Modding PS2 network adaptor--working SATA adapters?

[flamepanther]

I know the PlayStation 2 netowrk adaptor can be modified to accommodate a SATA-to-IDE adaptor board, and that some people have got this to work. However, it seems the PS2 is especially picky about which adaptors it will read, even when you find one that will fit.

Has anyone here done this? If so, what brands or models of SATA adaptors have been successful for you? I'm planning to do this mod, but the Kingwin adapter I've already got won't work for this.

[CRTGAMER]

If you do get it to work, please post your results.
If okay I will add your findings to the:

GAMECUBE and PS2 MOD GUIDE: Alternate Media

Not sure why you want to go SATA. IDE/PATA drives are cheaper. Easier to adapt, one less cog in the compatibility wheel. The SATA drive speed will be restricted by the Network Adaptor IDE connector anyways.

[flamepanther]

Not sure why you want to go SATA. IDE/PATA drives are cheaper. The SATA drive speed will be restricted by the Network Adaptor IDE connector anyways.

It's partly because I already have an available SATA drive (500 GB) that is much larger than the IDE drive (160 GB) I'm using currently. An adaptor is a lot cheaper than buying another drive.

It's also sort of a future-proofing issue. IDE drives are becoming scarce on store shelves in my area, and I really prefer not to shop on-line when I don't have to. Eventually, they'll start to go away on e-stores as well. SATA drives will continue to get larger capacities and will remain readily available, so I'll be able to upgrade easily later on instead of hunting, or reaching a dead end on IDE capacities. I'm also starting to see a few cases where a store is charging more for an IDE drive than a SATA drive of a similar capacity. I guess the reasoning is basically if someone is shopping for an IDE drive, they must really need IDE specifically.

Short version: IDE drives are going away and I want to still be able to upgrade.

[CRTGAMER]

Oh, okay. I suspect the SATA 500gb might not work though. Size and maybe the adaptor too. Officially IDE 120gb was the maximum size. My 250gb Maxtor IDE works fine. I have read someone using a 500gb IDE setup, but have not confirmed. A trade off, investment of pursuing another SATA Adaptor vs a larger IDE drive. Even though SATA is the standard for PCs, there are plenty of IDE drives out there.

I have a compatibility link at that PS2 Hard Drive Guide above.

[flamepanther]

Oh, okay. I suspect the SATA 500gb might not work though. Size and maybe the adaptor too. Officially IDE 120gb was the maximum size. My 250gb Maxtor IDE works fine. I have read someone using a 500gb IDE setup to work, but have not confirmed. A trade of investment of pursuing another SATA Adaptor vs a large IDE drive. Even though SATA is the standard, there are plenty of IDE drives out there.

I have a compatibility link at that PS2 Hard Drive Guide above.

500GB should work fine as long as you've got one of the unofficial HD Loader releases that has 48-bit LBA support patched in, which I do. That bumps the limit up from 120 (or 130) GB up to 144 PB. As I mentioned before, my 160 GB drive is working great (but it's getting full). I successfully tested a friend's 320 GB IDE drive, but I don't get to keep that.

[Anapan]

I have an adapter but I don't want to format one of my hard drives to find out.
Best Buy carries IDE drives at a decent price. I got a Western Digital 500Gig WD5000JBRTL a few weeks ago from them and successfully loaded it into my PS2.
With a hard drive installed, there's less than 1/4 inch free space when the network adapter is docked, tho you could just open the front of your PS2 to get more room or take the adapter apart. Also all the sata-ide adapters I've seen need external power separate from the hard drive's supply of power (so you'd need a y-splitter and there would be a bigger power draw).

I don't see why the adapter wouldn't work tho. I've chained a bunch of harddrive adapters together before to a computer and everything worked fine no matter what programs I used on the setup. CompactFlash -> IDE- > SATA -> USB

[flamepanther]

Best Buy carries IDE drives at a decent price. I got a Western Digital 500Gig WD5000JBRTL a few weeks ago from them and successfully loaded it into my PS2.
With a hard drive installed, there's less than 1/4 inch free space when the network adapter is docked, tho you could just open the front of your PS2 to get more room or take the adapter apart.

On the model that has the modem in it, it's possible to remove the dial-up modem to make room to move the IDE data and power connectors back, deeper into the network adaptor, to make room for the SATA adaptor.

[flamepanther]

I got it working! I used an adapter made by PAC Link. Here is the info on the package for anyone who wants to identify it:

Plu# 5983774 RH-SATA-PATA
SATA TO PATA BACKPLANE
ADAPTER FOR IDE DRIVE

Note that while it says it is a "backplane adapter for IDE drive" it is made to connect to a SATA drive, so that it can be used as an IDE drive.

The IDE cable connector and the power connector on this adapter board are very close together, so it will be necessary to either trim something to fit, or remove the power socket and solder power to the board directly. More info to follow later on.




EDIT:

I didn't go about doing this mod in the best way possible. I should have used better tools than I had on hand, I could have planned my modifications to the adapter's case a lot better, and I really should have soldered the power leads directly in place for a better fit. However, I was cheap and impatient, so I just sorta crammed everything in as best I could, and taped everything in place. I had to remove about half of the metal "lid" on the inside that normally shields the parts and helps hold them in place. I do not recommend going this route, but it works, and you can't really tell what I poor job i did as long as the adapter is connected to the PS2.

I found a guide on-line, which I will try to re-post when I get home. If I had followed it, my results should have been much better. This is what I would recommend doing, if anyone else is interested in using SATA drives via the network adapter. There are different versions of the guide for adapters with and without the dial-up phone line modem. Mine had the modem, which I believe makes the mod easier. For anyone who would rather figure it out as they go along, here's the basic idea:

-Disassemble the network adapter.
-Discard the dial-up modem and speaker.
-The IDE data and power connector boards get pushed back where the modem used to be. File down or remove any risers that get in the way, but no more than you have to.
-The main PCB goes back to its original position.
-The SATA adaptor, connected to the IDE power and data connector boards, goes where the IDE connectors would have been originally.
-Reattach the metal plate that you had to remove to access the internal parts, after making any modifications necessary to accommodate the SATA connector.

...and that's pretty much it. It's a simple concept, and an effective strategy. The only trick is getting everything to line up properly and to fit into the space that was made by discarding the modem.

[CRTGAMER]

Good to read that, congratulations and thanks for the update!

I added your findings to the PS2 Hard Drive Guide.

[flamepanther]

I was going to attach the guide I found, that would have helped me get much nicer results had I followed it. Unfortunately, it is too large to be added as an attachment. Instead, it can be found here, where it was originally posted.