1. Mt Rainier Info
Philips
Mt Rainier Rewritable Validation Suite - Page 1
As it is already known, the Mt Rainier Group (Compaq, Microsoft, Philips and
Sony), propose an open industry standard for making CD-RW easier to use by enabling
OS support and increasing compatibility and performance. The name of the new
standard was named after Mount Rainier in the US state of Washington at the
foot of which Microsoft has its headquarters.
The Mt Rainier format is mainly applied to general storage data applications,
or "Drag&Drop on CD-RW". However, writing data (Drag&Drop)
on CDs is currently not supported by any operating system. The functionality
is currently handled by special applications that need to be installed on the
PC running the drive. New CD-RW discs need to be formatted before data files
can be written to them. The objective of the Mt Rainier solution is to overcome
these issues by enabling native OS support of the drives and allowing CD-RW
to be used as a "Drag&Drop" device by choice.
The main elements of the Mt Rainier format are the physical defect management
by the drive, the logical write addressing at 2K, the background formatting,
the command set implementation and the compatibility and standards-compliance.
All the Mt Rainier CD-ROM / CD-RW drives should be compliant to those specifications.
Currently the UDF 1.5 file-system used in Drag&Drop applications handles
defect management. The Mt Rainier proposal for adding physical defect management
into the drive, allows more commonality with standard data-drives (DVD, MO…).
The logical addressing capability of the storage devices is also an important
factor. The Mt Rainier functionality has defined 2K logical addressing as a
mandatory support requirement for drives.
The Mt Rainier specification allow user to Drag&Drop data within seconds
after insertion and spin-up of the disc. The disc formatting process occurs
in the background, and the Drag&Drop data storage tasks should get priority
above process of "de-icing" and "finalization", by the drive.
For a Mount Rainier compliant drive, implementing a mandatory command-set for
data-use is required (fitting the MMC-2 structure).
2. Easy Write logo
Philips
Mt Rainier Rewritable Validation Suite - Page 2
- What is EasyWrite?
EasyWrite
is a standards compliance logo for the Mount Rainier format as defined by Microsoft,
Compaq, Sony and Philips. The need for verifying how good Mt. Rainier is implemented
by each manufacturer, lead Philips and other Mt. Rainier group partners to setup
a test suite and special test discs that will test in depth the Mt. Rainier
enabled drives.
- Why EasyWrite is important?
Mt. Rainier format promises robustness needed for frequent data interchange
and distribution. Mt Rainier main propose is to replace floppy diskette and
improve the readability of the stored data. Since scratches and media defects
are frequent to many users, each Mt. Rainier drive should be able to handle
them and always protect the written data. Therefore the need for a test suite
is important. EasyWrite comes to complete that need
- How can I obtain the EasyWrite logo?
EasyWrite
requires compliance with the specifications of the Mount Rainier group. Philips
(http://www.licensing.philips.com)
provides the Mount Rainier Test suite to hardware manufacturers for testing
their drives. If the drive passes all tests, it is awarded with the EasyWrite
logo. EasyWrite logo ensures that the specific drive works according to the
Mt. Rainier group specifications.
- Who conducts EasyWrite tests?
Each hardware manufacturer can obtain the EasyWrite test suite and test discs.
After testing its drives with the EasyWrite test suite and send the test results
to Philips, can obtain the EasyWrite logo.
Two-three times per year, all hardware/software manufacturers that support
Mt. Rainier format, gathered in Microsoft's offices and perform the so-called
"Plugfest" (http://www.microsoft.com/hwdev/events/rainierpf.htm).
The objective for the Plugfest is to improve the quality of Mt. Rainier capable
hardware and applications, and the interchange of the media written by these
on the Windows platform. This event is intended for hardware developers and
software engineers who are responsible for writing the firmware and drivers
for these devices. The Plugfest is intended to be a workshop to test interchange
and interoperability.
3. Test Discs
Philips
Mt Rainier Rewritable Validation Suite - Page 3
- Mount Rainier Test Suite
All
the Mt Rainier compliant drives should be standardized and should meet the hardware
and software requirements. The drives are approved by the Mt Rainier group and
get the "EasyWrite" logo, as a certification of the Mt Rainier compliance.
The Mount Rainier Verification test is to assure that any media from a Mount
Rainier recorder drive can be read and written in any Mount Rainier capable
drive. The tests consist of two parts
- To check the Mt Rainier drive functionality using good media
- A reliability / robustness check with emphasis on defect management using
test media with defects
The available tools and services are the Mount Rainier Test Suite, the logical
verification tool and the discs with standardized defects.
The purpose of functionality test available in the Mount Rainier Test Suite
are to assure the capability of the drive to handle Mt Rainier specific functionality
like early eject, correct de-icing, format resume etc…
The Test Suite and the test discs are available from Philips only companies
that related with either the hardware or software development of Mt. Rainier.
- The Test Discs
The media used for the tests are both normal blank HS-RW media among with pressed
artificial defected Mt Rainier discs. Since an important part of the Mt Rainier
functionality is related to defect management, the Mt rainier compatible drives
should be able to handle discs with spots, scratches, and heavy fingerprints.
Philips provides such defected discs with the following artificial made problems:
- 1. Heavy fingerprint
- 2. Black dot (2 mm)
- 3. Scratch (1.5 x 1.5 mm)
For
each drive, Philips suggests the use of a package that contains 5 blank HS-RW
and 5 blank HS-RW media with defects. Both the Mount Rainier Test suite and
the test discs are available from Philips (http://www.licensing.philips.com).
The price for a Mount Rainier Test Disc set is Euro 100.
In future, the defects upon the test discs are expected to change in order
to discourage manufacturers who will possibly design their drives just to pass
the current test disc. Lastly, note that the current Mt. Rainier verification
test suite checks only a part of the whole Mt. Rainier format commands. It is
expected that Philips will release new scripts (Part B) in the near future.
4. Software Suite
Philips
Mt Rainier Rewritable Validation Suite - Page 4
- Software Test Suite
The Mount Rainier Test Suite uses pre-defined templates (scripts). A set of
three templates is delivered included with the Test Suite. The pre-defined scripts
are locked, which means no one can edit the source code. The test suite includes
instructions to create your own new scripts that can be used for extensive testing…
Each script is a set of commands, according to the MMC 2 specification. After
each script command set finishes, it creates a log file with the test results.
Currently, the three available scripts are:
- MRW Part A v1.6
- RnR Heavy v1.1
- RnR Light v1.1
Command set compliance is an embedded part of this test. The script checks
the specific MRW commands. All the major functions are addressed at least once.
The MRW Part A test could be defined as early eject generation commands. The
test checks for the:
- Mount Rainier mandatory basic start-up command set
- Sends format unit command and check
- GAA addressing by writing test information to a GAA sector
- Capability of the drive to write and read back in ice
- Remaining commands that need written data on the disc
- Correct command sequence of close session and start / stop unit
- Makes an early eject (early enough to still have ice on the disc and format
not completed)
The RnR Heavy script verifies the drive's functionality over a longer time.
The drive is tested on "format", "write" (random blocks),
"read", early eject. Below are the script details, as mentioned in
the final test report:
Eject Action: Once Every 500 Actions Write Action: 38 percent of all actions
Read Action: 56 percent of all actions
Pause Action: 6 percent of all actions
Read/Write Addressing: 70 Block Increments + Random offset (0 to 1023)
A Read/Write Action can consist of multiple Read/Write Commands
Read/Write Action Data Size: Pseudo Random 1 to 3104 Blocks
Blocks Per Single Read/Write Command: Random 1 to 32 Blocks
The RnR Light script tests the drive in a similar way as in the RnR Heavy script.
Below are the script details:
Eject Action: Once Every 500 Actions Write Action: 38 percent of all actions
Read Action: 56 percent of all actions
Pause Action: 6 percent of all actions
Read/Write Addressing: 350 Block Increments + Random offset (0 to 1023)
A Read/Write Action can consist of multiple Read/Write Commands
Read/Write Action Data Size: Pseudo Random 1 to 3104 Blocks
Blocks Per Single Read/Write Command: Random 1 to 32 Blocks
The difference between the Heavy and the Light tests is the size and number
of blocks that are written.
|
|
Heavy RnR Light RnR
|
Light RnR
|
|
Size
|
random
|
Fixed
|
|
Address
|
random
|
Incremental
|
|
Number
|
random
|
Random
|
5. Test Methodology
Philips
Mt Rainier Rewritable Validation Suite - Page 5
- Test Methodology
For testing the Mt. Rainier standard implementation from each manufacturer,
we used the EasyWrite Test Suite and test discs. After registering the software,
we tested all current drives that support, or at least claim to, the Mt. Rainier
format. Our purpose was to check which drives have better Mt. Rainier implementation
and which one can pass the "EasyWrite" standard. All drive were flashed
with their latest available firmware:
Tested Drives Firmware Revision
ASUS CRW4816A v1.00
LiteOn LTR-40125S vZS.0J
LiteOn LTR-48125W vVS.06
MITSUMI CR-480ATE v1.0E
MITSUMI CR-485CTE v1.0C
PHILIPS RWDVD1610 vP2.2
TDK CyClone 401248B vZ7.S4
TEAC CD-W540E v1.0C
YAMAHA CRW3200E v1.0d
After loading the MRW Part A v1.6 script in the Philips Suite software, we
select the tested drive. We press the "Start", and the software prompts
for entering the name that will save the test report. The drive starts the testing
procedure and shortly asks to enter a blank disc.
The testing continues and the available log file is updated in real time, showing
the command set executed and the test result for each test. The log file indicates
which commands are PASSED or FAILLED by the drive. In some cases a failure in
a specific command does not affect the test procedure. If the failure is severe,
then a fatal error occurs and the test is terminated.
The Heavy and Light R&R scripts run in a similar way, producing successful
or failure results.
The three scripts (MRW Part A, Light/Heavy RnR) are executed with blank and
only the Light/Heavy RnR scripts with defected media.
6. Tests with blank HS-RW media
Philips
Mt Rainier Rewritable Validation Suite - Page 6
- Tests with Blank HS-RW media
Below are the test results for all tested drives with the use of blank HS-RW
media
|
Tests
|
ASUS CRW4816A
|
LiteOn LTR-40125S
|
LiteOn LTR-48125W
|
Mitsumi CR-480ATE
|
Mitsumi CR-485CTE
|
Philips RWDVD1610
|
TDK CyClone 401248B
|
TEAC CD-W540E
|
YAMAHA CRW3200E
|
|
Mandatory Startup Basic Command Set
|
0
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
0
|
|
Background Format
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
FE
|
|
Test GAA Addressing
|
FE
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
FE
|
N/A
|
|
Read/Write in Ice
|
N/A
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
|
Early Eject
|
N/A
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
|
Heavy R&R
|
FE
|
FE
|
FE
|
FE
|
FE
|
0
|
FE
|
0
|
FE
|
|
Light R&R
|
FE
|
FE
|
FE
|
FE
|
FE
|
0
|
FE
|
0
|
FE
|
Remarks:
0 = success, any number above shows failure in particular test
N/A = Could not be tested
FE = Fatal Error
- Test Analysis
The test results showed that only Philips RWDVD1610 managed to fully pass the
"EasyWrite" standard. The drive didn't have any problems with the
MRW Part A and Light/Heavy RnR testing.
TEAC CD-W540E managed to finish, without errors, the Heavy & Light RnR
scripts but it doesn't support the "Early Eject" and "Read/Write
in Ice" commands, while "Test GAA Addressing" couldn't be tested.
Mitsumi was among the first manufacturers that heavily advertised the CR-480A
TE and CR-485C TE as the only EasyWrite compliant drives. However, the test
showed the opposite behavior. Both drives passed the MRW Part A script (basic
commands) but not the Light & Heavy RnR scripts. The drives locked after
the end of each test, and a reboot was necessary to manually eject the test
media. This was noticed with both normal and defect media.
LiteOn LTR-40125S, LTR-48125W and TDK CyClone 401248B passed the MRW Part A
script, however they failed to complete the Heavy RnR and Light RnR scripts.
ASUS CRW4816A had probably the worst Mt. Rainier implementation from all tested
drives. With firmware v1.00, it only executed the first 3 commands, and then
locked. Reboot was necessary to eject the used test disc. This behavior was
noticed also when we used either InCD or Write CD-RW! Software in our Mt Rainier
application tests.
Lastly, the Yamaha CRW3200E didn't accept the script commands, failing to complete
any test. Possibly the drive does not follow the MMC standard for the Mt. Rainier
format, the way it should be…
7. Tests with defect blank HS-RW media
Philips
Mt Rainier Rewritable Validation Suite - Page 7
- Tests with defect blank HS-RW media
Below are the test results for all tested drives with the use of blank defect
HS-RW media
|
Tests
|
LiteOn LTR-40125S
|
LiteOn LTR-48125W
|
Mitsumi CR-480ATE
|
Mitsumi CR-485CTE
|
Philips RWDVD1610
|
TEAC CD-W540E
|
|
Light R&R
|
FE
|
FE
|
FE
|
FE
|
0
|
FE
|
|
Light R&R Test Duration
|
0 hours 21 mins 50 sec 470msecs
|
0 hours 24 mins 51 secs 830msecs
|
0 hours 17mins 49sec 180msecs
|
0 hours 11mins 13sec 610msecs
|
4 hours 49mins 37sec 330msecs
|
0 hours 7mins 57secs 300msecs
|
|
Heavy R&R
|
FE
|
FE
|
FE
|
FE
|
0
|
FE
|
|
Heavy R&R Test Duration
|
0hours 00mins 55secs 140msecs
|
0hours 17mins 14secs 680msecs
|
0hours 20mins 27sec 150msecs
|
0hours 18mins 20secs 440msecs
|
5hours 20mins 31secs 440msecs
|
0 hours 33mins 08secs 740msecs
|
Remarks:
Time: hours:mins:secs:msecs
N/A = Could not be tested
FE = Fatal Error
We didn't test ASUS CRW4816A and YAMAHA CRW3200E due to its failure with normal
discs. The TDK CyClone 401248B was also not tested since it's a LiteOn LTR-40125S
clone.
- Test Analysis
The test results with defect media reviled a rather disappointing implementation
of Mt. Rainier from various manufacturers.
Philips, as being a leading member of the Mt. Rainier format, manages to pass
both Light & Heavy RnR without producing any error. Under the Light RnR,
the drive worked for almost 5hours, while with Heavy RnR worked for 5 hours
and 20minus.
TEAC CD-W540E was the second drive that passed all tests with normal media;
however with the defect media returns fatal errors. Under the Light RnR script,
the drive worked for only 7mins without producing an error, while lasted longer
(33mins) under Heavy RnR script.
The Mitsumi CR-480ATE and CR-485C TE drives failed to complete the test without
producing fatal errors. After the end of each test, both drives locked and reboot
was necessary to remove the test disc.
Lastly, both LiteOn drives again failed to complete the tests and produced
fatal error after working for 20+mins under Light RnR and 21mins/55mins for
the LTR-40125S and LTR-48125W respectively.
8. Conclusion
Philips
Mt Rainier Rewritable Validation Suite - Page 8
Conclusion
As the test results showed, it's very easy to announce a feature but hard to
make it work properly. The announce of Mt. Rainier format, made many users happy
since packet writing wouldn't anymore need an external software solution, and
data safety is present with build-in defect management.
So far, both features are not properly implemented.
In order to use Mt. Rainier, you still need an external software solution,
while only one tested drive can manage defect discs without any issues. Although
the most tested drives support the Mt. Rainier in theory, they cannot properly
handle defect discs as it was supposed.
The only drive that passed all tests comes from Philips (RWDVD1610), which
shouldn't surprise us since Philips is one of the original founders of the Mt.
Rainier format.
The next drive that can work correctly with normal HS-RW media comes from TEAC,
while Mitsumi, LiteOn and TDK drives need much improvement in firmware to work
adequately. The ASUS drive was the one with the worst Mt. Rainier implementation,
while the Yamaha drive didn't accept the test suite commands at all.
The importance of Mt. Rainier is high, since in one year from now, diskette
is supposed to be replaced from Mt. Rainier enabled CD-RW drives. Mt. Rainier
is planned to be supported by the DVD format and particularly by the DVD+RW
consortium, however, no information is yet available from the DVD Forum about
this subject.
As it currently stands, if your PC has been bulked with a Philips RWDVD1610
drive, you can save your valuable data under Mt. Rainier formatted discs, else
you should wait. None of the other tested drives can handle defects, which means
that even light scratches can produce the possible written discs un-readable…
We plan to test all future Mt. Rainier enabled drives and possible firmware
updates that will improve the current situation. After all what matters is our
written data, don't you agree?