Question Problem with PX-128M3

[Soulkeeper]

I pulled this older plextor out of my laptop that had a failed fan.
I suspect it might have bad sectors so I figured i'd wipe it and update the firmware to see if that fixes the system lockup I noticed.

smartctl -a /dev/sde
smartctl 7.1 2019-12-30 r5022 [x86_64-linux-5.4.16] (local build)
Copyright (C) 2002-19, Bruce Allen, Christian Franke, www.smartmontools.org

=== START OF INFORMATION SECTION ===
Model Family:     Plextor M3/M5/M6 Series SSDs
Device Model:     PLEXTOR  PX-128M3
Serial Number:    002150101377
LU WWN Device Id: 5 000000 000000000
Firmware Version: 1.00
User Capacity:    128,035,676,160 bytes [128 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:   ATA8-ACS, ATA/ATAPI-7 T13/1532D revision 4a
SATA Version is:  SATA 3.0, 6.0 Gb/s
Local Time is:    Sat Feb  1 06:05:27 2020 MST
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:         (   10) seconds.
Offline data collection
capabilities:              (0x15) SMART execute Offline immediate.
                    No Auto Offline data collection support.
                    Abort Offline collection upon new
                    command.
                    No Offline surface scan supported.
                    Self-test supported.
                    No Conveyance Self-test supported.
                    No Selective Self-test supported.
SMART capabilities:            (0x0002)    Does not save SMART data before
                    entering power-saving mode.
                    Supports SMART auto save timer.
Error logging capability:        (0x00)    Error logging supported.
                    General Purpose Logging supported.
Short self-test routine
recommended polling time:      (   2) minutes.
Extended self-test routine
recommended polling time:      (  10) minutes.
SCT capabilities:            (0x003d)    SCT Status supported.
                    SCT Error Recovery Control supported.
                    SCT Feature Control supported.
                    SCT Data Table supported.

SMART Attributes Data Structure revision number: 1
Vendor Specific SMART Attributes with Thresholds:
ID# ATTRIBUTE_NAME          FLAG     VALUE WORST THRESH TYPE      UPDATED  WHEN_FAILED RAW_VALUE
  1 Raw_Read_Error_Rate     0x0003   100   100   070    Pre-fail  Always       -       0
  5 Reallocated_Sector_Ct   0x0003   100   100   000    Pre-fail  Always       -       16384 (0 22)
  9 Power_On_Hours          0x0002   100   100   000    Old_age   Always       -       72348
12 Power_Cycle_Count       0x0002   100   100   000    Old_age   Always       -       21
178 Used_Rsvd_Blk_Cnt_Chip  0x0003   100   100   000    Pre-fail  Always       -       88
187 Reported_Uncorrect      0x0002   100   100   000    Old_age   Always       -       178
192 Power-Off_Retract_Count 0x0003   100   100   000    Pre-fail  Always       -       22

SMART Error Log Version: 0
No Errors Logged

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

Selective Self-tests/Logging not supported

I tried updating the firmware with the bootable .iso provided by the plextor website, but it failed.


It seems to be trying to download microcode ?
The crucial ssd bootable iso said the same thing, but didn't fail.
What's going on here ?
Does it look like the drive bit the dust ?

 

[NewMaxx]

Can't really tell much from the SMART. I have an old Plextor around, I might look at it to compare if I get the chance, but your B2 reading (178) is clearly not a percentage with 88 in hex implying 136 used reserve blocks. This is potentially a lot but can't really tell by what I see. The firmware is listed as 1.00 - the very first - when that drive got up to 1.07 (2013) I believe.

 

[Soulkeeper]

I'm just wondering why I can't update the firmware. Maybe I have to try in another system ?

 

[NewMaxx]

I'm just wondering why I can't update the firmware. Maybe I have to try in another system ?

Not sure. I know 1.07 is out there for Windows as the easiest way (supposedly).

 

[aigomorla]

Raw_Read_Error_Rate 0x0003 100 100 070 Pre-fail Always

I dont think that is normal?
I think your controller is starting its tango of death.
Maybe that is also why you can not update firmware.

 

[Soulkeeper]

I just soldered some leads on the ssd's bios chip and read the image with my external programmer.
Oddly enough the "1.BIN" that comes with the plextor update iso, is only 256KB
The image I read off the ssd is 1MB

was gonna flash it directly, but can't if the images aren't even the same size

 

[NewMaxx]

Can confirm, 1.BIN is 256KB. Reading Russian/Chinese forums suggests there are issues here, Plextor's changelog also indicates you may have to go to 1.05 first (except maybe via Plextool). I've uploaded it on my site here but the 1.BIN is 256KB in all revisions I've seen.

 

[Soulkeeper]

wow, thanks. I'll give that a try.
When the updater runs it says something like "preparing the firmware"
I suspect it reads the existing 1MB image, and then puts the 256KB update into that at some offset. Then writes it back.
The other areas are for things like smart and bad block tables (which i'd also like to reset).
I suspect the drive just got really hot one day causing a bunch of false errors and mapping a ton of sectors as bad, which are probably just fine.

 

[Soulkeeper]

Ok, I managed to get the firmware to update using my older system.
The bios on the new system only has AHCI as an option
Setting from AHCI to IDE on the older system allowed the firmware updater to work. Oddly enough in AHCI it detects and trys atleast.

Now I need to figure out how to do a factory reset and clear the smart tables.

 

[Soulkeeper]

Index of /px128m3

The .rom files are what I read off the ssd with my external bios programmer both before and after the update.
My setup right now:

Do you think it's possible to modify the defect table and smart areas to reset it ?

 

[NewMaxx]

Worked in IDE/legacy, huh? Interesting.

I believe the M3 uses the Marvell 88SS9174-BJP2 controller, aka the "VanGogh" controller. You would need the MPTool or utility for that. But you're already ahead of me on that; JTAG, OpenOCD, etc.

 

[Soulkeeper]

Ok, after upgrading the firmware to 1.07 I did the secure erase and 10x full drive writes/read without error. I guess it's still good.

 

[NewMaxx]

Thanks for the update. That sounds good.