I've got a Samsung HS031GA which spins up and that's about it, everything reports no device found. However, I've noticed there are five contact plates around the zif ribbon (see the pic), does anyone know if they are for diag/serial console?

I've tried all that- nothing that normally gets dead drives working get this one going- can't get to service area: presence of the drive is not recognised by anything, hence the need for a diag. port. The drive spins and the heads "sound" ok, but I suspect the motor is independent of electronics on these models...

yup, and if there was an obvious diag port, things would be so easy!



that was my instinct as well, the two outer ones on the other side look like ground no idea what the middle one is... i was hoping someone would've come across this drive before i started poking at it with logic analyser/oscilloscope...

Wouldn't a diagnostic port require Tx and Rx pins? Are there any pads on the other side of the board?

The two pads on the left appear to be joined. If so, then I don't believe they would be signal pins.

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A backup a day keeps DR away.

Pads as you can see are for UART and also separate power for drive......

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All went well until I plugged the drive in.

Locate the +3.3V and Ground pins at the host end of the ZIF cable, then test for continuity with each of the pads. That should identify the power pins. The remaining pins would be signal pins.

_________________
A backup a day keeps DR away.

So the pads don't appear to be diag port at all: stuck a scope at each and, l->r, I get 3.3v, 3.3v, COM, 3.3v, COM; all at steady levels...

How can you be certain that the Tx/Rx pins aren't quiet?

I would measure the resistances between each of the COM and 3.3V pads.

_________________
A backup a day keeps DR away.