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Problem with TUSB9261 and Intel series 525 mSATA 256GB

Other Parts Discussed in Thread: TUSB9261

Hello,

I am testing TUSB9261 evaluation board, using the v1.00 firmware.

The board works properly with a 60 GB Intel SSD, and with a Soligen 256 GB SSD, but fails with two different Intel 256 GB SSDs.

The Intel SSDs which don't work with the TUSB9261 do work in a desktop Linux machine which has an mSATA slot on the motherboard.

All Intel SSDs tested are mSATA SSDs from Intels 525 series.

I'm not using Superspeed USB, just regular 2.0.

On the desktop Linux machine, I get the following errors with the Intel 256 GB disk in combination with the TUSB9261:

[ 4249.238485] usb 3-4: new high-speed USB device number 3 using xhci_hcd
[ 4249.286999] usb 3-4: New USB device found, idVendor=0451, idProduct=9261
[ 4249.287005] usb 3-4: New USB device strings: Mfr=1, Product=2, SerialNumber=3
[ 4249.287008] usb 3-4: Product: TUSB9261 Firmware v1
[ 4249.287011] usb 3-4: Manufacturer: Texas Instruments
[ 4249.287014] usb 3-4: SerialNumber: 62D161312013050615914DA95448C6306
[ 4249.301259] Initializing USB Mass Storage driver...
[ 4249.302439] scsi4 : usb-storage 3-4:1.0
[ 4249.302681] usbcore: registered new interface driver usb-storage
[ 4249.302685] USB Mass Storage support registered.
[ 4250.300199] scsi 4:0:0:0: Direct-Access ATA PQ: 0 ANSI: 6
[ 4250.301118] sd 4:0:0:0: Attached scsi generic sg2 type 0
[ 4250.302021] sd 4:0:0:0: [sdc] Attached SCSI removable disk
[ 4307.215204] ata1.00: exception Emask 0x0 SAct 0x0 SErr 0x0 action 0x0
[ 4307.215209] ata1.00: BMDMA stat 0x24
[ 4307.215211] ata1.00: failed command: READ DMA
[ 4307.215215] ata1.00: cmd c8/00:08:08:17:2b/00:00:00:00:00/e0 tag 0 dma 4096 in
[ 4307.215215] res 51/40:08:08:17:2b/40:04:00:00:00/e0 Emask 0x9 (media error)
[ 4307.215217] ata1.00: status: { DRDY ERR }
[ 4307.215218] ata1.00: error: { UNC }
[ 4307.230163] ata1.00: configured for UDMA/100
[ 4307.230182] sd 0:0:0:0: [sda] Unhandled sense code
[ 4307.230185] sd 0:0:0:0: [sda]
[ 4307.230188] Result: hostbyte=DID_OK driverbyte=DRIVER_SENSE
[ 4307.230190] sd 0:0:0:0: [sda]
[ 4307.230192] Sense Key : Medium Error [current] [descriptor]
[ 4307.230196] Descriptor sense data with sense descriptors (in hex):
[ 4307.230198] 72 03 11 04 00 00 00 0c 00 0a 80 00 00 00 00 00
[ 4307.230209] 00 2b 17 08

... and the errors continue

I think I may get different errors at different times. Once I actually got the drive to mount properly.

I'd appreciate any advice on what to do.

It definitely seems like it's the combination of the TUSB9261 and the Intel 256 GB drives that are the problem.

Strangely the 256 GB Intel SSDs have a blue solder mask, while the 60 GB drive has a green solder mask.

IHere's a photo of the setup with the drive label:

 

Regards,

Erland

  • Hi Erland,

    As my first thought, Is UAS enabled on the TUSB9261? There are some known issues with the UAS stack on Linux and the TUSB9261. If UAS is enabled, please reprogram the TUSB9261 without UAS (On the Programmer's window, click on the 'Advanced Descriptor Editor' button, and on the new window that emerges, un-check 'UAS Enabled' option).

    Please let me know your inputs.

    Best Regards,

    Alexis Cortes. 

  • Thanks for your reply, Alexis!

    I've verified now that it does not work with UAS disabled. I have tried with UAS both on and off.

    The setup works with an SSD of the same size from another brand (Soligen), but not with either of the two 256GB Intel mSATA series 525 drives I've tried.

    It would appear to me to be a firmware problem on the TUSB9261.

    I'm now not getting errors on the Linux machine, but it appears to see the drive as a drive with removable media, but with no media in it.

    Will there be any debug information on the evaluation board's serial port?

    Regards,

    Erland

  • Hi Erland,

    Have you tried to reproduce this issue on a Windows Platform? For narrow this down, Is it possible for you to try the failing scenario on a Windows System and see if it still fails?

    Best Regards,

    Alexis Cortes. 

  • Hello Alexis,

    I have now tested on "native" Windows 7, Mac OS X, and Windows 8 under Parallells desktop virtualization under Mac OS X.

    Two different Intel 525 256GB drives show up as removable drives with no media under all of the above. 

    A Soligen 256 GB drive shows up properly under all of the above.

    I've been testing with unformatted drives. I don't think it should make a difference since the OS doesn't seem to see the disk.

    So the issue does not appear to be limited to Linux.

    Regards,

    Erland

  • Hello Erland,

    Can you tell the exact Model of these SSDs so we can buy them and reproduce and debug the issue?

    Regards.

  • Wow, thanks for taking my report seriously.

    I'll check the details tomorrow, for now you can check what's visible on the label in the photo I attached to my first post, I think all details are there.

    /Erland

  • Hi Erland,

    Just to confirm, the disk you are having problems with is a 240GB right? Not a 256GB disk.

    Also, it might be really helpful if you could you provide us with some additional details:

    • You mentioned that the TUSB9261 worked fine with an Intel’s 60 GB SSD. Is it also an Intel’s 525 series mSATA SSD?
    • Have you tested with other Intel’s SSDs of the 525 series of different sizes? If so, of which sizes and what were the results.
    • Have you tested with other mSATA drives? If so, could you provide the models of the drives and your results.
    • Could you specify the characteristics of the mSATA to SATA adapter you are using? Is it only passing the SATA lines directly to the TUSB9261? How exactly does it work?
    • Have you seen this issue with other SSD models? If so, which ones?
    • Have you performed your testing only in Linux? Which distro and kernel version?

    Thanks and Best Regards,

    Alexis Cortes.

     

  • Just to confirm, the disk you are having problems with is a 240GB right? Not a 256GB disk.

    Yes. I believe the 240 / 256 GB distinction depends on if you're using 10^9 byte gigabytes or 2^30 byte gigabytes. 

    • You mentioned that the TUSB9261 worked fine with an Intel’s 60 GB SSD. Is it also an Intel’s 525 series mSATA SSD?

    Yes.

    • Have you tested with other Intel’s SSDs of the 525 series of different sizes? If so, of which sizes and what were the results.

    No, only 60 GB and 240 GB.

    • Have you tested with other mSATA drives? If so, could you provide the models of the drives and your results.

    Yes, I have tested it, mainly with respect to operating temperature in a heating cabinet with:

    • Corsair Crucial m4 256 GB (art. nr. CT256M4SSD3). Worked.
    • Soligen 240GB commercial temp spec., SGCV5S256-NM3NBC. These had overheating problems, but esentially worked at low speeds with the TUSB board.

    In general, the drives get hot when I have tested them at high speeds. I believe the 60 GB Intel drive is the only one that I've been able to run at full speed (95 megabytes per second) at room temperature without it overheating. In my application I only need low speed, so it's not a big problem for me.

    • Could you specify the characteristics of the mSATA to SATA adapter you are using? Is it only passing the SATA lines directly to the TUSB9261? How exactly does it work?

    I don't have a schematic for it. Here is a brochure: http://www.deltaco.se/support/infose/61892.pdf 

    The SATA lines appear to be passed via only coupling capacitors to the mSATA drive.

    There are some other components on the board, looks like a voltage regulator (Labeled 1117336, second line: 22F2B, I wasn't able to Google it), a diode, and some capacitors. Many component positions seem to be unpopulated.

    Here's a close-up photo of the components:

    • Have you seen this issue with other SSD models? If so, which ones?

    I've had problems resulting in the drives disconnecting with USB errors, after some use, but I've assume that all of these have been related to over heating at high speeds. Initially I thought they were issues with using USB 3. None of the tested drives have given me the 'no media in removable drive' errors, or not been able to be used at all as the 240 GB Intel drives.

    • Have you performed your testing only in Linux? Which distro and kernel version?

    Most tests have been run on an Ubuntu Linux machine. I think it ran Ubuntu version 12.10, I recently upgraded it to 13.04. As you know, I tested the malfunctioning 240 GB Intel drive on a the Linux machine, a Macbook Pro, and a co-workers generic PC laptop running Windows 7.

    If it would be of use, I could send you the two drives giving me problems and an identical mSATA adapter board to the one I've been using.

    Thanks for your help,

    Erland

  • Here's a photo of the label with all the info on it.

    If it would be useful, I can send you two of the troubling drives, and a SATA-mSATA adapter board like the one I've been using.

    /Erland

  • Hi Erland,

    If it is not too much trouble for you to send us your troubling drives and your mSATA-SATA adapter, we wil gladly accept your offer. This way we can try to reproduce the issue on our side and debug it. Could you please send me an e-mail to alexis.cortes@ti.com for giving you the shipping info.

    Thanks and Best Regards,

    Alexis Cortes.

  • For the benefits of those reading this -

    I sent my hardware to TI who very helpfully concluded it was my Delock "Converter SATA 22 Pin > mSATA full size adapter board which was not functioning correctly. Apparently everything works well with a SYBA SI-ADA40066 50mm (1.8") mSATA SSD to 2.5" SATA Converter Adapter

    Many thanks to Alexis and Brian @ TI!