eSATA cardbus adapter not working properly after X61 BIOS 2.14 update [ Edited ]

[Xseriesfanboy]

Hi guys,

Has anyone experienced any issues with their cardbus devices after the recent 2.14 BIOS upgrade? My eSATA cardbus adapter seem to have stopped working properly, file transfer from x61 to esata hard drive is ok...but file transfer from esata hard drive to x61 will immediatelly cause windows xp to freeze...pressing any keys would not help, the only way to recover is to force manual shutdown and boot up again.

I have tried everything possible...:

• Update to latest driver of my sil3514 esata cardbus adapter
• Downgrade to older driver versions of the esata adapter
• Replaced the esata adapter sil3112 chipset
• When external hard drive connects via USB...no issues!
• Replaced sata cable
• Used another esata hard drive with the same issue....
• Upgrade to BIOS 2.16

Isolated the problem to possible twos:

• Recent BIOS upgrade - Bugs?
• IRQ conflict after BIOS upgrade?
  • esata controller sharing IRQ16 with various devices
    
    • Intel 82801HEM/HBM SATA AHCI controller
    • Intel ICH8 USB controller
    • Intel 965 chipset
    • Ricoh Cardbus controller

Geez...seems like there's nothing else I can do..isn't it? Is it possible that I can downgrade to BIOS version 2.13?

Message Edited by Xseriesfanboy on 09-13-2008 08:01 AM

Message Edited by Xseriesfanboy on 09-13-2008 08:02 AM

Message Edited by Xseriesfanboy on 09-13-2008 08:04 AM

Message Edited by Xseriesfanboy on 09-13-2008 09:59 AM

[Xseriesfanboy]

Hi guys,

Realized that I could actually downgrade to BIOS 2.13. I no longer have issues where windows xp would stall during file transfer...but file transfer through my esata is ridiculously slow as compared to using USB connection. It would take me slightly over 90s to transfer 2.8gb worth of data...while eSATA took more than 4mins.

Here's the changelog for the record:

<2.13>
 BIOS: 2.13 / ECP: 1.03
- (Fix) System hangs while formatting CardBus ATA HDD drive under
        Windows Vista 64-bit SP1.

<2.14>
 BIOS: 2.14 / ECP: 1.03
- (New) Security function was enhanced.
- (New) Firmware update of Intel AMT ME.
- (Fix) Data transmission speed of CardBus and 1394 device gets slow.

<2.16>
 BIOS: 2.16 / ECP: 1.03
- (New) Support for Intel ICH-8 step B2.

I believe that 2.14 resolve the performance issue of the cardbus interface but introduced compatability or stabiliy problems? Is there anyone else experiencing this problem? Would someone from lenovo please response and follow-up with issues? Would really appreciate if someone could replicate this issue on a X61 laptop and post their machine model number . My machine number is 7674FY8.

I would certainly advice all x61 users with cardbus devices to refain from upgrading beyond 2.13. Until this matter is clarified or resolved by Lenovo. Thanks!

Message Edited by Xseriesfanboy on 09-13-2008 10:02 AM

Message Edited by Xseriesfanboy on 09-13-2008 10:04 AM

Message Edited by Xseriesfanboy on 09-13-2008 10:05 AM

Message Edited by Xseriesfanboy on 09-13-2008 10:09 AM

[2xodDOTcom]

I can verify this behavior.

I have an X61 with BIOS v 2.14 and I experience similar lock-ups.

I am using 3 different Cardbus eSATA cards based on the following chips:

Silicon Image SiI3112

Silicon Image SiI3512

Initio  INIC 1620

These 3 cards represent EVERY eSATA CARD ON THE MARKET TODAY. So that means the X61 has a problem using every PCMCIA / Cardbus eSATA card.

Sometimes I am able to run basic benchmarks such as HDTune, but another Lenovo Forum member suggested more "intense" tests be run such as h2benchw.

Every time I run h2benchw the laptop freezes completely. With my T61 if I removed the cards the laptop would unfreeze, but this is not the case with the X61.

I will do further testing to verify this is not fixed in later BIOS revisions.

[Corabelster]

Hi! I got the same problems using Silicon Image chip-based Cardbus adapter.

I've bought another one, with SATA in (not an eSATA) based on VIA VT6421 chipset.

It works perfectly when connected using SATA connector directly to HDD. When I try to connect it via eSATA-SATA cable - it gives me lots of errors with a veeery slow connection.

That's sooooo strange. I can't understand why it happens

[billbolton Community Moderator]

---

Corabelster wrote:

It works perfectly when connected using SATA connector directly to HDD. When I try to connect it via eSATA-SATA cable - it gives me lots of errors with a veeery slow connection.

---

The quality of eSATA cables supplied with external enclosures is usually fairly poor in my experience, so it might just be a cable issue. 

You might want to try buying a eSATA-SATA cable from one of the known quality cable makers. 

Cheers,

Bill

[Corabelster]

Bill, thank you for the suggestion! Can you give me a link to some good cable that works thanx

[HarleyWA]

I'm having a similar problem with my T61p.  The HDD only works as a USB device.  If I connect the eSATA Cable and then add USB power, it locks up the computer.  If I remove it, the computer comes back.  Everything worked perfectly with my old R52 laptop.  I wanted to use the eSATA link because I use this drive as a VMWare image device.

Here are my current settings. :

LENOVO Model 6457A24 T61p
Microsoft Windows XP Professional Version 5.1.2600 Service Pack 3 Build 2600
Processor x86 Family 6 Model 15 Stepping 11 GenuineIntel ~2394 Mhz
BIOS Version/Date LENOVO 7LETC4WW (2.24 ), 8/15/2008
SMBIOS Version 2.4

Silicon Image SiI 3512 SATALink Controller using IRQ16 connected to a WD1200BEVS-22LAT HDD

[HanzGermany]

Same problems here:

On a X61t running XP SP3 I could definitely reproduce Bluescreens while transferring data on an Sil3512 Chipset based Cardbus Adapter.

My first Bluescreen ever in 1 year continous work with this Laptop

I´m running Bios 1.22.

Never though of an Bios issue because Version 1.22 has this fix:

(Fix) The computer with RICOH CardBus Controller has slow data transfer performance.

Then I tried a Card based on a VIA VT6421 chipset. This one worked flawlessly.

Just had a look and saw that there is version 1.23 for X61t with this fix:

(Fix) Fixed an issue where the AMT menu of BIOS Setup Utility might not be displayed.

 http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-68005

So no luck for the pcmcia issue ...

Did not up- or downgrade so far.

First I thought of a heat problem or driver problem. This is not the case.

It's also not cable related.

Somebody fixed PCMCIA to death.

This problem is serious as it renders pcmcia useless and it should be fixed right away.

To say it clearly:

PCMCIA is NOT working (anymore) with E-Sata Cards.

Do you hear me ?

Thanks

Hanz

Message Edited by HanzGermany on 05-03-2009 03:56 AM

[loyukfai]

Was this ever resolved...? Some of us seem to be experiencing a similar or identical problem...

http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=99463

[loyukfai]

Is it possible to downgrade my BIOS to an earlier version...? Will it solve the problem...?