M-System IDE Flash Plus

Trying to setup a IDE flash plus HD from M-System. Every thing seems to run
fine, but if the PC is turn off, all changes to the disk are gone, and I
mean files saved 5 minutes ago (which rules out cache flush and what not).

I did a test where I install the disk as slave. Manually start Fsys.eide
then mount , write some file, unmount. Turn off machine and the file I wrote
were gone…

M-System denies any wrong doing, as their disk works with DOS and Linux
(which we have confirm).

I have tried all combinations of Fsys.eide option I can think of to no avail
( even tried Fsys.ide).

Looking for suggestion…

  • Mario

“Mario Charest” postmaster@127.0.0.1 wrote:

Trying to setup a IDE flash plus HD from M-System. Every thing seems to
run
fine, but if the PC is turn off, all changes to the disk are gone, and I
mean files saved 5 minutes ago (which rules out cache flush and what not).

I did a test where I install the disk as slave. Manually start Fsys.eide
then mount , write some file, unmount. Turn off machine and the file I
wrote
were gone…

M-System denies any wrong doing, as their disk works with DOS and Linux
(which we have confirm).

I have tried all combinations of Fsys.eide option I can think of to no
avail
( even tried Fsys.ide).

Looking for suggestion…

  • Mario

Try to turn off enhanced PIO- and ultra-DMA modes when starting Fsys.eide
(I don’t remember now but there must be appropriate command-line options).
As to DOS and Linux: their drivers use BIOS calls for disk I/O operations
but QNX driver doesn’t, it works directly with controller registers.
Have you tried to mount - write - unmount - mount again (not turning
power off)? I feel the result must be the same. If not, it should be any
hardware problem with your flash disk.

Best regards
Alexander Orkin
aorkin@mail.ru

“Alexander” <a7o@mail.ru> wrote in message news:c05md2$2cb$1@inn.qnx.com

“Mario Charest” postmaster@127.0.0.1 wrote:

Trying to setup a IDE flash plus HD from M-System. Every thing seems to
run
fine, but if the PC is turn off, all changes to the disk are gone, and I
mean files saved 5 minutes ago (which rules out cache flush and what
not).

I did a test where I install the disk as slave. Manually start
Fsys.eide
then mount , write some file, unmount. Turn off machine and the file I
wrote
were gone…

M-System denies any wrong doing, as their disk works with DOS and Linux
(which we have confirm).

I have tried all combinations of Fsys.eide option I can think of to no
avail
( even tried Fsys.ide).

Looking for suggestion…

  • Mario


    Try to turn off enhanced PIO- and ultra-DMA modes when starting Fsys.eide
    (I don’t remember now but there must be appropriate command-line options).

I think enhances PIO is off by default and DMA isn’t supported anyway :wink:
but I’ll double check the PIO stuff.

As to DOS and Linux: their drivers use BIOS calls for disk I/O operations
but QNX driver doesn’t, it works directly with controller registers.

Linux uses BIOS calls for DISK I/O ??? I don’t beleive so!!!

Have you tried to mount - write - unmount - mount again (not turning
power off)? I feel the result must be the same.

Doing mount/write/umount/mount works, the data appears to be there (so that
rules out
a cache issue).

If not, it should be any hardware problem with your flash disk.

Tried 3 flash disk so far, and as I said they all work fine in DOS and
Linux.

Best regards
Alexander Orkin

Thanks

aorkin@mail.ru

Have you tried to mount - write - unmount - mount again (not turning
power off)? I feel the result must be the same.

Doing mount/write/umount/mount works, the data appears to be there (so
that
rules out a cache issue).

Let me clarify, the data appears to be there but IS NOT.

Hi Mario,

This sounds familiar. What is the exact model of flash you are using? URL?

Regards,

Erick


Mario Charest postmaster@127.0.0.1 wrote:

Have you tried to mount - write - unmount - mount again (not turning
power off)? I feel the result must be the same.

Doing mount/write/umount/mount works, the data appears to be there (so
that
rules out a cache issue).

Let me clarify, the data appears to be there but IS NOT.

Erick Muis
Hardware Group
QNX Software Systems Ltd.
Email: emuis at qnx.com

“Erick Muis” <emuis@node55.ott.qnx.com> wrote in message
news:c0tbp9$3hf$4@inn.qnx.com

Hi Mario,

This sounds familiar. What is the exact model of flash you are using?
URL?

http://www.m-sys.com/Content/Products/product.asp?pid=26

A ticket has been open with QSS about this issue, last I heard QSS was
suppose to get in touch with m-system to get the spec.

Regards,

Erick


Mario Charest postmaster@127.0.0.1 wrote:

Have you tried to mount - write - unmount - mount again (not turning
power off)? I feel the result must be the same.

Doing mount/write/umount/mount works, the data appears to be there (so
that
rules out a cache issue).

Let me clarify, the data appears to be there but IS NOT.


\


Erick Muis
Hardware Group
QNX Software Systems Ltd.
Email: emuis at qnx.com

Mario,

I currently use M-Systems IDE 3000 2.5" flash devices without too much
trouble. In the software I use the ‘sync()’ and the ‘qnx_sync()’ commands
to make sure everything has been flushed to the drive. Power loss is a HUGE
problem with flash drives so we put in a small battery backup for 20 seconds
just in case. On the OS level the scripts that write to the drive use the
command line ‘sync’ command to flush.

A couple of things we worked with. 1) we tried setting up Fsys in async
mode ‘-a’ to improve write return times to the program. This is where we
had real problems with loosing data in files on power loss. 2) we set the
cache size very low (10K) to see if that helped. Nothing really showed much
difference in our normal operating mode.

Also, we have seen that with Fsys started as if a normal hard drive the
actual writing to disk and closing the file, without doing a sync, can take
up to several minutes.

I am going to also tried mixed hard drive system, both flash and standard
2.5" hard drives. I stopped using the M-Systems drives a short while ago
and now use SanDisk 512MB Compact Flash. They have a new higher speed model
that is not too much slower than a hard drive and we can turn the async off
on Fsys.

I don’t know if any of this will help, just some info. Good luck.

“Mario Charest” postmaster@127.0.0.1 wrote in message
news:c0ufts$305$1@inn.qnx.com

“Erick Muis” <> emuis@node55.ott.qnx.com> > wrote in message
news:c0tbp9$3hf$> 4@inn.qnx.com> …
Hi Mario,

This sounds familiar. What is the exact model of flash you are using?
URL?

http://www.m-sys.com/Content/Products/product.asp?pid=26

A ticket has been open with QSS about this issue, last I heard QSS was
suppose to get in touch with m-system to get the spec.


Regards,

Erick


Mario Charest postmaster@127.0.0.1 wrote:

Have you tried to mount - write - unmount - mount again (not
turning
power off)? I feel the result must be the same.

Doing mount/write/umount/mount works, the data appears to be there
(so
that
rules out a cache issue).

Let me clarify, the data appears to be there but IS NOT.


\


Erick Muis
Hardware Group
QNX Software Systems Ltd.
Email: emuis at qnx.com

“Ivan Bannon” <ivan.bannon@rjginc.com> wrote in message
news:c0vvrs$b81$1@inn.qnx.com

Mario,

I currently use M-Systems IDE 3000 2.5" flash devices without too much
trouble. In the software I use the ‘sync()’ and the ‘qnx_sync()’ commands
to make sure everything has been flushed to the drive. Power loss is a
HUGE
problem with flash drives so we put in a small battery backup for 20
seconds
just in case. On the OS level the scripts that write to the drive use the
command line ‘sync’ command to flush.

A couple of things we worked with. 1) we tried setting up Fsys in async
mode ‘-a’ to improve write return times to the program. This is where we
had real problems with loosing data in files on power loss. 2) we set the
cache size very low (10K) to see if that helped. Nothing really showed
much
difference in our normal operating mode.

Also, we have seen that with Fsys started as if a normal hard drive the
actual writing to disk and closing the file, without doing a sync, can
take
up to several minutes.

I am going to also tried mixed hard drive system, both flash and standard
2.5" hard drives. I stopped using the M-Systems drives a short while ago
and now use SanDisk 512MB Compact Flash. They have a new higher speed
model
that is not too much slower than a hard drive and we can turn the async
off
on Fsys.

I don’t know if any of this will help, just some info. Good luck.

Thanks for the info Ivan. We don’t have any problem with the “non plus”
version of the flash, which I understand isn’t available anymore. The
problem has creeped up with the latest PLUS model.

“Mario Charest” postmaster@127.0.0.1 wrote in message
news:c0ufts$305$> 1@inn.qnx.com> …

“Erick Muis” <> emuis@node55.ott.qnx.com> > wrote in message
news:c0tbp9$3hf$> 4@inn.qnx.com> …
Hi Mario,

This sounds familiar. What is the exact model of flash you are using?
URL?

http://www.m-sys.com/Content/Products/product.asp?pid=26

A ticket has been open with QSS about this issue, last I heard QSS was
suppose to get in touch with m-system to get the spec.


Regards,

Erick


Mario Charest postmaster@127.0.0.1 wrote:

Have you tried to mount - write - unmount - mount again (not
turning
power off)? I feel the result must be the same.

Doing mount/write/umount/mount works, the data appears to be there
(so
that
rules out a cache issue).

Let me clarify, the data appears to be there but IS NOT.


\


Erick Muis
Hardware Group
QNX Software Systems Ltd.
Email: emuis at qnx.com

\

Yeah I was helping a co-worker with this. We are getting the part from M-Systems
afaik on loan. Not sure when its comming in and when the problem will be fixed
though.

Best regards,

Erick

Mario Charest postmaster@127.0.0.1 wrote:

“Erick Muis” <> emuis@node55.ott.qnx.com> > wrote in message
news:c0tbp9$3hf$> 4@inn.qnx.com> …
Hi Mario,

This sounds familiar. What is the exact model of flash you are using?
URL?

http://www.m-sys.com/Content/Products/product.asp?pid=26

A ticket has been open with QSS about this issue, last I heard QSS was
suppose to get in touch with m-system to get the spec.


Regards,

Erick


Mario Charest postmaster@127.0.0.1 wrote:

Have you tried to mount - write - unmount - mount again (not turning
power off)? I feel the result must be the same.

Doing mount/write/umount/mount works, the data appears to be there (so
that
rules out a cache issue).

Let me clarify, the data appears to be there but IS NOT.


\


Erick Muis
Hardware Group
QNX Software Systems Ltd.
Email: emuis at qnx.com

Erick Muis
Hardware Group
QNX Software Systems Ltd.
Email: emuis at qnx.com