Caution about SATA and USB-powered enclosures

[lgrant]

I modified my POGO-P21 by adding an eSATA connector on the back, and I got an SSD and a Vantec NexStar 3 enclosure.

The enclosure can do eSATA or USB, and gets its power from the USB connector. The instructions (http://www.vantecusa.com/system/application/media/data_file/nst-260_user_manual-n1.pdf) say that if you want to use eSATA, you need to plug the eSATA cable in before you plug in the USB cable; otherwise it defaults to using the USB interface.

This causes a problem when booting the Pogoplug, since you would have to plug in the eSATA cable, and then the USB cable, all before the Pogoplug looked to see whether there was an attached eSATA device to boot from. And it would not work at all on an unattended reboot.

Luckily, the NexStar 3 has a DC power input, even though it does not come with a power adapter. (It appears that the NexStar 3 3.5-inch enclosures come with a power adapter, but the 2.5-inch ones do not. I guess this makes sense, since most 3.5-inch enclosures will be stationary, and a lot of 2.5-inch enclosures will be travelling with laptops.) You can find the power adapters on the 'Net; here is one source:http://www.powerpayless.com/5v-power-adapter-for-vantec-nexstar3-2-5in-esata-hdd.html

The NexStar 3's are sleek little enclosures, and mine has been working fine, but if you get one, order a power adapter in advance, so you don't get it home and then discover you have to put your project on hold till the power adapter arrives. (That is very disappointing if you are into instant gratification.)

Lynn

[WarheadsSE]

In this case, you would need to use the stock uboot & our in-NAND kernel, and boot from SATA. You would not be able to be pure SATA boot, because of the delay in power-on of the hub on the board.

[Geoff]

I have the same Vantec NexStar 3 2.5" drive enclosure, and I have no problem booting up with it using SATA. I don't have a separate power supply. As long as you have the eSATA and USB-power cables plugged in before you power up or reboot the Pogo, it boots up just fine over SATA. The instructions that you referred to just mean that when the eSATA cable is plugged into the drive enclosure, then the USB-data connection is disabled. If you unplug the eSATA cable from the enclosure and plug the USB-data connector through the USB-power connector into the Pogo, then it will boot up over USB (using uboot & kernel in NAND).

[raulcomander]

The hardware way:
Take an USB cable and use only 5V and GND dont use D+ and D-

[lgrant]

@Geoff: I *think* I tried that before I ordered a power adapter. I'll try your suggestion this weekend, and if it works like a charm, I'll be sure to slap myself upside the head for putting too much faith in the doc. I'll let you know.

On an unrelated note, but not important enough to warrant its own post...

I just ordered a Nokia CA-42 cable from Amazon, and the website helpfully suggested "Frequently Bought Together:
Customers buy this item with D-Sub Crimp Pins Female 100 Pack $3.19" and asked me if I wanted to add both to the cart.

I wonder if there are more of us buying CA-42s for Pogoplug serial cables than are buying them for use with Noika phones.

Lynn

[lgrant]

Well, I tried it again this weekend, with the same result: If I have both the eSata and USB cables plugged in, I get the fast-blinking green LED, and the thing seems to never finish booting. Since I have plenty of power adapters and outlets on my power strip, and not very much free time, I think I'll keep using power adapters, rather than trying to get to the bottom of why this works for some people but not for me.

Thanks for the info,

Lynn