100gb Hd + 2.5'' Enclosure Problems

[glac]

Hello to all,

Let me first tell my specs:

- 2.1.1 fw
- selfmade usb-host (powered) and tv-out cable
- powered usb hub (4 ports)
- Samsung 100Gb notebook HD
- Akasa 2.5' hd enclosure

When I use my 128Mb pendrives, they are well recognized and I can see my photos in tem and so on. Then, I bought one 100Gb HD with a 2.5' enclosure (powered). It works well both on Linux and Windows. When I plug it on gp2x, it is recognized but strange things happen:

- When I formatted it on partition magic, a lot of garbage directories and files appeared (don't know why). But when I type "df -h" on sterm, the device is there and its capacity is right (93,1G), but it says that 28,9 Mb are used (the drive is with one jpg image of less than 1 Mb, that I don´t see at all there). I can copy files to it by terminal, but when I try to see in images, it gets stuck trying to read the right files. The garbage files are read only and with too large values recognized by the system.

- When I format it by Linux using fdisk and mkfs.vfat, the device and capacity are reconized, but when I try to use the file explorer of th gp2x, it just stucks blinking the reading light of the enclosure.

- When I tryed to format it on windows using a 10 Gb partition, same thing that happened with partition magic happens again.

I've always created primary partitions in those tests. Could anyone suggest what am I doing wrong? Could a logical partition solve the problem? (nope, it doesn't even sees the logical partition)
Could it be the hd case? It seems that the partitions are being read wrongly.

Thanks in advance,

glac.

 

[Jaylink]

^^ Hi

I have costum made usb cable also. and i also use a 200 gb 3.5" usb hdd
with extra usb ports and internal cardreader ^^ (real handy for my old CF cards)

Then i first made sure that my hdd was master sellected and then i fomated it with windows to ntfs, after that was done i used a tool named fat32format (in cmd) and that tool made the filesystem on the hdd fat32 in a few seconds ^^, 1 big partition in fat32 works good and i havent got any probs with it (i use it for 8 months now)

After that i putted lots of Anime, Roms, Unpacked Emu's, Ebooks, Homebrew Games and much more on the hdd.
When that was done i closed my windows and swapped the hdd to my usb enclosure.
hooked it on to my Gp2x and it's working awesome ^^.
I love it for Holydays, Hotel, Campings, boring family trips.

Hope this is useful for you

Greeetzz Jaylink

 

[nubie]

- When I format it by Linux using fdisk and mkfs.vfat, the device and capacity are reconized, but when I try to use the file explorer of th gp2x, it just stucks blinking the reading light of the enclosure.

- When I tryed to format it on windows using a 10 Gb partition, same thing that happened with partition magic happens again.

I've always created primary partitions in those tests. Could anyone suggest what am I doing wrong? Could a logical partition solve the problem? (nope, it doesn't even sees the logical partition)
Could it be the hd case? It seems that the partitions are being read wrongly.

If it functions then you don't have a hardware case problem. Did you properly terminate the USB? Just because a USB stick works doesn't mean anything else will.

Fat32 is what the GP2X will recognize. What brand is your hard drive? I would use the tool that the manufacturer provides on the website: WD is Datalifeguard, Maxtor is MAXblast 4, etc. Then make one big fat32 partition with that tool.

Alternatively, use Windows disk management to make fat32 partitions smaller than 32GB. Control Panel, Administrative tools (use "switch to classic view" on left), Computer Management, then select Disk Management tab, right click on unpartitioned space to make your partitions.

 

[glac]

If it functions then you don't have a hardware case problem. Did you properly terminate the USB? Just because a USB stick works doesn't mean anything else will.

Fat32 is what the GP2X will recognize. What brand is your hard drive? I would use the tool that the manufacturer provides on the website: WD is Datalifeguard, Maxtor is MAXblast 4, etc. Then make one big fat32 partition with that tool.

Alternatively, use Windows disk management to make fat32 partitions smaller than 32GB. Control Panel, Administrative tools (use "switch to classic view" on left), Computer Management, then select Disk Management tab, right click on unpartitioned space to make your partitions.

First of all, thanks for the replies.

I think that it is well terminated as I do have one hub with one keyboard (how do I change the layout of it?) and two pendrives (LG models) working as a breeze. In that case, even the HD in the hub is identified too.

The HD is recognized as I said before, the only problem is that the gp2x doesn't identify the partitions correctly. Doesn't matter if I make one 10 Gb partition, when I type "df -h", it always sees a 93,1 Gb partition with 28,9 Mb of junk folders and files. I'll try to see if Samsung has some sort of tool to partition its own disks and see what happens.

I told about the case thinking about the drivers it uses to communicate with the system. But it may not be the problem really (just wondering).

Anyway, maybe downgrading to 2.0.0 would be a good test to do, maybe it's related with the firmware. Could it be?

Thanks again,

glac

News: I downgraded and it's not a fw issue. Tried the fat32format and same results. Samsung does not have a tool to format its Hds. Reviewing the schematics, there's only one doubt: If I swap the USBH+ with the USBH- in the cable, is there any chances of a pen drive, a USB keyboard and USB hub to function right (and only the Hd do not)? If the answer is maybe, then I'll have to solder then again to test if it is the problem.

Please, help me!

 

[glac]

Well, my problem is solved. I sold the HD and the case and bought a WD hd and another case. Now they work great. At least, it was not my cable.

Thanks,

glac