Sudden Motion Sensor defect on MacBook ? Could you test your MacBook ?

Hi !
Got my new MacBook black.
I wanted to test the Sudden Motion Sensor with amstracker and amsvisualizer.
But only the x and y values change....the x value stays on 0 and sometimes jumps to -1 when i tilt the MacBook ?
Is it a defect or a Bug ?
Please test yours and write back !
Thanks

Apple seems to frequently change the details about
how to access the SMS data making previous versions
of SMS-reading utilities useless on the new machines
until they're updated. Almost certainly software
incompatibility rather than hardware failure.
I would have to agree with this as the visualiser that you gave don't work right on my MacBook.

Similar Messages

Tilted sudden motion sensor in MacBook ?

I have download an application called "AMSVisualizer" to monitor the current reading of the sudden motion sensor. It will display a MacBook Pro/PowerBook and also display the readings of the sudden motion sensor in real time. When you move the laptop (even very slightly like typing the keyboard), it will sense and display some vibration. But my result is strange : I run the program when my MacBook is place flat on the desk and the "x" reading is flashing between 13-15, and the MacBook in the display showing that it is placing on a "non-horizontal" posture. I have to lift the left portion a little bit in order to make the "x" axis reading to 0.
Here is the photo as what I described above:
Tilt
http://copo.myphotos.cc/cody/photos/MacBook/MacBook_tilt.jpg
Flat
http://copo.myphotos.cc/cody/photos/MacBook/MacBook_flat.jpg
Can some of the MacBook owner to test on this application to check your result ? The application could be downloaded here:
http://www.osxbook.com/software/sms/amsvisualizer/
Thanks!

Agreed with Jonas Hurtig. As you can see in my photo, I have to place the MacBook battery on the left side of the MacBook in order to have the reading looks normal. That is about 10-degrees tilt, there is no measurment needed for such situation if the desk is tilt like that, yor pens, desktop will slide off.....

Drive Upgrade: Sudden Motion Sensor & SMART

Greetings,
I have a couple of technical questions regarding a Hitachi HD upgrade I am planning. I purchased the 5K500.B from Other World Computing (OWC) and had some concerns with the Apple Drive Utility when I went to format it.
I also purchased an external enclosure that I can mount my old drive in after I replace it. When I went to format the new drive (in the external enclosure) with Drive Utility, I noticed some differences between the old drive and the new drive. The original drive is a Hitachi 200 GB 7200 RPM which Apple supplied as an option. I will list my MacBook Pro information after this section. My questions are:
1) SMART status reads "Unsupported" on the new drive and "Verified" on the old drive. OWC said this is because SMART only works on internal drives and SMART will work after I install the new drive. I just want to check the accuracy of this statement.
2) My MacBook Pro has a Sudden Motion Sensor for drop protection. Is that built into the laptop or the hard drive? Will Apple's drop protection work with the new drive?
3) Is the 5K500.B really a direct replacement with all the functionality of the original drive.
My MacBook Pro information:
System Software Overview:
System Version: Mac OS X 10.6.6 (10J567)
Boot Mode: Normal
Secure Virtual Memory: Enabled
64-bit Kernel and Extensions: No
Hardware Overview:
Model Identifier: MacBookPro4,1
Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo 2.6 GHz
L2 Cache: 6 MB
Memory: 5 GB
SMC Version (system): 1.28f3
Hardware UUID: 5BCEDD41-1B9B-5311-A21C-3638AEAEE5BB
Sudden Motion Sensor: State: Enabled
Hitachi HTS722020K9SA00:
Capacity: 200.05 GB (200,049,647,616 bytes)
Model: Hitachi HTS722020K9SA00
Revision: DC4AC77A
Medium Type: Rotational
Partition Map Type: GPT (GUID Partition Table)
S.M.A.R.T. status: Verified
Available: 18.03 GB (18,027,290,624 bytes)
File System: Journaled HFS+

I read in one of your posts that the sudden motion sensor can be easily disabled. Could you please tell me how?
I can be online, or not, and the crazy spinning colored disc starts to spin, then if I pick it up and set it back down usually it stops and the macbook (4,1) continues with it's work. I guess that it is the sudden motion sensor although I could be wrong...Just seems strange that it normally stops when i pick it up, tap it, gently, etc.
Could you please advise? It shows enabled in 'about this mac' but I can't find anyplace to dis-able it.
It's almost impossible to stream video, although that may be from something else.
Model Name: MacBook
Model Identifier: MacBook4,1
Processor Name: Intel Core 2 Duo
Processor Speed: 2.4 GHz
Number Of Processors: 1
Total Number Of Cores: 2
L2 Cache: 3 MB
Memory: 4 GB
Bus Speed: 800 MHz
Boot ROM Version: MB41.00C1.B00
SMC Version (system): 1.31f1
Serial Number (system): W8833DZ00P1
Hardware UUID: DE950BF6-E26F-5ACB-984B-5BB4E50816B2
Sudden Motion Sensor:
State: Enabled
On front of 'about this mac' it reads Memory 4GB 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM, which I hadn't noticed before. It sounds like something from my old SONY VAIO!
Much, much appreciated for any help.
Thanks very much.

2011 MBP - HD in Optibay - Sudden Motion Sensor?

2011 15" MacBook Pro with BTO Apple SSD.
Optibay with WD 750GB Scorpio Black.
What is the correct setting regarding the Sudden Motion Sensor?
There is conflicting information that this drive does or does not have a SMS - according to WD's website it does have "ShockGuard"
There are several that have had trouble with motion sensor in a hard drive, in the optibay and in the Mac software. Some have not... and it seems to depend on drive.
What is the correct setting - should one turn OFF Sudden Motion Sensor in the operating system? or leave it on?
and either way, does SMS or "Shockguard" work properly when in an optibay?

Jim,
I have a similar setup to yours. SSD in main MBP drive bay, and WD 750GB Scorpio Black in the optibay.
Ok, so we know that:
SMS doesn't work in the optibay.
Having the boot drive in the optibay causes hibernation issues, which could be "solved" by disabling hibernation and its creation of the /var/vm/sleepimage file.
WD has something called ShockGuard on their Scorpio Black drives:
"WD's ShockGuard technology protects the drive mechanics and platter surfaces from shocks during shipping and handling and in daily operation. WD’s SecurePark parks the recording heads off the disk surface during spin up, spin down, and when the drive is off. This ensures the recording head never touches the disk surface, resulting in improved long-term reliability due to less head wear and improved non-operational shock tolerance." [http://www.wdc.com/wdproducts/library/SpecSheet/ENG/2879-701275.pdf]
I'm wondering if, after a few months with your setup, you still consider the WD ShockGuard to be a sufficient reason for leaving the WD Scorpio Black in the optibay.
My initial instinct is that ShockGuard may not be as effective as SMS. I wonder, in part because whenever the Scorpio Black is accessed (via spotlight usage or what have you), it stays spinning for quite a while before eventually spinning down. Do you experience this? Do you have any more advice from your experience?
Thanks.

Hard drive upgrade on 13" MBP sudden motion sensor compatibility

Hello,
I'm planning on upgrading the hard drive in my 13" MBP (aluminium unibody) and I've read a lot of posts regarding the sudden motion sensor conflicts with OS X 10.6.2. I'd like to know if the Western Digital 500GB Scorpio Blue here (http://www.dabs.com/products/western-digital-500gb-scorpio-blue-5400rpm-sata-300 -8mb-58P6.html) would suffer from the conflict (I'm not sure if "Shock Guard" = sudden motion sensor). I don't know if its a simple yes/no or whether its drive / mac specific.
If it would be a problem does anyone have a suggestion for a guaranteed compatible 500Gb hard drive (5400 rpm is fine)?
Any thoughts are much appreciated, thanks for your help!

Western Digital Lists their drive features as:
* IntelliSeek™ - IntelliSeek technology calculates optimum seek speeds to lower power consumption, noise and vibration.
* SecurePark™ - WD's SecurePark technology parks the recording heads off the disk surface during spin up, spin down and when the drive is off. This ensures the recording head never touches the disk surface resulting in improved long term reliability due to less head wear, and improved shock tolerance.
* ShockGuard™ - WD's ShockGuard technology protects the drive mechanics and platter surfaces from shocks during shipping and handling and in daily operation.
* Free-fall Sensor - As an added layer of protection, if the drive (or the system it's in) is dropped while in use, WD's free-fall sensor detects that the drive is falling and, in less than 200 milliseconds, parks the head off the disks to help prevent damage and data loss.
* WhisperDrive™ - WD's exclusive WhisperDrive technology combines state-of-the-art seeking algorithms that result in one of the quietest 2.5-inch drives on the market.
The Free Fall Sensor is the equivalent of the Sudden Motion Sensor. Looking at the specs for the drive you linked to... they list the following features:
Shock Guard, WhisperDrive, SecurePark
As they do not list Free Fall Sensor, I'm guessing this model does not have one so it should not conflict with the internal Sudden Motion Sensor in your MacBook.

Second Hard Drive, Sudden Motion Sensor

Back in the fall I put a SSD in my 2007 MacBook Pro. It's working perfectly. I found the "OptiBay" product, which basically replaces your optical drive with an adapter for another hard drive. I haven't received it yet, but when I do I plan on installing it with a traditional hard drive. My question regards the sudden motion sensor (SMS). I disabled it because it's not needed for the SSD, but I was planning on re-enabling it for my secondary that I will be installing. I'm still going to boot off the SSD, though. Is there a way, or terminal code, to assign the SMS to a certain disk? I'm assuming it will just disable the root drive in the event of "sudden motion," but would this affect a secondary drive?
I'd love for there to be an option to change the identifier, from disk0s2 to disk0s3, but I have a feeling it isn't possible or would be infinitely more difficult... thanks.

Most drives are available with the equivalent of an internal SMS. You just have to check the specs. Drive manufacturers often offer two versions of their drives... one with and one without a SMS. If you get a drive with the SMS built in, you can just leave the MacBook's internal one disabled.
Here is an example of one of the most popular drives:
http://www.seagate.com/www/en-us/products/laptops/momentus/momentus5400.6g/
Seagate's SMS technology is referred to as G-Force. Note the product number: 5400.6_g. The "g" denotes the drive has a "G-Force" sensor.

Sudden Motion Sensor not working after upgrade to WD5000BEKT HDD

Hi everyone, I just upgraded the hard drive on my Macbook Pro (2010) and I am very pleased with the performance of this 7200rpm drive, I have seen reads around 105MB/s and a pretty good boot time at 23s. But I used to be able to hear the hard drive stop when I moved the computer around before due to the Sudden Motion Sensor technology and since I have the new hard drive in it doesn't seem to work anymore. I have tried switching SMS off and on and it didn't change anything, also the drive is a Western Digital Scorpio Black without Free Fall sensor (I took that version on purpose so it wouldn't conflict with the SMS). Do you have any ideas on how to make it work again? Because I really like this feature on my Mac (I have dropped a laptop before so just in case it happens again). Thanks a lot for your help.
Scott

For future reference, here are a couple of kb articles on the sudden motion sensor:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1935
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1934
As has been said, Apple's Sudden Motion Sensor is not actually built into the hard drive. In fact, some hard drives with their own version of a sudden motion sensor like Seagate's G-Force Protection actually will set up a conflict with Apple's Sudden Motion Sensor.
I installed the same WD in my Mac as you did, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I have been enjoying mine.

Hard drive click... sudden motion sensor?

whenever i carry my macbook, the hard drive makes a clicking sound. Is this the sudden motion sensor?

Yes. Depending on what you mean by "carry", you should probably put it to sleep or turn it off when moving it.

Should I disable the sudden motion sensor after upgrading to an SSD

I put a 1TB Samsung 840 EVO in my MacBook Pro (9,1). Should I disable the sudden motion sensor? Does it do anything else other than park the hard disk (like something with the fans)?

You may want to read up on the SMS here:
Mac notebooks: About the Sudden Motion Sensor
Sounds like you can safely disable it if you wish since MacBooks which ship with an SSD drive seem to have it disabled.

Is this a problem with the Sudden Motion Sensor or the HDD?

I have a MacBook that I purchased in Septemberof this year, and for a while I have been having a problem with the HDD. I understand that there is a Sudden Motion Sensor that parks the hard disk when the computer is moved suddenly, but every hour or so I can hear the HDD make a single loud click for seemingly no reason at all. The computer can be sitting on my desk with no applications running and this will still happen. This is not really much of a problem other than the annoying noise, but if I am playing music or a video from the HDD it will skip when it does this. I have disabled the SMS for now to see if it will make a difference, I am very careful with my devices so I do not fear that I will cause any HDD damage without the SMS, but I am not sure if it is a problem with the HDD or the SMS. Could anyone shed some light on this for me?

Well turns out disabling the SMS did nothing so I'm going to just take it in and hope it can be fixed.

Logic 9 sudden motion sensor error.

Hi Guys,
my rig often gives me the "system overload, sudden motion sensor" error during playback, its driving me nuts, the thing that really gets me is that its a mac pro, booting off an SDD, audio is running off a fast drive and the whole lot is in a shockmounted flightcase, i have no idea how the sudden motion sensor could be doing anything at all.
does it have something to do with the 2.5" SSD the rig boots off?

Hi - I am experiencing this error as well. I believe the issue is due to Logic Pro not quite ready for Lion. I just bought a new iMac 2.5 GHz 4GB RAM. Got it to run Logic, and found 9.1.1 doesn't even run on Lion. After upgrading to 9.1.5 the first thing I tried to do was open the demo projects from The Killers and Lilly Allen, to see what this software is all about. Logic hangs somewhere while loading all of the tracks/software instruments, and needs to be Force Quit. The Santigold project loads but it gives me this error about a minute into playing it:
Disk is too slow or system overload
(-10010)
The sudden motion sensor may have parked the hard drive head, or the disk performance is not sufficient to read or write all audio tracks, or the system was not able to process all data in time.
I do not yet have an external drive and am not sure if running project files off a fast external (as opposed to the system drive running Logic) would resolve the issue. But I notice the error is broad and basically multi-purpose, not necessarily stating that your hard drive has parked for sure, rather that disc/system performance couldn't keep up. I haven't duplicated the error when playing my own projects, with less tracks/software instruments. I think that there may be a threshold where you can just push logic too far for Lion interoperability on this 9.1.5 release. Hoping for a new release soon! Good Luck!

Disable sudden motion sensor?

Does anyone know if there is a way to disable the sudden motion sensor? Often I get frozen for a few seconds and I think it's because of the sensor.
Suggestions?
Thanks.
Dual 1Ghz G4 MDD, MacBook Pro Mac OS X (10.4.6) Logic 7.1.1

I think it’s doubtful you’re experiencing spurious SMS activation, but I suppose it’s possible. The answer to your question about deactivating it is given on this Apple documentation page:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=300724
Randall Schulz

Disabling sudden motion sensor - harmful?

I've been having an issue where my unplugged macbook would randomly shut down when moved (even slightly), but the battery was in good health. Tried the usual resets, SMC, PRAM, etc and had no problems with temperature/overheating.
The only thing that 'fixed' the issue was disabling the sudden motion sensor. Is it possible that the sudden motion sensor was hyper sensitive or something? Is it dangerous to keep it off? And is it worth getting fixed ( I'm a student out of warranty)?
Thank you.

nope... only stops working if moved from the bottom right hand corner when unplugged.

Sudden Motion Sensor not active

Hello,
My new MacBook's SMS is inactive:
    Machine Name: MacBook
    Machine Model: MacBook1,1
    CPU Type: Intel Core Duo
    Number Of Cores: 2
    CPU Speed: 2 GHz
    L2 Cache (shared): 2 MB
    Memory: 1.25 GB
    Bus Speed: 667 MHz
    Boot ROM Version: MB11.005F.B00
    SMC Version: 1.4f8
    Sudden Motion Sensor:
            State: Disabled
But pmset says:
    $ sudo pmset -g
        Active Profiles:
        Battery Power -1*
        AC Power -1
        Currently in use:
         sms 1
         hibernatefile /var/vm/sleepimage
         acwake 0
         sleep 10
         autorestart 0
         halfdim 1
         hibernatemode 3
         disksleep 10
         displaysleep 3
         lidwake 1
         lessbright 1
I resetted the PMU and the PRAM but the SMS remains inactive.
Is it a hardware problem or a software one?
Thanks,
Gilles.
MacBook Mac OS X (10.4.6)

Have you notice whether or not the motion sensor
works?
Apparently not (tested with iAlertU for example and with the software from http://www.kernelthread.com/software/ams/ams.html).
Yeah I'd probably take juhs10's advice and give Apple
a call if it's not working. It's a strange
occurrence. I would assume it's a software problem
but I'm not familiar enough with it to say for sure.
Thank you, I'll call Apple tomorrow to see with them.
Thank you for your help,
Gilles.

Sudden Motion Sensor as input device?

So, I know this isn't necessarily that practical, but I'd be interested to know if it were possible, just for laughs and novelty. Is there any program, or could a program be made, that would allow the Sudden Motion Sensor to be used as a basic MIDI Controller / input device in GarageBand or Logic?
I (lightly) drum on the palm rests of my macbook pro when I'm working on drum parts and was thinking that if the SMS is as sensitive as I hear it is, there must be some way where one could actually input drum parts this way...

Yup. All Mac laptops now have the SMS.

Sudden Motion Sensor defect on MacBook ? Could you test your MacBook ?

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