Ideapad S10 - SATA port multipler - can it be done?

Basically it's %subj%.

I'm trying to figure out if I could hook through expresscard couple of harddrives (2 at least)... and eventually make join them through a software RAID setup. So far it looks like I need a portmultiplier, but it must be supported by systemboard. So I'm stucked here.

Yes, I'm trying to make a small NAS from my S10...

Is it doable at all? Or am I talking nonsense here?

Thanks.

PS: Or I could sell it and for those money buy what I need

 

There's a expresscard/34 e-sata card with 2 ports like shown here. That there is your solution. An advanced mod may incorporate the circuitry of that card attached to the mPCIe pins instead and routed externally. Not sure of room/clearance, etc. There's other single-port cards on ebay starting at US$8 delivered, like shown here which have a flush fit.

The S10 otherwise only has the single sata port coming off the ICH7M chip as shown by the schematic. The S10 has an IDE SSD option. Youd probably need that to be able to boot your OS and then access data across a sata port multipler attached to the ICH7M sata port. Not sure, never used a sata port multiplier before.

Another solution would be to lift the ICH7M chip to access the additional sata port pins for a second sata port. Would need IR BGA reballing gear to do. It's only 4 TX/RX pins and just enable the port via the function-enable PCI register. A similar idea proposed here which was never practically implemented.

 

Thanks man, didn't expect so detailed answer.

Yeah, i figured i'll have to go with easiest solution, 2 drives. Too much trouble for some experiment. I hoped though it will support multiple sata ports through esata.

Thanks again.