SATA USB docks

[Tom Del Rosso]

This Kingwin SATA docking port is a PITA. It seems to make a poor
connection, or maybe it has a buffer overflow issue. All I know is it fails
after copying files for 10-15 minutes. Then the drive is no longer there.

What's a rock-solid reliable model? One with 2 ports would be better.

 

[Man-wai Chang]

What's a rock-solid reliable model? One with 2 ports would be better.

I am using Century. This one supports both USB 3 and eSATA:

http://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B003NU6T...ASIN=B003NU6TW2&linkCode=asn&me=AN1VRQENFRJN5

Not sure about its availability in US ...

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[Yousuf Khan]

This Kingwin SATA docking port is a PITA. It seems to make a poor
connection, or maybe it has a buffer overflow issue. All I know is it fails
after copying files for 10-15 minutes. Then the drive is no longer there.

What's a rock-solid reliable model? One with 2 ports would be better.

Are you monitoring its temperature while you copy?

Yousuf Khan

 

[Arno]

Are you monitoring its temperature while you copy?
Yousuf Khan

A dock should not have temperature problems, unless the interface
chip is already defective. Then it could very well show this
behaviour. Apparently 2nd selection and "untested" chips
are more and more also used in products shipped to the 1st world.

Of course, this often correlates with "ridiculously cheap".

Just had an LED flashlight from this class last week. The LED broke
down (flickers, likely thermal fracture...) after a few hours.
Will replace it with a quality LED next time I order components,
but most people cannot go that way.

Arno

 

[Tom Del Rosso]

Are you monitoring its temperature while you copy?

Yes, and it only goes up 1 or 2 degrees from power-up.

 

[Tom Del Rosso]

A dock should not have temperature problems, unless the interface
chip is already defective. Then it could very well show this
behaviour. Apparently 2nd selection and "untested" chips
are more and more also used in products shipped to the 1st world.

How would an interface chip cause overheating?

Although temperature is not a problem here, I'm sure the hardware has some
bugs. It recognizes different families of drives (WD Green and Black) only
if they are inserted in the 2 SATA ports one way, but not if they are
swapped. Either drive alone works in either port.

I wish I had a probe to mate on the SATA connector so I could monitor the PS
voltages. That's at least as likely a problem.

 

[Arno]

How would an interface chip cause overheating?

The USB-SATA interface chip can overheat itself, e.g. if there
are hot-spots in it.

Although temperature is not a problem here, I'm sure the hardware has some
bugs. It recognizes different families of drives (WD Green and Black) only
if they are inserted in the 2 SATA ports one way, but not if they are
swapped. Either drive alone works in either port.

Ok, that sounds like bad firmware in the interface chip.

I wish I had a probe to mate on the SATA connector so I could monitor the PS
voltages. That's at least as likely a problem.

If you open this thing, you should be able to get to the voltages.
Typically these things take 12V direclty from the PSU and make 5V with
a switching regulator.

Arno

 

[Tom Del Rosso]

If you open this thing, you should be able to get to the voltages.
Typically these things take 12V direclty from the PSU and make 5V with
a switching regulator.

I know how the PSU works but I'm not keeping it. I just wanted to know if
anything on the market has an especially good reputation.

 

[Rod Speed]

How would an interface chip cause overheating?

Although temperature is not a problem here, I'm sure the hardware has some
bugs. It recognizes different families of drives (WD Green and Black)
only if they are inserted in the 2 SATA ports one way, but not if they are
swapped. Either drive alone works in either port.

I wish I had a probe to mate on the SATA connector so I could monitor the
PS voltages. That's at least as likely a problem.

Its easy enough to make one, start with a SATA power cable.

 

[Tom Del Rosso]

Its easy enough to make one, start with a SATA power cable.

I'd have to start with a discarded HDD board because it has to be male.

No broken drives around right now.

 

[Arno]

I know how the PSU works but I'm not keeping it. I just wanted to know if
anything on the market has an especially good reputation.

Not that I know of. I have several variants of these, and all are broken
in some way.

Arno

 

[Arno]

I'd have to start with a discarded HDD board because it has to be male.

No broken drives around right now.

You can get cables SATA power male, like these:

http://www.ohc24.ch/images/thumbnails/large/images/products/84361.jpg

Cut the wires and you have a measurement adapter.

Arno

 

[Rod Speed]

I'd have to start with a discarded HDD board because it has to be male.

Nope, just start with a SATA power splitter.

No broken drives around right now.

You don’t need one.

 

[Edward Diener]

This Kingwin SATA docking port is a PITA. It seems to make a poor
connection, or maybe it has a buffer overflow issue. All I know is it fails
after copying files for 10-15 minutes. Then the drive is no longer there.

What's a rock-solid reliable model? One with 2 ports would be better.

I have been using the IcyDock MB561US-4SB-1 QuadBay. A bit pricy but it
has been excellent over the last 6 months or so, with 0 problems. I
admit it is limited to 3.5" drives so I am hoping they extend their
multi-bay offerings to support 2.5" inch drives and SSDs in the future.

My ESata connection uses an Addonics ADSA3GPX1-2E since the ESata
connection needs a Port Multiplier and the built-in ESata ports on my
K9A2 Platinum mobo have no Port Multiplier functionality. There are more
modern ESata boards out there but this one appears to work without a hitch.

 

[Arno]

I have Thermaltake BlacX that has eSATA and USB2
ports. It's been rock solid for 2 years. It takes 3.5" and
2.5" drives. I've used it for cloning up to 1TB drives. I
think they now have USB3 models.

Hmm. Nobody here has stock of these. The USB3.0 version does not
seem to have eSATA though.

Arno

 

[Man-wai Chang]

What's a rock-solid reliable model? One with 2 ports would be better.

I am using Century. This one supports both USB 3 and eSATA:

http://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B003NU6T...ASIN=B003NU6TW2&linkCode=asn&me=AN1VRQENFRJN5

Not sure about its availability in US ...

--
@~@ Remain silent. Nothing from soldiers and magicians is real!
/ v \ Simplicity is Beauty!
/( _ )\ May the Force and farces be with you!
^ ^ (x86_64 Ubuntu 9.10) Linux 2.6.39.3
ä¸å€Ÿè²¸! ä¸è©é¨™! ä¸æ´äº¤! ä¸æ‰“交! ä¸æ‰“劫! ä¸è‡ªæ®º! è«‹è€ƒæ…®ç¶œæ´ (CSSA):
http://www.swd.gov.hk/tc/index/site_pubsvc/page_socsecu/sub_addressesa

 

[Arno]

The original BlacXs had USB2 only, then they added eSATA.
I hope they're not thinking that the USB3 speed will eliminate
the need for an eSATA connection. USB2/3 connected drives
are seen by the OS as external drives, whereas eSATA are seen
and function as internal drives.

Well, that is more of a Windows concern, Linux does not care.
It is an issue though and even on Linux you have to jump through
some hoops to consistently get USB disks recognized under the
same device name (sort of, but not quite "drive letter").

The second thing is that USB3 is still not quite reliable, there
are problems with hubs, drivers, etc. eSATA is stable, reliable
and fast.

I think USB3 already replaces eSATA in products and I think this is
too early and might not be a that good an in the first place.

Arno

 

[Joseph Terner]

Well, that is more of a Windows concern, Linux does not care.

Of course it cares. If the firmware doesn't recognize drives connected to
a XHCI controller, even Linux can't boot from it, while AHCI is no
problem for any modern OS.

You have also the option to connect any eSATA drive to an USB 3.0
controller without losing speed using an inexpensive converter.
Thunderbolt is also a possibilty.

ciao, Joseph

 

[Arno]

Of course it cares. If the firmware doesn't recognize drives connected to
a XHCI controller, even Linux can't boot from it, while AHCI is no
problem for any modern OS.

I think you are confusing OS and BIOS here.

Arno