Re: PIONEER DVD-RW DVRTD08 is disabled if there is no disc present at boot time

[<linux-ide@momail.e4ward.com>]

> linux-ide@momail.e4ward.com wrote:
> > Hello,
> > several Sony Vaio laptops seem to have the PIONEER DVD-RW DVRTD08 DVD/CD
> > drive built in. This drive is available only when a disc is inserted
> > during boot.
> > when no disc is present, dmesg has
> > 
> > [    3.715535] ata2: SATA max UDMA/133 abar m2048@0xd3e04000 port
> > 0xd3e04180 irq 218
> > [    4.368166] ata2: SATA link up 1.5 Gbps (SStatus 113 SControl 300)
> > [    4.380063] ata2.00: ATAPI: PIONEER DVD-RW  DVRTD08, 1.00, max UDMA/33
> > [    9.380102] ata2.00: qc timeout (cmd 0xef)
> > [    9.380112] ata2.00: failed to set xfermode (err_mask=0x4)
> > [    9.700093] ata2: SATA link up 1.5 Gbps (SStatus 113 SControl 300)
> > [   19.712097] ata2.00: qc timeout (cmd 0xef)
> > [   19.712105] ata2.00: failed to set xfermode (err_mask=0x4)
> > [   19.712158] ata2: limiting SATA link speed to 1.5 Gbps
> > [   19.712160] ata2.00: limiting speed to UDMA/33:PIO3
> > [   20.032106] ata2: SATA link up 1.5 Gbps (SStatus 113 SControl 310)
> > [   30.040084] ata2.00: qc timeout (cmd 0xef)
> > [   30.040091] ata2.00: failed to set xfermode (err_mask=0x4)
> > [   30.040144] ata2.00: disabled
> > [   30.056102] ata2: hard resetting link
> > [   30.376108] ata2: SATA link up 1.5 Gbps (SStatus 113 SControl 310)
> > [   30.376114] ata2: EH complete
> > 
> > when a disc is present, dmesg has
> > [    3.804304] ata2: SATA max UDMA/133 irq_stat 0x00000040, cirq 219
> > [    5.268599] ata2: SATA link up 1.5 Gbps (SStatus 113 SControl 300)
> > [    5.270213] ata2.00: ATAPI: PIONEER DVD-RW  DVRTD08, 1.00, max UDMA/33
> > [    5.272217] ata2.00: configured for UDMA/33
> > 
> > You'll find more details at http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=6412465#post6412465
> > 
> > Having read http://www.mail-archive.com/linux-ide@vger.kernel.org/msg06127.html I guess it is not OK for the device to timeout in response to 0xef.
> > Still I would like to be able to use the drive without having to insert a CD at every boot. Is there any workaround? Can't the driver just treat
> > repeated timeouts like it would treat an abort?
> 
> That case was a bit different in that it was a CompactFlash device 
> (which has some different rules, especially older ones), but there was 
> also a SATA-PATA bridge chip involved (which seems quite likely the case 
> here too since the drive reports UDMA33 maximum). This could be another 
> case of the bridge chip being broken. Set Features - Set Transfer Mode 
> is a mandatory command that all ATA devices must implement, and the 
> device really can't be used properly if it's not successful (for true 
> SATA devices it's mostly vestigial, but if there's any actual PATA 
> involved, it's required). It's rather bizarre that having a disc 
> inserted avoids the problem.
> 
> Is there any firmware update available for the drive?

I've had a look on the Pioneer Website but I didn't find a firmware
update that was explicitly meant for this drive. I contacted
kenichi_tokudome@post.pioneer.co.jp who is listed at
http://www.serialata.org/integratorlist12.asp as the Pioneer contact for
that drive asking him about the problem and whether a firmware update
was available, but I have not yet received a reply, yet.

Moritz