Setting UDMA mode in Windows 2000

[Serban Andrei Dumitrescu]

Hi there,

I'm lookinbg for help with the following problem:

I've recently installed a Samsung hard drive in my computer: model
Spinpoint SP0411N. It's a 40 GB 7200rpm ATA133 drve. I'm running Windows
2000 SP4 with the Intel IDE drivers for my Intel board, the so-called
"Intel Application Accelerator". AFAIK ATA133 corresponds to so called
UDMA mode 5 and this is also what the BIOS autodetects. However, the Intel
app shows the current DMA mode being UDMA mode 2. This value is detected
and can't be set manually. The only value that can be set is the _max_
UDMA value, which defaults to 5.

I'm wondering why the drive's UDMA mode isn't set correctly and what I
could do to correct this. Any suggestion would be greatly appreciated!

TIA,

Andrei

 

[Paul]

Hi there,

I'm lookinbg for help with the following problem:

I've recently installed a Samsung hard drive in my computer: model
Spinpoint SP0411N. It's a 40 GB 7200rpm ATA133 drve. I'm running Windows
2000 SP4 with the Intel IDE drivers for my Intel board, the so-called
"Intel Application Accelerator". AFAIK ATA133 corresponds to so called
UDMA mode 5 and this is also what the BIOS autodetects. However, the Intel
app shows the current DMA mode being UDMA mode 2. This value is detected
and can't be set manually. The only value that can be set is the _max_
UDMA value, which defaults to 5.

I'm wondering why the drive's UDMA mode isn't set correctly and what I
could do to correct this. Any suggestion would be greatly appreciated!

TIA,

Andrei

I don't know the answer to your question, but are you using
an 80 wire cable on the drive ? There are two kinds of cable,
both of which have 40 pin connectors. One cable uses 40 wires
and the more modern cable uses 80 wires. To reach UDMA 5 or 6,
you want a cable with 80 wires on it - every second wire of
the 80 wire cable is a ground signal, which improves the
signal transmission characteristics of the cable.

The ATA/ATAPI spec has an algorithm, whereby software can
detect the cable type (most of the time). So the OS likely
knows whether the proper cable is fitted or not.

Paul