Visual inspection
The Sabrent USB-DS12 Adapter has a simple design; the plastic casing features a matte black finish. The only design element present on the adapter is the Sabrent name and logo placed on the front.
The USB-DS12 Adapter has the following dimensions: 79 x 60 x 15mm.
The USB-DS12 Adapter has a small form factor that makes it easy to use with several devices at once. Speaking of using multiple devices at once, the adapter has three input/output ports. A single USB 3.0, a SATA for data and power, and two IDE ports.
The adapter has a switch at the top which turns the device on and off. While it is easy to use, this switch is also very easy to turn off by mistake.
The disassembly process for the USB-DS12 Adapter is simple. The adapter has a two-part casing which is held together by four screws on the underside.
The soldering quality on the PCB of the adapter is average at best. Many of the solder points are not clean and there are plenty of defects visible.
The bigger chip installed on the PCB is made by Innostor and has the model number: IS611. This chip is a USB 3.0 to SATA combo bridge controller and it is used in a wide variety of adapters.
The DC-to-DC converter used on the USB-DS12 Adapter is made by XLSEMI and has the model number: XL1513E1.
