msata on Real Amiga 1200

[reflex]

Hello,

I tried to install a msata SSD in my amiga 1200 without success.
I used two different adaptors:

this one
https://www.amazon.it/gp/product/B01...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

and this other one
https://www.ebay.it/itm/303022397850

with these two SSD:
https://www.amazon.it/gp/product/B08...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.it/gp/product/B07...?ie=UTF8&psc=1


the adapter both works on the Amiga 4000 (I have a 44=>40 pin adapter too) but the second one doesn't recognize the SSD at all and the first one shows crazy values in HDTOOLBOX (that tells me that there are no sectors on the disk but there are 2061T of free space... i cannot partition any disk).

I have 3.2 rom and using AmigaOS 3.2 installa disk with HDtoolBox to partition the drives, i Have 2 different 4xIDE adapter. If I plug the SSD directly on the motherboard none of them is seen by the system but the HDD led lights at boot.

The problem is the same if i format the SSD on the Amiga 4000 side and then try to move them in the Amiga 1200.

What can it be?

[jbenam]

Hello there,

You have to be careful when purchasing mSATA adapters - most are total crap which don't actually properly convert to IDE and will cause all kinds of issues. They didn't even complete a full test run in HD Tune.

I seem to remember this was the one I found to be working without issues:
https://www.amazon.it/dp/B083LXPF91/

I kept using SDs and CFs as I found out that it really wasn't worth it putting SSDs that fast in an Amiga

[patrik]

@reflex: I had the problem that the A1200 looked at the IDE port before the sata adapter chip was ready and concluded that the port was empty, like if an IDE port killer/terminator was attached. Solution in that case was to add a Blizzard12[346]0 which causes a delay at the Amiga end and makes it work, not ideal.

[reflex]

Originally Posted by patrik

@reflex: I had the problem that the A1200 looked at the IDE port before the sata adapter chip was ready and concluded that the port was empty, like if an IDE port killer/terminator was attached. Solution in that case was to add a Blizzard12[346]0 which causes a delay at the Amiga end and makes it work, not ideal.

I have a Blizzard 1230 so this should not be the problem, but your explanation make sense.

If i attached the SSD directly to the motherboard the HDD led lights up but stays very low, if I attached the SSD on the IDE-Winner 4xIDE it flashes for a few seconds with full light then turns off.

[reflex]

Originally Posted by jbenam

Hello there,

You have to be careful when purchasing mSATA adapters - most are total crap which don't actually properly convert to IDE and will cause all kinds of issues. They didn't even complete a full test run in HD Tune.

I seem to remember this was the one I found to be working without issues:
https://www.amazon.it/dp/B083LXPF91/

I kept using SDs and CFs as I found out that it really wasn't worth it putting SSDs that fast in an Amiga

I had bad experiences with CF, in a short time they always corrupt partition so i have to install everything from the scratch, moreover i wanted to put all the TOSEC in a single partition on the A1200. When AmigaOS 3.2 came i read that 3.2 roms can recognize big HDD without any patch as there is a new scsi.device inside, and it sounded like heaven to me, this is the reason why I bought a 128GB SSD (well now I actually have 2 of them!), when i chose the msdata=>IDE adapter i read a lot od thread and someone posted the one i bought as 100% suitable, sadly it looks like they were wrong.

So Did you buy the very same adapter you are suggesting me on amazon?

[crazyc]

Originally Posted by reflex

I had bad experiences with CF, in a short time they always corrupt partition so i have to install everything from the scratch,

I have always used CF cards and only rarely had issues which has been more than made up for by the ease of just imaging them as a backup on my PC (and running them via WINUAE to transfer big files etc). Did you encounter the MaxTransfer issues perhaps?

[avinitlarge]

I’ve tried the same msata adapters and couldn’t get them to work. I’m using a Samsung Evo SSD now, works fine.

[Bruce Abbott]

Originally Posted by reflex

moreover i wanted to put all the TOSEC in a single partition on the A1200.

There's your problem - being too greedy!

[reflex]

Originally Posted by avinitlarge

I’ve tried the same msata adapters and couldn’t get them to work. I’m using a Samsung Evo SSD now, works fine.

how can it fit inside the Amiga 1200? I tried but i was not able to close the case.

[jbenam]

For anyone else reading this, I have tested my adapter with A1200 with ROM 3.2 and it's working fine. I have only tested two cards, though, one 8GB and the other 16GB.

Looks like it's either the adapter at fault, or the mSATA card itself. Will probably keep testing along with reflex until we figure out what is going wrong...

I will report back our findings

[avinitlarge]

Originally Posted by reflex

how can it fit inside the Amiga 1200? I tried but i was not able to close the case.

Yes, it fits fine. I’ll get you a picture over the next few days

[DJBase]

Have mSATA too... never had problems with...

[jbenam]

It was just the adapter. I've advised him to purchase the same one I use and it's now working fine

Link for future reference in case someone needs it:
https://www.amazon.it/dp/B083LXPF91/

It's probably a generic adapter imported from China - as long as you get the same PCB with the same ICs, it should work on every Amiga (tested on my A1200 and A4000).

[Jope]

In my experience just matching the same IC is not always enough. I've had my share of disappointments when buying these $3 adapter boards from china.

[Glen M]

Msata to IDE is something I have NEVER got working on either of my A1200s or my CD32. In every case each drive works flawlessly on the WINUAE and just to clarify that's connected up with the same Msata to ide converters via one of those usb to ide converters. On the real machine though it just sits with a blank screen for ages then finally drops to the kickstart screen (or splash screen in the case of the CD32).

Real IDE drives, CF cards or even SD to IDE converters just work.

One thing I was advised of when trying to get this working is that you need a converter that it compatible with 5v. Honestly I don't see why or how this has anything to do with it as all those converts have onboard regulators for power anyway but in each case testing with 4 different converters and 2 different 16gb msata cards it doesn't work.

One 1200 has kickstart roms 3.1 the other is 3.0 and the CD32 is just the CD32 rom (IDE by TF330)

[indigolemon]

My understanding is that many of these converters don't bother to implement PIO modes, instead only implementing the DMA modes instead. This will mean they will work fine on most systems, but fail to function in an Amiga which relies on PIO.

It seems it's pot luck whether the adaptor you use has bothered to implement PIO or not

[avinitlarge]

Originally Posted by reflex

how can it fit inside the Amiga 1200? I tried but i was not able to close the case.

This is it

[DJBase]

Originally Posted by Jope

In my experience just matching the same IC is not always enough. I've had my share of disappointments when buying these $3 adapter boards from china.

I use these $3 china adapter... from my experience... its also very important to have a good PSU... or the adapter won't boot properly...

[jbenam]

Originally Posted by Glen M

One thing I was advised of when trying to get this working is that you need a converter that it compatible with 5v.

Yep, the one I have linked to has a switch with 3.3V and 5V on it. It only works when set to 5V.

Originally Posted by indigolemon

My understanding is that many of these converters don't bother to implement PIO modes, instead only implementing the DMA modes instead. This will mean they will work fine on most systems, but fail to function in an Amiga which relies on PIO.

It seems it's pot luck whether the adaptor you use has bothered to implement PIO or not

That might be a good explanation, yeah. It should be easy to distinguish by just looking at the ICs, though?

[Kin Hell]

I had a couple of cards & gave up....

Both worked of a "fashion", but the data transfer speeds were utter crap.

The "fashion" bit for me is complex to say the least....

1D4 Mobo, AmigaPassion Re-Cap, DKB 1240 which is now Mongoose Spec....

PCMCIA issues most boots from Cold, resets are bizarrely random, but I've found out a looong three finger salute usually lets her boot.... Ya got see the Power LED dim to know she's gone down. You will see a change in screen colour for this. (lock-up Black to Grey/Gray) - Otherwise, your miggy might be locked up with PCMCIA bug.

I've had AmigaKit's Fast ATA & four way thing here that wouldn't boot in Mode4 with Fast jumper enabled. It was slower Data transfer speed by minus 50% of 2Mb/sec.

An Elbox FastATA MKV that wouldn't even show itself. - I had to repair one leg on my 3.1.4 Roms for the amount of bloody swapping to try & get it to work. - I've never snapped an Eprom leg off in my life until that crap method of connecting. - Come on Elbox, really?
Even tried a Polish PCMCI thing from eBay that would not let her boot at all. - Power Light flashing from Cold boot into Looping Guru Meditations....

So the thesis for my set up is all about the SCSI side of the DKB 1240 in it's Eprom code. I would love to be able to try a Ferret SCSI card on my set up, just to see if it would quell this damned PCMCIA issue I see. I have to run the CardPatch & CardReset things or she falls over whilst trying to Network.

I ended up using one of these Dual CF Adapters to 44 Pin from Amazon & chucking two 8GB Sandisk Industrial CF cards into it. Just over 2Mb/Sec & more than adequate.

Chinese CF Industrial cards are really poor & at varied speeds depending on the manufacturer, but for a couple of bucks & a three week wait, you could chucky twenty times the cost in less than 5 minutes into the one armed bandit down your local boozer....

The joy's of Amiga Computing eh!