Feedback on PC Engines msata16d drive

MaxPF

Anybody using the msata drive sold by PC Engines for the APU and APU2 board?

http://pcengines.ch/msata16d.htm

Does it work with trim on pfSense?

jimp

If that's the same one they've had for a couple years now, it most certainly does NOT work with TRIM. TRIM will make it go boom. Badly. As in, filesystem gets completely hosed.

Drop some cash on a proper Tier 1 SSD, like one from Intel.

lra

@jimp:

If that's the same one they've had for a couple years now, it most certainly does NOT work with TRIM. TRIM will make it go boom. Badly. As in, filesystem gets completely hosed.

@jimp, no, you are thinking of the msata16b which was a SuperSSpeed S238 16G, not good.

Later PC Engines offered a msata16c which was a MyDigitalSSD MDMS-SB-016, and then a msata16d which appears to be an OEM version of the same MDMS-SB-016 SSD.

The MyDigitalSSD MDMS-SB-016 has decent specs.

Phison S9 Series (PS3109)
Toshiba A19nm MLC Toggle NAND Flash

Sudden power-off recovery
Battery backup function
High and Reliable ECC capability up to 24bits/sector
S.M.A.R.T features optimized for SSD
Bit error monitoring and management
Dynamic and static wear-leveling
Dynamic bad block management
SMART commands and additional SSD monitoring

I have no experience with TRIM on that mSATA SSD, but if 16 GB is large enough, then the OP is probably only using it for configs and small storage, so enabling TRIM may not be needed anyway.

My guess is the msata16d works fine with TRIM enabled, but I have no experience to say for sure.

Guest

Under the link below is a success story of enabling that 16 GB mSATA, in the past the older models are not
supporting TRIM but the newer ones should do it. Link

I have no experience with TRIM on that mSATA SSD, but if 16 GB is large enough, then the OP is probably only using it for configs and small storage, so enabling TRIM may not be needed anyway.

In normalit owuld be better to do so in my eyes, because then the "secure erase function" will work
proper. That means all blocks that will be market for deleting the data on it, will be also new written
and are marked as write able. Other wise it can be that the will one day thinking there are no free
blocks to write on.

movax

Not pfsense, but Linux 3.16 amd64.

echo 3 > /proc/sys/vm/drop_caches

root@apu2:~# dd if=/dev/sda bs=64k of=/dev/null count=999999
244353+1 records in
244353+1 records out
16013942784 bytes (16 GB) copied, 39.3015 s, 407 MB/s

Positively impressed.

[ 3.297183] ata1: SATA link up 6.0 Gbps (SStatus 133 SControl 300)
[ 3.297506] ata1.00: ATA-10: SATA SSD, S9FM02.5, max UDMA/133
[ 3.297513] ata1.00: 31277232 sectors, multi 16: LBA48 NCQ (depth 31/32), AA
[ 3.297869] ata1.00: configured for UDMA/133
[ 3.298310] scsi 0:0:0:0: Direct-Access ATA SATA SSD 02.5 PQ: 0 ANSI: 5
[ 3.305246] sd 0:0:0:0: [sda] 31277232 512-byte logical blocks: (16.0 GB/14.9 GiB)
[ 3.305639] sd 0:0:0:0: [sda] Write Protect is off
[ 3.305649] sd 0:0:0:0: [sda] Mode Sense: 00 3a 00 00
[ 3.305805] sd 0:0:0:0: [sda] Write cache: enabled, read cache: enabled, doesn't support DPO or FUA
[ 3.307231] sda: sda1 sda2 < sda5 >
[ 3.308629] sd 0:0:0:0: [sda] Attached SCSI disk
[ 3.310278] sd 0:0:0:0: Attached scsi generic sg0 type 0

root@apu2:~# smartctl –all /dev/sda
smartctl 6.4 2014-10-07 r4002 [x86_64-linux-3.16.0-4-amd64] (local build)
Copyright (C) 2002-14, Bruce Allen, Christian Franke, www.smartmontools.org

=== START OF INFORMATION SECTION ===
Device Model: SATA SSD
Serial Number: DE35075803EEXXXXXXX
Firmware Version: S9FM02.5
User Capacity: 16,013,942,784 bytes [16.0 GB]
Sector Size: 512 bytes logical/physical
Rotation Rate: Solid State Device
Form Factor: mSATA
Device is: Not in smartctl database [for details use: -P showall]
ATA Version is: ACS-3 (minor revision not indicated)
SATA Version is: SATA 3.1, 6.0 Gb/s (current: 6.0 Gb/s)
Local Time is: Fri Apr 15 05:17:36 2016 CEST
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: ( 30) seconds.
Offline data collection
capabilities: (0x7b) SMART execute Offline immediate.
Auto Offline data collection on/off support.
Suspend 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: ( 2) minutes.
Conveyance self-test routine
recommended polling time: ( 2) minutes.

SMART Attributes Data Structure revision number: 16
Vendor Specific SMART Attributes with Thresholds:
ID# ATTRIBUTE_NAME FLAG VALUE WORST THRESH TYPE UPDATED WHEN_FAILED RAW_VALUE
1 Raw_Read_Error_Rate 0x000a 100 100 000 Old_age Always - 0
9 Power_On_Hours 0x0012 100 100 000 Old_age Always - 176
12 Power_Cycle_Count 0x0012 100 100 000 Old_age Always - 8
168 Unknown_Attribute 0x0012 100 100 000 Old_age Always - 0
170 Unknown_Attribute 0x0013 100 100 010 Pre-fail Always - 12
173 Unknown_Attribute 0x0000 100 100 000 Old_age Offline - 196608
192 Power-Off_Retract_Count 0x0012 100 100 000 Old_age Always - 0
194 Temperature_Celsius 0x0023 070 070 000 Pre-fail Always - 30
196 Reallocated_Event_Count 0x0000 100 100 000 Old_age Offline - 0
218 Unknown_Attribute 0x0000 100 100 000 Old_age Offline - 0
241 Total_LBAs_Written 0x0012 100 100 000 Old_age Always - 6438

SMART Error Log Version: 1
No Errors Logged

SMART Self-test log structure revision number 1
No self-tests have been logged. [To run self-tests, use: smartctl -t]

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.

hdparm -I /dev/sda

/dev/sda:

ATA device, with non-removable media
Model Number: SATA SSD
Serial Number: DE35075803EEXXXXXXX
Firmware Revision: S9FM02.5
Transport: Serial, ATA8-AST, SATA 1.0a, SATA II Extensions, SATA Rev 2.5, SATA Rev 2.6, SATA Rev 3.0
Standards:
Supported: 10 9 8 7 6 5
Likely used: 10
Configuration:
Logical max current
cylinders 16383 16383
heads 16 16
sectors/track 63 63
–
CHS current addressable sectors: 16514064
LBA user addressable sectors: 31277232
LBA48 user addressable sectors: 31277232
Logical Sector size: 512 bytes
Physical Sector size: 512 bytes
Logical Sector-0 offset: 0 bytes
device size with M = 10241024: 15272 MBytes
device size with M = 10001000: 16013 MBytes (16 GB)
cache/buffer size = unknown
Form Factor: unknown (0x0006]
Nominal Media Rotation Rate: Solid State Device
Capabilities:
LBA, IORDY(can be disabled)
Queue depth: 32
Standby timer values: spec'd by Standard, no device specific minimum
R/W multiple sector transfer: Max = 16 Current = 16
Advanced power management level: disabled
DMA: mdma0 mdma1 mdma2 udma0 udma1 udma2 udma3 udma4 udma5 *udma6
Cycle time: min=120ns recommended=120ns
PIO: pio0 pio1 pio2 pio3 pio4
Cycle time: no flow control=120ns IORDY flow control=120ns
Commands/features:
Enabled Supported:
* SMART feature set
Security Mode feature set
* Power Management feature set
* Write cache
* Look-ahead
* Host Protected Area feature set
* WRITE_BUFFER command
* READ_BUFFER command
* DOWNLOAD_MICROCODE
Advanced Power Management feature set
SET_MAX security extension
* 48-bit Address feature set
* Device Configuration Overlay feature set
* Mandatory FLUSH_CACHE
* FLUSH_CACHE_EXT
* SMART error logging
* SMART self-test
* General Purpose Logging feature set
* WRITE_{DMA|MULTIPLE}_FUA_EXT
* IDLE_IMMEDIATE with UNLOAD
* WRITE_UNCORRECTABLE_EXT command
* Segmented DOWNLOAD_MICROCODE
* Gen1 signaling speed (1.5Gb/s)
* Gen2 signaling speed (3.0Gb/s)
* Gen3 signaling speed (6.0Gb/s)
* Native Command Queueing (NCQ)
* Host-initiated interface power management
* Phy event counters
* unknown 76[13]
* unknown 76[14]
* DMA Setup Auto-Activate optimization
Device-initiated interface power management
* Software settings preservation
* DOWNLOAD MICROCODE DMA command
* DEVICE CONFIGURATION SET/IDENTIFY DMA commands
* Data Set Management TRIM supported (limit 8 blocks)
Security:
Master password revision code = 65534
supported
not enabled
not locked
not frozen
not expired: security count
supported: enhanced erase
2min for SECURITY ERASE UNIT. 60min for ENHANCED SECURITY ERASE UNIT.
Checksum: correct

hdparm -i /dev/sda

/dev/sda:

Model=SATA SSD, FwRev=S9FM02.5, SerialNo=DE35075803EEXXXXXXXXX
Config={ Fixed }
RawCHS=16383/16/63, TrkSize=0, SectSize=0, ECCbytes=0
BuffType=unknown, BuffSize=unknown, MaxMultSect=16, MultSect=16
CurCHS=16383/16/63, CurSects=16514064, LBA=yes, LBAsects=31277232
IORDY=on/off, tPIO={min:120,w/IORDY:120}, tDMA={min:120,rec:120}
PIO modes: pio0 pio3 pio4
DMA modes: mdma0 mdma1 mdma2
UDMA modes: udma0 udma1 udma2 udma3 udma4 udma5 *udma6
AdvancedPM=yes: disabled (255) WriteCache=enabled
Drive conforms to: Unspecified: ATA/ATAPI-3,4,5,6,7

signifies the current active mode

hddtemp /dev/sda

/dev/sda: SATA SSD: 30°C

lra

@movax:

Positively impressed.

Indeed, the msata16d is a great small SSD for embedded applications.

hddtemp /dev/sda

/dev/sda: SATA SSD: 30°C

Unfortunately there is no temp sensor, the SMART 30 C value is fake. Same for MyDigitalSSD MDMS-SB-016.

Here is a smartmontools drivedb.h entry I have tested for the msata16d and MyDigitalSSD Super-Boot-Drive mSATA series. Due to the generic Model names, the firmware string needs to also be matched.

  { "Phison S9 SSD", // see MKP_521_Phison_SMART_attribute.pdf
    ".*SATA SSD", // PC Engines msata16d, MyDigitalSSD Super-Boot-Drive mSATA
    "S9FM.*", "",
  //"-v 1,raw48,Raw_Read_Error_Rate "
  //"-v 9,raw24(raw8),Power_On_Hours "
  //"-v 12,raw48,Power_Cycle_Count "
    "-v 168,raw48,SATA_Phy_Error_Count "
    "-v 170,raw24/raw24:z54z10,Bad_Blk_Ct_Erl/Lat " // Early bad block/Later bad block
    "-v 173,raw16(avg16),MaxAvgErase_Ct "
    "-v 192,raw48,Unsafe_Shutdown_Count "
  //"-v 194,tempminmax,Temperature_Celsius "
    "-v 196,raw48,Not_In_Use "
    "-v 218,raw48,CRC_Error_Count "
    "-v 241,raw48,Lifetime_Writes_MiB "
  }

milou

Into APU 1D4, never problem with mSata Kingston 30Go since 1-2 years.

Actually PfSense 2.3

Guest

Into APU 1D4, never problem with mSata Kingston 30Go since 1-2 years.

Actually PfSense 2.3

It would be really nice to know if you were turning on TRIM support or not.

AndrewZ

Is it safe to buy (and use) MyDigitalSSD MDMS-SB-016 instead of msata16d? Are they really the same?