External enclosures: Genesys Logic vs. Cypress

The more detail I discover, the best it is... I think I found the forum referred by lostinnil in the thread about the 4x limit you mentioned:

bbs.et8.net/bbs/archive/index.php/t-740969.html

They also offer the application directly! but I am not able to register :-(
I need someone else to try, because it would be the fastest way. No interaction with anyone, file available immediately for download.

Has anyone tried to register in that forum?

I received an answer from Cypress, they say to use the CY4615B dev kit software (Blaster.exe).
I wasn't able, but maybe I did something wrong, so could someone else try it? Well, I am working under VirtualPC environment in an iBook, so maybe I get error messages due to only partial USB emulation.

I now have the old dev kit, lostinnil sent it to me.

Mh, what could I say?
Success? :-)

Oh, well, not a complete success: I reprogrammed the chip and enabled UDMA, so ok. I get now more than 7 MB/s, and the EEPROM is just like they suggest.
However, I don't know exactly why, I still can't get more than 14-15 MB/s: 16x burning is impossible! 12x probably too.

It could depend on my usb2 controller, of course, my iBook is known for having a not so fast one, but I can get 22 MB/s with another external USB case with a Prolific chipset, so the difference is too big.

Anyway... the package.

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=2YUQX5OJ

I used the at2blaster application from the 4615 dev kit. It seems it installs a "programming driver", so you have to associate the device with that one and not let win use the usb mass storage driver.
Then, try to connect the device when asked, I had to try many times (VPC is slow).
I simply changed the UDMA bit, so from 0x94 you should get 0xd4.

Please make some speed tests, I would like to know what you can get out of this chip.

Any news?

I downloaded the dev kit but I haven't taken the time to test it on my enclosures yet.

No problem, I found the culprit:
http://www.barefeats.com/usb2.html
My USB2 chipset/drivers are the source of the problem.
I hope to get better results when and if I will have a Macbook, but for the time being I will use the fastburn firmware patch, to burn at 8X P-CLV, it would take the same speed as a 12X normal burn.

@olafmarzocchi: Yay! Success!

I used the AT2Blaster tool in Windows 98SE under VMware and changed the UDMA bit (second bit from the left in the 0x06 bitfield on the leftmost tab), then powered my enclosure off then on again. Did this with both my enclosures.

Now I get a burst rate of 19 MB/s in one enclosure with a LiteOn SOHR-5239V CD-RW drive and 20 MB/s in another enclosure with a BenQ DW1655. Both were at only 7 MB/s before.

Thanks for doing all the ground work!

Now I'll see how fast I can burn since burning is always more difficult than reading.

Fine, you got it sorted 20 MB/s for the Benq looks good (I have 21 with my Philips, but this is just tolerance)
12x should work with your Benq, 16x will not. Maybe you can try a Litey, too.

Michael

Here's a Create Disc and Read Transfer Test with a BewnQ DW1655 (UDMA2) in my Evertech Cypress AT2 enclosure after enabling UDMA. As predicted it cannot burn at 16x but it reaches 14x. It reaches 16x during reading however.

Hi,Looks good. Same as my Philips. Since Philips restricted the read speed to 12x (and I don't want to crossflash or apply ala42's speed patch), I can't verify.

Have fun with your reborn enclosures

Tried a Litey too - a LiteOn LH-20A1P (UDMA4). Burst rate is 21 MB/s, reading goes all the way up to 16.33x which is maximum for the drive. Writing tops out at 17x.

There also seems to be something running on my laptop that does I/O or checks USB exactly once every minute.

Thanks!

I noticed today that my enclosure is capable of doing 21 MB/s during reading! that's incredible... When I tried last time a 12X burn, just before switching to FB firmware, few % before the end switched to 8x speed.
Maybe I should try again a 12X burn!

Could you give us the details of the seller (name, site, ...)?

Hi,I bought this at reichelt.de - but they don't have that enclosure any more (note, I bought this more than a year ago).
Since I paid only 20 € (+shipping), I think, it was at clearance at that time.

Michael

OK, thank you! Seto1

Brand New BenQ 1655, just bought it at Staples under I/O Magic, came with OEM firmware, using CVT firmware to flash it to retail firmware, then flash it again to BCGB region free firmware from TDB. Did the speed test on the burnt disc, RitekF1 under office depot brand, reach 16X easily. Using this enclosure:

http://www.dealsonic.com/usb20enfor52.html

It has Cypress AT2+ chip, capable of 20X burn for Pioneer and NEC drive, Sony and Lite-On.

Computer Info: Toshiba C2D T5500, 2GB RAM, NVIDIA 7300 with 256meg, Burnt from IMG file using imgburn. The source is from Seagate EXt HDD connected to the laptop via USB, so burning from USB to USB @ 12X since it is a Ritek. The quality scan will be posted in BenQ Vanishing Thread, I will post the speed test in here since it is more relevant.

@Dragemaster, you need at least AT2+ chip to overcome the speed bottleneck

Hello, Guys!
I'm new to this board.
This is terrific information, since my Cypress-based enclosure is not going beyond 4x with my Lite-on LH-20A1H.

Could you please upload the AT2 blaster tool to a different file hosting service, if possible? Megaupload is not working for me.


Did you guys really had to use Win98 to flash the eeprom? Won't work at all in Win XP?

Also, how do you associate the enclosure with the above-mentioned development driver (instead of the generic mass storage driver)?

Thanks!

Hi arozenfeld, welcome to CDFreaks!

I have hosted the AT2 Blaster tool for you: AT2_Blaster.zip (942 kB)


I didn't try using Windows XP, since it was easier for me to just use a VMware Windows 98 virtual machine.

It should be possible to do it using Windows XP but I think you manually have to change the driver for the external drive. I haven't looked into how to do this, since it wasn't necessary to do it in Windows 98.

I haven't done it with this enclosure, but my guess is that you go into Device Manager, look for Universal Serial Bus Controllers, find the USB Mass Storage device corresponding to your Cypress enclosure, double-click on it, go to the Drivers tab, choose Update Driver and then find the driver that comes with AT2 Blaster.

I cannot guarantee that this is the right way to do it, as I haven't done this myself.

Hi, DrageMester.
Amazing forum, BTW. I have a pro DVD authoring background, so I am really enjoying all the information here.

This is immensely useful for me. Thank you so much for your help, and for posting the ATblaster tool. Can you believe my Lite-On LH-20A1H is peaking at only 4X? I can't wait to try this. I think I saw here the specific addresses and values to edit? I'll search again now.

As Olaf, I am Mac-based... With Bootcamp, I can perfectly run Windows... but 10 years with Macs made me quite illiterate when it comes to Windows. I have no clue about VMWare, or if it and Win98 will run under Bootcamp at all. Tweaking Win drivers is another area of ignorance for me.... The guy who makes the custom MP3 player for some reason warns against doing it in Win XP, so it perhaps is a good idea to avoid it... Anybody tried this in XP?

Thanks again, guys.
It was a complete success!
This Lite-On/Cypress combo, which wasn't going beyond 4X, is now peaking at 16x... with 16x media. Average is 12x. Not bad at all!
On Mac the performance is not that good (or Toast's speed readout is not accurate), but still is at least twice of what it was a few hours ago.
Plus, the thing appears with my name as manufacturer in every hardware profiler
This forum has been so helpful. You see, the Firewire bus on my laptop will be taken by a Firewire to SCSI adapter (to drive a DLT drive for DVD authoring, long story), so for me getting decent performance out of USB2 was very important. That's exactly what I am getting now...
Thanks again.

Nice to hear that it worked for you too!

I'm trying to do this under Windows XP. Where exactly is the programming driver located so that I can associate my enclosure with it? Do I import the EEPROM from the enclosure or the W56 file included with the install?

And for the record, having to engage in such arcane tweaking using an outmoded OS like Win98 makes Cypress AT2 off any recommended list for burners. Either something works out of the box or has a widely known and easy fix. This is neither.

Did you use XP or 98? If you used XP, please explain the steps in detail.

I used Win XP... on a Macbook Pro.

I have good news and bad news.

Good news: I Have *everything* I downloaded back then in a folder. If you want it, write to me: ar@adolforozenfeld.com

Bad news: I completely erased the details from my poor mind. Seriously. I don't remember anything about this.

Of course. Especially considering the price of an enclosure nowadays.
But you don't know how good it feels when after a couple of days of searching the internet finding nothing, you get this obscure hack to work!
I mean, in practical terms it's crazy. It doesn't make any sense. But in some way, it feels so incredibly good when you find this piece of hidden information in the internet and get it to work.... that... it's completely worth it, if you're of the obsessed type like surely the rest of us interested in this are