WD20EARS differences?! why?

WD Internal Drives Desktop & Mobile Drives
1

Hi all,

I have 2 WD20EARS drives, they look to be the same model WD20EARS-00MVWB0 with the same firmware version 51.0AB51 but there are some differences.

One disk reports acoustics management and the other doesn’t

One disk reports Logical sector size 512 and Physical sector size 512, the other disk reports Logical sector size 512 and Physical sector size 4096

Any clue what’s going on here? They’re both connected to the onboard intel controller in an Atom D2700MUD board, port 1 and 2. See below for the output of my HDPARM -I.

/dev/sdb:

ATA device, with non-removable media
        Model Number: WDC WD20EARS-00MVWB0
        Serial Number: WD-[Deleted]
        Firmware Revision: 51.0AB51
        Transport: Serial, SATA 1.0a, SATA II Extensions, SATA Rev 2.5, SATA Rev 2.6
Standards:
        Supported: 8 7 6 5
        Likely used: 8
Configuration:
        Logical max current
        cylinders 16383 16383
        heads 16 16
        sectors/track 63 63
        --
        CHS current addressable sectors: 16514064
        LBA user addressable sectors: 268435455
        LBA48 user addressable sectors: 3907029168
        Logical/Physical Sector size: 512 bytes
        device size with M = 1024*1024: 1907729 MBytes
        device size with M = 1000*1000: 2000398 MBytes (2000 GB)
        cache/buffer size = unknown
Capabilities:
        LBA, IORDY(can be disabled)
        Queue depth: 32
        Standby timer values: spec'd by Standard, with device specific minimum
        R/W multiple sector transfer: Max = 16 Current = 16
        Recommended acoustic management value: 128, current value: 254
        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
           * NOP cmd
           * DOWNLOAD_MICROCODE
                Power-Up In Standby feature set
           * SET_FEATURES required to spinup after power up
                SET_MAX security extension
                Automatic Acoustic Management feature set
           * 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
           * 64-bit World wide name
           * WRITE_UNCORRECTABLE_EXT command
           * {READ,WRITE}_DMA_EXT_GPL commands
           * Segmented DOWNLOAD_MICROCODE
           * Gen1 signaling speed (1.5Gb/s)
           * Gen2 signaling speed (3.0Gb/s)
           * Native Command Queueing (NCQ)
           * Host-initiated interface power management
           * Phy event counters
           * NCQ priority information
           * DMA Setup Auto-Activate optimization
           * Software settings preservation
           * SMART Command Transport (SCT) feature set
           * SCT LBA Segment Access (AC2)
           * SCT Features Control (AC4)
           * SCT Data Tables (AC5)
                unknown 206[12] (vendor specific)
                unknown 206[13] (vendor specific)
Security:
        Master password revision code = 65534
                supported
        not enabled
        not locked
        not frozen
        not expired: security count
                supported: enhanced erase
        368min for SECURITY ERASE UNIT. 368min for ENHANCED SECURITY ERASE UNIT.
Logical Unit WWN Device Identifier: 50014ee6007b1d37
        NAA : 5
        IEEE OUI : 0014ee
        Unique ID : 6007b1d37
Checksum: correct

/dev/sda:

ATA device, with non-removable media
        Model Number: WDC WD20EARS-00MVWB0
        Serial Number: WD-[Deleted]
        Firmware Revision: 51.0AB51
        Transport: Serial, SATA 1.0a, SATA II Extensions, SATA Rev 2.5, SATA Rev 2.6
Standards:
        Supported: 8 7 6 5
        Likely used: 8
Configuration:
        Logical max current
        cylinders 16383 16383
        heads 16 16
        sectors/track 63 63
        --
        CHS current addressable sectors: 16514064
        LBA user addressable sectors: 268435455
        LBA48 user addressable sectors: 3907029168
        Logical Sector size: 512 bytes
        Physical Sector size: 4096 bytes
        Logical Sector-0 offset: 0 bytes
        device size with M = 1024*1024: 1907729 MBytes
        device size with M = 1000*1000: 2000398 MBytes (2000 GB)
        cache/buffer size = unknown
Capabilities:
        LBA, IORDY(can be disabled)
        Queue depth: 32
        Standby timer values: spec'd by Standard, with device specific minimum
        R/W multiple sector transfer: Max = 16 Current = 16
        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
           * NOP cmd
           * DOWNLOAD_MICROCODE
                Power-Up In Standby feature set
           * SET_FEATURES required to spinup after power up
                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
           * 64-bit World wide name
           * WRITE_UNCORRECTABLE_EXT command
           * {READ,WRITE}_DMA_EXT_GPL commands
           * Segmented DOWNLOAD_MICROCODE
           * Gen1 signaling speed (1.5Gb/s)
           * Gen2 signaling speed (3.0Gb/s)
           * Native Command Queueing (NCQ)
           * Host-initiated interface power management
           * Phy event counters
           * NCQ priority information
           * DMA Setup Auto-Activate optimization
           * Software settings preservation
           * SMART Command Transport (SCT) feature set
           * SCT LBA Segment Access (AC2)
           * SCT Features Control (AC4)
           * SCT Data Tables (AC5)
                unknown 206[12] (vendor specific)
                unknown 206[13] (vendor specific)
Security:
        Master password revision code = 65534
                supported
        not enabled
        not locked
        not frozen
        not expired: security count
                supported: enhanced erase
        378min for SECURITY ERASE UNIT. 378min for ENHANCED SECURITY ERASE UNIT.
Logical Unit WWN Device Identifier: 50014ee25b8b4ae8
        NAA : 5
        IEEE OUI : 0014ee
        Unique ID : 25b8b4ae8
Checksum: correct
2

One is Advance formart and the other dont…

the advance format is the one with the 4096 bytes (4K)

Check the link below

http://www.wdc.com/wdproducts/library/WhitePapers/ENG/2579-771430.pdf

1 Like
3

Probably has to do with the AF jumper being set during format on one, but not the other…

1 Like
4

I think this must be the case then, I have checked the AF jumper but both drives do not have a jumper on them, all pins are empty. I would have expected that if one was AF and the other wasn’t they would have had some different minor model version or something.

Having the jumper connected when creating a partition shouldn’t matter as this are parameters of the physical drive, not the partition. But thanks for the suggestion.

5

If you haven’t done so already, you might want to review this:

http://www.wdc.com/wdproducts/library/Flyer/ENG/2178-771123.pdf

6

I’ve had the time to take the drives out and it turn out they are both AF drives according to the label:

7

The ATA standard provides several words in the Identify Device information block for reporting the drive’s logical and physical sector sizes. These words are optional, so it appears that WD chooses not to use them in certain models or firmware versions.

Note that, even though the two drives are reporting the same overall firmware version, their individual firmware modules may vary. These firmware modules are stored in a hidden System Area (SA) on the platters. I suspect that MOD 02 would contain the AF information.

8

Uhm yes… well.

Still a bit confused; let me get this straight. According to the labels they are both the same model, both have the same firmware and both are AF drives.

So far so good; then WD decides to put some second layer firmware in that effectively disables the advanced format capabilities? Or at least doesn’t report 4K sector sizes to the OS effectively reporting the disk as a non-AF disk?

No that I doubt what you are saying but it sounds a bit silly.

9

AIUI, both drives are AF drives, but one of them is not reporting that fact.

FYI, here is a repository of firmware resources for several WD drives:
http://www.datadonor.net/index.php?folder=SEQgV2VzdGVybiBEaWdpdGFsL1JveWwgU2VyaWVz

Here is your model:
http://www.datadonor.net/HD%20Western%20Digital/Royl%20Series/WDC%20WD20EARS-00MVWB0.rar

AIUI, MOD 11 is the module that contains the code responsible for implementing the ATA commands. It is located within the SA on the platters.

MOD 02 contains identity information such as model number, serial number, capacity, password, etc.

MOD 0D exists near the end of the flash memory (aka “ROM”) on the PCB. It contains the firmware version.

As you can see, the firmware consists of numerous modules. The two drives may have identical MOD 11 versions, but other modules may vary.

You can probably see this more clearly in Seagate’s case:
http://www.users.on.net/~fzabkar/HDD/GR-CC4H.TXT

The above is the configuration file for one of Seagate’s firmware updates. It lists the firmware “package versions” that qualify for the update.

The following examples show several different package versions (eg GR753D.CCD4.BD02AR.CC4C.D39A) which are all upgraded to CC4H. In each case the overall firmware version is CC4C.

ST2000DM001-9YN164;GR753D.CCD4.BD02AR.CC4C.D39A;GRCC4H6H.LOD;GR753D.CCD4.BN01BC.CC4H.D3A9
ST2000DM001-9YN164;GR753D.CCD4.BJ01AZ.CC4C.D3A2;GRCC4H6H.LOD;GR753D.CCD4.BN01BC.CC4H.D3A9
ST2000DM001-9YN164;GR753D.CCD4.BL01AZ.CC4C.D3A7;GRCC4H6H.LOD;GR753D.CCD4.BN01BC.CC4H.D3A9
ST2000DM001-9YN164;GR753C.CCD4.BD02AR.CC4C.D39A;GRCC4H6H.LOD;GR753D.CCD4.BN01BC.CC4H.D3A9
ST2000DM001-9YN164;GR753C.CCD4.BJ01AZ.CC4C.D3A2;GRCC4H6H.LOD;GR753D.CCD4.BN01BC.CC4H.D3A9
ST2000DM001-9YN164;GR753C.CCD4.BL01AZ.CC4C.D3A7;GRCC4H6H.LOD;GR753D.CCD4.BN01BC.CC4H.D3A9