Re: VIA 6421A-based SATA controller

[Izumi Tsutsui <tsutsui%ceres.dti.ne.jp@localhost>]

> I'm giving a look to an auction on eBay because i have a spare and
> huge SATA disk and my good old pentium3-based server would really
> appreciated it.
> 
> Auction is: http://cgi.ebay.it/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280414578300
> 
> The point is: is its chipset (VIA 6421A) supported by NetBSD and/or in
> NetBSD-current ?
> Would it work once plugged in ?
> My host (of course) runs NetBSD 5.0.1 ...
> 
> Any hints? Can I buy that without worries or shall i look for another
> card/controller ?

I have the following VT6421A based card:
http://www.iomaster.com.tw/products.php?c1=1&index=22
and have fixed a bug in viaide.c recently
http://mail-index.NetBSD.org/source-changes/2009/12/22/msg004688.html
http://cvsweb.NetBSD.org/bsdweb.cgi/src/sys/dev/pci/viaide.c.diff?r1=1.64&r2=1.65
and SATA disks work fine in -current.

---
 :
viaide2 at pci2 dev 7 function 0: VIA Technologies VT6421 Serial RAID 
Controller (rev. 0x50)
viaide2: bus-master DMA support present
viaide2: using ioapic0 pin 17 for native-PCI interrupt
viaide2: primary channel wired to native-PCI mode
atabus4 at viaide2 channel 0
viaide2: secondary channel wired to native-PCI mode
atabus5 at viaide2 channel 1
 :
viaide2 port 0: device present, speed: 1.5Gb/s
viaide2 port 1: device present, speed: 1.5Gb/s
 :
wd2 at atabus4 drive 0: <Hitachi HDS721616PLA380>
wd2: drive supports 16-sector PIO transfers, LBA48 addressing
wd2: 153 GB, 319120 cyl, 16 head, 63 sec, 512 bytes/sect x 321672960 sectors
wd2: 32-bit data port
wd2: drive supports PIO mode 4, DMA mode 2, Ultra-DMA mode 6 (Ultra/133)
wd2(viaide2:0:0): using PIO mode 4, Ultra-DMA mode 6 (Ultra/133) (using DMA)
wd3 at atabus5 drive 0: <Hitachi HDP725025GLA380>
wd3: drive supports 16-sector PIO transfers, LBA48 addressing
wd3: 232 GB, 484521 cyl, 16 head, 63 sec, 512 bytes/sect x 488397168 sectors
wd3: 32-bit data port
wd3: drive supports PIO mode 4, DMA mode 2, Ultra-DMA mode 6 (Ultra/133)
wd3(viaide2:1:0): using PIO mode 4, Ultra-DMA mode 6 (Ultra/133) (using DMA)
---

5.0.1 still has the bug, and I've sent a pullup request for netbsd-5:
http://releng.NetBSD.org/cgi-bin/req-5.cgi?show=1210
though PATA port is still not usable.
(our viaide driver doesn't handle it)

The ebay page reffered above says it has three SATA ports,
but I doubt VT6421 supports third SATA port.
(its eSATA port is exclusive? mine doesn't have eSATA port)
---
Izumi Tsutsui