CF convert Olympus mrobe?

[scharkalvin]

From the hw description the olympus mrobe is very similar to the ipod mini and is even supposed to use a 5gb CF flash sized micro disk drive like the mini.  Has anybody tried replacing the HD with a CF card?  Heck does anybody even know how to open this baby up to replace the HD or battery?  I might like to look for one of these and try it, the UI looks nicer than the iPod mini.

[LambdaCalculus]

I moved your post, as this isn't an installation issue.

Anyways, to answer your question,  the m:robe 100 uses an F-FLEX connector instead of a CompactFlash Type II connector (which is what the iPod mini uses). The iriver H10 5/6GB also uses this same connector for its microdrive. This pretty much means you won't be able to replace the microdrive with a CF card, unless you can find some sort of CF-to-F-FLEX adapter for it.

See this page for more info:

http://www.rockbox.org/twiki/bin/view/Main/HardDriveReplacement

[scharkalvin]

In that case it doesn't use a standard ST1 micro drive, but a modified type that has a ribbon connector instead of the standard CF interface.  Most of the Seagate ST1 models were build as CF type II cards for use in cameras and PDA's.  In fact, the ST1 was made up to 16GB in size and could be used in the iPod mini as well.

The iPod mini DOES use a ribbon cable to connect the CF card to the PC board, but there IS a standard CF male connector on the other end.  Guess Olympus had Seagate replace that connector on the ST1 for them with the ribbon connector.

Oh well, it was a nice idea.

[lowlight]

This ipod mini drive cable may work:
http://www.ifixit.com/iPod-Parts/iPod-Mini-Hard-Drive-Cable/IF196-010

Perhaps you want to be the guinea pig and try it?

[LambdaCalculus]

This ipod mini drive cable may work:
http://www.ifixit.com/iPod-Parts/iPod-Mini-Hard-Drive-Cable/IF196-010

I don't think that cable will work. It connects to the logic board via a small "sandwich"-like connector, which you can see in the middle of the logic board image on this page:
http://www.ifixit.com/iPod-Parts/iPod-Mini-Gen-2-Logic-Board/IF196-003

Unless the m:robe has a similar connection with the same pinout as the mini's hard drive connector, I wouldn't risk it.

[scharkalvin]

No, from the pictures on the mrobe port page the ribbon cable slides into the socket on the main board while on the ipod it uses a press fit connection.  The socket on the ipod for the cable is not unlike the connector for the LCD on the ipod.

[BdN3504]

I would really like to get a working cf card implementation on this target. I have already tried to replace the orginal hd with another one of the same kind, but i always get the mysterious /004 system error. maybe you could somehow unsolder the caple holder and replace it with one that would hold the ipod cf adapter?

[ej0rge]

I have a dead philips DAP here that had a CF type II microdrive that plugs into a small ribbon cable with an end similar to the ones found on the ribbon cable ST1's.

I haven't looked very closely at how similar, though. And i certainly don't have an m:robe here to play with.

[scharkalvin]

If the ziff connector on the mrobe is the same pinout as on the new ipods
maybe one of these will work (if they fit)

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.19675
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.11814