hdparm problem

[jd1008]

The command and error message are:

# time hdparm --verbose --user-master m --security-erase-enhanced 
thepassword /dev/sdc
security_password="thepassword"

/dev/sdc:
  Issuing SECURITY_ERASE command, password="thepassword", user=master
outgoing cdb:  85 08 0e 00 00 00 01 00 00 00 00 00 00 40 ec 00
SG_IO: ATA_16 status=0x0, host_status=0x0, driver_status=0x0
SG_IO: sb[]:  00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 
00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00
incoming_data:  7a 42 ff 3f 37 c8 10 00 00 00 00 00 3f 00 00 00 00 00 00 
00 20 20 20 20 57 20 2d 44 58 57 31 56 35 45 4b 33 45 41 33 38 00 00 00 
40 00 00 31 30 30 2e 41 31 31 30 44 57 20 43 44 57 30 32 50 4e 58 56 30 
2d 45 30 34 41 30 54 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 
20 20 20 10 80 00 40 00 2f 01 40 00 00 00 00 07 00 ff 3f 10 00 3f 00 10 
fc fb 00 00 01 ff ff ff 0f 00 00 07 00 03 00 78 00 78 00 78 00 78 00 00 
00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 1f 00 0e ff 04 00 4c 00 44 00 fe 03 00 
00 6b 74 69 7d 23 61 6b 74 49 bc 23 61 7f 40 bb 00 bb 00 80 00 fe ff 00 
00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 b0 88 e0 e8 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 
00 03 60 00 00 01 50 e2 4e 90 5e 21 ff 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 
00 00 00 18 40 18 40 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 27 00 00 
00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 
00 04 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 
00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 
00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 
00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 
00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 
00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 35 70 00 00 00 00 00 40 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 
00 00 00 00 00 00 00 50 14 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 3e 10 00 00 00 00 00 
00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 01 00 00 10 00 00 00 
00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 
00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 a5 bd
SG_IO: desc[]:  00 00
       ATA_16 stat=00 err=00 nsect=00 lbal=00 lbam=00 lbah=00 dev=00
outgoing cdb:  85 06 20 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 40 f3 00
SG_IO: ATA_16 status=0x2, host_status=0x0, driver_status=0x8
SG_IO: sb[]:  72 01 00 1d 00 00 00 0e 09 0c 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 
00 40 50 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00
SG_IO: desc[]:  09 0c 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 40 50
       ATA_16 stat=50 err=00 nsect=00 lbal=00 lbam=00 lbah=00 dev=40
oflags.bits.lob_all=0x8a, flags={ feat nsect command }
oflags.bits.hob_all=0x00, flags={ }
outgoing cdb:  85 0a 06 00 00 00 01 00 00 00 00 00 00 40 f4 00
outgoing_data:  03 00 68 64 70 61 72 6d 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 
00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 
00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 
00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 
00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 
00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 
00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 
00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 
00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 
00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 
00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 
00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 
00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 
00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 
00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 
00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 
00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 
00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 
00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 
00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 
00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 
00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00
SG_IO: ATA_16 status=0x2, host_status=0x0, driver_status=0x8
SG_IO: sb[]:  72 0b 00 00 00 00 00 0e 09 0c 00 04 00 01 00 00 00 00 00 
00 40 51 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00
SG_IO: desc[]:  09 0c 00 04 00 01 00 00 00 00 00 00 40 51
       ATA_16 stat=51 err=04 nsect=01 lbal=00 lbam=00 lbah=00 dev=40
I/O error, ata_op=0xf4 ata_status=0x51 ata_error=0x04
SECURITY_ERASE: Input/output error

real    0m3.56s
user    0m0.00s
sys     0m0.00s


However, I have no problem running
dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sdc bs=1G     (PS: I have 8GB ram, and less that 
1GB is used before I start the command).

So, am hoping an hdparm guru will offer some insight.