PCB Firmware transfer How-To

[cnodadmo]

Does anybody know or have a How-To guide to transfer firmware from one PCB to another? The current PCB I have was zapped and no longer functioning, but I have another PCB so I would like to take the firmware from my old PCB and transfer over to the other PCB in order for me to test to see if I can get my harddrive functioning again.

Thanks.

[jono-ats]

It pretty much depends upon the specific drive model, although the PC3000 can work with most. You didn't give enough info.

[cnodadmo]

It pretty much depends upon the specific drive model, although the PC3000 can work with most. You didn't give enough info.

oh, i thought the transfer is the same for any PCB. Here's what I have:

Western Digital Caviar
120 GB Enhanced IDE Hard Drive
Drive Parameters: LBA 234441648
MDL: WD1200JB-00DUA0
Date: 07 Jan 2003
DCM: DSBHNAJAH
Board Number: 2060-001160-001

What do I have to have and do to perform the transfer? Also, if PC3000 is the tool to use, how much would it cost? The website asks you to submit a form before telling you how much it is, but I want to know the cost before I do so.

Thanks.

[drc]

Firmware lives on the platters, not the PCB.

[cnodadmo]

Firmware lives on the platters, not the PCB.

So why is it that I'm reading articles in data recovery sites that it's possible to get the existing firmware from an old PCB and transfer it to another PCB? So what you are saying is that in order for me to get my zapped PCB from working again, I need exactly the same type of board that exists on my hard drive, is this correct?

[shahij]

Firmware lives on the platters, not the PCB.

So why is it that I'm reading articles in data recovery sites that it's possible to get the existing firmware from an old PCB and transfer it to another PCB? So what you are saying is that in order for me to get my zapped PCB from working again, I need exactly the same type of board that exists on my hard drive, is this correct?

You will find the ROM in PCB. and Firmware in Platter.

[BlackST]

Rom or embedded in mcu. PC3000 UDMA costs several thousand $ plus annual support fee. Or buy external programmer with POD and/or interface - some mcu's are custom so you have to made - and find how to - by yourself.

[cnodadmo]

You will find the ROM in PCB. and Firmware in Platter.[/quote]

So is it possible to use a different PCB because mine was zapped during a power surge? If so, how do I make the other PCB compatible with my HDD if the PCB number on the other board is different from my original?

[drc]

Generally speaking, you can't. For a PCB swap to work you typically have to have the identical numbered board and have some means of transferring the ROM contents from one to the other.

[cnodadmo]

Generally speaking, you can't. For a PCB swap to work you typically have to have the identical numbered board and have some means of transferring the ROM contents from one to the other.

wow, even though i find a board with identical board numbers coming from the same HDD model I still need to transfer the ROM contents from one to the other. Why is that if everything is the same? What tools/program do I use to transfer the ROM contents?

[beto]

Because if u doesn transfer the ROM the hdd should be spin , reach DRDY DSC, but when the hdd tried to read any sector send ABRT command, and u cannot get any sector, thiis is like the HDD engineering works, and ROM has information so called "adaptive" head map ,linkers, wich links to the FW on platters called "Diskware,System Area, etc" at newbies section are some info about , about how works the HDD engineering. u can use a EEPROM Programmer, to read and wrote the ROM or u can use specializad tools wich has a cost like a thousands of dollars,

Regards

[BlackST]

PC3000 UDMA board, adapters and software, and a HiLO Systems universal programmer. Less than 10.000 $ for both. A real bargain for repairing one drive...

[drc]

Generally speaking, you can't. For a PCB swap to work you typically have to have the identical numbered board and have some means of transferring the ROM contents from one to the other.

wow, even though i find a board with identical board numbers coming from the same HDD model I still need to transfer the ROM contents from one to the other. Why is that if everything is the same?

Because everything is not the same. Each hard drive has unique adaptive parameters that tell the drive how to read and write to its specific media. If you are exceptionally lucky or bought two of the same thing at the same time you might find a donor that is similar enough that you don't have to worry about the ROM.

[cnodadmo]

PC3000 UDMA board, adapters and software, and a HiLO Systems universal programmer. Less than 10.000 $ for both. A real bargain for repairing one drive...

Where do I get the PC3000 UDMA board, adapters, and software?
Where do I get the HiLo Systems universal programmer?

[cnodadmo]

Generally speaking, you can't. For a PCB swap to work you typically have to have the identical numbered board and have some means of transferring the ROM contents from one to the other.

wow, even though i find a board with identical board numbers coming from the same HDD model I still need to transfer the ROM contents from one to the other. Why is that if everything is the same?

Because everything is not the same. Each hard drive has unique adaptive parameters that tell the drive how to read and write to its specific media. If you are exceptionally lucky or bought two of the same thing at the same time you might find a donor that is similar enough that you don't have to worry about the ROM.

Thanks everyone for all your help, if I get my two questions answer above this post I should be good for today, until I start doing the actual work =).

Merry Christmas everybody.

[drc]

http://www.acelaboratory.com/

[BlackST]

Ask Ace and hilo. Simple. P.s. EVERY question, then, should be addressed to the manufacturers, don't ask us to train you, it's not Xmas everyday. P.p.s. Do you also know how to desolder chips to be read and/or pgm'd with the programmer hw. ?