Question SATA port to enable

[jacek_Q]

For evaluation purpose I need to provide a SATA protocol stream bits to go through a link and be displayed on the scope. How can I enable SATA port so that it would constantly send whatever pattern?

 

[Grobe]

That I think is not practically possible.

If I'm not complete misguided, it is the sata drivers that control what data sent and received from the harddrive.
That is - if it is possible at all, you must be able to provide your own set of sata drivers.

And if that isn't enough - the sata controller is also probably hard coded so it can only communicate in a certain way, meaning controlling the bits directly would be impossible.

Or certainly nothing are impossible. If you can somehow remove the controller chip from the motherboard (advanced soldering methods required) and replace it with your own - which are costly since you have to make someone manufacture it.

And even then - if you're capable of doing that (surely, you then won't be lurking around in these forums anymore, as nsa probably want to hire a guy like you) - there is a fair chance having the controller circuitry embed into the motherboard chipset. You still may be able to trace the pcb route, but it require that the actual conductor is at either bottom or top level - not inbetween pcb layers.

 

[jacek_Q]

Thanks Grobe,
for a handful of thoughts. I believe the controller chip can handle requests from the driver software wise. When we plug in the SSD, the driver is looping for it sending request and receiving basic info about it. Then tries to establish the fastest speed of communication allowed, in not possible the tries to repeat that at lower speed ets. after several attempts if not successful sends the message SSD is corrupted etc. So the handshaking is controlled by the driver/firmware combination - hardware is pretty flexible to handle different requests. That's why I hoped somebody developed freeware to allow basically convert a laptop into the SATA protocol generator for link evaluation purpose. I asked a good friend of my [high level computer guru ] but he is not aware of it. That's why I asked on this forum [not planning for work for NSA ]
Is there an SATA protocol generator available - one that would constantly send the SATA signal ?

Thanks,
Jacek Q

 

[Grobe]

Can I ask why you choose to use the SATA port to do non-disk communication ?

Btw : Driver software is closed software so if using windows you'll have a hard time reverse engineering it.

However - I came to think of something (while writing this). This may actually be the step that make you get further:

Linux or OpenBSD is open software - that is the OS kernel (among other software) is avaiable for anyone to look.
So I suggest you get to read through the source code - and if you find the sata controller, you should be able to see if it is software or hardware that contol the bitwise communication to the sata storage.