R
ray_woodcock
I have several internal IDE drives connected to an ASUS P4PE
motherboard. I also have an internal SATA drive connected to the first
of the two SATA connectors on that mobo. This arrangement continues to
work just fine.
As I dimly recall, it was something of a hassle to get the internal
SATA drive working properly. I ultimately set it up as a FastTrack
array of one drive. That seems to have taken care of whatever problems
I was having.
Now I have a new addition to the system. I have purchased an external
IDE drive enclosure. The enclosure I have purchased is a member of the
Metal Gear Box series by PPA International. See
http://www.ppa-usa.com/product_pages/enclosures/780SAU2.htm
This enclosure has the interesting feature of having both USB 2.0 and
SATA connectors. For a small additional cost, I thought it would be
good to have the option of SATA's much higher data transfer rates.
I thought the upper limit on SATA II was 300 MB, but I am running into
webpages that seem to say it is 150 MB. See
http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient-ff&ie=UTF-8&q="sata i" OR "sata ii" 150 OR 150mb
I think the P4PE, which I installed in early 2003, must have predated
SATA II. So I assume its SATA connectors are SATA I. So when the
Metal Gear Box advertises itself as having a 150 MB upper limit, I
guess that is something that might matter to me sometime in the future.
But for now, I assume I am restricted to SATA I speeds when connecting
a SATA drive to the P4PE.
Yet it is my impression that even SATA I speeds are substantially
faster than USB 2.0. I have already used the USB 2.0 connector to hook
up the Metal Gear Box enclosure, and have verified that the P4PE system
is able to see the drive that I have put into that enclosure. But now
I would like to try to get the SATA I connection to work.
Note, again, that the drive I have placed into the enclosure is an IDE
drive. The data and power connections inside the enclosure are IDE
connections, not SATA. As I understand it, the sole purpose of the
external SATA connection is to speed up the transfer of data between
the motherboard and the external IDE drive.
I say it is an external SATA connection, but that is not quite right.
To my surprise, the rear end of the Metal Gear Box enclosure sports an
internal SATA connector, not an eSATA connector. I will be pleased if
I don't have to buy a shielded external cable, but I am also a little
concerned about the noise effects that may impact data transfers
through an exposed internal cable. But I can get by with exposing only
about one foot of internal cable, between the computer case and the
external drive, so this may not be a problem.
What is a problem, at this point, is that the system does not recognize
the external drive when I use the SATA connector. As I say, the USB
connection works OK, but I want that SATA speed if I can get it. The
question is, can I?
I have taken the time to write up this careful explanation of the
situation because it seems that I have one or two complications. One
complication is this atypical situation of using a SATA cable to
transfer IDE data. I hope I don't have to set jumpers in any certain
way. If I'm going to have to crack open the case and play with jumpers
each time, I might as well have just used the drive internally and
skipped the purchase of an external enclosure.
Another complication is the whole matter of configuring the internal
SATA drive as an array of one. On boot, the FastTrack controller does
see both drives; it's Windows Explorer that doesn't. The controller
reports that the second drive is in a "Free" status -- which, I can
assure you, is not an apt description of the amount I have spent on
this little enterprise. How to convert that free drive into a more
agreeable condition of enslavement, I don't know.
I am concerned about the Metal Gear Box's evidently mixed reviews. For
example, I hadn't run across the page at
http://www.techimo.com/articles/i82.html while doing my initial
exploration. What I saw was the Newegg reviews at
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...8&ATT=External+Enclosure&CMP=OTC-pr1c3grabb3r.
I do rely on Newegg. I don't think they tend to sell junk. But I am
missing something here.
The unit did not come with any printed documentation. There is a CD,
but it contains drivers and information that seems to be oriented
toward Windows 98 users, whereas I am running XP.
So if anyone can tell me how to hook this sucker up, I would be most
grateful. Best regards ...
motherboard. I also have an internal SATA drive connected to the first
of the two SATA connectors on that mobo. This arrangement continues to
work just fine.
As I dimly recall, it was something of a hassle to get the internal
SATA drive working properly. I ultimately set it up as a FastTrack
array of one drive. That seems to have taken care of whatever problems
I was having.
Now I have a new addition to the system. I have purchased an external
IDE drive enclosure. The enclosure I have purchased is a member of the
Metal Gear Box series by PPA International. See
http://www.ppa-usa.com/product_pages/enclosures/780SAU2.htm
This enclosure has the interesting feature of having both USB 2.0 and
SATA connectors. For a small additional cost, I thought it would be
good to have the option of SATA's much higher data transfer rates.
I thought the upper limit on SATA II was 300 MB, but I am running into
webpages that seem to say it is 150 MB. See
http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient-ff&ie=UTF-8&q="sata i" OR "sata ii" 150 OR 150mb
I think the P4PE, which I installed in early 2003, must have predated
SATA II. So I assume its SATA connectors are SATA I. So when the
Metal Gear Box advertises itself as having a 150 MB upper limit, I
guess that is something that might matter to me sometime in the future.
But for now, I assume I am restricted to SATA I speeds when connecting
a SATA drive to the P4PE.
Yet it is my impression that even SATA I speeds are substantially
faster than USB 2.0. I have already used the USB 2.0 connector to hook
up the Metal Gear Box enclosure, and have verified that the P4PE system
is able to see the drive that I have put into that enclosure. But now
I would like to try to get the SATA I connection to work.
Note, again, that the drive I have placed into the enclosure is an IDE
drive. The data and power connections inside the enclosure are IDE
connections, not SATA. As I understand it, the sole purpose of the
external SATA connection is to speed up the transfer of data between
the motherboard and the external IDE drive.
I say it is an external SATA connection, but that is not quite right.
To my surprise, the rear end of the Metal Gear Box enclosure sports an
internal SATA connector, not an eSATA connector. I will be pleased if
I don't have to buy a shielded external cable, but I am also a little
concerned about the noise effects that may impact data transfers
through an exposed internal cable. But I can get by with exposing only
about one foot of internal cable, between the computer case and the
external drive, so this may not be a problem.
What is a problem, at this point, is that the system does not recognize
the external drive when I use the SATA connector. As I say, the USB
connection works OK, but I want that SATA speed if I can get it. The
question is, can I?
I have taken the time to write up this careful explanation of the
situation because it seems that I have one or two complications. One
complication is this atypical situation of using a SATA cable to
transfer IDE data. I hope I don't have to set jumpers in any certain
way. If I'm going to have to crack open the case and play with jumpers
each time, I might as well have just used the drive internally and
skipped the purchase of an external enclosure.
Another complication is the whole matter of configuring the internal
SATA drive as an array of one. On boot, the FastTrack controller does
see both drives; it's Windows Explorer that doesn't. The controller
reports that the second drive is in a "Free" status -- which, I can
assure you, is not an apt description of the amount I have spent on
this little enterprise. How to convert that free drive into a more
agreeable condition of enslavement, I don't know.
I am concerned about the Metal Gear Box's evidently mixed reviews. For
example, I hadn't run across the page at
http://www.techimo.com/articles/i82.html while doing my initial
exploration. What I saw was the Newegg reviews at
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...8&ATT=External+Enclosure&CMP=OTC-pr1c3grabb3r.
I do rely on Newegg. I don't think they tend to sell junk. But I am
missing something here.
The unit did not come with any printed documentation. There is a CD,
but it contains drivers and information that seems to be oriented
toward Windows 98 users, whereas I am running XP.
So if anyone can tell me how to hook this sucker up, I would be most
grateful. Best regards ...