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The Pesky PWDIS Feature In Newer SATA Specs

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Kwisatz-Haderach
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Thursday, December 21, 2017 6:41 AM (permalink)
Good day.
 
I have just learned that newer models of hard drives are starting to follow the SATA v3.3 specs where PIN 3 of the SATA Power Connector is used to disable connected hard drives when HIGH. This of course is ridiculous, since prior to the new SATA spec, PIN 3 was used to supply 3.3V, and so the signal is HIGH. See www.tomshardware.com/news/hdd-sata-power-disable-feature,36146.html
 
So now I have to worry about PIN 3 on my SuperNOVA 850 P2. Can EVGA tell me if the SATA cables supplied with the power supply have PIN 3 disconnected? Or at least LOW? If not, when can we expect EVGA to supply a variety of SATA cables where PIN 3 is disconnected?
 
Thank you.
Best Regards,
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    somethingc00l
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    Re: The Pesky PWDIS Feature In Newer SATA Specs Thursday, December 21, 2017 8:37 PM (permalink)
    Just use a molex to SATA if you have a drive with SATA 3.3 spec. I doubt EVGA is going to update a power supply designed before the 3.3 spec was even created.
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    Kwisatz-Haderach
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    Re: The Pesky PWDIS Feature In Newer SATA Specs Thursday, December 21, 2017 10:37 PM (permalink)
    They do not have to update the power supply. They SHOULD explain whether PIN 3 is HIGH or not, and then provide cables where PIN 3 is LOW. If the design of the plug on the PSU side does not change, newer cables with PIN 3 disabled will be just fine for older PSUs. In order to supply all my hard drives with power using Molex's, I would already have to buy one or two more PSU->Molex cables and a whole bunch of Molex->SATA adapters; I'd prefer getting two of those PSU->4xSATA cables where PIN 3 is disconnected. I see you are an admin here; any chance you can ask EVGA about this? Thank you.
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    ty_ger07
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    Re: The Pesky PWDIS Feature In Newer SATA Specs Thursday, December 21, 2017 11:24 PM (permalink)
    If that is the type of information you are after, please ask EVGA.
    https://www.evga.com/about/contactus/
    This is a user to user forum. Primarily what you will get here is help and opinion, not support. EVGA support personnel sometimes show up in the forums, but it is hit and miss.
    Please let us know EVGA's response.

    He is a game server admin.
    post edited by ty_ger07 - Thursday, December 21, 2017 11:33 PM

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    somethingc00l
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    Re: The Pesky PWDIS Feature In Newer SATA Specs Thursday, December 21, 2017 11:47 PM (permalink)
    Kwisatz-Haderach
    They do not have to update the power supply. They SHOULD explain whether PIN 3 is HIGH or not, and then provide cables where PIN 3 is LOW. If the design of the plug on the PSU side does not change, newer cables with PIN 3 disabled will be just fine for older PSUs. In order to supply all my hard drives with power using Molex's, I would already have to buy one or two more PSU->Molex cables and a whole bunch of Molex->SATA adapters; I'd prefer getting two of those PSU->4xSATA cables where PIN 3 is disconnected. I see you are an admin here; any chance you can ask EVGA about this? Thank you.


    I'm confused, do you have any of the hard drives with PWDIS enabled or not? Because if you have the drives, then you should be able to answer "whether PIN 3 is HIGH or not" yourself (or just grab a multimeter). And if you don't have any of the drives yet, then just buy the versions without PWDIS.
     
    You could also just tape over pin 3 on your connectors.
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    Kwisatz-Haderach
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    Re: The Pesky PWDIS Feature In Newer SATA Specs Friday, December 22, 2017 0:04 PM (permalink)
    Good day.
     
    ty_ger07 - Alright, I shall email EVGA.
     
    somethingc00l  - Nope, don't have one of those drives yet, but will need to upgrade a bunch of drives one day (in 3 years maybe?) and by then I *will* run into that problem; non-PWDIS drives will not be available for ever. I do have a multimeter, but that connector is pretty tiny and it will be annoying to measure; much simpler if the designer of the PSU tells us if their cables are SATA 3.3 compatible or not. Putting tape over a single pin is not a realistic solution. I /could/ possibly cut the 3.3v line, if I knew which it was (if I recall EVGA cables are like ribbon cable so this shouldn't be too hard) or scratch away the 3rd trace on the connector part (pretty hard). Or I could just buy a set of new cables where PIN 3 is already disconnected :-) They will have to make those cables at some point, why not now?
     
    Regards,
    post edited by Kwisatz-Haderach - Friday, December 22, 2017 0:06 PM
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    Kwisatz-Haderach
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    Re: The Pesky PWDIS Feature In Newer SATA Specs Wednesday, December 27, 2017 3:51 PM (permalink)
    Good day.
     
    Received response from EVGA:
     
    The PWDIS feature seems to be used mainly on server-class drives and PSUs. On our units, the 3.3V connection in the SATA power connection is live. I'm sorry, but I don't know of any plans to change this, as the units are focused on gaming/general use PCs, and not servers.

     
    So for now we wait. If PWDIS becomes mainstream, EVGA will likely source cables with a disabled/grounded PIN 3. In the meantime we gotta make our own.
     
    Thank you.
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    dennis97519
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    Re: The Pesky PWDIS Feature In Newer SATA Specs Wednesday, December 05, 2018 11:14 PM (permalink)
    It is more likely for nvme SSD to become mainstream before PWDIS becomes mainstream. 
     
    Also if you look around for SATA crimp on cable terminal, you'll realize that all the terminals have all three pins connected from one cable. It's going to take a great deal of money to make new sheet metal forming dies. Even Molex (official manufacturer of those connectors) do not have those available yet, and EVGA definitely does not have a factory to produce these things. I think the same will apply to the 90-degree insulation displacement terminals. So it isn't likely for EVGA to implement that standard at all, until connector companies start producing those parts. Or EVGA might just include some molex to SATA connectors and call it a day, like what Seasonic did.
     
    Also I agree with a corsair forum post that this standard update is pretty stupid for breaking backward compatibility with no good reasons.
    I mean, active LOW wouldn't affect MOLEX to SATA users, as the pin would just float, but it would enable people with the PSUs that complied with the older SATA spec to use the drive as the pin would be tied high, and thus power disable would not be active.
    If they made the pin active low this won't even become a problem. 
    post edited by dennis97519 - Wednesday, December 05, 2018 11:17 PM
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