topic Re: Intel SSD 520 Series Disconnecting/Reconnecting, what to do? in Solid State Drives (NAND)

Intel SSD 520 Series Disconnecting/Reconnecting, what to do?

ENeto — Fri, 03 Oct 2014 18:19:27 GMT

Abount an year ago I bought an ASUS Zenbook UX32VD with an Intel SSD 520 Series 480GB.

I got rid of Windows 8 (that ended up inside Virtualbox) and installed Linux, that time was Linux Mint 14 Nadia and now I have Linux Mint 17 Qiana, since the beginning I noticed occasional crashes that the logs ended pointing out the culprid was the SSD drive.

The kernel keeps logging that several times a day:

kernel: [15833.344939] ata1: exception Emask 0x50 SAct 0x0 SErr 0x4090800 action 0xe frozen

kernel: [15833.344952] ata1: irq_stat 0x00400040, connection status changed

kernel: [15833.344971] ata1: SError: { HostInt PHYRdyChg 10B8B DevExch }

kernel: [15833.344975] ata1: hard resetting link

kernel: [15834.068392] ata1: SATA link up 6.0 Gbps (SStatus 133 SControl 300)

kernel: [15834.079528] ata1.00: ACPI cmd f5/00:00:00:00:00:a0 (SECURITY FREEZE LOCK) filtered out

kernel: [15834.079606] ata1.00: ACPI cmd ef/10:06:00:00:00:a0 (SET FEATURES) succeeded

kernel: [15834.079615] ata1.00: ACPI cmd ef/10:03:00:00:00:a0 (SET FEATURES) filtered out

kernel: [15834.099770] ata1.00: ACPI cmd f5/00:00:00:00:00:a0 (SECURITY FREEZE LOCK) filtered out

kernel: [15834.099825] ata1.00: ACPI cmd ef/10:06:00:00:00:a0 (SET FEATURES) succeeded

kernel: [15834.099837] ata1.00: ACPI cmd ef/10:03:00:00:00:a0 (SET FEATURES) filtered out

kernel: [15834.109697] ata1.00: configured for UDMA/133

kernel: [15834.124335] ata1: EH complete

It says it needed to hard reset the sata link.

Occasionally it keeps doing that, downgrading the link speed to 3.0 Gbps then try with 1.5 Gbps, never stops and the system crashes.

I readed a ton of claims of people with the same problem principally with lenovo computers and the solution is always the same "I ended up exchanging my Intel 520 SSD for a Samsung 840 Pro" and now I don't have any problem.

I have a Samsung 840 Pro SSD with 512 GB that doesn't do that. Another interesting thing that happens with my Intel 520 and not with my Samsung 840 Pro is that if I put them in an external USB 3.0 case (I tested with a 2.0 USB case of another brand too), the Samsung works fine, but the Intel SSD keeps disconnecting and reconnecting all the time at a point to be impossible to use it, no matter what the computer/system I connect it to, Windows/Linux.

Is that normal? An Intel 520 Series 480GB SSD be unusable through USB, and only be usable because the kernel can handle its disconnections when connected through the SATA connector, and still ocassionally crashing?

I was considering buy another Samsung 840 Pro as the Intel 520 one will not serve me even as a backup drive.

Re: Intel SSD 520 Series Disconnecting/Reconnecting, what to do?

ENeto — Fri, 03 Oct 2014 18:27:26 GMT

SMART information:

smartctl 6.2 2013-07-26 r3841 [x86_64-linux-3.13.0-24-generic] (local build)

=== START OF INFORMATION SECTION ===

Model Family: Intel 520 Series SSDs

Device Model: INTEL SSDSC2CW480A3

Serial Number: CVCV2060028N480DGN

LU WWN Device Id: 5 001517 bb2841cb5

Firmware Version: 400i

User Capacity: 480,103,981,056 bytes [480 GB]

Sector Size: 512 bytes logical/physical

Rotation Rate: Solid State Device

Device is: In smartctl database [for details use: -P show]

ATA Version is: ACS-2 T13/2015-D revision 3

SATA Version is: SATA 3.0, 6.0 Gb/s (current: 6.0 Gb/s)

Local Time is: Fri Oct 3 15:23:32 2014 BRT

SMART support is: Available - device has SMART capability.

SMART support is: Enabled

=== START OF READ SMART DATA SECTION ===

SMART overall-health self-assessment test result: PASSED

General SMART Values:

Offline data collection status: (0x00) Offline data collection activity

was never started.

Auto Offline Data Collection: Disabled.

Self-test execution status: ( 0) The previous self-test routine completed

without error or no self-test has ever

been run.

Total time to complete Offline

data collection: ( 1048) seconds.

Offline data collection

capabilities: (0x7f) SMART execute Offline immediate.

Auto Offline data collection on/off support.

Abort Offline collection upon new

command.

Offline surface scan supported.

Self-test supported.

Conveyance Self-test supported.

Selective Self-test supported.

SMART capabilities: (0x0003) Saves SMART data before entering

power-saving mode.

Supports SMART auto save timer.

Error logging capability: (0x01) Error logging supported.

General Purpose Logging supported.

Short self-test routine

recommended polling time: ( 1) minutes.

Extended self-test routine

recommended polling time: ( 48) minutes.

Conveyance self-test routine

recommended polling time: ( 2) minutes.

SCT capabilities: (0x0021) SCT Status supported.

SCT Data Table supported.

SMART Attributes Data Structure revision number: 10

Vendor Specific SMART Attributes with Thresholds:

ID# ATTRIBUTE_NAME FLAG VALUE WORST THRESH TYPE UPDATED WHEN_FAILED RAW_VALUE

5 Reallocated_Sector_Ct 0x0032 100 100 000 Old_age Always - 0

9 Power_On_Hours_and_Msec 0x0032 000 000 000 Old_age Always - 901366h+01m+56.610s

12 Power_Cycle_Count 0x0032 099 099 000 Old_age Always - 1726

170 Available_Reservd_Space 0x0033 100 100 010 Pre-fail Always - 0

171 Program_Fail_Count 0x0032 100 100 000 Old_age Always - 0

172 Erase_Fail_Count 0x0032 100 100 000 Old_age Always - 0

174 Unexpect_Power_Loss_Ct 0x0032 100 100 000 Old_age Always - 1722

184 End-to-End_Error 0x0033 100 100 090 Pre-fail Always - 0

187 Uncorrectable_Error_Cnt 0x0032 100 100 000 Old_age Always - 0

192 Power-Off_Retract_Count 0x0032 100 100 000 Old_age Always - 1722

225 Host_Writes_32MiB 0x0032 100 100 000 Old_age Always - 104717

226 Workld_Media_Wear_Indic 0x0032 100 100 000 Old_age Always - 65535

227 Workld_Host_Reads_Perc 0x0032 100 100 000 Old_age Always - 70

228 Workload_Minutes 0x0032 100 100 000 Old_age Always - 65535

232 Available_Reservd_Space 0x0033 100 100 010 Pre-fail Always - 0

233 Media_Wearout_Indicator 0x0032 100 100 000 Old_age Always - 0

241 Host_Writes_32MiB 0x0032 100 100 000 Old_age Always - 104717

242 Host_Reads_32MiB 0x0032 100 100 000 Old_age Always - 249846

249 NAND_Writes_1GiB 0x0013 100 100 000 Pre-fail Always - 4807

SMART Error Log not supported

SMART Self-test Log not supported

SMART Selective self-test log data structure revision number 0

Note: revision number not 1 implies that no selective self-test has ever been run

SPAN MIN_LBA MAX_LBA CURRENT_TEST_STATUS

1 0 0 Not_testing

2 0 0 Not_testing

3 0 0 Not_testing

4 0 0 Not_testing

5 0 0 Not_testing

Selective self-test flags (0x0):

After scanning selected spans, do NOT read-scan remainder of disk.

If Selective self-test is pending on power-up, resume after 0 minute delay.

Re: Intel SSD 520 Series Disconnecting/Reconnecting, what to do?

ENeto — Sat, 04 Oct 2014 03:36:59 GMT

Found other complaints about this same 520 Series SSDs here in the community. Seems I just bought a known crappy Intel product with a Sandforce SF-2281 chipset. Known to be a chipset with a crappy firmware even here.

Re: Intel SSD 520 Series Disconnecting/Reconnecting, what to do?

Jose_H_Intel1 — Mon, 06 Oct 2014 18:01:12 GMT

Hi edmundo_vn, there are some steps that may help:

Update the https://downloadcenter.intel.com/Detail_Desc.aspx?agr=Y&DwnldID=18363 Intel® SSD firmware.
Update the BIOS
Do a http://www.thomas-krenn.com/en/wiki/SSD_Secure_Erase secure erase on the drive.

I hope the above suggestions help.

Re: Intel SSD 520 Series Disconnecting/Reconnecting, what to do?

ENeto — Mon, 06 Oct 2014 19:11:54 GMT

My BIOS is already the latest one for UX32VD (214).

If you see the link you gave me and the above SMART information, I'm already using 400i firmware since I received the SSD. issdfut_2.0.13.iso don't have any update.

If I do a secure erase will it work inside an USB case and stop powering off/on by its own? Besides loosing 2 or more days of work to reinstall everything and not pretending to mess with the host protected area (that I don't have sure if helps with wear levelling) I don't see the point.

Re: Intel SSD 520 Series Disconnecting/Reconnecting, what to do?

ENeto — Mon, 06 Oct 2014 19:14:34 GMT

And I already TRIM my SSD on every system boot.

Re: Intel SSD 520 Series Disconnecting/Reconnecting, what to do?

Jose_H_Intel1 — Tue, 07 Oct 2014 16:04:17 GMT

Besides the usual recommendations, another option is to contact your local http://www.intel.com/p/en_US/support/contactsupport Intel support center for further assistance.

Re: Intel SSD 520 Series Disconnecting/Reconnecting, what to do?

ENeto — Tue, 07 Oct 2014 16:18:11 GMT

This SSD was bought from a local reseller that import products from USA to Brazil. According to him, my SSD don't have more than a year warranty (or he simply don't care about it).

Re: Intel SSD 520 Series Disconnecting/Reconnecting, what to do?

ENeto — Fri, 17 Oct 2014 03:01:43 GMT

As everybody knows about the problems with this drive. Lenovo made a custom firmware LB3i to specific models they sold, HP seems to use that firmware? I readed here http://h20566.www2.hp.com/portal/site/hpsc/template.PAGE/public/kb/docDisplay/?docId=emr_na-c03809948 HP Support document - HP Support Center but its only for drives with 180 or 240GB.

Can anyone comment on this?

http://www.sounddevices.com/notes/video-note/updating-intel-520-firmware/ PIX-SSD5 (Intel 520 Drive) Firmware Update Process | Sound Devices Technical Notes | Sound Devices, LLC

They say this update is for the 480GB drives, but I did not understood if Intel made it to address something specific to their devices.

Re: Intel SSD 520 Series Disconnecting/Reconnecting, what to do?

ENeto — Fri, 17 Oct 2014 03:11:10 GMT

I secure erased my drive (it did not made any difference). But I repartitioned it using MBR and made sure the GPT partition table was erased, some tools can make a mess with both tables. The drive inside an USB case seems to be disconnecting less times now, but it still does.

Re: Intel SSD 520 Series Disconnecting/Reconnecting, what to do?

Jose_H_Intel1 — Fri, 17 Oct 2014 20:05:18 GMT

We would like to get as much information from your system as possible in order to investigate the disconnect issue. Kindly provide the motherboard model, processor, BIOS version, memory specifications.

In regards of the "Sound Devices" thread, that was a custom firmware released to solve compatibility issues with their products.

Re: Intel SSD 520 Series Disconnecting/Reconnecting, what to do?

ENeto — Fri, 17 Oct 2014 20:30:20 GMT

$ sudo LANG=en lshw

zenbook-ux32vd

description: Notebook

product: UX32VD (ASUS-NotebookSKU)

vendor: ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC.

version: 1.0

serial: CAN0AS54035743B

width: 64 bits

capabilities: smbios-2.7 dmi-2.7 vsyscall32

configuration: boot=normal chassis=notebook family=UX sku=ASUS-NotebookSKU uuid=71F8E803-25EC-4AAD-A70D-50465DE1F0AB

*-core

description: Motherboard

product: UX32VD

vendor: ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC.

physical id: 0

version: 1.0

serial: BSN12345678901234567

slot: MIDDLE

*-firmware

description: BIOS

vendor: American Megatrends Inc.

physical id: 0

version: UX32VD.214

date: 01/29/2013

size: 64KiB

capacity: 6080KiB

capabilities: pci upgrade shadowing cdboot bootselect socketedrom edd int13floppy1200 int13floppy720 int13floppy2880 int5printscreen int9keyboard int14serial int17printer acpi usb smartbattery biosbootspecification uefi

*-cache:0

description: L2 cache

physical id: 8

slot: CPU Internal L2

size: 512KiB

capacity: 512KiB

capabilities: internal write-through unified

*-cache:1

description: L1 cache

physical id: 9

slot: CPU Internal L1

size: 128KiB

capacity: 128KiB

capabilities: internal write-through data

*-cache:2

description: L3 cache

physical id: a

slot: CPU Internal L3

size: 4MiB

capacity: 4MiB

capabilities: internal write-back unified

*-memory

description: System Memory

physical id: b

slot: System board or motherboard

size: 10GiB

*-bank:0

description: SODIMM DDR3 Synchronous 1600 MHz (0.6 ns)

product: 99U5428-053.A00LF

vendor: Kingston

physical id: 0

serial: 162894E5

slot: ChannelA-DIMM0

size: 8GiB

width: 64 bits

clock: 1600MHz (0.6ns)

*-bank:1

description: DIMM [empty]

product: [Empty]

vendor: [Empty]

physical id: 1

serial: [Empty]

slot: ChannelA-DIMM1

*-bank:2

description: SODIMM DDR3 Synchronous 1600 MHz (0.6 ns)

product: HMT325S6CFR8C-PB

vendor: Hynix/Hyundai

physical id: 2

serial: 00000000

slot: ChannelB-DIMM0

size: 2GiB

width: 64 bits

clock: 1600MHz (0.6ns)

*-bank:3

description: DIMM [empty]

product: [Empty]

vendor: [Empty]

physical id: 3

serial: [Empty]

slot: ChannelB-DIMM1

*-cpu

description: CPU

product: Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-3517U CPU @ 1.90GHz

vendor: Intel Corp.

physical id: c

bus info: cpu@0

version: Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-3517U CPU @ 1.90GHz

slot: SOCKET 0

size: 800MHz

capacity: 3800MHz

width: 64 bits

clock: 100MHz

capabilities: x86-64 fpu fpu_exception wp vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic sep mtrr pge mca cmov pat pse36 clflush dts acpi mmx fxsr sse sse2 ss ht tm pbe syscall nx rdtscp constant_tsc arch_perfmon pebs bts rep_good nopl xtopology nonstop_tsc aperfmperf eagerfpu pni pclmulqdq dtes64 monitor ds_cpl vmx est tm2 ssse3 cx16 xtpr pdcm pcid sse4_1 sse4_2 x2apic popcnt tsc_deadline_timer aes xsave avx f16c rdrand lahf_lm ida arat epb xsaveopt pln pts dtherm tpr_shadow vnmi flexpriority ept vpid fsgsbase smep erms cpufreq

configuration: cores=2 enabledcores=2 threads=4

*-pci

description: Host bridge

product: 3rd Gen Core processor DRAM Controller

vendor: Intel Corporation

physical id: 100

bus info: pci@0000:00:00.0

version: 09

width: 32 bits

clock: 33MHz

*-pci:0

description: PCI bridge

product: Xeon E3-1200 v2/3rd Gen Core processor PCI Express Root Port

vendor: Intel Corporation

physical id: 1

bus info: pci@0000:00:01.0

version: 09

width: 32 bits

clock: 33MHz

capabilities: pci pm msi pciexpress normal_decode bus_master cap_list

configuration: driver=pcieport

resources: irq:42 ioport:e000(size=4096) memory:f6000000-f70fffff ioport:e0000000(size=301989888)

*-display UNCLAIMED

description: 3D controller

product: GF117M [GeForce 610M/710M/820M / GT 620M/625M/630M/720M]

vendor: NVIDIA Corporation

physical id: 0

bus info: pci@0000:01:00.0

version: a1

width: 64 bits

clock: 33MHz

capabilities: pm msi pciexpress bus_master cap_list

configuration: latency=0

resources: memory:f6000000-f6ffffff memory:e0000000-efffffff memory:f0000000-f1ffffff ioport:e000(size=128) memory:f7000000-f707ffff

*-display

description: VGA compatible controller

product: 3rd Gen Core processor Graphics Controller

vendor: Intel Corporation

physical id: 2

bus info: pci@0000:00:02.0

version: 09

width: 64 bits

clock: 33MHz

capabilities: msi pm vga_controller bus_master cap_list rom

configuration: driver=i915 latency=0

resources: irq:45 memory:f7400000-f77fffff memory:d0000000-dfffffff ioport:f000(size=64)

*-generic:0 UNCLAIMED

description: Signal processing controller

product: 3rd Gen Core Processor Thermal Subsystem

vendor: Intel Corporation

physical id: 4

bus info: pci@0000:00:04.0

version: 09

width: 64 bits

clock: 33MHz

capabilities: msi pm bus_master cap_list

configuration: latency=0

resources: memory:cfe08000-cfe0ffff

*-usb:0

description: USB controller

product: 7 Series/C210 Series Chipset Family USB xHCI Host Controller

vendor: Intel Corporation

physical id: 14

...

Re: Intel SSD 520 Series Disconnecting/Reconnecting, what to do?

Jose_H_Intel1 — Tue, 21 Oct 2014 20:05:47 GMT

What is the USB case/adapter model your are using with the Intel® SSD?

Did you try a different one by any chance?

Re: Intel SSD 520 Series Disconnecting/Reconnecting, what to do?

ENeto — Tue, 21 Oct 2014 20:48:55 GMT

Yes, tried 3 different cases, one from IT-CEO USB 3, one from IT-CEO USB 2 and one from Western Digital USB 2.

Re: Intel SSD 520 Series Disconnecting/Reconnecting, what to do?

ENeto — Wed, 22 Oct 2014 17:26:19 GMT

Nothing left to do. Intel allowed to issue a RMA. Sending it today.

Re: Intel SSD 520 Series Disconnecting/Reconnecting, what to do?

ENeto — Tue, 11 Nov 2014 21:35:44 GMT

Received another drive from Intel. I did not tested performance as I would need to disassemble my ultrabook again and Im already using a Samsung drive. Tested on another older computer that only supports SATA II and inside an USB case. It doesn't disconnects anymore. Seems to be working as expected.