[SOLVED] udma_crc_error_count is high

New disk was installed last week, I began the preclear and it was a very slow process. Way slower than even a PCI controlled disk should be. Today I began moving some data to the array. Since the new disk has the most room, data went straight to it. SLOW. Like 3000 kb/s max transfer rate. I use Total Commander, but tried Windows Explorer with no noticeable improvement.

I replaced the sata cable today, despite transfer rates reaching 35,000 kb/s with the previous 1TB FALS disk that was replaced. No increase in transfer speed.

Am I looking at another RMA?

S.M.A.R.T. report:

smartctl -a -d ata /dev/sdn (disk12)

=== START OF INFORMATION SECTION ===

Device Model:    WDC WD20EARS-00MVWB0

Serial Number:    WD-WCAZA8262273

Firmware Version: 51.0AB51

User Capacity:    2,000,398,934,016 bytes

Device is:        Not in smartctl database [for details use: -P showall]

ATA Version is:  8

ATA Standard is:  Exact ATA specification draft version not indicated

Local Time is:    Mon Oct 31 15:18:28 2011 PDT

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:  (0x80) Offline data collection activity

was never started.

Auto Offline Data Collection: Enabled.

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: (36780) 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: (  2) minutes.

Extended self-test routine

recommended polling time: ( 255) minutes.

Conveyance self-test routine

recommended polling time: (  5) minutes.

SCT capabilities:       (0x3035) SCT Status supported.

SCT Feature Control supported.

SCT Data Table supported.

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    0x002f  200  200  051    Pre-fail  Always      -      2

  3 Spin_Up_Time            0x0027  166  166  021    Pre-fail  Always      -      6683

  4 Start_Stop_Count        0x0032  100  100  000    Old_age  Always      -      15

  5 Reallocated_Sector_Ct  0x0033  200  200  140    Pre-fail  Always      -      0

  7 Seek_Error_Rate        0x002e  200  200  000    Old_age  Always      -      0

  9 Power_On_Hours          0x0032  100  100  000    Old_age  Always      -      165

10 Spin_Retry_Count        0x0032  100  253  000    Old_age  Always      -      0

11 Calibration_Retry_Count 0x0032  100  253  000    Old_age  Always      -      0

12 Power_Cycle_Count      0x0032  100  100  000    Old_age  Always      -      10

192 Power-Off_Retract_Count 0x0032  200  200  000    Old_age  Always      -      8

193 Load_Cycle_Count        0x0032  200  200  000    Old_age  Always      -      78

194 Temperature_Celsius    0x0022  125  120  000    Old_age  Always      -      25

196 Reallocated_Event_Count 0x0032  200  200  000    Old_age  Always      -      0

197 Current_Pending_Sector  0x0032  200  200  000    Old_age  Always      -      0

198 Offline_Uncorrectable  0x0030  100  253  000    Old_age  Offline      -      0

199 UDMA_CRC_Error_Count    0x0032  196  196  000    Old_age  Always      -      881355

200 Multi_Zone_Error_Rate  0x0008  100  253  000    Old_age  Offline      -      0

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 1

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.

Now at udma_crc_error_count=881579

syslog-2011-10-31.zip

that's crazy...

That error is usually a bad sata cable or a sata cable wrapped around a power wire.

change that out and see if it keeps counting up.

the other option is to swap connections with a "good drive" and see if the errors change drives or follow the drive.

if it follows the drive, i'd think it is bad internal connector on the drive.

Just for giggles, try jumpering pins 5-6 to slow the drive down to 1.5 instead of 3.0, I had a couple drives that wouldn't work at 3.0 but worked fine at a slower speed. I tried multiple bays, multiple cables, multiple drives, and it just worked out that some drives had to be slowed down to avoid errors.

I swapped SATA cables on this new slow disk with a known faster disk. Then I navigated directly to each disk, moving a ~1gb file to each. The "slow" disk allowed data to transfer at ~20,000kb/s, and the previous fast disk transferred at ~2,000kb/s. So, it appears to be an issue with the controller card and its PCI connection to the mobo. I can deal with that as long as the error count stays low. There's only a few gb of free space on it, anyway.

And errors are increasing on the disk that WAS fine, but is now connected to the PCI controller card. WTF? This card was fine until I swapped disks.

How many drives share the PCI bus? All of the slots can only support a single disk at full speed. Are any other PCI cards being used? The errors are odd because an overloaded PCI bus should be slow, not introduce errors.

How many drives share the PCI bus? All of the slots can only support a single disk at full speed. Are any other PCI cards being used? The errors are odd because an overloaded PCI bus should be slow, not introduce errors.

Just one disk on this PCI bus. Only one PCI card in use.

See attached image:

8775 is on the PCI card.

No errors on the 2273 disk (that's the newest one) since it was connected to a PCI-E card. The disk 8775 on that PCI card is nearly full, so it's okay to be throttled like that. I guess, anyway. :'(

Some conclusions:

1) Disk 2273 does not to be sent back as RMA.

2) Something is weird about that PCI controller card, no matter the disk that is connected to it.

So I finally had a chance to try the jumper set on pins 5 and 6 today. No luck. Error count is still increasing, and this is still present:

Jan 1 09:29:38 Tower kernel: ata13: SATA link up 1.5 Gbps (SStatus 113 SControl 310) (Drive related)
Jan 1 09:29:38 Tower kernel: ata13.00: configured for UDMA/33 (Drive related)
Jan 1 09:29:38 Tower kernel: ata13: EH complete (Drive related)
Jan 1 09:29:38 Tower kernel: ata13.00: exception Emask 0x12 SAct 0x0 SErr 0x1000500 action 0x6 (Errors)
Jan 1 09:29:38 Tower kernel: ata13.00: BMDMA stat 0x5 (Drive related)
Jan 1 09:29:38 Tower kernel: ata13: SError: { UnrecovData Proto TrStaTrns } (Errors)
Jan 1 09:29:38 Tower kernel: ata13.00: failed command: READ DMA EXT (Minor Issues)
Jan 1 09:29:38 Tower kernel: ata13.00: cmd 25/00:00:e8:03:a9/00:04:74:00:00/e0 tag 0 dma 524288 in (Drive related)
Jan 1 09:29:38 Tower kernel: res 51/84:6f:e8:03:a9/84:03:74:00:00/e0 Emask 0x12 (ATA bus error) (Errors)
Jan 1 09:29:38 Tower kernel: ata13.00: status: { DRDY ERR } (Drive related)
Jan 1 09:29:38 Tower kernel: ata13.00: error: { ICRC ABRT } (Errors)
Jan 1 09:29:38 Tower kernel: ata13: hard resetting link (Minor Issues)
Jan 1 09:29:38 Tower kernel: ata13: SATA link up 1.5 Gbps (SStatus 113 SControl 310) (Drive related)
Jan 1 09:29:38 Tower kernel: ata13.00: configured for UDMA/33 (Drive related)
Jan 1 09:29:38 Tower kernel: ata13: EH complete (Drive related)

I'm going to try the other open PCI slot for the card. I've already tried the other port on the card.

Same result on the other PCI slot.

Should I try a new card? I sure would like to use this disk.

syslog-2012-01-06.zip

card seems like the only common thing causing issues. thats what I would do (replace card).

Try monoprice.com for a PCI card.

Installed the new card and all is well. ZERO errors moving a file over and back. Full speed, too. Here's the offender:

http://www.via.com.tw/en/products/peripherals/serial-ata_raid/vt6421a/

Thanks to all for the help, and especially to mr-hexen.