Sunix SATA4000 problems

  • Thread starter Thread starter Dale Walker
  • Start date Start date
D

Dale Walker

I'm having problems with a new Sunix SATA4000 card configured as
RAID-0 on channels 1 & 2 with two identical 120GB Seagate Barracuda
7200.7 drives.

More often than not, the BIOS F4/Ctrl-S BIOS startup message doesn't
appear leading on to my machine not recognizing the drives.

I usually have to reseat the card in another PCI slot or swap the SATA
cables to get the card to be recognized by my computer.

When I can finally get BIOS startup message (usually after about 5 or
6 attempts), it recognizes the drives correctly and the computer works
perfectly.

The startup message will be OK after system restarts but not after a
full shutdown.

I was wondering if I have a faulty card or if there's a BIOS update I
could install.

Is there the possibility of a dodgy cable or drive could cause the
BIOS not to load?

I did initially have a problem with getting the RAID GUI to load. I
had to use the JAVA GUI. Could this be significant?

System Configuration...

Motherboard: Chaintech Apogee 7VJL Deluxe (BIOS 3.0 2003/4/16)
Processor: AMD XP 3000+
Memory: 1 GB
SATA controller: Sunix SATA4000 (RAID 0) BIOS 5.031
Hard drives: 2x Seagate Barracuda 7200.7 (120GB)
OS: Windows XP SP2
Sil driver: 1.0.0.7 (03/02/04)

Have disk startup as CD-ROM, then SCSI
 
I had simular problems with a ADST-203 SATA Raid card from Addonics. I could
never get to the BIOS F4/Ctrl-S BIOS setup. I finally called Addonics and
got an e-mail describing the process to update the flash BIOS on the card. I
now have two WD 250 GB drives set up as Raid 0 and they work great! (finally).

You show below "Sil driver: 1.0.0.7 (03/02/04)" so I'm assuming the
SATA actual chip is made by Silicon Image. They make several chip sets and
their web site is anything but friendly. I suggest you contact Sunix and see
if they can point you to the correnct flash BIOS update for your card.

Hang in there!
Bill Kauth
 
I had simular problems with a ADST-203 SATA Raid card from Addonics. I could
never get to the BIOS F4/Ctrl-S BIOS setup. I finally called Addonics and
got an e-mail describing the process to update the flash BIOS on the card. I
now have two WD 250 GB drives set up as Raid 0 and they work great! (finally).

You show below "Sil driver: 1.0.0.7 (03/02/04)" so I'm assuming the
SATA actual chip is made by Silicon Image. They make several chip sets and
their web site is anything but friendly.
Click to expand...

I know. I've already been there. Unfortunately, the only firmware
update relating to the SiL 3114 chipset doesn't seem to be compatible
with my card.
I suggest you contact Sunix and see
if they can point you to the correnct flash BIOS update for your card.
Click to expand...

Already done that. Still awaiting a reply.

Anyway, it's going back to the shop today. I can't wait any longer.
Hopefully they'll have an alternative.
 
I know. I've already been there. Unfortunately, the only firmware
update relating to the SiL 3114 chipset doesn't seem to be compatible
with my card.


Already done that. Still awaiting a reply.

Anyway, it's going back to the shop today. I can't wait any longer.
Hopefully they'll have an alternative.
Click to expand...

Back from shop with identical replacement. Worked first time (so far)
so looks like I had a dud first time around.
 
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