HR2x / HR34 External Hard Drive FYI/Support (eSATA)

[cfb]

Echo ?

Your suggestion was implausible. You cant plug an esata cable into the sata connection on a hard drive (it wont fit), and there would be no power to the drive even if you could.

I doubt its the enclosure in any case. There are no 'chips' involved in the mx-1's esata connection, the only 'chips' in there that come to bear are when using the usb interface.

Back to the OP, I've had some strange problems with the esata connection. For the most part, I've had mx-1's work just fine. I had lots of trouble with the cavalry case, even though that one has NO CHIPS!

Once with the cavalry, I moved the tv a little and rustled the cables. I started getting the stuttering like what you're seeing. I turned everything off, reseated the cables, and the stuttering went away with recorded SD content or SD channels, but HD content wouldnt play at all. Another power down and replugging and the same result. I transplanted the drive into the mx-1 and with the same drive and cable, it worked fine. Back into the cavalry and it was the same problem with no HD. I've used that cavalry on my computer with zero problems since. Still not sure what happened to make it not work with the HR20.

Looking at these cables, you can see the different in head length. The top one has had the plastic cut back on the head to allow it to be more fully inserted.

 

[Smith P.]

"I doubt its the enclosure in any case. There are no 'chips' involved in the mx-1's esata connection, the only 'chips' in there that come to bear are when using the usb interface."
Have you read my tear-down of the MX-1 at other site ? Then re-doubt.

[Such doubts would be easy resolved by researching the box by yourself or reading analysis in Internet. N'est pa ?]

 

[cfb]

Just had two of them apart this afternoon. Theres one 'chip' in the box, the chip that provides the usb/esata interface to the internal sata drive. If that was bad, it probably wouldnt work at all.

The esata interface in the mx-1 is pretty much a direct electrical connection. While its possible that a failure in the interface board could be a contributor, its a lot more likely to be a bad or improperly fitting esata cable or a bad drive.

Out of curiousity, which version of the mx-1 did you tear down and review?

 

[Smith P.]

"The esata interface in the mx-1 is pretty much a direct electrical connection." Hehe...
I see you are not EE , the chip is the eSATA controller and old one, I'll give another chance to show your knowledge - read specs of it and tell us why it's old model.

 

[cfb]

Hmmm...am I an EE? I've spent 30 years designing microprocessors and writing operating system code. Must have a degree in there somewhere.

The chip (note singular, not plural) provides a usb to sata interface if a usb cable is inserted and signal is present. Otherwise it passes the sata signals from the esata connector to the sata connector without much more than a little signal boost if needed, probably due to a long cable. Dozens of enclosures that are dual esata/usb use the same approach, and while some enclosures choice of interface product is incompatible with the HR series, the mx-1's is not. None of the three versions. Two of the versions only support a 1.5gb/s connection, while one will support a 3gb/s connection, albeit sometimes not in a stable manner.

It'd be a one in a zillion situation if the connection worked but had some fault in the mx-1 in it that caused stuttering without the host dropping the sata link due to excessive faults or the inability to hold a 1.5gb/s link and linux reporting a fault. That'd freeze the HR. In fact, I've only seen a few cases of an mx-1 not working where the problem was the enclosure, and none of the problems involved stuttering. I've seen a huge number of problems with stuttering where the cable was the wrong kind or bad. I've seen a few defective HR esata ports. None that caused stuttering.

So I'm more inclined to start with it being a cabling issue than suggesting a well used enclosure that works for most people is the issue.

I'll respond to your challenge the minute you show me how to connect an esata cable to a sata drive (physically impossible) and test it without power to the drive. Then explain why thousands of people use an mx-1 without having any problems from the 'chips'.

Or perhaps I'll just continue spending time trying to help a user with a problem.

 

[vurbano]

geek fight!

 

[cfb]

Sir, I should inform you at this time that i'm a nerd, not a geek.

 

[Smith P.]

OK mister Nerd.
Responding ....

First of all: SATA and eSATA, not that way what you wrote . Second - it's unfair to pose new condition for a challenge and gather favor for yourself.

"I'll respond to your challenge the minute you show me how to connect an esata cable to a sata drive (physically impossible) and test it without power to the drive"

Lets go to basic ( nerdish things ): eSATA. Just to clear - eSATA is not interface per se but its extension for external connector matters.
Next there are different cables: I-I ( for both eSATA connectors) and L-I type for connect regular device (dish, DVD, BR device, etc) to eSATA connector - so use it and be happy. As to unpowered disk for such connection - you're ENGINEER for Christ sake, provide the power by any available to you way. Or you think other ppl so dumb or don't care about powering the disk during such tests.

And I'm sorry but you very long experience with designing nC should tell you about the chip ( you're still not reveal its model) more then the very simplified description what you gave here. Why it's so hard to find a specs of it, read functional diagram, stop for minute and thought by yourself - why the chip is limiting SATA speed to 1.5 Gb/s ? How it done ? Then your very loose description of handling SATA TX/RX lines would clear up pretty quick. (Anyway why you pointing to plural 'chips' ? Perhaps there are a few different ones? then post all those names, I'm not in mass verification and saw only one type and gave it model in other site.)

If you'll give up in pursuing technical info regarding the particular chip, do not hesitate to ask for HELP !

 

[cfb]

First of all: SATA and eSATA, not that way what you wrote

When you've got your pants pulled down, and nowhere else to turn, pick on spelling, grammar and punctuation, right?

Lets go to basic ( nerdish things ): eSATA. Just to clear - eSATA is not interface per se but its extension for external connector matters.
Next there are different cables: I-I ( for both eSATA connectors) and L-I type for connect regular device (dish, DVD, BR device, etc) to eSATA connector - so use it and be happy. As to unpowered disk for such connection - you're ENGINEER for Christ sake, provide the power by any available to you way. Or you think other ppl so dumb or don't care about powering the disk during such tests.

You still cant plug a sata drive into an esata cable, as you recommended. Is this just a lot of icing to try and glaze over that?

Was your suggestion really to have them try to put an esata cable onto a sata drive (which wont fit and wont work), then drag over an open pc that had an available sata power connector and go that route to test what is probably the least failure prone aspect of the system?

And I'm sorry but you very long experience with designing nC should tell you about the chip ( you're still not reveal its model) more then the very simplified description what you gave here. Why it's so hard to find a specs of it, read functional diagram, stop for minute and thought by yourself - why the chip is limiting SATA speed to 1.5 Gb/s ? How it done ?

Why thats easy, and to shorten up your long wind up, some sata/usb enclosures plan to implement drive seconds that cant do 3Gb/s reliably or their not sure what cables/cable lengths, host controllers or OS's will be used. Way easier to drop the speed to 1.5Gb/s and drop the returns and support calls.

Anyway why you pointing to plural 'chips' ?

Because you said "chips"

I'm not in mass verification and saw only one type and gave it model in other site.

Actually, you dont even own one. And there arent multiple models, antec has changed the circuit board and fan in the mx-1 three times. The first and third ones are quite good. The middle one stunk but was only sold for a short time.

If you'll give up in pursuing technical info regarding the particular chip, do not hesitate to ask for HELP !

Actually, I'm good. If I need help splicing esata cables onto powerless sata drives, I'll ring you up.

In the meanwhile, the next time you offer up an unworkable solution and someone else offers something actually useful and helpful, you might consider keeping your wise guy comments to yourself.

 

[Smith P.]

I see you are a talker, FYI I posted my working test solution what I did use.
Such conversation not moving one iota in right direction - you can keep talking here or pickup "L-I" cable - do you need a picture of it ? - I have one and used it.
Also I see you hesitated to get my post out there, so I'm giving a link to you.
Hope it will tell you about ownership of MX-1 and will stop you from posting some nonsense [wouldn't be easy to ask me if have the MX-1 ?]

Last, if you're a professional, you should respect standards and use correct names. Or you're always will be count as standard JSP. And I see you still didn't read any docs about the chip.

 

[cfb]

A true professional offers reasonable solutions to people who need them. A true professional acknowledges when another pro gives better solutions. A true professional wouldnt expect a user to have an obscure cable. A true professional can say "whoops, I was wrong".

And a real professional wouldnt stoop to criticizing specific industry capitalization, especially when they struggle to form a grammatically correct sentence.

Congratulations on having purchased an mx-1 last week. My apologies for not keeping track of all the comments Mr. Smith makes on all discussion groups, worldwide. I mean, after all you are that important.

You have a nice life now!

 

[Smith P.]

Thanks.

Hope we will cooperate in a future to help our members solve some technical problems.

 

[topcats69]

just agree to dissagree pls. So this thread can be helpful to us. Thanks

 

[Smith P.]

Deal.

 

[SundayTicketRocks]

Seagate Showcase Issues

So I installed a 1TB Seagate Showcase this summer, but whenever DirecTV sends an update it wipes my drive of all recorded programs. After it happened Sunday night for the 3rd time in 4 months, I reverted back to the original.

Any suggestions on possible solutions for this? I've got an HR-21.

 

[Ramy]

Have no idea. I have never had it happen to me and I have a HR20-100 with a 1TB added on.

 

[raoul5788]

It's never happened to me, either, from a Directv update or CE download. I have a 1TB Calvary connected to my HR20-700.

 

[cfb]

I'm using the same drive thats in the Showcase (seagate pipeline) and havent had this problem.

 

[SundayTicketRocks]

So I installed a 1TB Seagate Showcase this summer, but whenever DirecTV sends an update it wipes my drive of all recorded programs. After it happened Sunday night for the 3rd time in 4 months, I reverted back to the original.

Any suggestions on possible solutions for this? I've got an HR-21.

Happened again last night. SG Showcase works fine as far as recording/playing goes but this is incredibly frustrating as all my recorded shows are deleted when the SW gets refreshed. Any ideas from anyone on what I can do about it?

I'm wondering if the fact that I'm on an old grandfathered package that is not being offered anymore has anything to do with it. I get the "Total Choice Plus" which is no longer offered. I've hesitated upgrading since that would cost a few bucks more each month. Could that be what's screwing my SG Showcase up?

 

[cfb]

Try replacing the cable, I recommend the siig cable. Its a cheap first approach.

You can test it by putting a couple of shows on the external and then rebooting the receiver and as soon as the blue power light comes on, press '02468' on the remote to force a software download. If the shows go away, the problem is still there.

The only reason the receiver will zero the external drive is if it tries to read it, finds problems. It then tries to 'repair' the file system and resolve access to the drive. If it cant, it reformats.

So you might have a bad drive or one with some sort of firmware issue. You might ask seagate to replace it.