convert SATA optical bay to USB port

convert SATA optical bay to USB port

I am trying to swap the DVD drive for an USB port on my black macbook 13" (A1181 2.2GHz - Santa Rosa).
I thought about buying a SATA (atapi) to USB converter, and fit it instead of the optical bay.
The only thing I have found is the adaptor bellow, but it is designed to connect an optical bay to an usb port.
http://www.addonics.com/products/adsssau2.php
I am looking for an adaptor that would allow me to plug any USB device, like an additional wifi card, audio card, or anything else.

I am currently using a hard drive connected on this sata port, but don't really need it, and I feel like I could fit something more useful in this space.
Do you have any ideas?
Thanking you in advance for your time

The link/web page address isn't linking to any product on that website.

- Nick

Link

Sorry, here's the link!

Addonics Product: Slim ATAPI SATA to USB 2.0/1.1 Converter

Thanks for correcting the link.

I'm not sure if you read the fine print (product description) but this device is not meant for laptop computers...it says:

" this small converter board is the ideal solution for adding a slim optical drive into rack mount PCs, blade servers, Mini-ITX systems or small equipment that has available USB interface."

- Nick

Thank you for reading

I know that it is not appropriate, but it is the closest thing that I have found...
All my researches lead to adapters to connect an ide/sata hard drive or optical bay on an usb port.

I haven't been able to find anything that transforms a SATA port into a standard USB one, so I was hoping to have some luck on mac-forums, or even an explanation of why it cannot work

Andrew

Andrew2 said:

I know that it is not appropriate, but it is the closest thing that I have found...
All my researches lead to adapters to connect an ide/sata hard drive or optical bay on an usb port.

Click to expand...

What makes you think that such a thing exists?

To be honest...I'm not 100% sure I understand what you are trying to do. There are kits where you can convert the optical drive bay to install a 2nd 2.5" hard drive...or an SSD drive.

But I haven't heard of trying to convert the optical drive area to a USB port. Are you trying to add a USB port to your computer...and if so...how would you access the port externally? You only have the slot-loading optical drive slot...so someone would have to modify the laptops case to allow for installation/external access of a USB port.

- Nick

You understand right, I am trying to add an internal USB port to the computer, using the SATA port of the optical drive.

Right now it is just an empty space, and I was thinking of adding an usb wifi card, or usb audio card to do a FM transmitter… or anything else that could stay in there, thus no modification of the case is required.

So far, nothing makes me think that such a thing exist … but I wanted to make sure before I give up on searching.

I think that there would be a lot of potential, maybe even adding a 3G dongle that would stay in there!

Andrew

Andrew2 said:

You understand right, I am trying to add an internal USB port to the computer, using the SATA port of the optical drive.

Click to expand...

I was actually thinking an external USB port...but you cleared things up with your description.

If this is/was possible (to add a usb wifi card, usb audio card to do a FM transmitter, 3G dongle, etc.)...Apple has antenna's built into it's computers (usually around the display in laptops)...for better reception, distance, and reduce interference from other components inside the computer).

So if this sort of conversion you are thinking of exists...you would need an internal antenna as well.

Here's the deal on this sort of conversion. If it is possible...developer's of this sort of conversion probably would have already made one for Windows laptops. If you cannot find this device for Windows laptops...you probably won't find it for Apple laptops.

- Nick

It sounds like it will be complicated

I will stop searching, and hope that someone shows up on this thread with a magical converter.

Thank you for the help

Andrew

Maybe a PCMCIA card would be the go? Just plug and play:-

Apiotek EC-0002C Express34 FireWire 400+USB2 Add On... in stock at OWC

Unfortunately, there is no PCMCIA or express card on this version of the macbook.

From my limited understanding, what you are asking is not possible.

You would need to connect direct to the PCI bus, not the SATA in order to do what you want.
Even if you found such an adapter, the SATA connections are designed only to recognize data storage devices. Connecting an adapter onto an SATA header is not going to change the design of the southbridge and how it uses the SATA bus.

'Tis why add-in cards you'll find for desktop machines plug directly into the PCI bus (which does not run through the southbridge - or last time I studied on this subject it didn't) - and not into an available IDE/SATA header... Where there exists no such adapter for a desktop, I would be pretty positive there would exist no such adapter for a notebook.