Silicon Image Sil 3512 SATA Controller

Can someone help me with a problem I am having with a Masscool Model XWT-RC061, it has a Silicon Image Sil 3512 Chip. I am trying to use it with an Internal Samsung 203b DVD Drive.

I am using Windows XP.

When I install this PCI Card, the New Hardware comes up, I try too install from a list or specific location (Advanced) then click the radio button Don't Search I will choose the driver to install. Install it as SCSI and Raid Controller. Then use the Have Disk option and point it to the disk supplied with the card and the non-raid windows driver for Silicon Image Sil 3512. After it installs the driver I get a This device cannot start (Code 10 ).

Any help with this issue would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks

Hi
You just need to flash the cards BIOS too.
Base Bios (non-raid).
Tip, flash bios 1st. Then update driver.

Thanks zebadee for the information, I have check the manufacturers website and no bios flash utility there, emailed their tech support, waiting for answer.

The flash bios tab is not in the Device Manager Silicon Image Sil 3512 SATA Controller Properties.

Thanks again

Hi
I use Vista & it does give a flash window for the bios via device manager.
You mean you have tried here:

Hi
The bios tools should be here:

Thanks for your response, and the links. Vista screen shot, must of been what I seen with the bios update tab then, my XP does not have it.

Hi
You are welcome.

zebadee, just an update, the flash bios tab did show up when I installed the raid drivers and connect the Samsung 203B to the controller. The problem is the browse button is greyed out and the chip type is shown as unknown. I am just guessing that the flash chip is not supported with the Silicon Image Utility, I am still waiting for a reply from the Masscool support.

I also tried the one supplied on the website you link showed and it did not flash the card. I may be doing something stupid, with this utility, not to sure. It only works in the command prompt in Windows, I did put the bios and the utility in the same folder as the directions stated, then I dragged the bios flash exe into the command prompt window and clicked enter and get the item shown in the attachment.http://club.cdfreaks.com/attachment....1&d=1194882235
Device Flash Bios Tab.pnghttp://club.cdfreaks.com/attachment....1&d=1194881292
Command Prompt Bios Tools.png

Hi
Using Vista I have never used the Bios flashing tool.
I suspect that it needs to done in safe mode at least.
Possibly true dos.
I will have a look, but no promises.
Perhaps one or two of the others who have this card & use XP can come in with some relevant info here.

P.S. If you knew someone with Vista they could flash the card in seconds.
(I don't know if this helps. Or just irritates you in your situation. )

It could be that this particular card does not have a flashable BIOS. This was also the case with some SI-680A controller cards.

Hi
It does have a flashable bios.
Which is easy via Vista.
But has also been flashed by some here on CDF using XP.
The Bios & tools are there on site too. Listing Windows Xp, 2000, Vista etc.
Check out links in posts #'s 4 & 5.

Read the number off the (e)eprom chip - remove the sticker if you need to.

I just got a 3114 controller and the flash chip on it is not supported by the SI Bios tools. That said, it's properties are very similar to that of another 'supported' chip and I was actually able to use the real DOS flasher (UPDFLASH.EXE) and tell it to flash as if it were this other chip.

It worked

Only problem I have now is that the burst rate is awful (~20mb/s) and I can't even get to 16x without it dying a very horrible 'buffer underrun' death.

I've ordered a few different 3512's to see if they're any better.

Mcx6,


The card u have is the same card i bought a couple days back. And the thing is whit those cards, that it is only flashable when u hook up an sata Drive for some weird fucked up reason. And requires to be installed whit the current drivers for that type of STOCKED bios if u know wot i mean!!


Those utilities from onsite silicon arent working well for me, not atleast under dos (in windows mode). Regardless of wot command line i use to check up on that card its bios to begin whit. It returns whit the following: cant detect any silicon based cards (or something in the line). Its easier to flash it through device manager..

Now, when u want to flash that card. Make sure u have attached any sata drive.. U need to go to device manager and select the properties of that specific silicon 3512 chipset and every detail will be displayed. Be aware that u use non-raid bios = Bxxxx = Base = u will see SataLink in the device manager instead of sataraid . Sataraid beeing the card its stocked setting(in my case). That said u still can keep the stocked raid setting of the card and just update its bios. In that case use the Rxxxx bioses from the site. If its onboard sata silicon then use xxxx.bin bios to flash it whit. Very important, maybe the most important thing of all. Make sure u use the appropriate drivers for either Raid or non-raid biosses AFTERWARDS.

I know its somewot confusing, the fact that drivers are specific to each bios (according to silicon website)!

When i didnt attached an drive to it, i simply didnt get the flash option in the properties of that card !! Even though everything , every driver wos installed correctly for that card no hardware conflicts wotsoever!!

If it woud help u... Iam currently using 4.3.83 Base bios for that card whit the 1.3.68.2 driver package

edit: That card is installed under XP SP2 = up-to-date

urs jannenba,

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Last edited by Jannenba; 22-11-2007 at 18:30. Reason: os update!

@lightning uk

My burst rate whit the 3512 card is noless then 59MB/sec.

Also, i adressed an issue onsite Imageburn regarding I/O errors i get whit that card. But despite that I/O error iam able to burn an FULL Dual Layer whitout an problem ONLY when i hit the cancel button!!! When i choose retry the message keeps returning leaving me no other choice then to cancel. But to my surprise it starts the burn process. And at other times i dont get error messages but the application aswell as my system gets stuck on this exact line:

User Specified L0 Data Zone Capacity:

When iam forced to resset my system the hard way....

Ive tried and applied the same pci sata/burner setup whit nero 8. And everything went smooth, even twice in a row when burning Dual layer media aswell as single media. And to be sure wheiter or not i made a quality burn. Ive watched it on my stand alone, and i have had no Major playback issues!!

urs jannenba,

Guys,

would anyone be kind enough to upload the driver CD somewhere? I lost mine and I cannot find for the life of me anywhere to download from.

Could you upload it to rapidshare or megaupload?

Masscool XWT-RC061

Thanks!

Hi,

all drivers are available at www.siliconimage.com website.

Michael

Already tried (3512), the drivers will not install (say cannot find correct driver), and one time I did manage to install the driver from silicon image and XP freaked out and froze on me. Had to physically remove the card and uninstall the drivers, otherwise Windows will not boot up.

Can someone please upload the original CD?

Thanks

Have you a Raid or a non-Raid card?
Non-Raid cards show up as "SataLink", Raid cards as "SataRaid" at bootup. SiI offers Raid- and non-Raid drivers, so if one type failed, try the other one.

Michael

You're right, I have the Raid card and I was trying the non-Raid driver.

I got v1.0.0.60 to install but new problem now:

If I connect a 400gb and 500gb drives to it the computer will freeze.

Both drives are sata2 but I jumpered them as sata1.

If I connect a 74gb raptor it works fine on the card.

Is there a size-limit for this controller? I will try to flash the card's BIOS, is it safe to use the BIOS from siliconimage.com? or do I need to use the mfg's?

Thanks

Hi,Ok. This won't work.
I am not aware of such an issue. I haven't tried my own card with a HDD yet.
You can use the Bios from SiI. Connect a working drive to the controller and install latest drivers (you need the Raid version at the moment). In the properties of your controller card (device manager), there should be a separate tab that allows you to flash the firmware within Windows. It's your choice to flash latest Raid or Base (=non-Raid) Bios. In case you want the non-Raid, then have latest non-Raid drivers ready in order to install them after a reboot.

Michael

Alrighty then, I'll give it a shot tonight. What if the tab isn't there? Is there anything I need to look for?

Also, when I tried to flash it under DOS, it gives me a long list flash chips to choose from. Which one do I choose? I think there was a Winbond 1M & 4M, maybe ICS, and a few more. Any idea?

Thanks

The "flash" tab should be present with the latest drivers.

SiI3512.png

If the "Browse" button is greyed out, then you can't flash the card (at least not under Windows with the built-in flash tool).

You need to look at your card then. Manufacturers have the choice what flash chip they use. They can even install firmware chips that can not be flashed.

Michael

Thanks Michael!

Which card exactly do you have? Mine is a Masscool XWT-RC061, just like the one here.

I found out what the problem is!!!

Turns out one of the ports is defective, if I only use the good port the card works fine, Windows boots fine, and the drive functions fine in Windows.

Both drives are listed during POST of the controller.

Once I connect the same drive/cable to the other port Windows will not load, and if I'm already in Windows, it will freeze every few seconds repeatedly.
I bought it less than a year ago and I will request the store I bought it from to replace it.

Thanks for all your help !

Hi,Okay. Since this card has an external connector, you might play with the jumpers. If I remember correctly, then only two of the three existing ports can be used. There should be a jumper that determines if the external or the internal port is active.

But at least you were able to flash the non-Raid Bios onto the card, if I have seen that correctly.

Btw you can attach screenshots directly - see my signature for details

Michael

P.S.: My own card is a Delock 70096, which is available in some european countries. It comes with Raid Bios, so I had to flash it.