external drive - no SATA

fiddler · 13th Jan 2008, 10:56 PM

Hi guys

GA-P35C-DS3R mobo. I just connected a Freecom 500GB HD Pro USB2/SATA. USB works fine. It comes with esata-esata cable too, so I bought a Akasa internal SATA to esata backplate connection
BT Shop - Akasa INTERNAL SATA TO EXTERNAL ESATA PCI BACKPLATE ADAP (ESATA-45-EX)
However the external HD is not seen

I tried different spare sata connection points on the mobo - no good. (SATA internal HD works fine).
Can sata cables be a bit flaky? Seems to me either the drive is bad, or the supplied cable, or the backplate adapter.
I guess the next step is to get an esata to sata cable and connect direct from the external drive to the mobo in the hope of isolating the problem - if there's still no connection then it could be the Freecom HD, if I get connection then it's either the supplied Freecom cable or the Akasa backplate.
Any better ideas/comments please?

Miles

Chai · 14th Jan 2008, 12:11 AM

Your Freecom should come with eSATA to SATA cable, right? Or maybe you should try USB2 first?

fiddler · 14th Jan 2008, 01:53 AM

Hi Chai. Thanks for the reply. It comes with both cables coz it's dual USB/Sata. USB 2 works fine. I set that up first. Then tried esata, but found the cable (esata-esata) didn't fit the 2 esata ports on the backplate that came with the GA-P35C-DS3R. Which is why I bought the Akasa backplate which it fits fine. But when I power down, remove USB cable connect Sata cable and boot up again there's no connection at all.
What puzzles me, and I only just discovered this - and you almost need a magnifying glass - is that the sockets on the Gigabyte backplate have 2 little flat-head pins in the slot on the opposite side to the slot that has the contacts - it's these pins that prevent the cable from connecting, whereas on the Akasa backplate and on the back of the Freecom HD theses pins are absent, hence the cable inserts OK.
(Photo attached of the GA backplate with some fine artwork to pinpointing the pins

)

Miles

fiddler · 14th Jan 2008, 04:16 PM

...and here's a shot of the pinless Akasa internal SATA to ESATA backplate.
Miles

zy · 15th Jan 2008, 01:46 AM

use a different cable ?

fiddler · 16th Jan 2008, 02:35 AM

Good idea - but which cable? Is it the supplied esata-esata that's faulty or the internal sata-esata backplate?
Maybe I just have to fork out £10 for an esata type "I" - sata type "L" cable direct to the mobo to try to identify the cause.
But then it might be a bad socket on the Freecom like this
Push the eSATA cable into the FreeAgent Pro drive harder - CNET Storage Forums
difefrent hardware I know, but it makes me wary....

Miles

Adrian Wong · 16th Jan 2008, 04:57 AM

That's weird. I checked an eSATA port here and it doesn't have those two pins...

But it does look like a regular eSATA port. Some external HDD cases come with "fake" eSATA ports that are really regular SATA ports using the standard SATA cables.

Maybe you should try pushing it in harder. The two "pins" could be there to just hold the cable harder...

Chai · 16th Jan 2008, 08:13 AM

I have an external eSATA drive with me. I will try it tonight.

fiddler · 17th Jan 2008, 09:38 AM

Yeh, sometimes you just have to just push harder than seems appropriate to achieve full penetration, which I'd been reluctant to do to start with. Thanks guys. More rep points for Adrian if I can - you need a few don't you

Still no sata transfer though, so unlikely to be the internal sata-esata as I've tried both - the GA supplied one and the Akasa one I bought. So either a dodgy esata-esata cable that came with the kit, or it's the drive itself. Hmm... will have to send it back to dabs.com I think.

fiddler

13th Jan 2008, 10:56 PM	#1 (permalink)
fiddler Warming up Join Date: 27 Jan 2006 Location: Herts, UK Posts: 113 Reputation: 641 Rep Power: 10	external drive - no SATA Hi guys GA-P35C-DS3R mobo. I just connected a Freecom 500GB HD Pro USB2/SATA. USB works fine. It comes with esata-esata cable too, so I bought a Akasa internal SATA to esata backplate connection BT Shop - Akasa INTERNAL SATA TO EXTERNAL ESATA PCI BACKPLATE ADAP (ESATA-45-EX) However the external HD is not seen I tried different spare sata connection points on the mobo - no good. (SATA internal HD works fine). Can sata cables be a bit flaky? Seems to me either the drive is bad, or the supplied cable, or the backplate adapter. I guess the next step is to get an esata to sata cable and connect direct from the external drive to the mobo in the hope of isolating the problem - if there's still no connection then it could be the Freecom HD, if I get connection then it's either the supplied Freecom cable or the Akasa backplate. Any better ideas/comments please? Miles

14th Jan 2008, 12:11 AM	#2 (permalink)
Chai Administrator Join Date: 6 Oct 2002 Location: Maranello Posts: 27,884 Reputation: 4630 Rep Power: 81	Your Freecom should come with eSATA to SATA cable, right? Or maybe you should try USB2 first? __________________ Chai (Contributor & Forum Admin) http://www.techarp.com/

15th Jan 2008, 01:46 AM	#5 (permalink)
zy Dead Join Date: 16 Dec 2002 Location: Buffalo NY / Penang MY Posts: 13,336 Reputation: 2158 Rep Power: 41	use a different cable ? __________________

16th Jan 2008, 04:57 AM	#7 (permalink)
Adrian Wong Da Boss Join Date: 10 Oct 2002 Location: In front of my ASUS F8V notebook! Posts: 32,299 Reputation: 3574 Rep Power: 75	That's weird. I checked an eSATA port here and it doesn't have those two pins... But it does look like a regular eSATA port. Some external HDD cases come with "fake" eSATA ports that are really regular SATA ports using the standard SATA cables. Maybe you should try pushing it in harder. The two "pins" could be there to just hold the cable harder... __________________ Dr. Adrian Wong Tech ARP \| Blog @ Tech ARP \| The Free Trade Zone DYKT : The only offshore account I have is at the sand bank? We need PROGRAMMERS and TECHNICAL WRITERS! Contact us if you are a hot shot programmer or technical writer! My items for sale : 50x SD Card \| Memory Stick PRO \| Cyclone Energy Saver \| Seiko SS watch \| Tiger/Carlsberg beer jugs \| Travel Speakers \| Motorola V600 \| Nokia N90 SOLD! \| New Lowepro Mini Trekker AW Other items for sale @ the FTZ : Zalman CNPS9500 LED @ $20 \| Zalman CNPS7700 Cu @ $20 \| Zalman CNPS7000 Cu @ $20 \| Swarovski bracelet watches \| Dell 17" LCD \| Hi-Fi speakers \| English DIVX movies \| HP LaserJet toners! \| Office chairs

16th Jan 2008, 08:13 AM	#8 (permalink)
Chai Administrator Join Date: 6 Oct 2002 Location: Maranello Posts: 27,884 Reputation: 4630 Rep Power: 81	I have an external eSATA drive with me. I will try it tonight. __________________ Chai (Contributor & Forum Admin) http://www.techarp.com/

16th Jan 2008, 02:35 AM	#6 (permalink)
fiddler Warming up Join Date: 27 Jan 2006 Location: Herts, UK Posts: 113 Reputation: 641 Rep Power: 10	Good idea - but which cable? Is it the supplied esata-esata that's faulty or the internal sata-esata backplate? Maybe I just have to fork out £10 for an esata type "I" - sata type "L" cable direct to the mobo to try to identify the cause. But then it might be a bad socket on the Freecom like this Push the eSATA cable into the FreeAgent Pro drive harder - CNET Storage Forums difefrent hardware I know, but it makes me wary.... Miles

17th Jan 2008, 09:38 AM	#9 (permalink)
fiddler Warming up Join Date: 27 Jan 2006 Location: Herts, UK Posts: 113 Reputation: 641 Rep Power: 10	Yeh, sometimes you just have to just push harder than seems appropriate to achieve full penetration, which I'd been reluctant to do to start with. Thanks guys. More rep points for Adrian if I can - you need a few don't you Still no sata transfer though, so unlikely to be the internal sata-esata as I've tried both - the GA supplied one and the Akasa one I bought. So either a dodgy esata-esata cable that came with the kit, or it's the drive itself. Hmm... will have to send it back to dabs.com I think. fiddler