In a quest for better performance I changed a couple things in the bios and I think it worked. I am running debian "lenny" with e16 window manager on a DT366. The chip is a 1gb that was recently purchased.
Bios changes:
Changed PIO mode from auto to PIO2
Changed cache mode from write back to write through.
sudo hdparm -I /dev/hda1 resulted in:
/dev/hda1:
ATA device, with non-removable media
Model Number: 1024MB ATA Flash Disk
Serial Number: A121187307F000057949
Firmware Revision: ADAA408J
Standards:
Used: ATA/ATAPI-6 T13 1410D revision 3a
Supported: 6 5 4
Configuration:
Logical max current
cylinders 1986 1986
heads 16 16
sectors/track 63 63
--
CHS current addressable sectors: 2001888
LBA user addressable sectors: 2001888
device size with M = 1024*1024: 977 MBytes
device size with M = 1000*1000: 1024 MBytes (1 GB)
Capabilities:
LBA, IORDY(cannot be disabled)
Standby timer values: spec'd by Vendor
R/W multiple sector transfer: Max = 1 Current = 0
Advanced power management level: 254
DMA: mdma0 mdma1 *mdma2
Cycle time: min=120ns recommended=120ns
PIO: pio0 pio1 pio2 pio3 pio4
Cycle time: no flow control=120ns IORDY flow control=120ns
Commands/features:
Enabled Supported:
Security Mode feature set
* Power Management feature set
* Write cache
Look-ahead
* WRITE_BUFFER command
* READ_BUFFER command
* NOP cmd
* DOWNLOAD_MICROCODE
* CFA feature set
* Advanced Power Management feature set
* SET_MAX security extension
Security:
supported
not enabled
not locked
not frozen
not expired: security count
not supported: enhanced erase
4min for SECURITY ERASE UNIT.
Integrity word not set (found 0x0000, expected 0xfea5)
hdparm -Tt /dev/hda1 resulted in
Timing cached reads: 190MB in 2.0 seconds = 94.93 MB/sec
Timing buffered disk reads: 30MB in 3.18 seconds = 9.43 MB/sec
My question is will these toggles work this well on the older 500 mb cards as well?
hard drive speed - bios trick?
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hard drive speed - bios trick?
Last edited by quotaholic on Sat Jun 06, 2009 11:50 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: hard drive speed - bios trick?
Running Debian 5-LXDE on 500MB internal Disk:
Before BIOS Changes:
After Changing PIO and cache as described above:
Before BIOS Changes:
Code: Select all
webdt@WebDT366:~$ sudo hdparm -I /dev/hda1
/dev/hda1:
ATA device, with non-removable media
Model Number: PQI IDE DiskOnModule
Serial Number: DOM8C00002496
Firmware Revision: ra03.00f
Standards:
Likely used: 1
Configuration:
hard sectored
not MFM encoded
head switch time > 15us
fixed drive
disk xfer rate > 5Mbs
Logical max current
cylinders 1015 1015
heads 16 16
sectors/track 63 63
--
bytes/track: 0 bytes/sector: 528
CHS current addressable sectors: 1023120
LBA user addressable sectors: 1024000
device size with M = 1024*1024: 500 MBytes
device size with M = 1000*1000: 524 MBytes
Capabilities:
LBA, IORDY not likely
Buffer type: 0002: dual port, multi-sector
Buffer size: 1.0kB bytes avail on r/w long: 4
Cannot perform double-word IO
R/W multiple sector transfer: Max = 1 Current = 0
DMA: not supported
PIO: pio0 pio1 pio2
Code: Select all
webdt@WebDT366:~$ sudo hdparm -Tt /dev/hda
/dev/hda:
Timing cached reads: 56 MB in 2.01 seconds = 27.81 MB/sec
Timing buffered disk reads: 4 MB in 3.11 seconds = 1.29 MB/sec
Code: Select all
webdt@WebDT366:~$ sudo hdparm -I /dev/hda1
/dev/hda1:
ATA device, with non-removable media
Model Number: PQI IDE DiskOnModule
Serial Number: DOM8C00002496
Firmware Revision: ra03.00f
Standards:
Likely used: 1
Configuration:
hard sectored
not MFM encoded
head switch time > 15us
fixed drive
disk xfer rate > 5Mbs
Logical max current
cylinders 1015 1015
heads 16 16
sectors/track 63 63
--
bytes/track: 0 bytes/sector: 528
CHS current addressable sectors: 1023120
LBA user addressable sectors: 1024000
device size with M = 1024*1024: 500 MBytes
device size with M = 1000*1000: 524 MBytes
Capabilities:
LBA, IORDY not likely
Buffer type: 0002: dual port, multi-sector
Buffer size: 1.0kB bytes avail on r/w long: 4
Cannot perform double-word IO
R/W multiple sector transfer: Max = 1 Current = 0
DMA: not supported
PIO: pio0 pio1 pio2
Code: Select all
webdt@WebDT366:~$ sudo hdparm -Tt /dev/hda
/dev/hda:
Timing cached reads: 6 MB in 2.03 seconds = 2.96 MB/sec
Timing buffered disk reads: 4 MB in 3.32 seconds = 1.20 MB/sec
Nothing is ever easy, but if it is difficult you must be doing it wrong.
My Wife's invention Doll Carrier
My Wife's invention Doll Carrier
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Re: hard drive speed - bios trick?
Thanks for posting those results. Looks like there are significant performance differences on newer flash chips.
Either that or something really got knocked loose in my recent DT accident. I discovered that by pulling the pcmcia out I can once again boot, however buttons do not register anything. Even with evrouter.
Too early to tell yet as I am still building. Later tonight I will test some other things like web browser and once again, video.
Thanks again
quotaholic
Either that or something really got knocked loose in my recent DT accident. I discovered that by pulling the pcmcia out I can once again boot, however buttons do not register anything. Even with evrouter.
Too early to tell yet as I am still building. Later tonight I will test some other things like web browser and once again, video.
Thanks again
quotaholic
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Re: hard drive speed - bios trick?
Which then raises the questions, of what 1GB flash chip did you get, where from and for how much?
Dave.
Dave.
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Re: hard drive speed - bios trick?
As I had a special agreement worked out on this one pricing is something I cant really talk about. However fellow member tkmedia could probably answer those questions much better than I.
I hope to test some apps out tomorrow to scrutinize any noticeable differences.
quotaholic
I hope to test some apps out tomorrow to scrutinize any noticeable differences.
quotaholic
Re: hard drive speed - bios trick?
I got my 1GB from some reseller, but I did buy a license with it. You could try getting it without a license. The chips are expensive though ($40 for 1GB, even higher for other sizes).. sucks, but I guess thats what you get for something customly done for the product. If you want that contact info, you can PM me, as I don't feel its right to just post the email link here.
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Re: hard drive speed - bios trick?
Since starting this project I have gone through a few DT's. Gave a couple away and have gone through two 1gb chips. The first 1gig chip looked much different than the one tkmedia helped me with. Sadly I did not performance test the first one.
Is a pic of the one I am currently running.
Questions. Have you performance tested yours? And, did that price include a license? Was it preloaded?
Is a pic of the one I am currently running.
Questions. Have you performance tested yours? And, did that price include a license? Was it preloaded?
Re: hard drive speed - bios trick?
I have not performance tested it - I haven't really had time to play with it like I want to. I paid $150 shipped I believe for an XPe License + 1GB Flash Chip preloaded. There are two different flash chips out there to my knowledge, one is green, one is blue. The blue is the RoHS compliant one. I think if you buy a 4GB or higher you can get the RoHS one.quotaholic wrote: Since starting this project I have gone through a few DT's. Gave a couple away and have gone through two 1gb chips. The first 1gig chip looked much different than the one tkmedia helped me with. Sadly I did not performance test the first one.
Is a pic of the one I am currently running.
Questions. Have you performance tested yours? And, did that price include a license? Was it preloaded?