Does anyone has some feedback on my synchronizing problems described below?

Since a few weeks I do have problems during synchronizing. The 'synchronizing' symbol on the player halts for a few seconds, the HD seems to ' tick', and when monitoring the COM port, I get the message
hda: irq timeout: status=0xd0
ide0: reset: success
At the same moment the synchronizing symbol on the player is moving again.

FAQ checked, HD tested in laptop (reformat, install Suse Linux-->OK), reformatted drive (empeg drive builder), reassembled the player, and attempt to reinstall music. Same errrors. Discussed with David, probably bad drive cable? Replacement cable installed.

First batch upload (player still open) went 100% ok. Player lid closed again, start uploading the rest of the batch. Problem present again.Top lid off again, 100% ok upload etc.

Conclusion: it seems that when I do not cover the player with the metal cover, uploads are OK, when closed, the errors return. I checked whether or not the top lid presses the cable. Seems not the case. And covering the lid with something else has no negative effect . Until.... I cover it with something else metal like , leading to suspect something electrical?

When checking the outside of the player, it seems that it is not 0 volt, the wall plug however seems to be standard 0 volt.

Any suggestions?

Data:
Mk2a, replaced drive cable, HD 40Gb toshiba
power adapters tested: original empeg + IBM laptop adapter
Software 2b11, hijack 278

NB: I checked my backup unit: same voltage results, however no (not yet?) upload problems. This system is original, unmodified 10Gb

Sounds like an overheating issue. As good as the player design is, it tends to be very harsh temperature-wise on disk drives.

The symptoms you report could be a drive not liking the temperature it's being forced to run at, or a connector losing contact somewhere as the metal warms up and expands.

Cheers

And covering the lid with something else has no negative effect

> Sounds like an overheating issue. As good as the player design is, it tends to be very harsh temperature-wise on disk drives.

Just tested: cover off: 32 degrees (66F): no problems, uploading 6 songs (40Mb). Cover on, 32 degrees, within 15 seconds first errors recorded on COM1

> The symptoms you report could be a drive not liking the temperature it's being forced to run at,
> or a connector losing contact somewhere as the metal warms up and expands.

Originally I thought the same, however the reproduceable errors (lid on: within 15seconds the first error) doesn't seem to be in line with this

Jelle

And you're sure the lid isn't touching anything other than the edges of the case?

One user reported that the drive cable was scraping against the edges of the ventilation holes in the lid, and had scraped some bare metal on the cables.

Also make sure it's not contacting anything else like bare circuits on the display board.

Yeah, that was me. And it wasn't against the vent holes... it was just the bare metal in the case that's rough enough to wear away the plastic on the wires.

Do a quick inspection of your drive cable and make sure there aren't any worn away points where there is bare wire exposed. My unit showed the same symptoms, and some electrical tape over the worn wires fixed it up. I still have to stick the new drive cable David sent me in there... but it works for now so i haven't bothered.