who is using USB mass storage?

[mightyohm]

I know a few people are using USB memory sticks with the WL-520gU. I started playing with one this past weekend and ran into a weird issue - large memory sticks (1GB) won't mount if they are formatted with FAT. They do mount with ext3, however.

My 128MB stick works fine with FAT. No issues.

Is anyone else seeing this?

Also, has anyone seen any stability problems with USB storage? I remember this was a big deal when I first looked at the WL-520gU, but I think it was primarily in regards to USB2.0 (UHCI), not 1.1 (OHCI).

[kuangeleven]

I'm running openwrt r13135 on my ASUS WL-520gU. I have a hub connected to the usb port and the usb-audio adapter, ir receiver and usb stick connected to that. can mount FAT formatted memory sticks larger than 1GB, but I can't use them reliably. I've tried the hub externally powered and bus powered mode. It is currently bus powered because I didn't seem to experience a big different in behavior either way.

I've had luck loading mp3's on a 4g stick formatted vfat, mounting it read-only and pointing mpd at it (leaving the database and log files written to the routers filesystem).

When I mount sticks read-write, leave the db and logs on the stick and play them via mpd, I end up getting random usb disconnects. When I have a chance, I'll try reproduce the problem and post the errors I'm seeing. Ideally I'd have it mounted rw and be able to add/remove music from the stick using the router.

Some of the sticks I own seem to have worse of a time than others, but this had nothing to do with capacity. It seemed more related to age/manufacturer with the older, cheaper sticks I owned having more problems.

I've also encountered some strangeness when inserting a stick after the router has been booted vs. having in place when the router boots. I've seen at least one case where the partition table of a 4g stick couldn't be read with errors like the following;

Code: Select all

hub.c: new USB device 00:03.0-1.1.3, assigned address 6
scsi0 : SCSI emulation for USB Mass Storage devices
  Vendor: SanDisk   Model: Cruzer            Rev: 8.02
  Type:   Direct-Access                      ANSI SCSI revision: 02
Attached scsi removable disk sda at scsi0, channel 0, id 0, lun 0
sda : READ CAPACITY failed.
sda : status = 1, message = 00, host = 0, driver = 08 
Current sd00:00: sns = 70  6
ASC=3a ASCQ= 0
Raw sense data:0x70 0x00 0x06 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x0a 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x3a 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x00 
sda : block size assumed to be 512 bytes, disk size 1GB.  
Partition check:
 /dev/scsi/host0/bus0/target0/lun0: I/O error: dev 08:00, sector 0
 I/O error: dev 08:00, sector 0
 unable to read partition table

The same stick could be read fine if present at boot time.

[mightyohm]

Weird. I played with a 1GB stick formatted with ext3 for a while and it seemed to be ok. I have read something about the linux-2.4 kernel having issues with vfat before, that might be the problem you are running into with data corruption. Have you played with the 2.6 kernel at all? Last time I tried I couldn't even get it to boot...

[El1m1nate]

Im using the usb storage succesfully. Through a USB hub.
I did have an issue with a kingston 1GB stick formatted with fat.
It did strange things, i could copy files over to it. But when i removed them, they where still there, and if i tried again, the device would give me an error. Next time i mounted it the error would still be there. I was not able to remove any files from it. I formatted it again, and same problem.

I found a 256mb stick, formatted it with ext2, and its working great.
i can easily install packages on it, and it will mount at boot.

[artoo-detoo.net]

I tried for a few days to get vfat to work, but gave up and resorted to ext3. It's been working great, stick is 1GB (I think Toshiba chips inside), it's mounted thru an old USB 1.0 hub (unpowered) that's also driving a C-Media USB stick, and a serial USB device (FTDI)

The only problem I'm having right now is that MPD is chopping the end off all my track, well almost always. If I add a single track to a play list and then set repeat on, it makes it thru, and then repeats. But if it only plays once, then it chops the last couple of seconds. madplay works fine on the same MP3's.

I've googled but can't find an answer, I've tried the gapless recommendation, and tested multiple MP3 (some non-Variable bit rate) but none of the suggestions I've found work.

Current application for my 520 is to help replace my clunky RC remote on my Artoo, with an iPAQ via Wi-Fi.

iPAQ -> Asus 520 -> ARDUINO -> Speed Controllers / Servos
+ C-Media for Sound

I've managed to write simple application to communicate thru from the iPAQ to the Asus and can control sound and send commands to the Arduino.

Chris
www.artoo-detoo.net

[mightyohm]

Chris,

What version of mpd are you using?

[artoo-detoo.net]

Good question, I downloaded the latest 8.0 9tree and compiled from there, using a 2.4 kernel.

Versions:

mpc - 0.14-1
mpd - 0.14-1

I'm hoping to tweak the MPD code to include some extra functionality specific to my R2-D2 project. e.g. Instead of shuffle/random. I need to introduce random delays between tracks.

Chris

[El1m1nate]

hmm, why not just create some mp3s with x seconds of no sound? ie 1 second,2 seconds,3 seconds and put them into the shuffle list?

[artoo-detoo.net]

Because I want to guarantee a delay (long) between tracks. Having the potential of many back to back R2-D2 sounds playing is not acceptable.

[artoo-detoo.net]

I also created a work around to the chopped MP3's. I now add a second (empty) track to the playlist, it's never played, but the first one on the list now finishes.