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Drive startup mode - PIO write problems from FPGA

I'm working on an fpga program to write to hard drives and so far I've been pretty successful with the exception of a drive in the class I want to use.

The project involves high speed data storage upwards of 30-40 MB/s per drive. Currently I have PIO transfer working on 3 out of 4 drives. An old 730mb (ata2 compatible I think), a 4.3gb (ata 3 compatible), a

6.4gb (ata 5 compatible), and a newer WD 80gb (ata 6 compatible).

Problem is all the drives will recieve the data when I check sectors except the 80gb drive. Does anyone know if this is because the drive might be starting up in a udma mode and not accepting PIO commands? Only the DIOR, DIOW, CS, DA, and lower 8 bits are connected to the fpga

- so could the 80gb be looking for another single or something? Any ideas?

Thank you, Keith

Reply to
Terradestroyer
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You did off course check that the above signals don't have alternate functions in UDMA mode, right?

Reply to
Folkert Rienstra

I figured I should still be in the default PIO mode and signals don't get changed unless dmack is asserted in response dmarq and I'm sending a PIO only command so Dmarq isn't asserted. This is what threw me off. Register timings are pretty much work 100% and they work with the drive because I can tell it to go to idle and standby without problem but when I load the registers and send a command to write data it won't accept.

Reply to
Terradestroyer

What default PIO mode? The one in Set Transfer Mode or the one it comes up in?

Any clues in the error bits?

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Reply to
Folkert Rienstra

I am assuming it is starting up in any PIO mode from 0 - 2. I've been going through the ata-6 specs and it doesn't say anything about the mode the drive should start up in

Right know my program is very "basic" to say the least. It really just tries to transfer data no matter what right know. So I actually have to add in checking the error register, but thats a good idea, it might be throwing me back something that could be a very good clue.

Thanks

Keith

Reply to
Terradestroyer

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