Seagate ST3500630AS donor PCB question...

[pixelbat]

Hi everyone. I have a dead ST3500630AS with the following parameters...

Model: ST3500630AS
P/N: 9BJ146-308
Firmware: 3.AAK
Site Code: WU
Main Chip: TTB4398A0
100430797 F

From my understanding this drive doesn't require a ROM swap so long as I can find an identical PCB with the same P/N, firmware, main chip, and 100430797 F.

My question... how crucial is it that the donor also has the same site code? I've found a few drives that are identical (PBJ146-308, 3.AAK, 100430797 F, main chip TTB4398A0), only difference is they're SU or TK site code, and mine is WU. Would a PCB from a drive with a different site code work if all the other stuff is identical? Also, what about actual board components... specifically manufactures... is a board with a LSI TTB4398A0 main chip the same as Agero TTB4398A0? Or what about memory chip? My board has a Samsung memory chip, and one of the donor drives I was looking at is 100% identical with exception it's SU site code, and has Hynix memory chip.

Thanks, any help is appreciated. I'm going crazy trying to figure this out

[labtech]

How "dead" exactly is it?
What does the drive do on power up (spin, no spin, buzzes, smokes, etc)?

[data-medics]

To answer the OP's questions. The site code doesn't usually matter, but in some cases, it can if they were using different preamps in the different factories.

What brand of RAM is on there doesn't matter at all in my experience.

As to the LSI vs Agero main IC difference, I've had PCBs work where that was different, but I usually do try to match that to be safe.

All that having been said, perhaps you could post some more details about what's going on. A lot of people misdiagnose things to be PCB issues when it's not related to that at all.

[pixelbat]

How "dead" exactly is it?
What does the drive do on power up (spin, no spin, buzzes, smokes, etc)?

Last week my computer started getting BSOD. Then after about 3 times of that, smoke started coming from this drive. It's not my main drive, but something I stored old projects on. I'm pretty sure it's the PCB. There is a burnt plastic smell around the power/sata plugs.

[data-medics]

If you have a multimeter check the two TVS diodes where the power supply connects to the drive:

If either one is a dead short circuit measured both directions it's burned.

Last edited by data-medics on April 12th, 2018, 11:45, edited 1 time in total.

[unknown]

How "dead" exactly is it?
What does the drive do on power up (spin, no spin, buzzes, smokes, etc)?

Last week my computer started getting BSOD. Then after about 3 times of that, smoke started coming from this drive. It's not my main drive, but something I stored old projects on. I'm pretty sure it's the PCB. There is a burnt plastic smell around the power/sata plugs.

Match PCB # then transfer ROM from patient to donor. Should be OK if there's no further damage to pre-amp.
Good luck

[pixelbat]

If you have a multimeter check the two TVS diodes where the power supply connects to the drive:

TVS.jpg

If either one is a dead short circuit measured both directions it's burned.

That's it! diode on the left has no reading.

[pixelbat]

How "dead" exactly is it?
What does the drive do on power up (spin, no spin, buzzes, smokes, etc)?

Last week my computer started getting BSOD. Then after about 3 times of that, smoke started coming from this drive. It's not my main drive, but something I stored old projects on. I'm pretty sure it's the PCB. There is a burnt plastic smell around the power/sata plugs.

Match PCB # then transfer ROM from patient to donor. Should be OK if there's no further damage to pre-amp.
Good luck

Will this work on older drives that don't store adaptive data? Besides I don't even have any soldering equipment. I think finding an identical PCB to swap might be easier and cheaper.

[rogfanther]

No reading, as in open circuit, or it reads the same as when you touch the points of the multimeter probes to each other ?

[pixelbat]

No reading, as in open circuit, or it reads the same as when you touch the points of the multimeter probes to each other ?

I'm no multimeter expert. So, I'm probably doing something wrong. In diode mode I get voltage in both directions on the left diode, and no voltage in either direction on the right diode.

[rogfanther]

That *could* mean, provided you aren´t doing something wrong, that the LEFT diode is bad, and the right one is good.

If you get both removed, or replaced, that shouldn´t be a problem, as long as you use the hdd just to recover the data from it.

[fzabkar]

No reading, as in open circuit, or it reads the same as when you touch the points of the multimeter probes to each other ?

I'm no multimeter expert. So, I'm probably doing something wrong. In diode mode I get voltage in both directions on the left diode, and no voltage in either direction on the right diode.

See my TVS diode FAQ:
http://www.hddoracle.com/viewtopic.php?f=100&t=86

It includes multimeter usage instructions.

BTW, check or replace your PSU.