal' SATA disks. There is obviously a solution for this, it's a small board which simply routes the SATA lines to a standard SATA plug. Problem is: they're freaking expensive.
This one is $30/pc wholesale, usually between 60 and 80 USD in stores. There are others, but I haven't been able to find one for under $30 shipped. So I decided to fix this and one-up it by also including an option to plug in a USB stick:
The USB option is nice to put the OS on in e.g. ESXi systems. This way the USB stick doesn't stick out one of the back USB ports.
Another difference between my version and other competitors is that mine can fit in both full-size and half-size mSATA slots
Now this just started as helping out somebody, but I'm thinking this might be a commercially interesting thing to sell. I am not outfitted to sell directly to customers; I have no webshop, no experience selling non-wholesale. But maybe somebody here on SPCR is interested in selling this board? I am able to produce these things and sell them wholesale. Wholesale pricing depends very much on volume and location.
However, such an mSATA port does cost you a normal SATA port on such a motherboard, i.e. a chipset with nominally 4 SATA ports will only expose 3 on the motherboard itself and one, electrically, in the mSATA/mPCIe slot. So you're out of luck if you want to attach 4 'normal' SATA disks. There is obviously a solution for this, it's a small board which simply routes the SATA lines to a standard SATA plug. Problem is: they're freaking expensive.
This one is $30/pc wholesale, usually between 60 and 80 USD in stores. There are others, but I haven't been able to find one for under $30 shipped. So I decided to fix this and one-up it by also including an option to plug in a USB stick:
The USB option is nice to put the OS on in e.g. ESXi systems. This way the USB stick doesn't stick out one of the back USB ports.
Another difference between my version and other competitors is that mine can fit in both full-size and half-size mSATA slots
Now this just started as helping out somebody, but I'm thinking this might be a commercially interesting thing to sell. I am not outfitted to sell directly to customers; I have no webshop, no experience selling non-wholesale. But maybe somebody here on SPCR is interested in selling this board? I am able to produce these things and sell them wholesale. Wholesale pricing depends very much on volume and location.
Last edited by multiplexer on Sun Oct 21, 2012 7:50 am, edited 1 time in total.
Re: mSATA to SATA/USB converter
Full-size and what?multiplexer wrote: Another difference between my version and other competitors is that mine can fit in both full-size and
-
- Posts: 41
- Joined: Wed Jul 13, 2011 4:11 am
Re: mSATA to SATA/USB converter
LOL... well, that was an obvious copy-paste...
I corrected the post, it was meant to say half-size and full-size mSATA slots.
I corrected the post, it was meant to say half-size and full-size mSATA slots.
Re: mSATA to SATA/USB converter
Boy could I use one of those!
-
- Posts: 1
- Joined: Mon Mar 18, 2013 11:59 am
Re: mSATA to SATA/USB converter
Hello multiplexer,
Are you still interested in making these adapters. I would like to purchase some but with the USB connected at a right angle if possible.
Please let me know.
Thanks
Joe
Are you still interested in making these adapters. I would like to purchase some but with the USB connected at a right angle if possible.
Please let me know.
Thanks
Joe
Re: mSATA to SATA/USB converter
I would by some, too. But I need only USB 2.0 and it should be positioned through a flat flex cable.
This is because some Notebooks don't have USB 2.0, but it is important for mini receivers like Bluetooth or Logitech peripherals as USB 3.0 cause interferences:
http://www.usb.org/developers/whitepapers/327216.pdf
This is because some Notebooks don't have USB 2.0, but it is important for mini receivers like Bluetooth or Logitech peripherals as USB 3.0 cause interferences:
http://www.usb.org/developers/whitepapers/327216.pdf
Re: mSATA to SATA/USB converter
Hi, I'm new of this forum.
Is possibile have one or more of The version with usb port??
Is possibile have one or more of The version with usb port??