SATA 3.0 Discovery

I have recently discovered that both of my Toughbooks, a CF-30MK2 and MK3 are running in SATA 1.5. I am using an SSD in both. My performance and benchmarking scores are not at all what they should be. We, I have a thread going in regards to my SSD and other people as well not getting what they sgould out of it. I wanted to see who else here is using an SSD on a 30 series and go from there.

If you are using a SSD, have a CF30 MK2 or MK3 please let me know. I have a couple of things I would like to verify/compare with you.

Cheers!

 

If it makes you feel any better, the 31 is also SATA 1.5

 

Why in the world do they do that? The hardware in these are 100% capable of doing 3.0.

 

No boot from mini PCIe either, right?

 

That I don't remember.

 

I'm pretty sure that Discovery predates any form of SATA; if it indeed had hard drives ( I don't believe they did), I'd guess that they were MFM or RLL. As I recall, they were built with computers which used core memory, then refitted with newer solid-state memory based computers in the 90s.

*Salutes our oldest surviving shuttle, now decommissioned as of March 9 with STS-133*

mnem
*Tangential*

 

I am going to start with contacting Panasonic Tech Support about this SATA cap and go from there. This is a huge problem if you really think about it. There are standards, laws, etc that prohibit them to cap, damper such things. Even JEDCO, who Panasonic is a member of, would be more than unhappy about this.

Intel, Microsoft and so on have rules and regulations. Intel built a product per a certain standard with certain specs. Then Panasonic goes and restricts the product that we paid for and should expect. What other computer manufacture that you know of right now limits there computers hardware to 1990 technology? Even my son's $300.00 3 year old Atom Netbook is SATA 300.

I believe they can correct this with a BIOS flash or something. Someone at Panasonic restricted this and they can reverse it if needed.

I have many contacts in the multitude of different Govt agencies and I will push as hard as I can to get this changed. We are all being cheated, not just me. I'll keep ya posted!

 

You bought a Panasonic Toughbook, on which it would not of been quoted as having SATA 2.0 (3gb/s). The device was bought with the specs shown, you are not buying the components individually, therefore I don't see there as being any laws broken. Intel have made components, Panasonic bought them, and it's up to Panasonic to decide how to use them.

Their product, they defined it. You decided to buy it on the basis of the Panasonic specification. I would *imagine* it's probably in place to maintain standards across fleets of units.

And on another note; SATA 1.5gb/s gives a data transfer rate of approx 150MB/s. Not exactly 1990 technology....(especially as SATA 1.5gb/s still supports NCQ and other performance enhancing technologies).

Put simply...does it really matter? It's minor thing, I doubt you'll find a disk drive that really needs the mega amount of bandwidth of 3gb/s SATA. You'll be pissing in the wind to try and make something change about it, and personally I don't think they are doing anything illegal or dubious.

 

I recieved a reply from Panasonic in regards to the SATA 1.5. They claim that the CF-31 is SATA II and included a link for verification. He is looking further into the 30 series, as he too was under the impression that it was SATA II. I'll keep yall posted in case anybody is curious.

 

Please do, I would like to hear there answer...if you get one.

 

Ok, Here's the scoop. I just recieved a call from the Field Manager for my area. Basically the reason they "Throttle" them back down is all power related. We all know that the more power you create the more heat that is generated. In order for them to be reliable, and withstand the extreme temps that they are subjected to they had to lower the I/O output.
He did say that the 31 IS SATA II but yet again it is limited to some capacity. We had a long talk about the new 53 and it's power and useage as well. Later when I have more time I will explain it all.

He was a very nice guy, and said he fully understands where my concerns and questions are coming from. When the SSD was 1st available in the 31 series they had an onslaught of these concerns. He mentioned that they should put out a memo in the FAQ section in regards to this.

So, my answer, curiosity, madness was all explained and makes perfect sense now.

I hope this helps answer some questions in the future for other TB owners.

 

I was fine with my CF 17 until my hardware vendors rewrote their software to not work with 98. Not having sata 3.0 or 6.0 on my 31 is not making me sad. You have to realize these things are field tools designed to last under the clubbed hands of the only life form less advanced than carpet layers. Yup, that's right, phone technicians use them!

 

HEY! I RESEMBLE THAT REMARK!!!

Well, I USED to. Spent a couple years working with Merlin Technologies back in the way-back-when... They were digital-augmented analog smart phones back when you still needed 2 pairs to have touch-tone. What a total kludge...

mnem
Here, stick THESE on your tongue. Ahhh... your eyes light up, that means good dial tone...

 

TweakTown’s Solid State Drive Optimization Guide :: TweakTown USA Edition

Some SSD stuff

 

i suspected that it was heat related before you made that post. panny thought of everything when they made the TB and sata 2 is definitely not a cost issue i mean for 3 grand i want sata 4 lol.

although toyo i would contact them again. there should be an option or some way the cf 30 can detect which type of hard drive is installed.

if it detects a hard drive it makes no change.
if it detects an ssd it allows for sata 2 in the bios.

reason being ssd should not create any extra heat as its just memory chips