jawdoc said:
The motherboard is pictured here. What I won't know, is what slots
are already occupied.
http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/xps410/en/SM_EN/techov.htm
How swap capability should have existed from day one, when SATA came
out. Instead, what happened, is the initial drivers for SATA 1.5Gbit/sec
interfaces, lacked the capability.
If I was looking for this capability, I would look for SATA 3.0Gbit/sec
interfaces or look for a card with ESATA (proper external plugs) on
the add-in card faceplate.
The problem with this, is PCI cards tend to be limited to SATA 1.5Gbit/sec
interfaces, without a lot of new (reliable) entrants in the market.
Silicon Image, and their SIL3112 and SIL3114 were one source of solutions,
and I don't know if you'd find hot swap there or not.
Instead, I'd look for a PCI Express x1 card, and use that. All you need
to use that, is at least one free PCI Express slot. A x1 card can fit
in a x1, x4, or x16 slot, if any of those are available. Something like
a SIL3132 should do the job. (You can get drivers from siliconimage.com,
if you don't like the drivers provided. amselectronics.com doesn't have
any info on this card.)
AMS PCI-E Host Controller (2-Port eSATA) Model SP-PCIE3132 - Retail $35
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815342001
http://www.siliconimage.com/support/supportsearchresults.aspx?pid=32&cid=3&ctid=2&osid=4&
Of the cards in the Newegg list, I don't particularly like to see cards
with two internal and two external ports, when in fact the chip on the
card only drives two ports. There are 3 Gbit/sec signals on those connectors,
and "stubbing" off the signal lines on the interface, can degrade their
performance. I prefer the card maker to just decide whether they're
making an internal or external connector card instead. The above card
is a few more bucks, but at least it is not compromising the design.
(Example of card with four connectors, but only two work at a time.)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductReview.aspx?Item=N82E16815316001
You might also verify you have the right cables. You can get cables with
ESATA connectors on each end. Or cables with SATA on one end and ESATA on
the other. There are a surprising number of different combinations.
The SIL3132 supports port multiplier, so your two port card can
support up to ten external disks, with port multiplier boxes that
cost around $100 each or so.
http://www.cooldrives.com/cosapomubrso.html
http://www.sataport.com/ (nicer plastic box plus power adapter)
http://www.sata-io.org/portmultiplier.asp
For PCI cards, the reviewers here note that hotswap didn't work with
this card. And this and another Masscool card, didn't fit properly
in a PCI slot. Looking through the short list on Newegg, didn't uncover
any better PCI ones. The chip on this card is SIL3114.
"MASSCOOL PCI Card, 1 external eSATA + 2 internal SATA Model XWT-RC061"
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductReview.aspx?Item=N82E16815280005
Paul
