SM Bus Controller (missing)

Archived from groups: alt.comp.periphs.mainboard.abit (More info?)

the manual for the IC7-G states that the SATA controller (they don't state
which controller...) does not support hard drives of less than ATA100
capability. I took that to also mean that ATAPI devices are not supported.

do you (obviously) have a Serillel-2 adaptor on the SATA channel to the
CD-RW drive? seems to me that you would get better performance by having
the ATAPI device on one of the regular IDE channels and one of the hard
drives on the SATA via the Serillel-2 adaptor.

as for the SMBus device, that was resolved for me by installing the newest
version of the Intel Inf chipset drivers which can be downloaded off the
Intel web site.

--

Thomas Geery
Network+ certified

ftp://geerynet.d2g.com
ftp://68.98.180.8 Abit Mirror <----- Cable modem IP
This IP is dynamic so it *could* change!...
over 130,000 FTP users served!
^^^^^^^




"Harry Oehlers" <oehlers@singnet.com.sg> wrote in message
news:6dd990pbd7c706m7r97fahid5e0s6qt665@4ax.com...
> I would appreciate any help in solving my problem. I have a new pc with an
> IC7-G mobo and 3.0gig CPU. It has been running well until today, when I
made
> some changes to the hardware.
>
> I did have a single SATA HDD connected to the SATA-2 connector, a CD-RW
drive
> connected to the SATA-1 connector and one IDE HDD.
>
> What I did was to switch the SATA connections and add another 3 drives so
I
> now have:
>
> 1 SATA HDD connected to SATA-1
> 1 CD-RW connected to SATA-2
> 2 HDD connected to IDE-1 as Master and Slave
> 2 HDD connected to IDE-2 as Master and Slave.
>
> When I started my system, which is running Windows-XP, I found that all
HDD
> were shown but the CD-RW drive was not displayed. I confirmed that the
CD-RW
> was recognised when booting.
>
> Upon checking further in Windows' Device Manager, I found the item "SM Bus
> Controller" with a question mark next to it. I tried using Windows' wizard
to
> look for drivers in the floppy that came with the mobo, but it didn't find
> anything suitable. I couldn't do the same with Abit's CD, nor with the
WinXP
> CD, as the CD-RW drive is not recognised by windows.
>
> Later, I went into the Integrated Peripherals section of BIOS and changed
the
> OnChip Serial ATA item to Enhanced (from Auto). The manual says that this
will
> enable support for 6 IDE drives. Maybe I should have done this earlier but
I
> don't feel this was the cause of my problem.
>
> One more thing - I didn't have any problems when I first installed WinXP
into
> the empty SATA drive. All went well and I've been running the setup for
about
> a week now. The problem with the "SM Bus Controller" only arose when I
added
> and made changes to the hardware as described above.
>
> Any ideas for a solution, anyone. I can still operate my system, albeit
> without the CR-RW drive, but I'd like to set things right as soon as I
can.
> I'd be grateful for your help. Thanks.
>
> --
> Harry Oehlers
> oehlers@singnet.com.sg

Archived from groups: alt.comp.periphs.mainboard.abit (More info?)

On Sun, 02 May 2004 17:21:45 +0800, Harry Oehlers <oehlers@singnet.com.sg>
wrote:

>I would appreciate any help in solving my problem. I have a new pc with an
>IC7-G mobo and 3.0gig CPU. It has been running well until today, when I made
>some changes to the hardware.
>
>I did have a single SATA HDD connected to the SATA-2 connector, a CD-RW drive
>connected to the SATA-1 connector and one IDE HDD.
>
>What I did was to switch the SATA connections and add another 3 drives so I
>now have:
>
>1 SATA HDD connected to SATA-1
>1 CD-RW connected to SATA-2
>2 HDD connected to IDE-1 as Master and Slave
>2 HDD connected to IDE-2 as Master and Slave.
>
>When I started my system, which is running Windows-XP, I found that all HDD
>were shown but the CD-RW drive was not displayed. I confirmed that the CD-RW
>was recognised when booting.
>
>Upon checking further in Windows' Device Manager, I found the item "SM Bus
>Controller" with a question mark next to it. I tried using Windows' wizard to
>look for drivers in the floppy that came with the mobo, but it didn't find
>anything suitable. I couldn't do the same with Abit's CD, nor with the WinXP
>CD, as the CD-RW drive is not recognised by windows.
>
>Later, I went into the Integrated Peripherals section of BIOS and changed the
>OnChip Serial ATA item to Enhanced (from Auto). The manual says that this will
>enable support for 6 IDE drives. Maybe I should have done this earlier but I
>don't feel this was the cause of my problem.
>
>One more thing - I didn't have any problems when I first installed WinXP into
>the empty SATA drive. All went well and I've been running the setup for about
>a week now. The problem with the "SM Bus Controller" only arose when I added
>and made changes to the hardware as described above.
>
>Any ideas for a solution, anyone. I can still operate my system, albeit
>without the CR-RW drive, but I'd like to set things right as soon as I can.
>I'd be grateful for your help. Thanks.

I read in another thread about having to install Intel's INF file (?). Can
someone tell me where this can be found.

Another thing, any ideas on why this went missing in the first place?

Thanks.

--
Harry Oehlers
oehlers@singnet.com.sg

Archived from groups: alt.comp.periphs.mainboard.abit (More info?)

"Harry Oehlers" <oehlers@singnet.com.sg> skrev i en meddelelse
news:cli990h3llb6c86p55idspcok3tvn56rod@4ax.com...
> On Sun, 02 May 2004 17:21:45 +0800, Harry Oehlers <oehlers@singnet.com.sg>
> wrote:
>
> I read in another thread about having to install Intel's INF file (?). Can
> someone tell me where this can be found.

The Intel Chipset driver should be installed prior to any other driver! It
will probably solve your probs.

Get it from www.intel.com

Zulu

Archived from groups: alt.comp.periphs.mainboard.abit (More info?)

"Harry Oehlers" wrote in message...
> I did have a single SATA HDD connected to the SATA-2 connector,
> a CD-RW drive connected to the SATA-1 connector

Is this CD-RW drive a native S-ATA device or are you running it via a
Serillel 2 converter?

> When I started my system, which is running Windows-XP, I found
> that all HDD were shown but the CD-RW drive was not displayed.

As Tom says, the Intel S-ATA controller does not support legacy P-ATA hard
drives and ATAPI devices properly. If you got an ATAPI CD-RW drive working
on it in the first place, you were more than a little bit lucky.

> Upon checking further in Windows' Device Manager, I found the item
> "SM Bus Controller" with a question mark next to it. I tried using
> Windows' wizard to look for drivers in the floppy that came with
> the mobo, but it didn't find anything suitable.

Ironically, the driver you need is on the CD, but it can also be downloaded
from both Abit and Intel's websites.

> The problem with the "SM Bus Controller" only arose when I added
> and made changes to the hardware as described above.

I find that a little difficult to believe. The SM Bus Controller would
spontaneously disappear after a hardware change. The overwhelming likelihood
is that this device was never installed, but you only noticed the problem
after you started changing the hardware round.

> Any ideas for a solution, anyone. I can still operate my system,
> albeit without the CR-RW drive, but I'd like to set things right
> as soon as I can.

You have two separate issues to solve here. The first is that you don't seem
to have installed the Intel chipset drivers (and maybe others???), while you
also need to get the CD-RW drive on the correct controller.

> I'd be grateful for your help. Thanks.

You can download the Intel Chipset Update here:
http://fae.abit.com.tw/eng/download/driver/dldriver.php...

(You may need to reassemble the link above if it wraps over two lines)

If the CD-RW drive is a parallel ATA device connected via a Serillel
converter, you need to connect it via the Silicon Image controller (i.e.
SATA3 and SATA4). If the controller isn't enabled, do so via the Add-On PCI
Devices section inside Integrated Peripherals section of the BIOS, and then
install the drivers in Windows.
--


Richard Hopkins
Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom
(replace .nospam with .com in reply address)

The UK's leading technology reseller www.dabs.com
Get the most out of your digital photos www.dabsxpose.com

Archived from groups: alt.comp.periphs.mainboard.abit (More info?)

(I am repeating my response to Richard's post. Unfortunately can't to the same
for my response to Tom as I have deleted that. I realise I pressed the wrong
icon and sent them off by email, which I shouldn't have done. My apologies to
both gentlemen.)

On Sun, 2 May 2004 20:08:51 +0100, "Richard Hopkins" <richh@dsl.nospam.co.uk>
wrote:

>"Harry Oehlers" wrote in message...
>> I did have a single SATA HDD connected to the SATA-2 connector,
>> a CD-RW drive connected to the SATA-1 connector
>
>Is this CD-RW drive a native S-ATA device or are you running it via a
>Serillel 2 converter?

I was running it on a converter. However, I have to admit after thinking about
it, that I must have been running it on an IDE channel and only switched it
when I added the HDDs when my problem began. Sorry.

>> When I started my system, which is running Windows-XP, I found
>> that all HDD were shown but the CD-RW drive was not displayed.
>
>As Tom says, the Intel S-ATA controller does not support legacy P-ATA hard
>drives and ATAPI devices properly. If you got an ATAPI CD-RW drive working
>on it in the first place, you were more than a little bit lucky.

My model is an MSI CD52-M. Part of the specs on their web site say:
• Enhanced IDE/ATAPI interface
• PIO Mode 4, DMA Mode 2 and UDMA Mode 2

Would this make a difference? The drive is recognised by BIOS without problems
and it has worked well to install Windows - I reinstalled two or three times
today to try and troubleshoot. Because of this I am beginning to wonder
whether this is a problem with Windows not being able to detect the drive on
an SATA channel. It's not a question of drivers as the device did not appear
in Device Manager with a question/exclamation mark.

But I guess these are all moot questions now. For my last reinstall, I
connected the drive to an IDE channel and it was recognised without
difficulty.

>> Upon checking further in Windows' Device Manager, I found the item
>> "SM Bus Controller" with a question mark next to it. I tried using
>> Windows' wizard to look for drivers in the floppy that came with
>> the mobo, but it didn't find anything suitable.
>
>Ironically, the driver you need is on the CD, but it can also be downloaded
>from both Abit and Intel's websites.

The missing "SM Bus controller" issue is still there, though, even after
reinstalling Windows. This is "solved" by installing the file from the link
you provided. But I wonder, what is this controller and what does it control?
It being missing does not appear to have had any adverse effect on my PC's
configuration.

>> The problem with the "SM Bus Controller" only arose when I added
>> and made changes to the hardware as described above.
>
>I find that a little difficult to believe. The SM Bus Controller would
>spontaneously disappear after a hardware change. The overwhelming likelihood
>is that this device was never installed, but you only noticed the problem
>after you started changing the hardware round.

I believe you are right here. I probably never had reason to look in Device
Manager until I had my problem and then jumped to the wrong conclusion. But I
still wonder what is it's purpose.

>> Any ideas for a solution, anyone. I can still operate my system,
>> albeit without the CR-RW drive, but I'd like to set things right
>> as soon as I can.
>
>You have two separate issues to solve here. The first is that you don't seem
>to have installed the Intel chipset drivers (and maybe others???), while you
>also need to get the CD-RW drive on the correct controller.

Besides the SM Bus Controller, the only other device showing a question mark
after the last reinstall is Multimedia Audio Controller but I'll put this
right when I install the drivers from the Abit CD. The CD=RW drive is now
showing in Windows after I've switched it to an IDE channel. (But it was okay
when connected to SATA for an earlier installation of Windows from a CD-ROM.
It puzzles me that Abit's BIOS picks it up okay but Windows will not.)

>> I'd be grateful for your help. Thanks.
>
>You can download the Intel Chipset Update here:
>http://fae.abit.com.tw/eng/download/driver/dldriver.php...
>
>(You may need to reassemble the link above if it wraps over two lines)

Thanks. This file solves the missing SM Bus Controller issue.

>If the CD-RW drive is a parallel ATA device connected via a Serillel
>converter, you need to connect it via the Silicon Image controller (i.e.
>SATA3 and SATA4). If the controller isn't enabled, do so via the Add-On PCI
>Devices section inside Integrated Peripherals section of the BIOS, and then
>install the drivers in Windows.

For this I have to say that I was looking at the manual that came with my
board, which say IC7-G. The board itself is, in fact, an IC7 model without
SATA3 and SATA4. Don't know why I didn't look at the board itself...

Thank you so much for your help. If you can clarify further on the purpose of
the SM Bus Controller and whether I would actually make use of it, I'd be
grateful. But you have been of enormous help already. Thank you Richard, and
thank you Tom as well.

--
Harry Oehlers
oehlers@singnet.com.sg

Archived from groups: alt.comp.periphs.mainboard.abit (More info?)

"Harry Oehlers" wrote in message...
>>Is this CD-RW drive a native S-ATA device or are you running it via
>>a Serillel 2 converter?
>
> I was running it on a converter.

Ah, that explains everything.

> However, I have to admit after thinking about it, that I must have been
> running it on an IDE channel and only switched it when I added the
> HDDs when my problem began. Sorry.

Explains a lot.


> My model is an MSI CD52-M. Part of the specs on their web site say:
> . Enhanced IDE/ATAPI interface
> . PIO Mode 4, DMA Mode 2 and UDMA Mode 2
>
> Would this make a difference?

No. As stated previously, the Intel SATA controller does not fully support
parallel ATAPI and legacy hard disk drives connected via a converter. It is
not remotely surprising you couldn't get the system to work in this
configuration.

> Because of this I am beginning to wonder whether this is a
> problem with Windows not being able to detect the drive on
> an SATA channel.

It's a problem with the configuration you're running being unsupported by
the hardware, period. Getting it to run long enough to install Windows
should be considered good luck more than anything else.

> But I guess these are all moot questions now. For my last reinstall,
> I connected the drive to an IDE channel and it was recognised
> without difficulty.

There you go.

> The missing "SM Bus controller" issue is still there, though, even
> after reinstalling Windows.

Yes, that is expected. Windows XP doesn't carry native support for the i875P
chipset, the only way to add it is via a third party driver update.

> But I wonder, what is this controller and what does it control?
> It being missing does not appear to have had any adverse effect
> on my PC's configuration.

Installing the Intel Chipset Update doesn't *just* install the correct SMBus
driver, it also replaces generic WinXP drivers with specfic i875P ones for
the PCI bus, CPU-memory controller-AGP controller interfaces, USB
controller, ATA controllers, power management and a host of other stuff.
Your system would *not* have been running optimally prior to the
installation of the Intel Chipset Update.

> It puzzles me that Abit's BIOS picks it (CD-ROM) up okay but
> Windows will not.

There is no puzzle here. The Intel SATA controller does not properly support
convereted ATAPI drives. I think you will find a note to this effect
somewhere in the manual for your motherboard. It might be worth trying this
configuration again now you have the correct drivers installed for your
motherboard, but in practice the best option is likely to be putting one of
your parallel ATA hard disks on the SATA controller with the converter on a
permanent basis, and leaving the CD-RW drive on the P-ATA converter.

> Thanks. This file solves the missing SM Bus Controller issue.

If you did before and after screenshots from Device Manager, you would find
it's changed a hell of a lot more than just that. The System Devices section
in particular will now look completely different.
--


Richard Hopkins
Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom
(replace .nospam with .com in reply address)

The UK's leading technology reseller www.dabs.com
Get the most out of your digital photos www.dabsxpose.com