As I wrote in my previous post, the Samsung F4 2 TB drive, Model HD204UI, Firmware Version: 1AQ10001 has a very nasty firmware bug that causes data corruption in the form of failed writes. Samsung only makes the firmware update available as a DOS exectuble (.exe).
Note: It should be possible to extract the .bin or .hex from that and use one of the fwupdate utilities that were popular for CD/DVD burners. I wasn't willing to risk bricking the drive, so I'll leave that to someone else. As I said, even with the firmware fix I'm considering returning the drive, because I find Samsung's handling of this matter difficult to put any faith in.
I was able to do the following. I followed the instructions on this page, written by Timo Heissenbttel to be a reminder for how to do this the next time it comes up. It uses syslinux and FreeDOS. Fortunately enough drivers are there that I was able to boot it on a Dell Poweredge without having to scramble to find lots of drivers. I was able to copy Samsung's F4EG.exe to the thumb drive, after formatting, partitioning, running syslinux and copying freedos to the drive.
Hope This Helps Somebody Else.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Samsung 2 TB HD204UI Firmware Bug,
The Samsung 2 TB SATA Drive, Model HD204UI, Firmware version 1AQ10001, has a nasty bug which causes data corruption if an Identity command issued while the drive is buzy writing with queued requests via NCQ. Smartctl, hdparm, and any number of utilities can issue an Identity request to the drive. I noticed it because I've got smartd (part of the smartmontools package) running in the background to periodically do smart health checks of the drives on my servers.
Samsung appears to be handling this incredibly badly, yet the drives still receives very high reviews.
1. This error is easy to reproduce, I'm really surprised it wasn't caught earlier.
2. New drives as of Dec 2010 are still shipping with the broken firmware.
3. The updated firmware doesn't have a new version number. Let me say that again, They didn't bother to update version number so you can tell if you need to do a firmware update. This also means you can't easily tell if you've successfully updated the drive's firmware. Seriously, as far as I can tell, there is no way to tell a good drive from a bad one.
4. Finding the firmware update on their site is difficult. It is listed in an FAQ entry as "Q. Patch tool for Identify fail during NCQ write command.(Model: F4EG". That's clear as mud isn't it? At least the answer to the question in the FAQ is a little bit clearer "If identify commmand is issued from host during NCQ write command in the condition of PC, write condition is unstable. So It can make the loss of written data."
5. The firmware update is only found on that FAQ page, yet, there is no version number, no date, or any way of knowing if you are downloading the most up-to-date or correct firmware update.
6. The update is in the form of a DOS .exe file. You need a system you can boot DOS to update the firmware.
By a fortunate accident, I was able to spot the problem during the extended drive burn test that I do, which has saved me several times. I wrote my own Perl script to do somewhat of the equivalent of a surface scan, repetitively writing patterns across the whole disk and reading it back. There is some belief that there isn't any value in running your own surface scans any longer since it's been done by the drive manufacturer. My experience is that infant mortality rates on dirt cheap drives seems to be climbing. Testing doesn't appear to be improving.
Given Samsung's mishandling of this. I'm still considering returning this drive. I can see having any faith in Samsung's storage products given the above. To me the worst part is that they couldn't bother to update the fixed firmware version number which shows, IMnsHO, a complete lack of rigor in engineering as well as a complete disregard for customer's time.
Samsung appears to be handling this incredibly badly, yet the drives still receives very high reviews.
1. This error is easy to reproduce, I'm really surprised it wasn't caught earlier.
2. New drives as of Dec 2010 are still shipping with the broken firmware.
3. The updated firmware doesn't have a new version number. Let me say that again, They didn't bother to update version number so you can tell if you need to do a firmware update. This also means you can't easily tell if you've successfully updated the drive's firmware. Seriously, as far as I can tell, there is no way to tell a good drive from a bad one.
4. Finding the firmware update on their site is difficult. It is listed in an FAQ entry as "Q. Patch tool for Identify fail during NCQ write command.(Model: F4EG". That's clear as mud isn't it? At least the answer to the question in the FAQ is a little bit clearer "If identify commmand is issued from host during NCQ write command in the condition of PC, write condition is unstable. So It can make the loss of written data."
5. The firmware update is only found on that FAQ page, yet, there is no version number, no date, or any way of knowing if you are downloading the most up-to-date or correct firmware update.
6. The update is in the form of a DOS .exe file. You need a system you can boot DOS to update the firmware.
By a fortunate accident, I was able to spot the problem during the extended drive burn test that I do, which has saved me several times. I wrote my own Perl script to do somewhat of the equivalent of a surface scan, repetitively writing patterns across the whole disk and reading it back. There is some belief that there isn't any value in running your own surface scans any longer since it's been done by the drive manufacturer. My experience is that infant mortality rates on dirt cheap drives seems to be climbing. Testing doesn't appear to be improving.
Given Samsung's mishandling of this. I'm still considering returning this drive. I can see having any faith in Samsung's storage products given the above. To me the worst part is that they couldn't bother to update the fixed firmware version number which shows, IMnsHO, a complete lack of rigor in engineering as well as a complete disregard for customer's time.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Yaesu VX-8DR Serial Interface
Here is some of what I've learned about the Yaesu VX-8DR radio, it's serial interface and the programming software that is available for it. One of these days, I'll get my notes off of my private wiki and move them into a public wiki. I'm posting this to help others until I get around to it.
The VX-8DR has a serial interface available in the proprietary microphone connector that is used for backing up and restoring the radio's configuration and for talking to a GPS. The backup/restore feature is referred to by Yaesu as cloning, since their purpose is it being used to program one radio and then clone it's configuration to other radios
If you want to connect the radio to a standard RS-232 port, a level converter is needed to convert the 0 - +3.3 volts used by the radio to the levels used by RS-232 which are supposed to be on the order of -12Vdc to +12Vdc. I believe the RS-232 spec calls for something between 10-15 volts. Note the polarity, negative voltage for the low, or zero equivalent, positive voltage for the high, or one equivalent signal. Note: the peak to peak voltage swing could be 20 to 30 volts. This isn't very convenient in modern, low voltage, battery powered devices. The serial ports on laptops (when they still had serial ports) were often closer to -5 V to +5 V. Level converters such as the max232 have been used for many years to turn RS-232 voltage levels into TTL (0-5V). There are many level converter schematics that have been published. They can be something as simple as some zener diodes, a switching transistor and some resistors, or can use modern versions of the max232 like the max3232, which has a significantly reduced parts count. There is also 3.3V available on the microphone connector which is used for powering the GPS that could be used to power the max3232.
To connect to a computer via USB as a serial device, an FTDI USB to serial bridge can be used directly without a level converter. FTDI makes a number of cables that can be connected directly. If you want to limit the number of FTDI cables you need to buy, the FTDI TTL-232R-3V3 provides a 6 pin header connector. I have one of these for connecting to XBees, the Adafruit Boardurino, etc. The 6 pin header connector is found on many of the less expensive Arduino clones that don't have their own FTDI USB->serial chip on board. This can also be useful to have for talking to the 3.3V serial console of many embedded sysstems like the Linksys WRT54g wireless router. Note: while this 6 pin header connector has become a little bit of a defacto standard, it has it's drawbacks. First, it's not a polarized connector so you need to be careful not to plug it in backwards. Second, it doesn't contain a full set of control signals, just RTS & CTS. If you need DTR you are out of luck with this cable.
More Details:
One reservation I have about this cable is the use of the Prolific USB serial bridge. Early on there were some stability / reliability problems with the Prolific chips. Many of the devices I came across recommended only using FTDI because they were very reliable and stable. FTDI is a staple of embedded systems and microcontroller work. The bad reputation that the Prolific chip and/or it's drivers had may be in the past. FTDI serial bridge chips are not inexpensive. I've paid the premium for FTDI to give me the least amount of headaches. Still given they sell this cable for 25 GBP, or currently $37.50 USD, it's attractively priced. The Yaesu CT-M11 cable is approximately $25 USB by itself.
I hope this collected info helps someone else. It sure would be nice if there were some good ham wiki resources.
The VX-8DR has a serial interface available in the proprietary microphone connector that is used for backing up and restoring the radio's configuration and for talking to a GPS. The backup/restore feature is referred to by Yaesu as cloning, since their purpose is it being used to program one radio and then clone it's configuration to other radios
Build your own cable
A custom cable is needed to use the radio's serial interface for two reasons. First, the connector is a Yaesu proprietary design that is intended to be water proof. Second, as is typical with embedded and battery systems the serial interface isn't at RS-232 voltage levels but is at 3.3V. It's possible to build your own cable if you obtain the Yaesu connector. The Yaesu CT-M11 external speaker/microphone cable provides the proprietary connector on one end and bare leads on the other end. The pin-out of the cable and the wire color coding is actually in the VX-8DR owner's manual. Unfortunately the cost of the bare cable is close to what you'd expect to spend on a complete data cable.If you want to connect the radio to a standard RS-232 port, a level converter is needed to convert the 0 - +3.3 volts used by the radio to the levels used by RS-232 which are supposed to be on the order of -12Vdc to +12Vdc. I believe the RS-232 spec calls for something between 10-15 volts. Note the polarity, negative voltage for the low, or zero equivalent, positive voltage for the high, or one equivalent signal. Note: the peak to peak voltage swing could be 20 to 30 volts. This isn't very convenient in modern, low voltage, battery powered devices. The serial ports on laptops (when they still had serial ports) were often closer to -5 V to +5 V. Level converters such as the max232 have been used for many years to turn RS-232 voltage levels into TTL (0-5V). There are many level converter schematics that have been published. They can be something as simple as some zener diodes, a switching transistor and some resistors, or can use modern versions of the max232 like the max3232, which has a significantly reduced parts count. There is also 3.3V available on the microphone connector which is used for powering the GPS that could be used to power the max3232.
To connect to a computer via USB as a serial device, an FTDI USB to serial bridge can be used directly without a level converter. FTDI makes a number of cables that can be connected directly. If you want to limit the number of FTDI cables you need to buy, the FTDI TTL-232R-3V3 provides a 6 pin header connector. I have one of these for connecting to XBees, the Adafruit Boardurino, etc. The 6 pin header connector is found on many of the less expensive Arduino clones that don't have their own FTDI USB->serial chip on board. This can also be useful to have for talking to the 3.3V serial console of many embedded sysstems like the Linksys WRT54g wireless router. Note: while this 6 pin header connector has become a little bit of a defacto standard, it has it's drawbacks. First, it's not a polarized connector so you need to be careful not to plug it in backwards. Second, it doesn't contain a full set of control signals, just RTS & CTS. If you need DTR you are out of luck with this cable.
VX-8 Connection Pinout
| Pin No. | CT-M11 Wire Color | VX-8 Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Orange | Microphone and Push to talk |
| 2 | Gray | +3.3Vdc |
| 3 | Brown | Speaker OUT |
| 4 | Green | GPS TXD (CONTROL) |
| 5 | Blue | GPS RXD (NMEA) |
| 6 | Red | Ground |
| 7 | Black | Internal speaker disable |
More Details:
- Yahoo VX-8 Group - Has a number of schematics available in the files section.
- FTBVX8 Programming Software - The help/manual has extensive info on VX-8 cables. They also have a cables page which info that applies to many radios.
- decafbad.org VX-8 data pin out blog post Also useful about the Yaesu GPS.
- Worldwide DX forum thread on pin out and GPS
Buy a USB data cable
RT Systems
To just buy a cable, RT Systems sells one with their VX-8DR programming software, ADSM-VX8. The cable has an FTDI chip in it. However, they have changed the USB Vendor and Product ID (VID & PID). Since the IDs are different the operating system won't recognize the FTDI chip and assign the common FTDI virtual serial port driver. In order words, under windows it won't show up as a COM port. To use that cable with your own software requires either using the FTDI direct I/O library or tricking the OS into mapping that VID/PID into the FTDI serial driver. I'll post the instructions for the later under Linux in a separate entry. It should also be possible to use the FTDI utilities to change the settings on the chip and change the VID/PID back to the FTDI serial defaults. However, the problem is the RT Systems software will only work with their cable. This is one of my primary reasons for recommending G4HFQ's FTBVX8 software over RT Systems ADMS-VX8. (Note: I'm sure not supporting home made cables makes RT Systems life a lot easier, but given the market, hams are all about DIY.)Radio Arena
In the UK, Radio Arena makes an alternative cable that also has the audio connections for doing data modes with your computer via the sound card. This uses your sound card as a modem and doesn't use the VX-8's built-in TNC. It has the isolation transformers on the audio lines that should help keep noise from crossing over between the computer and the radio.One reservation I have about this cable is the use of the Prolific USB serial bridge. Early on there were some stability / reliability problems with the Prolific chips. Many of the devices I came across recommended only using FTDI because they were very reliable and stable. FTDI is a staple of embedded systems and microcontroller work. The bad reputation that the Prolific chip and/or it's drivers had may be in the past. FTDI serial bridge chips are not inexpensive. I've paid the premium for FTDI to give me the least amount of headaches. Still given they sell this cable for 25 GBP, or currently $37.50 USD, it's attractively priced. The Yaesu CT-M11 cable is approximately $25 USB by itself.
Ebay
There are various sellers of VX-8 data cables on Ebay. Most of which are selling cables made in China using the Prolific chip. The pricing to me doesn't seem to be that much of a bargain. There still seem to be a lot of links to Prolific's site in Taiwan to get the latest drivers.I hope this collected info helps someone else. It sure would be nice if there were some good ham wiki resources.
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