Dell Latitude X1 - 50pin PATA (1.8") to mSATA converter wanted \ VOGONS

Dell Latitude X1 - 50pin PATA (1.8") to mSATA converter wanted

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First post, by megatron-uk

Posted on 2025-08-13, 09:12

megatron-uk Offline

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Trying to find an mSATA/SSD solution for an old Dell Latitude X1 I've just dug out of my "box of old rubbish".

The attachment IMG20250813100710_.jpg is no longer available

It seems to work quite well - no damage or faults, the battery holds (and charges) to a reasonable level... but it still has fitted the old/slow 1.8" 50pin PATA drive (working for now, albeit very slowly, but I don't know for how long). I'd like to swap it with a SSD, in this case I'm hampered by the form factor but would have thought a 1.8" to mSATA adapter would have been relatively easy to find. No such luck it seems!

I was able to track down a 1.8" to CF adapter quite easily, and that will get me going for now and allow me to remove the old 1.8" drive. Ideally I'd prefer to fit a proper mSATA SSD module.

Does a direct 1.8" 50pin PATA to mSATA converter exist?

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Reply 1 of 8, by megatron-uk

Posted on 2025-08-14, 16:47

megatron-uk Offline

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The only 50pin converter I managed to find was this one, from Aliexpress:

The attachment S4638b4c8715f4d6b9d66e2289a754554C.jpg is no longer available

Everything else on Ebay or Amazon was either a 44pin / 2.5" to mSATA, or an mSATA to some miniature SATA (yes, the irony is not lost on me) connector.

I've ordered a 128GB module to go along with it. This little notebook is working really well, and with VSBHDA is quickly becoming my favourite DOS gaming device, despite the limitations of the widescreen display.

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Reply 2 of 8, by nfraser01

Posted on 2025-08-14, 20:20

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From memory these 1.8" drives have 2 different types of connectors with "ZIF" being the more common. You should be able to find 1.8" ZIF to mSATA adaptors easily. Does the X1 use the ZIF? Mine does 😀

Reply 3 of 8, by megatron-uk

Posted on 2025-08-14, 22:25

megatron-uk Offline

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Damn it.

~~So it does~~. It's not the right type. I've got a male adapter ordered, but it needs to be female as per the drive:

The attachment IMG_20250814_232455_(1900_x_1200_pixel).jpg is no longer available

Last edited by megatron-uk on 2025-08-14, 22:41. Edited 1 time in total.

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Reply 4 of 8, by megatron-uk

Posted on 2025-08-14, 22:39

megatron-uk Offline

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So it's a male 50 pin, fine pitch connector. The drive is 50pin female. My msata adapter (not here yet) is 50pin male. Damn.

I either need a fine pitch 50pin female-female converter, or a female fine pitch to zif cable and one of those (much more common) zif to msata adapters.

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Reply 5 of 8, by megatron-uk

Posted on 2025-08-15, 05:58

megatron-uk Offline

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~~It looks like easier option is to use a short 2.5" pata cable to connect from the existing (male) connector to the male pins on the msata converter.~~

It looks like the X1 was originally intended to operate with ZIF 1.8" drives, but was swapped to work with traditional 1.8" pata connector drives by this FFC to pata cable.

Or vice versa, I don't know.

Last edited by megatron-uk on 2025-08-15, 06:46. Edited 1 time in total.

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Reply 6 of 8, by megatron-uk

Posted on 2025-08-15, 06:16

megatron-uk Offline

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And of course a 2.5" pata cable is completely the wrong pitch.

Here's a better image of the existing connection:

The attachment IMG_20250815_071251_(2400_x_1200_pixel).jpg is no longer available

It's definitely a 50 pin connector, ultra fine pitch. Seems to be particular to the Toshiba 1.8" ide drives.

What I don't know is if the FFC header on the motherboard where it is attached is a standard 1.8" ZIF connector. Is that what was implied?

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Reply 7 of 8, by megatron-uk

Posted on 2025-08-15, 06:40

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I think what is needed in this particular machine (if retaining the original factory FFC-to-50-pin-cable) is:

1.8" 50 pin PATA to 1.8" ZIF PATA

The attachment 50pin_to_zif.jpg is no longer available

1.8" ZIF PATA to mSATA

The attachment zif_to_msata.jpg is no longer available

+
mSATA SSD

The attachment msata.jpg is no longer available

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Reply 8 of 8, by nfraser01

Posted on 2025-08-15, 19:20

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Sorry - I don't have the X1 to hand, but in my notes I've commented that it's a ZIF connector...

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