As useful as USB-to-M.2 SSD adapters are, sometimes you come across a bit of a dud. A case in point is the Orico-branded TCM2-C3 that features both an attractive clear case and in its earlier revisions a JMicron controller-based circuit that apparently degrades over time, causing erratic boot behavior. After implementing a fix a few years ago, [Mark Furneaux] can happily report that the thus fixed enclosures are still working.
These faulty board revisions feature the JMicron JMS583 controller IC, which has a 1.0V core voltage input pin. Apparently to save power, Orico designed the board to target the minimum ~0.95V core voltage per the datasheet. Apparently due to component drift or degradation, this lower core voltage is after a while often not enough any more to start the controller, which thus translates into an unresponsive USB device and presumably some panic about lost data.
Although [Mark] doesn’t describe the fix in detail, it entails bumping up this core voltage to something closer to the nominal 1.0V, which restores functionality at the cost of presumably a measurable amount of extra heat production by said controller.
Later versions of the Orico TCM2-C3 enclosure switched from this JMicron controller to a Realtek one, which so far appears to be noticeably more reliable. Although Orico kept the same model name, the transparent enclosure makes it at least a snap to see which revision you are dealing with.
I have/had several of these. Hackworthy for most of the audience, but in my case (since I have enough of them) if one ever became questionable I’d just bin it.
In this economy?!
I don’t think I paid more that USD$5 each for them.
I had an Orico 2.5-inch SATA HD enclosure that caused data on an SSD to be corrupted a couple years ago. I don’t remember all the investigation and evidence I found but I recall deciding to not trust Orico again.
I have an Orico 2.5 inch HD/SATA sitting right next to me, plugged into a Raspberry Pi. So far, so good, I’ve had it for years. If it fails, I won’t be surprised after reading your comment!
Do not buy Orico products. Their workmanship is shoddy, their designs are bad(when they design their own stuff) and their customer service is actively hostile.
I have had 3x different products from them fail catastrophicly in the last decade and destroy the drives they were meant to be adapting.
After sending them the requested images of damage, which have included scortch marks on boards, exploded components, and solder splattered on other boards from failures, not once have they ever replaced anything.
Whether or not an adapter manufacturer is responsible for replacing a drive that the adapter destroys when it blows up varies by jurisdiction.
But Orico refused to replace their own adapter in all 3 cases.
And all of this was BEFORE a company could shift their customer/warranty claim service to an AI chat bot programmed to waste your time until you give up.
Do not do business with Orico.
Three strikes. They are out.
I think I have this exact one. Not really worth saving because due to the NAND shortage I just shucked 5 USB drives that had M.2 hiding inside. 6 if you count an Xbox ‘Express’ storage. Name escapes me but it is the same interface as high end cameras I believe.
I think you are talking about CF express cards?
I had this unit. Glad I kept it around; it’s working again with this fix.
Handy to have when one needs to fix whatever’s on the M.2 the easy way.