SSD not working with Archos Jukebox Recorder (V1)

[mileslives]

I'm trying to replace the original 20 GB Hard Disk in my trusty Archos Jukebox recorder version 1. I have bought a mSata to IDE 5v Adaptor (2,54 euros) & a mSata SSD KingSpec 64GB (13,79 euros)

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32796770104.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.27424c4dCjyH9j
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32982228768.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.27424c4dFEwquL

I tried various formatting solutions for of this mSata disk (mainly based on Fat32) but this Solid State Disk is not working with Archos Jukebox Recorder v1.

Find here some pictures of the screens I have seen.

Any suggestion?

Best regards
Maurizio

[mileslives]

Find here attached three more pics

M

[Bilgus]

There are only a few people that still have the Archos and I'm not sure they still frequent the forums
Sorry, you might be waiting a while for an answer :\

[gevaerts]

I can't help directly, but from various things I've read over the years (both involving rockbox and other systems), when using CF cards on IDE systems, not all CF cards will work equally well (or at all) with all systems.

[mileslives]

I'm NOT using a CF card, I'm using a 64GB mSata SSD inserted in an adapter board that has mSata IN and IDE OUT ports. Any suggestion as far as the fromatting is concerned? I'm using Fat 32.

m

[gevaerts]

Oops, sorry. I don't know why I was so sure you said it was CF...

[mileslives]

No problem, thanks for your answer

M

[Frankenpod]

I only know with ipod mods some SSDs work and others, even supposedly similar ones, don't.  Perhaps to do with timings and/or power curves?  Having an adaptor in there presumably adds another level of possible incompatibilities in that respect.  Has anyone ever gotten an SSD to work with the Archos?  Very briefly searching this forum showed a couple of people trying but didn't seem to turn up any reports of success.

[LambdaCalculus]

I know I'm trudging up an old topic here, but as someone who's experimented with SSDs of varying sorts on MP3 players, I can say this:

mSATA SSDs seem to have timing and communication issues when used with an adapter on a device that originally used a PATA hard drive (which is, needless to say, pretty much every HDD-based DAP Rockbox runs on), and when said device is running Rockbox. From personal experience, I've tried an iFlash adapter with an mSATA SSD on my own iPod Video, but it would only function properly when using the OF. Rockbox's bootloader wouldn't see the drive's main partition (it was reported as "unknown" and not FAT32 as expected when viewed in Gparted) and thus wouldn't boot; instead the bootloader reported a missing partition. So I found and bought a couple of 1.8" PATA SSDs I found on Amazon, which had both a ZIF connector and a 50-pin connector. The ZIF connector SSD went into my iPod Video; the 50-pin one went into my iriver H320.

Verdict: both devices work happily with the PATA SSDs, and both can launch Rockbox and play music without issue. The timing is a little slow (probably) due to the ATA drivers in Rockbox not being properly tuned to the timing of SSDs.

I also recently dug out my old Archos Jukebox Recorder v1, and decided to find an SSD solution for that as well, as its old 80GB HDD had died completely. I managed to purchase a 120GB 2.5" PATA SSD on eBay, and the Archos functions well with it in place as well. But again, the timing is a little slow on it as well, possibly due to the driver as well.

But my overall advice is this: try and avoid mSATA to IDE adapters, as they'll possibly work with the device's OF, but they will have all sorts of issues with Rockbox. And until someone can step in and possibly update the ATA drivers and timing issues, it's going to be like this for quite some time.

[darkcity]

Thanks for posting your experience. Did you try reformatting the partition that gparted reported as "unknown"?

[mileslives]

Hi LambdaCalculus
Can you please give us more details about the PATA SSD you described as "a couple of 1.8" PATA SSDs I found on Amazon". Brand, models, price, whatever. If you still have the link it should be great. May we have the same info for the other disk you spoke of: "I managed to purchase a 120GB 2.5" PATA SSD on eBay"

May I ask what OF means?

Thanks a lot

mileslives

[Chronon]

OF means original firmware.

[LambdaCalculus]

Hi LambdaCalculus
Can you please give us more details about the PATA SSD you described as "a couple of 1.8" PATA SSDs I found on Amazon". Brand, models, price, whatever. If you still have the link it should be great. May we have the same info for the other disk you spoke of: "I managed to purchase a 120GB 2.5" PATA SSD on eBay"

May I ask what OF means?

Thanks a lot

mileslives

I used this brand of 2.5" PATA SSD (and kept it at 128GB so the Archos would see the entire volume): https://www.ebay.com/itm/128G-KingSpec-PATA-IDE-2-5-Inch-128GB-MLC-Digital-SSD-Solid-State-Drive-Disk/224050567866

This brand of 1.8" PATA SSD worked for my iPod Video: https://www.ebay.com/itm/128GB-KingSpec-1-8-inch-ZIF-40-pin-SSD-Solid-State-Disk-SMI-Controller-MLC/331796091110?epid=1701239526

Unfortunately, the 1.8" PATA SSD I bought for my iriver H300 is no longer available, but that drive I recommended for the iPod Video can be used with an adapter.