I have a seagate 7200.11 st3500320AS 500 GB with firmware SD15, and I am sure its firmware bricked. I have read in a few placed a procedure of placing a card between the PCB and the head contacts, and hooking it up to a serial port to send commands to the drive that are suppose to fix it at least long enough to be able to update the firmware. The issue is, its not working.
Let me provide detail.
I connect the drive to the computer and the BIOS does not recognize it. The drive however spins up just fine. I removed the PCB, inserted the cardboard, screwed down the PCB again, connected the wires (I triple checked the wiring, and even hooked it up backwards.) I plug the drive directly into the serial port (I am using a machine with a serial port) using the cable I made. I plug the drive into power, and its spins up. Shortly after it spins down. I set the terminal to the correct (there is only one) com port, and set the baud rate and settings to 38400,8,none,1,none. I hit crtl-z.. Nothing happens. It hit enter.. Still nothing. /2.. Nothing.. Reverse the wiring (TX to TX and RX to RX) and when I repower the drive I get two non-alphanumeric charters (Occasionally). Again ctrl-z, enter, /2. nothing. I again check the wiring of the cable. Pin 5 GND, Pin 2 receive, pin 3 transmit. The pin numbers are even stamped into the plastic, so I know I am not counting backwards. Used a multimeter to check the wires in case one is broken, and all wiring is fine. I shrinkwraped the little clips I am connecting to the pins in case they were shorting. Still none of this is working. I even took a drive I know is fully functional and covered the head connecter with cardboard, NOTHING! What am I doing wrong?

This indicates that more than likely your drive suffers from a different problem.
A terminal output of the drive would be indeed very helpful.
If you post a picture of the entire setup you made, maybe someone will help you even more.

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In the past year or two, it is very rare for us to see one of these drives with just a firmware issue any more. Most of the drives are showing the symptoms due to other reasons, whether they be bad sectors, failed heads or a fatal crash in the SA.

If the data is of any value, you may want to stop playing with it and have it assessed by a data recovery professional before things get worse.

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Luke
Recovery Force Donor Inventory: 5,000+ Fully Cataloged HDDs & Growing

+1 northwind & lcoughey

@Shadow_Wizard,

It is very worrying that you said: "I plug the drive directly into the serial port". If you really have plugged the drive directly into the serial port of the PC, then you may have permanently damaged that drive's PCB. There are multiple serial port voltage standards - the drive and normal PC serial ports use different variations (and there are even different variations of PC serial port voltage standard).

If the data has no value and you are just "playing" (i.e. if you don't mind whether you cause more damage), then IMHO photos and more detail needed from you, showing exactly how you have connected the drive & PC, and how you are supplying power to the drive, as already suggested.

You have connected something that expect 0/+3.3 to something that has given +12/-12. And you expected for it to be happy ?

The drive has no value unless I can get it working again. Same with the Data. If it happens the be a firmware brick, then it just saves me from having a buy a replacement HDD and reinstall windows. If the drive fries, then I am in the same boat I am in now, and in addition I likely learned something. Anyway, picture..

This is the cable I created by simply hacking the end off of a 9 to 25 pin serial cable and testing the lines to see what one is what.
The directions I am following are here: http://www.overclock.net/t/457286/seaga ... -with-pics and although it us using a USB to serial adapter I thought that serial is all that really matters.

Yes, that's exactly my point - they're incompatible. When the OP replies, we'll see if he really meant that, or not...

Serial output of +/- 12V is just one of the possibilities, which is why I was not so specific in my reply. Some PCs (e.g. some laptops) don't use those serial o/p voltages, which is why I said there are multiple possible variations. That's the great thing (or not) about standards, there are so many of them!

Wonderful. Suggestions then?

Is there a reason why the cardboard is inserted so far away from the motor connection that you are trying to insulate?

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Luke
Recovery Force Donor Inventory: 5,000+ Fully Cataloged HDDs & Growing

@Shadow_Wizard,

Your posting with the photo and partial answers to my questions, only just appeared (it would have been delayed for moderator approval, since you're a new member).


Unfortunately as you have now read, no, that isn't all that mattered.


Since there was no "please", I hope that wasn't meant in a demanding tone...

Based on your comments that the data & drive have no value and therefore you're going ahead with DIY, here are some suggestions of where I would start...

- buy or make a serial TTL adapter (either USB-to-TTL serial or "normal" serial port-to-TTL serial, it's your choice);
- test it with a loopback to ensure the adapter itself works (if you have an oscilloscope, you can then prove the voltage levels on the adapter as well as seeing if you get any relevant output from the serial port on the drive);
- with the adapter attached to the drive, use Hyperterm or equivalent (with the correct serial port config as you mentioned before, which is correct for 7200.11) to see if the drive outputs anything when it is powered-on (that assumes the drive has separate power from the PC with the serial port - you didn't show the power arrangement for the drive in the photo).

Those would be the basic steps I would take to begin with, but many variations are possible so other members might give alternatives.

@Shadow_Wizard, if your drive is affected by the 7200.11 BSY bug, Seagate may still be offering free data recovery. However, if you've damaged the PCB, then you'll need to replace it, and then hope that Seagate will indulge you. When replacing the PCB, you will need to transfer the firmware. There are three PCB suppliers who will do this for free.

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A backup a day keeps DR away.

I am waiting for my serial TTL to come in, and I will try that and hope it works. Replaceing the PCB is likely not worth it, as I said, the data is worth less the the hard drive to me. It is basically a customers computer that I sold them (Used) so I either 1) Fix the HDD and give them the computer back or 2) Replace the HDD, re-install windows, and give then the computer back. Essentially if I destroy the HDD, I am in the same boat I am in now, a non working HDD that needs to be replaced. If I manage to fix it, I save myself some time, and the cost of a HDD.
I have hooked up that serial contraption I made to PBC's on HDD's before, (Working HDD's, just to see if the cable worked) and when I put the HDD back into the computer it worked fine, so here is hoping. I will report back when I have tried the TTL cable.

In either scenario, you need to replace the hard drive unless you want them calling you again in a month.

_________________
Luke
Recovery Force Donor Inventory: 5,000+ Fully Cataloged HDDs & Growing

Shadow- It know it's been awhile but I found a pretty good article with pictures depicting a solution for you.. Google copy/paste this:

"Fixing a Seagate 7200.11 Hard Drive"

or just go to this site:

sites.google.com/site/seagatefix/

~UART "Wishes are uttered from a man without a bridge."

Not likely, based on the exact symptoms described by the OP . See the second post in this thread. The drive's power-on messages would be needed to help confirm/deny your diagnosis, but the OP hasn't supplied them...