Using two usb/firewire external drive with oxford chip
déc 28th, 2007 by Prune
As you may know I just get my new Sony PMW-EX1 camcorder last week. This camcorder use solid state SxS memory cards. I got it with 2x 8Gb cards. 16Gb is around 55 mins of recording.
Then the question is : how and where to store all that data ?
The SxS card is an expresscard card, so it can fit in the MacBook Pro slot. But the internal drive is slow and limited (160Gb for me). I was in need of something faster. Moreover, I was in need of something reliable.
I finaly found a small box for a 3.5″ drive, having e-Sata, Firewie 400, Firewire 800 and USB 2.
They got it at macway for 69€. Add a 500Gb drive (hitachi 500Gb, 16Mo, 7200 speed) for 80€ and you got the perfect solution. For the storage.
For the reliable it’s something else… you need at last two of those. And that’s what I did.
The bad surprise is when you plug both at the same time… you get a firewire error as both controlers have the same ID. Issue the “dmesg” command in a terminal as root, or “sudo dmesg” and enter your password.
” FireWire Error: Device with identical unique ID: 0030e000 eeadbabe cannot be used.”
It seems this is due that the Oxford 924 chipset which drives the enclosure create a unique ID based on the hard drive pluggid in the box. As I have exactly the same drive in each box, I got the error. Maybe having one Hitachi and one Segate should have done the trick, but this is not good for Mirror RAID, especialy when it is software (Os X) based.
I don’t have time to tell the whole story, but I finaly got the tool I need : a firmware update/tuning for the Oxford 924 chip which is inside the box. The solution is to change the “vendors” settings on the Oxford chipset so it will calculate a different ID.
I got it from http://www.datoptic.com/support.html
I just download the latest firmware (which I didn’t use) at http://www.datoptic.com/Download/FW924_V1_02.zip
Then I get the software package for OsX for Mac Intel or for G5
Just untar the package. You will get 3 apps and a bunch of firmware. As my running firmware on the drive was 1.0.2 (latest ?) I had no need to change it. Only to change the “name” of the firewire ID.
Start the “uploadergui.jar” file (java based). You will get a warning this software is not for end-users. You wouldn’t have to use it if they hardware wasn’t so stupid. Say OK.
I did the change while only one drive was plugged in the USB port. What you see now if my working config plugged in firewire800.
This is what you get with only one drive plugged :
Click on the “modify configuration” button. You’ll get this window :
I did change 2 things :
- the manufacturer Name, which is “DMI” by default. I set it to “DMIA”
- the Chip ID Lo, which is “ADBABE” by default. I set it to “ADBAAE”
Just click “uplad changes”, wait a few seconds, unmount the drive (you may get an error, but it’s just a warning). If you can’t unmount, just unplug and stop the drive.
Of course, you will do this ONLY on one drive. The other must stay different 
Plug it back and you’ll see the name changed. You will also notice the change in disk utility or in the “about this mac” from the apple menu, at the firewire section.
Shame that nothing exists about this problem anywhere, nor in the Oxford website (which is a shit) nor on the reseller’s website.
You got it now. Just send me an email if the linked files are not availlable. I’ll try to keep them somewhere.
This blog was perfect for getting me over a hump with a Windows issue! I will be writting up an entry myself in the coming week to discuss how Windows which refused to see my external drive correctly can be fixed using your links to the 924 updater and using Unibrain drivers.
Basically the Windows drivers suck. They may or may not work and will very likely cause issues left and right such as Delayed Writes. Replacing these with Unibrain or OrangeWare will give you true Firewire 800 however you may have enumeration problems with some Oxford 924 devices. Using your information as background I was able to hack the 924 settings to enable Mirror Raid on my external case and set the block size to 1024 vs. 4096 which appears is critical to stop delayed write issues.
Did some basic testing right after making the changes which worked like a champ and now have a 40GB backup running as well as an active database running so we shall see in a few hours if my problems are fixed.
Really happy it helped you.
Give a feedback, or write an article I will post in my blog, or give me a link to your blog.
What exact hardware are you using ?
Thanks.
This is not Oxford Semiconductor problem. The manufacturer of the device - who purchases the 924 from Oxford Semiconductor - has an obligation to serialize each device with a unique number. I am not sure how you came to have two drives with the same FireWire ID, but normally you should not have to run Uploader to connect a second device.
Maybe this is due to the manufacturer who thought nobody would get 2 of them…
I just read the ID was computed with the ID of the drive you put inside. I had twice the same drive model (hitachi), so it may be right.
Whoever fault it is, this is a way you can go to correct the problem.
I have a problem with ministack V3, external hard drive.
Which has a Oxford OXUF924DSb chip.
I can connect to my imac 20′ alum, but it’s disconnected automatically and randomly very often. Also, if I turn on my com while it is on, it does not show off.(I have to turn off and on again). And it suppose to be turned off when the computer shut down, but it doesn’t work. So I try several thing ( change position of heat sensor in the case, clean inside, etc) however I cannot fix it.
I decide update the firmware because the firmware is 0X100.
But now I have no idea how I can do that.
1. I ran ‘uploader’ program but it show the messege ‘flash - flash type not defined’.
Could you help me how I can do this bull shit.
thanks.
I’m sorry I have no idea for you. You need to get the right firmware for your chip/drive.
Then, start the uploader and it should detect your drive. Remove every other drive prior to do this. Try to connect the device by USB, then by firewire if it does not work.
Thank you very much, I’ll try it.
I really hope it will work.