DRtools.eu

[Izualim]

I'm happy to inform that we have open a webshop where i'm starting to sell some data recovery tools and some other tools aswell that we have designed.
http://www.drtools.eu/en in the website you can find a few headcombs i have made to fit new families of drives and some others that i call "generic" which can be used for multiple brands and models.
We designed and manufactured them in a semi soft antistatic material specific for this kind of use, the composition of the material prevents it from breaking compared with other tools, Their look is pretty simple as i'm improving the design, if you click on a picture you can see a list of drives that i had tested with those, aswell i had uploaded a video to show the correct use of the generic models.

I'm working everyday to improve them and designing new models as people is requesting tools for specific models, gladly i have equipment that allows me for fast prototyping to allow customers to have them as quick as possible.

I'm open to any suggestions and feedback.

[pcimage]

I must admit, the "short tool" is pretty nifty!

[Izualim]

Silly designs hahaha, pretty useful though, you can short in the right time and fits two different distances, we spent alot of time to design the most simple as possible.

[labtech]

Yeah, short tool is pretty cool.

[fzabkar]

Seriously, 32 Euro for a piece of plastic?

http://www.drtools.eu/en/product/24/usb ... cover.html

I can buy a "jiffy box" for AU$1.

I agree with the comments about the shorting tool, though.

[jermy]

+1 @ fzabkar

[northwind]

32 Euros is a very good price.

[Izualim]

the terminal cover are not mass produced, they are 3D printed, it took me some time to make a design that slides and fits perfectly in a single piece.

[Doomer]

Nice idea for "short tool".

[LarrySabo]

The 3D printing produces pretty rough surfaces, in my view. (I have the DFL Head Comb Suite Level 2 and that's how they are made.) It would be nicer if they were much smoother, e.g., milled on a CNC machine like the ER-Tools' combs.

With shorting tools that look like like calipers, i.e., the pins are fixed solidly to the handle, it is too easy to lift one of the pins when tilting the tool ever so slightly. I think it would be more effective if such a tool had spring-loaded pins and the button were on top, facing upward.

My vision of a perfect tool would be one with pins at the end of a flexible arm, and the leads from the pins go to a remote switch. The flexible arm would allow the pins to be spaced and positioned to contact the TPs as required. You could then press the switch/button resting on the bench to short the connection without touching or moving the pins. Normally, I find positioning the tool, shorting the pins at just the right moment, and simultaneously pressing Ctl+z, challenging.

[Izualim]

Hi Larry, the "Short tool" has spring loaded pins, and they can be replaced when needed, the headcombs are not 3D printed, they are CNC'ed and are made from a semi soft antistatic material, not PLA or ABS, i will make an update in the website in case this makes confusion.

[thatdellguy]

We make a lot of our tools from a 3d printer. You can make quality stuff but it takes skill, patience, and a well calibrated machine.

[fzabkar]

My vision of a perfect tool would be one with pins at the end of a flexible arm, and the leads from the pins go to a remote switch. The flexible arm would allow the pins to be spaced and positioned to contact the TPs as required. You could then press the switch/button resting on the bench to short the connection without touching or moving the pins. Normally, I find positioning the tool, shorting the pins at just the right moment, and simultaneously pressing Ctl+z, challenging.

I recall using digitising pens (for computer aided design/draughting) which incorporated a momentary microswitch that was activated simply by depressing the pen. I reckon that would be close to the ideal design.

[LarrySabo]

I recall using digitising pens (for computer aided design/draughting) which incorporated a momentary microswitch that was activated simply by depressing the pen. I reckon that would be close to the ideal design.

Exactly, although one would need a pair of them and juggling the two at once might be challenging.

The shorting tool Izualim describes sounds like it might be almost perfect, given the spring-loaded pins. The cost, especially when shipping is added, is hard to justify when the alternative (a pair of tweezers) is basically free.

[dobrevjetser]

Tweezers are not always suitable due to the long distance the current has to run. At the frequency of the head signals, the impedance is to high to make a good short. Ace even recommends to put a short wire between the pins of the tweezers which is not a very elegant solution.

With our shorting tool we have no problems with that and due to the push button timing can be very precise.

Dobre

[scratchy]

I have the ramp head tools and the short tools and they work very well. The head ramp tools work well with Toshiba and Samsung laptop drives which was my main reason for buying them. As we often have many WD, Tosh and Samsung drives in the cleanroom for head swaps at the same time, we have made use of the ramp combs for maintaining head separation for the patient, which has proven a much better solution to our previous method.

They are different to the Helpdisc head combs in that (for us) the drtools eu serve a different purpose and work on drives that are not yet supported by helpdisc.

The prices may seem a bit steep, but they are made from good quality anti-static material.

[fzabkar]

I recall using digitising pens (for computer aided design/draughting) which incorporated a momentary microswitch that was activated simply by depressing the pen. I reckon that would be close to the ideal design.

Exactly, although one would need a pair of them and juggling the two at once might be challenging.

Why would you need two microswitches? AISI, you would only need two pogo pins with equivalent mechanical travel plus a single switch activated by one of the pins.

As for an adjustable flexible arm ...

Drafting-compass.jpg (10.36 KiB) Viewed 28351 times

[dobrevjetser]

Same problem with impedance ...

[fzabkar]

Same problem with impedance ...

I don't see it, but if you're really concerned about it, then connect a short, insulated flexible wire between the two thumbscrews.

[LarrySabo]

Exactly, although one would need a pair of them and juggling the two at once might be challenging.

Why would you need two microswitches? AISI, you would only need two pogo pins with equivalent mechanical travel plus a single switch activated by one of the pins.

One wouldn't; I haven't seen the switches to which you referred and assumed they were like pens held to the TP and depressed to make contact. One static probe plus a switchable probe would be all that's needed of course. My comment was regarding the challenge of holding the two probes and depressing one of them to effect the short. I would still prefer pins I could position as required and have them held in position by the flexible arm to which they were mounted, the leads ending at a button switch on the desktop. I don't buy the impedance argument at all. My Staedtler scribe has less than 0.1 ohms impedance to DC and I would bet 100:1 about the same to high frequency signals from the read circuitry.