CompactFlash Viking problem

CompactFlash Viking problem

[Magnus Damm]

Hello!

I've been playing around with the 8xxrom pcmcia code and
done some simple CIS parsing code.

I am using a ADS860 Rev B board.
The MMU is off, the code is running from flash.
I've done a workaround for the bugs in the MACH-circuits.

The code works fine with:

SanDisk CompactFlash
Mitsubishi CompactFlash
Ericsson Pcmcia V34 Modem

The following card does not work:

Viking components CompactFlash.

My code reads the attribute space on each card
and parses the tuples. The problem is that the
Viking card gives me correct CIS sometimes,
but mostly crap (I guess some kind of test-pattern).
This leads to no end-of-cis marker, which is bad.

I browsed the net and found that Paul Rubin have had a problem
that seems related:

http://hyper.stanford.edu/HyperNews/get/pcmcia/ataide/39.html

People has experienced problem with Viking components before:

http://www.goof.com/~mmead/dc120/mail-archive/9806/msg00026.html

I've contacted Viking support but they told me that they didn't
do that kind of tech-support.

Another thing is that if I stick to access the ATA registers
all CompactFlash cards (even the Viking) work.

Any ideas, workarounds, similar problems?

TIA /

Magnus Damm

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Re: CompactFlash Viking problem

[Dan Malek]

Magnus Damm wrote:


> Another thing is that if I stick to access the ATA registers
> all CompactFlash cards (even the Viking) work.


I haven't been very successful using Flash cards (PCMCIA or
Compact Flash) as pure memory devices.  I have always ended up
using them as ATA disk drives.


	-- Dan

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Re: CompactFlash Viking problem

[David Hinds]

On Thu, Dec 30, 1999 at 11:16:31AM -0500, Dan Malek wrote:
> Magnus Damm wrote:
> 
> > Another thing is that if I stick to access the ATA registers
> > all CompactFlash cards (even the Viking) work.
> 
> I haven't been very successful using Flash cards (PCMCIA or
> Compact Flash) as pure memory devices.  I have always ended up
> using them as ATA disk drives.

I don't know of any cards that can actually be used either way (either
as a plain memory card, or as an ATA device).  As far as I know, they
are either one or the other.  All PCMCIA ATA devices are supposed to
support a memory mapped access mode, but that just puts the ATA
registers in memory space instead of IO space.

-- Dave

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Re: CompactFlash Viking problem

[David Hinds]

On Thu, Dec 30, 1999 at 01:46:47PM +0100, Magnus Damm wrote:
> 
> My code reads the attribute space on each card
> and parses the tuples. The problem is that the
> Viking card gives me correct CIS sometimes,
> but mostly crap (I guess some kind of test-pattern).
> This leads to no end-of-cis marker, which is bad.

It's possible that the card is reporting "ready" too early, before the
CIS is actually readable.  You might try working around the problem by
increasing the delays in the power-up sequence.

-- Dave

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Re: CompactFlash Viking problem

[Paul Rubin]

This is interesting.  I remember having the impression that my Viking
card problems were due to expecting the wrong voltages from the PC.
The basis of this was some log messages when Linux booted.  I saw
similar problems under Windows.  Unfortunately I don't remember any
details.  I might try experimenting with that card again.  Meanwhile,
I've never noticed the problem with the 45 MB Microtech CF card I've been
using.  If I upgrade cards, I might try one of the Sandisk Flashdrives.
These are 2.5" devices with an IDE face, i.e. you plug it straight into
an IDE disk connector, not PCMCIA.  Cost per MB is about the same as
their CF cards.

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