Disk Speed Upgrades (aka The Bootable PCI SATA & SSD thread)

[ssp3]

How about posting a compiled executable for mere mortals?

[Borgmac]

I FINALLY got it figured out, well, sort of... I couldn't figure out what in my implementation was causing the issue, so I decided to make a new implementation, based off a different C implementation along with a (broken) Forth implementation I came across. With this decompression routine implemented, the USB probing issue stopped happening on my MDD! So now, finally, we have a fully working ROM that fits onto a 128K EEPROM! I have attached this new ROM below, along with my patched copy of the OS 9 SeriTek flasher tool with said ROM embedded, as well as the Forth source of the new decompression implementation.

Hi dosdude, I received the AM29F010, succeeded to solder it on the SIL3112 card and it is working perfectly in G5 and B&W G3 under OSX. Thanks again for this wonderful job.
I can see the card in OS9 (see attached picture) but I cannot boot in OS9 from the card.
I use the file attached to this post, is it the correct one, working in OSX and OS9?

[dosdude1]

I FINALLY got it figured out, well, sort of... I couldn't figure out what in my implementation was causing the issue, so I decided to make a new implementation, based off a different C implementation along with a (broken) Forth implementation I came across. With this decompression routine implemented, the USB probing issue stopped happening on my MDD! So now, finally, we have a fully working ROM that fits onto a 128K EEPROM! I have attached this new ROM below, along with my patched copy of the OS 9 SeriTek flasher tool with said ROM embedded, as well as the Forth source of the new decompression implementation.

Hi dosdude, I received the AM29F010, succeeded to solder it on the SIL3112 card and it is working perfectly in G5 and B&W G3 under OSX. Thanks again for this wonderful job.
I can see the card in OS9 (see attached picture) but I cannot boot in OS9 from the card.
I use the file attached to this post, is it the correct one, working in OSX and OS9?

Yes, that ROM should work in both OS X and OS 9. Just check your drive, and ensure it is formatted correctly with a good copy of OS 9 installed that you know boots on that machine.

[smilesdavis]

Hey so my sonnets are not worth 800 usd anymore? 🤣🤣

[dosdude1]

Hey so my sonnets are not worth 800 usd anymore? 🤣🤣

I would sure hope not...

[vectrex]

Hi everyone,

Attempting to use dosdude1’s modified seritek flasher in os9 to flash one of the black Sil3112 cards in a MDD.

The seritek program detects the card and agrees that the card must be updated, but as soon as I click the update button, my whole system freezes. The flash program says ‘erasing’ and then I am unable to force quit and I have to physically power the system off.

I waited a long time before hard resetting the computer in case there was something with the flashing that required a long amount of time, but at this point I am convinced the program is freezing and not doing anything.

Any suggestions?

Thanks!

[dosdude1]

Hi everyone,

Attempting to use dosdude1’s modified seritek flasher in os9 to flash one of the black Sil3112 cards in a MDD.

The seritek program detects the card and agrees that the card must be updated, but as soon as I click the update button, my whole system freezes. The flash program says ‘erasing’ and then I am unable to force quit and I have to physically power the system off.

I waited a long time before hard resetting the computer in case there was something with the flashing that required a long amount of time, but at this point I am convinced the program is freezing and not doing anything.

Any suggestions?

Thanks!

That means that the SeriTek tool doesn't like the EEPROM that's installed. Does your card have an AM28F010 EEPROM? If so, unfortunately, you cannot flash that EEPROM on the board, as it requires 12V for erasing and programming, which only can be done externally using an EEPROM programmer. Alternatively, you can replace the EEPROM on the card with a 29 or 39 series EEPROM, such as an AM29F010. These are programmable with only 5V, so these can be programmed on the board, and will work with the patched SeriTek utility. I really don't understand why these really cheap Chinese Sil3112 cards are now shipping with AM28F010 EEPROMs, but it's extremely annoying.

[ssp3]

I really don't understand why these really cheap Chinese Sil3112 cards are now shipping with AM28F010 EEPROMs, but it's extremely annoying.

This is common practice in Chinese manufacturing - substituting parts for whatever is in the parts bin at the moment, counterfeit parts including.

It has burnt many western companies that have either moved their manufacturing over there or are ordering their sh*t and re-branding it. Most have someone over there to do QC. But, as soon as you turn your back...
To paraphrase Forrest Gump - "Chinese [insert anything here] is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're going to get.”
* It's not CHN bashing, I'm speaking from my own and people I know experience.

[Borgmac]

Yes, that ROM should work in both OS X and OS 9. Just check your drive, and ensure it is formatted correctly with a good copy of OS 9 installed that you know boots on that machine.

It is working very well. I probably had yesterday some issue with the booting of the B&W G3.
Try again today with 2 different partitions of an Inland SSD and it does boot without any issue.

[vectrex]

Confirmed, both cards are using an AM28F010 EEPROM. Thanks for clarifying.

These were the ones I had purchased (EEPROM is not covered over like the picture illustrates) so I guess buyer beware for anyone else looking to purchase:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/194886253367

That means that the SeriTek tool doesn't like the EEPROM that's installed. Does your card have an AM28F010 EEPROM? If so, unfortunately, you cannot flash that EEPROM on the board, as it requires 12V for erasing and programming, which only can be done externally using an EEPROM programmer. Alternatively, you can replace the EEPROM on the card with a 29 or 39 series EEPROM, such as an AM29F010. These are programmable with only 5V, so these can be programmed on the board, and will work with the patched SeriTek utility. I really don't understand why these really cheap Chinese Sil3112 cards are now shipping with AM28F010 EEPROMs, but it's extremely annoying.

[V.Yakob]

Question(!)
I know that such cards do not work in QuickSilver, and it seems that there is an option to fix it by replacing the voltage regulator (U2). Who knows for sure in which other models such a problem manifests itself?

And so, it's been some time since I started studying the operation of the SATA controller SIL3112 on Quicksilver. And today, finally, I have an answer.
A few months ago, we discussed it with FBz by email, and he sent me an interesting post on macrumors.
I made an additional modification of the board since the last post -- replaced the voltage regulator with "FS8860 33C"
After that, QS starts without problems with SIL3112 installed and boots Mac OS 9. 

As a result, I checked this twice modified board in 3 computers: Power Macintosh G3, PowerMac G4 Quicksilver, PowerMac G4 MDD.

[redstudio]

same situation.. weeks ago I bought 3 boards excited to be able to update them via software. Arrived yesterday they mount the AM28F010. I have the eprom programmer, can I disassemble these eproms, update the software and reassemble them? or do I need different eproms? is the firmware compatible with AM28F010 eprom ? let me know, thanks

[Borgmac]

same situation.. weeks ago I bought 3 boards excited to be able to update them via software. Arrived yesterday they mount the AM28F010. I have the eprom programmer, can I disassemble these eproms, update the software and reassemble them? or do I need different eproms? is the firmware compatible with AM28F010 eprom ? let me know, thanks

As I do not have a programmer, I replaced the AM28F010 by AM29F010 and flash it on the computer.
But if you have a programmer that can supply the 12V for flashing the AM28F010, that should be ok.

[Borgmac]

As a result, I checked this twice modified board in 3 computers: Power Macintosh G3, PowerMac G4 Quicksilver, PowerMac G4 MDD.

Thanks a lot for this very good job, I will certainly try!

[dosdude1]

same situation.. weeks ago I bought 3 boards excited to be able to update them via software. Arrived yesterday they mount the AM28F010. I have the eprom programmer, can I disassemble these eproms, update the software and reassemble them? or do I need different eproms? is the firmware compatible with AM28F010 eprom ? let me know, thanks

Yes, once flashed with the patched/compressed ROM externally via EEPROM programmer, the card will indeed work perfectly fine with the AM28F010. It's just very unfortunate and annoying that these cheap cards are now shipping with the AM28F010... Otherwise this wouldn't be an issue.

[redstudio]

nothing.. I disassembled the AM28F010.. I put in the programmer, installed Rom downloaded here.. everything seemed in order.. flashed and checked everything is fine.. I soldered it doesn't work.. I don't understand.. it's not first time flash rom..always went well..has anyone tried this method? eventually I have new AM29LV040B Chips..could they be good to be mounted directly and flash on 3112 card with software?

[dosdude1]

nothing.. I disassembled the AM28F010.. I put in the programmer, installed Rom downloaded here.. everything seemed in order.. flashed and checked everything is fine.. I soldered it doesn't work.. I don't understand.. it's not first time flash rom..always went well..has anyone tried this method? eventually I have new AM29LV040B Chips..could they be good to be mounted directly and flash on 3112 card with software?

I've personally tested my patched ROM with AM28F010, and I can guarantee that it does work. Just check your soldering; chances are that's the issue. Also make sure you read the chip content back and ensure it was actually flashed successfully.

If you do install an AM29LV040, then yes, you will then be able to flash via software.

[redstudio]

You are right. defective welding..difficult because contact is below..however successful. works. great job everyone!

[FBz]

                          Converted SATA SiL3112 Controller with AM29F010 VS. StarTech adapter with same 128 GB Inland SSD

[DieHard]

Thank you FBz !

Real numbers, this is great !

OK, so the quick math tells us that in an MDD...

Part / Whole * 100
72.66 / 82.24 * 100 = 88.35%

So, it's safe to say that the lowly PATA/SATA adapter actually runs at about 88.35% as fast as the PCI sata card in the real world; or better said... the SATA PCI will give a performance boost of about (100-88.35) 11.65%.

Now don't get me wrong a boost of 11.65% is awesome, but we should also note that SATA card eats up PCI bandwidth to achieve that extra 11.65%, so I'm just saying for some people who fill their G4s with ProTools cards, or PCI audio interface cards with DSP cards (Powercore, UAD-1) then the IDE to SATA adapter may still be the best option since it's on a separate bus... just saying