MacBook Air Rev A with RunCore 1.8" Pro IV PATA ZIF Drive *ZIF PROBLEMS*

[GillesB]

Re: MacBook Air Rev A with RunCore 1.8" Pro IV PATA ZIF Drive *ZIF PROBLEMS*

@ Tony,

Could you please tell us what did you do to have it seen on an MBA, and give a Apple system Info copy instead of quick bench, so that we can compare actual EFI versions, and hardware revisions. Please provide actual information...

@ Chris LIU

Being on Mac machines since 1994, I can assure you that a Revision means that the hardware is Identical for all machines under that Rev version.

Then the firmware (EFI) is updtaed from time to time and my machine is always up to date, was you test machine as well up to date?

The MBA exists in three Rev's

Rev A : MacBook Air - Technical Specifications

Rev B: MacBook Air (Late 2008) - Technical Specifications

Rev C : MacBook Air (Mid 2009) - Technical Specifications

The two last ones being with SATA drives, you can easily conclude that there is only one ZIF PATA Rev which is the REV A.

RGDS

[vintueil]

Re: MacBook Air Rev A with RunCore 1.8" Pro IV PATA ZIF Drive *ZIF PROBLEMS*

My Runcore Drive is labelled as: Initio 128G-C SSD

What do I have to say, It boots perfectly on USB, but is not recognized when connected to the Zif cable.

I even tried to define a smaller boot partition. No way.
I don't think that it there is a problem with some hardware or software changes. The original drive is working properly.

The screenshots posted here are frome a machine running 10.5.2. So...?
The Boot ROM Version of my machine is: MBA11.00BB.B03

Please don't tell us, you made your test on older machines and the drive is not working on up-to-date-Macbooks...

My Macbook Air is right out of the box and works with all kinds of soft- and hardware... until now.

[santala]

Re: MacBook Air Rev A with RunCore 1.8" Pro IV PATA ZIF Drive *ZIF PROBLEMS*

The version of Mac OS X can't make a difference here, because the drive is not seen by the computer at all. I have even tried Linux which didn't see the drive either. This is a hardware or firmware issue, not software.

[vintueil]

Re: MacBook Air Rev A with RunCore 1.8" Pro IV PATA ZIF Drive *ZIF PROBLEMS*

Hardware or firmware problem in relation with the Macbook Air Rev A or with the Runcore SSD drive?

As I said, my MBA rev A is right out of the box - with the usual official updates from Apple. I think, when I buy a product labelled "Solid State Drive for Macbook Air Rev A", this product ought to be running on this particular machine.

If not, for me it's a DOA of the Runcore Drive.

[GillesB]

Re: MacBook Air Rev A with RunCore 1.8" Pro IV PATA ZIF Drive *ZIF PROBLEMS*

I spoke with My Apple Maintenance center expert 10' ago, he clearly said that the MBA (any Mac Laptop) won't see the drive if it is in Cable Select.

It is absolutely mandatory that the drive is set in Master.

The guy tried with a 1,8" HD on an MBA and could reproduce the phenomenom that the MBA sees the drive once and not a second time if in cable select mode.

Can someone from Runcore answer my question:

HOW can we set the SSD to Master instead of CS?

Please this is one week we're working on that, I killed one full day of installing / removing the drive from my computer.

I need to move on as I have to install Snow Leopard on my machine ASAP.

RGDS Gilles

[Chris.Liu]

Re: MacBook Air Rev A with RunCore 1.8" Pro IV PATA ZIF Drive *ZIF PROBLEMS*

Gilles thanks for your information.
maybe we need analyse issue from all the possible sides,
our engineers are trying their best to solve this issue, and I believe they will make it.
So we will give you a satisfied answer. thanks

[GillesB]

Re: MacBook Air Rev A with RunCore 1.8" Pro IV PATA ZIF Drive *ZIF PROBLEMS*

Gilles thanks for your information.
maybe we need analyse issue from all the possible sides,
our engineers are trying their best to solve this issue, and I believe they will make it.
So we will give you a satisfied answer. thanks

This does not answer my question : How can I set this drive on Master?

Please answer this question as I think we've all been patient and listening to your messages that you were working on it but the current outcome isn't very tangible.

Thanks

[Martijn]

Re: MacBook Air Rev A with RunCore 1.8" Pro IV PATA ZIF Drive *ZIF PROBLEMS*

Okay,

It's clear now, it's a firmware issue.

@GillesB: Since the SSD-drives doesn't come with a dipswitch, it's not possible to change the cableselect/master-settings by yourself: the firmware needs to be reflashed and for that you need 2 things: a new firmware and software to flash it. We haven't got both.

I really hope the firmware can be flashed via USB. Otherwise it would mean we have to send the drive back or buy an ZIF > IDE convertor.

It's also clear that Runcore made a mistake by labeling it 'for Macbook Air rev. A' (still on the site) without testing it on such a machine. That said, it can't be changed for now, so we have to deal with it and give the guys at RunCore some time to solve it, in which I'm still confident.

So Runcore: keep us informed and tell us good news asap...

[GillesB]

Re: MacBook Air Rev A with RunCore 1.8" Pro IV PATA ZIF Drive *ZIF PROBLEMS*

@ Martijn

I expected it to be a setting to be done via some software.

This is quite common, and even if the software is only available on a PC I would like to get it ASAP.

Up to now the messages we get are all :" we believe our engineers will solve the problem" which one week after discovery is a bit short, when repeated several times....

I would like them to move on and give us a chnace to try.

I even don't know if they did a mistake badging it, may be it's a manufacturing issue, and they truly tested it on an MBA but in CS.

RGDS

Gilles

[foobug]

Re: MacBook Air Rev A with RunCore 1.8" Pro IV PATA ZIF Drive *ZIF PROBLEMS*

today i received the 128gb ssd and have the same problem.
as usb drive no problem. change the ssd from external to internal the hdd isn't working.

[Martijn]

Re: MacBook Air Rev A with RunCore 1.8" Pro IV PATA ZIF Drive *ZIF PROBLEMS*

@Gilles:

I agree.

I read somewhere earlier: "The drive is set to cable select and if we make it master all of those PC's that were not working should now work unfortunately all except the MBA."

So even if we could somehow change CS to Master, it's not a solution. A prefer a one-time-fix-it-all solution.

So Runcore should deliver a new firmware that fixes the MBA Rev. A initial problem and a simple tool (Mac of Windows, doesn't matter) to flash the firmware...

I Just recieved the Snow Leopard upgrade. This gives me another good reasons why I really would like to get busy with the SSD-drive on my MBA...

So the question is: Any news yet, Roncore Marketing?

[GillesB]

Re: MacBook Air Rev A with RunCore 1.8" Pro IV PATA ZIF Drive *ZIF PROBLEMS*

@Martijn

I agree with you and in addition I don't really unserstand wh we should care about other PC's as the drive is "designed" for the MacBookAir.
It should be set for it and if not working with other PC's then there is the other version (Non MBA) available.

I also would like what is the difference in between:

128GB: RCP-IV-P1828-C (Std)

and

128GB: RCP-IV-ZA1828-C (MBA Rev A)

If you read that page: http://www.runcore.com/content/products/

You'll see that that they know the differences ;=)

GillesB

[Tony Almeida]

Re: MacBook Air Rev A with RunCore 1.8" Pro IV PATA ZIF Drive *ZIF PROBLEMS*

@ Martijn

I expected it to be a setting to be done via some software.

This is quite common, and even if the software is only available on a PC I would like to get it ASAP.

Up to now the messages we get are all :" we believe our engineers will solve the problem" which one week after discovery is a bit short, when repeated several times....

I would like them to move on and give us a chnace to try.

I even don't know if they did a mistake badging it, may be it's a manufacturing issue, and they truly tested it on an MBA but in CS.

RGDS

Gilles

You can't setting it to master mode by software.Also not the manufacturing issue.It's seems like compatible issue.

[GillesB]

Re: MacBook Air Rev A with RunCore 1.8" Pro IV PATA ZIF Drive *ZIF PROBLEMS*

Tony,

Are you from runcore?

Why do you mean by "compatible issue" ?

Thx

[Martijn]

Re: MacBook Air Rev A with RunCore 1.8" Pro IV PATA ZIF Drive *ZIF PROBLEMS*

Hi Martijn,

www.supportrix.com. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>

I assume this is some kind of SPAM...