I've finally got the M.2 M-key to SATA adapter and connected the M.2 drive to my CRU Forensic Ultradock v5 (latest firmware).

Unfortunately the blocker is not detecting the drive connected. Looks like some compatibility problem, as when I turn on the blocker, the red LED next to the exclamation mark flashes briefly and then the drive is not recognized.

Both cable and adapter are working, as I tested them separately. The dock works as well, as it detects any other drive.

Possilby the problem lies with the drive - it's Samsung MVNe MZ-VLB1T00 unit present in many Lenovo models. I acutally have two of them and none gets recognized. I don't think it's relevant but both of them are BitLocker encrypted.

Since CRU offers its own adapter for M.2 drives for that dock, I guess that it's compatibile with M.2 drives (though it's quite old product). I've asked this question to support but still waiting for the answer.

Hence my question posted here: does anyone have issues with such hardware combination? If so, were you able to resolve them? How?  

Only a wild-wild guess, but could it be an issue with B vs. M (or B&M or viceversa, or the contrary of it) connectors?
Or a NGSFF?
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M.2
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...GSFF_(NF1)

Or any other (stupid) issue about non-standard standards?

There is at least a report of yet another non-standard interface (though that one is the opposite, reading a Samsung, but not a Toshiba):
www.forensicfocus.com/...c/t=15806/

But that SAMSUNG SSD is (should be) NVME so it is (should be) PciE compatible and not SATA compatible, see specifically:
www.forensicfocus.com/...7/#6590297


Or maybe it is a "strange beast" like this one:
www.forensicfocus.com/...c/t=15577/


I love standards, there is so many of them ...

jaclaz
_________________
- In theory there is no difference between theory and practice, but in practice there is. - 

Is it this unit?

www.cru-inc.com/produc...sata-ssds/

The unit shows a photo of an M key adapter. Does the unit work with any other Samsung NVMe drives?

If not, I suggest it would be a firmware or other device compatibility issues - perhaps with insufficient power being delivered to the flash controller.  

- deeFIR

Is it this unit?

www.cru-inc.com/produc...sata-ssds/

The unit shows a photo of an M key adapter. Does the unit work with any other Samsung NVMe drives?

If not, I suggest it would be a firmware or other device compatibility issues - perhaps with insufficient power being delivered to the flash controller.

If it is that one, it won't work for a NVME SSD, the description is clear enough;

SATA Adapter for M.2 SATA SSDs

In a nutshell:
M.2 SATA to SATA = adapter
M.2 NVME to PCiE= adapter
M.2 NVME to SATA= converter

If you prefer:
M.2 = form factor
NVME= Protocol =~ PCiE
PCiE = Protocol
SATA = Protocol

jaclaz
_________________
- In theory there is no difference between theory and practice, but in practice there is. - 

It's actually weird that they list the M.2 adapter as the Forensic Dock v5 accessory...

I've got the support response and it IS compatibility issue. Here's what they wrote:

The Forensic UltraDock only has a SATA contoller so it can only read SATA drives.
While NVMe connectors look very similar to SATA, our SATA docks are unable to communicate over the NVMe protocol.

At the same time if I used almost $100 converter from M.2 to SATA to connect it, I'd say it should work, don't you think so? The adapter electronics should convert the signals to the handable format...

This makes me think also the new generation of this dock (v5.5) won't be able to handle M.2 drives.

The support guy actually suggested I got their Ditto product that's able to process M.2 drives.  

- fraudit

It's actually weird that they list the M.2 adapter as the Forensic Dock v5 accessory...

I've got the support response and it IS compatibility issue. Here's what they wrote:

The Forensic UltraDock only has a SATA contoller so it can only read SATA drives.
While NVMe connectors look very similar to SATA, our SATA docks are unable to communicate over the NVMe protocol.

At the same time if I used almost $100 converter from M.2 to SATA to connect it, I'd say it should work, don't you think so? The adapter electronics should convert the signals to the handable format...

This makes me think also the new generation of this dock (v5.5) won't be able to handle M.2 drives.

The support guy actually suggested I got their Ditto product that's able to process M.2 drives.

Yep, that is EXACTLY what I posted till now.

Again, it is not an M.2 to SATA conversion issue, it is a NVME to SATA non-conversion issue.

But you can get a "normal" NVME (M.2 form factor) to USB 3.1 converter, example (US$ 55):

www.addonics.com/produ...nvmu31.php

and treat it as if it was *any* USB 3.1 device.

Cheaper (US$ 30):
www.newegg.com/p/0VN-0...-_-Product

- fraudit

At the same time if I used almost $100 converter from M.2 to SATA to connect it, I'd say it should work, don't you think so? The adapter electronics should convert the signals to the handable format...

WHICH converter?

AFAIK only NVME to U.2 (SFF-8639):
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.2
converters exist.
So at the most it will be possible to do some sort of NVME to SATA Express:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SATA_Express
(which is not SATA).

jaclaz
_________________
- In theory there is no difference between theory and practice, but in practice there is. - 

- jaclaz

But you can get a "normal" NVME (M.2 form factor) to USB 3.1 converter, example (US$ 55):

www.addonics.com/produ...nvmu31.php

and treat it as if it was *any* USB 3.1 device.

This is what I eventually did, after first taking an urgent image with CAINE.

- jaclaz

WHICH converter?

I've purchased the Delock converter SATA 22 pin / SFF-8643 NVMe > 1 x M.2 Key M, hoping it will do the job. Well, it didn't...