esata woes

[sfzhi]

Quote from the Product Overview document: "Two SATA 2.0 ports with integrated PHYs" (please Marvell don't sue me for breach of copyright)
Is this in itself correct ?
Are they not in actual fact SATA I ?

And the block diagram right below that says "2 x SATA II with PHY".
And the next picture shows one SATA and one E-SATA connection.

Like most marketing documents, this one is open to interpretations...

[NewIT_Marcus]

Hotplugging the eSATA drives works fine for me ...

I just tested a black eSATA Sheevaplug and a Guruplug and both appear to be hot swappable. Sorry for the misinformation. I was sure that I was asked in another thread a few weeks ago, checked with Globabscale, and was informed otherwise.

I am happy to correct that misinformation.

[Confusticated]

The picture is an example of what can be built around an 88F6281 (additional circuitry required).
A SATA port can be turned into an eSATA port by additional circuitry.
What additional circuitry has been added in what plug is anybody's guess..in particular
the GuruPlug Server Plus reputedly has a USB hub built in to hang the MicroSDHC off (in my opinion a bad thing), not all plugs do.
What we need is the 'Specification Document', as yet I have been unable to locate one.

[mola]

Hm,

I've tried eSATA now as well but my GPP just resets and does not reboot (as opposed to USB where it reboots):

• if I hotplug, the GPP just resets with not even an error making it to the logs, cannot reboot, uBoot does not come up
• if I power off GPP, power on eSATA enclosure, then power on GPP again, I can't even see messages via JTAG (uBoot does not come up - need to unplug eSATA again (eSATA connection, irrespective of power), then GPP posts and boots

Could this be due to the enclosure being configured to 3Gbps while GPP can only do 1.5Gbps? Or is there a known chipset incompatibility?

Somehow this seems to be related to uBoot - I use the version from here http://www.plugcomputer.org/index.php/us/resources/downloads?func=fileinfo&id=71 (10th May, says v1.0.0, GPP shipped with a RC of February).

My Debian version should be able to do eSATA, it's Squeeze/testing with some 2.6.33 kernel.

Thanks!

[varkey]

For me SATA link is 3 gbps and plug is working without any probs minus the heating issues.

ata1: SATA link up 3.0 Gbps (SStatus 123 SControl F300)
ata1.00: ATA-8: WDC WD15EARS-00Z5B1, 80.00A80, max UDMA/133
ata1.00: 2930277168 sectors, multi 0: LBA48 NCQ (depth 31/32)
ata1.00: configured for UDMA/133
scsi 0:0:0:0: Direct-Access     ATA      WDC WD15EARS-00Z 80.0 PQ: 0 ANSI: 5

[mola]

For me SATA link is 3 gbps and plug is working without any probs minus the heating issues.

ata1: SATA link up 3.0 Gbps (SStatus 123 SControl F300)
ata1.00: ATA-8: WDC WD15EARS-00Z5B1, 80.00A80, max UDMA/133
ata1.00: 2930277168 sectors, multi 0: LBA48 NCQ (depth 31/32)
ata1.00: configured for UDMA/133
scsi 0:0:0:0: Direct-Access     ATA      WDC WD15EARS-00Z 80.0 PQ: 0 ANSI: 5

Thanks - that's interesting in particular because Marcus from NewIT suggested the host can only do 1.5Gbps. So I thought about an eSATA incompatibility with my enclosure or the Samsung HDD in there. Will try another disk tonight.
What are your modules? Mine:

guruplug:~# cat /proc/modules
nfsd 242835 11 - Live 0xbf069000
exportfs 3148 1 nfsd, Live 0xbf063000
ipv6 235751 16 - Live 0xbf015000
sata_mv 25310 0 - Live 0xbf007000
mv_cesa 4650 0 - Live 0xbf000000

Best
Georg

[twinpeaks]

For me eSATA works with 3 GB/s, too (after massive cooling of the plug, so that it doesn't reset every now and then...).
I use the default installation as it came from Globalscale. The drive is connected directly to the plug using a SATA - eSATA cable (no drive enclosure used).

Code:

ata1: SATA link up 3.0 Gbps (SStatus 123 SControl F300)
ata1.00: ATA-8: FUJITSU MHW2160BJ G2, 0000001A, max UDMA/100
ata1.00: 312581808 sectors, multi 16: LBA48 NCQ (depth 31/32)
ata1.00: configured for UDMA/100
scsi 0:0:0:0: Direct-Access     ATA      FUJITSU MHW2160B 0000 PQ: 0 ANSI: 5

Code:

sheevaplug-debian:~# cat /proc/modules
btmrvl_sdio 8556 0 - Live 0xbf0fd000
btmrvl 11210 1 btmrvl_sdio, Live 0xbf0f4000
xt_tcpudp 2157 1 - Live 0xbf0ee000
iptable_filter 1260 1 - Live 0xbf0e8000
ipt_MASQUERADE 1380 2 - Live 0xbf0e2000
iptable_nat 3408 1 - Live 0xbf0dc000
nf_nat 12419 2 ipt_MASQUERADE,iptable_nat, Live 0xbf0d2000
nf_conntrack_ipv4 9402 3 iptable_nat,nf_nat, Live 0xbf0c9000
nf_conntrack 45794 4 ipt_MASQUERADE,iptable_nat,nf_nat,nf_conntrack_ipv4, Live 0xbf0b3000
nf_defrag_ipv4 897 1 nf_conntrack_ipv4, Live 0xbf0ad000
ip_tables 9273 2 iptable_filter,iptable_nat, Live 0xbf0a5000
x_tables 11588 4 xt_tcpudp,ipt_MASQUERADE,iptable_nat,ip_tables, Live 0xbf09c000
ipv6 238227 20 - Live 0xbf04d000
libertas_sdio 6683 0 - Live 0xbf03e000
libertas 81304 1 libertas_sdio, Live 0xbf017000
bluetooth 55429 1 btmrvl, Live 0xbf000000

Oliver

[mola]

Guys - thanks for your help, got an eSATA link up now with 3Gbps.
Have configured the Plug as NFS4-Server and when accessing it over LAN (eth0 connected with 1GBit/s) I can read big files of 2GB each with a very nice speed of 33MB/s. Much better than these 7MB/s NAS thingys...
Writing on the NFS4 volume is not much slower...

Cool!

PS: It was due to a bent fin/spring in the eSATA plug that caused erratic behaviour and prevented the link...

 

[NewIT_Marcus]

PS: It was due to a bent fin/spring in the eSATA plug that caused erratic behaviour and prevented the link...
 

Thanks for the update.

Was the problem:

• The socket in the Sheevaplug?
• The plug on one end of your cable?
• The socket on your eSATA device (not the Sheevaplug)?

[mola]

Was the problem:

• The socket in the Sheevaplug?
• The plug on one end of your cable?
• The socket on your eSATA device (not the Sheevaplug)?

It was the socket in the Guruplug. One of the small springs that normally grabs/secures the eSATA plug was apparently a little too far inside and got bent backwards (rather than upwards) when I plugged the cable in. Then it shortened something I guess. I could bend it forward again with a very small screwdriver. Now it works.

Best
Georg