Samsung HM500JI PCB Swap

[msurgeon]

Thanks for your didactic correction. After 25 years in this business, I may tend to blur lines in terminology usage, but I think my advice is sound.

[fzabkar]

Thanks for your didactic correction. After 25 years in this business, I may tend to blur lines in terminology usage, but I think my advice is sound.

If the MCU has masked ROM, then a board swap would be the only solution. Alternatively, if it has flash memory, then that would explain the other comments.

Was wondering if anyone could tell me if there are any adaptive modules on this PCB that would need to be swapped over on a board swap.

That's not how Samsung drives work

Needs to be the same ROM version.

If ur lucky the ROM version is on the drive label, if not then you need pro assistance to ascertain the version and locate/manufacture a suitable PCB

Assuming the PCB is at fault, and assuming you've got the right soldering equipment and skills, you can transfer the large Marvell chip (marked with an M) to a compatible donor board. This chip contains the masked ROM which has unique information necessary for proper operation.

Matching the Rev. A means nothing; might work but it would be pure luck. As I said previously, the Marvell chip contains masked ROM which has the necessary info for proper drive operation.

AISI, your advice is to transfer the "ROM" contents, while your colleagues are saying that the solution is as simple as locating a compatible board. Clearly you and your colleagues are in disagreement. This is not something I would expect from professionals who have spent "25 years in the business".

[fzabkar]

Thanks for your didactic correction. After 25 years in this business, I may tend to blur lines in terminology usage, but I think my advice is sound.

If the MCU has masked ROM, then a board swap would be the only solution. Alternatively, if it has flash memory, then that would explain the other comments.

Was wondering if anyone could tell me if there are any adaptive modules on this PCB that would need to be swapped over on a board swap.

That's not how Samsung drives work

Needs to be the same ROM version.

If ur lucky the ROM version is on the drive label, if not then you need pro assistance to ascertain the version and locate/manufacture a suitable PCB

Assuming the PCB is at fault, and assuming you've got the right soldering equipment and skills, you can transfer the large Marvell chip (marked with an M) to a compatible donor board. This chip contains the masked ROM which has unique information necessary for proper operation.

Matching the Rev. A means nothing; might work but it would be pure luck. As I said previously, the Marvell chip contains masked ROM which has the necessary info for proper drive operation.

AISI, your advice is to transfer the "ROM" contents, while your colleagues are saying that the solution is as simple as locating a compatible board. Clearly you and your colleagues are in disagreement. This is not something I would expect from professionals who have spent "25 years in the business".

[msurgeon]

Disagreement about technique is not unique to the DR business. However, based on my experience I stand by my opinions.

[fzabkar]

We have in the shop right now a Samsung for which a fully compatible board with matching firmware did not work. Required copying patient ROM contents. But, alas, you are free to draw your own conclusions about the value of hands-on experience.

The following URL appears to support your statements:
http://www.salvagedata.com/hard-drive/s ... y/hd503hi/

"If one is familiar with basic electronics, the first instinct that comes to mind in such a situation involving a burnt PCB is to replace the PCB with another one from a similar model and make. This possibly could have worked in the past, but alas! Samsung Hard drives have become more complicated, and now the head disk assembly is matched to the logic board, meaning that it works only for the specific matching PCB and not any other donor PCB. This problem can be overcome in our recovery lab wherein we use specialized software and hardware to rebuild these adaptive parameters in the Samsung HD503HI ROM to make a donor PCB fully compatible with damaged drive."

However, here is a thread where a straight board swap did work:
data-recovery-replacing-damaged-pcb-from-another-one-t18465.html#p123904

Admittedly the references are for different Samsung models.

[fzabkar]

Disagreement about technique is not unique to the DR business. However, based on my experience I stand by my opinions.

Hmm, your original response seems to have disappeared.

Anyway, your disagreements are not about "technique". Instead they suggest that someone has a fundamental misunderstanding of the workings of Samsung drives. Either the PCBs have unique, drive specific data, or they do not. You can't both be right.

[msurgeon]

You're right.

[fzabkar]

You're right.

AFAICS, the subject matter has no room for independent opinion. It is far too fundamental for that. ISTM that matching PCBs should be a straightforward procedure for any data recovery expert. To an outsider like me, confusion over such a basic issue doesn't instill great confidence or respect for the DR profession.

[BlackST]

I ask people to send me the drive WITHOUT PCB if it is fried or if they have m...... it. Simply avoid time waste. If there is no other user-generated damage, data is recovered.
Just a matter of money.

[einstein9]

BlackST & Dizidago357

you added this problem "Unable to load overlay 1A" for my seagate tasks research,

am working on seagate problems/solutions gathering all possible problems and try to test those solutions using SD/3k and also DIY.

:>
thnx

[BlackST]

SD doesn't help , UDMA does (like 1 click or 2 solution), I have a not simple workaround - looking for other .

[einstein9]

well, last month i started putting all of those info. related to seagate hdd problems in BrainStorm Appz
try to link stuff and @ the end will be in a web interface DB for all known DR & hdd problems/solutions

with few clicks and keyword search you will find one place for all of those questions.

hard to do, but already started and doing some progress.

and trust me on this, once ready, you cannot imagine how much work me & others are putting on this
will worth alot and will save your time on research.

[VoodooPL]

Hi,
I've got a question related to disk HM500JI with following problem:
After power-on, the disk spins and starts to click, spins again and starts to click...
A friend of mine who has got this disk, has connected it to terminal and said the problem is related to heads.
(I haven't got terminal output).

My question is:
1. Is it possible to perform a hot-swap procedure for this drive?
2. What is the donor drive compatibility for head swap ?
3. After performing head swap is that all to make it back to life? or is there a need to rebuild adaptives, etc. ? what are Your experiences in that field?

[DRforensic]

Hi, we just did one with same scenario as the above drive and it worked. In terminal mode we wrote ROM from firmware version 2AC101C4. So far we had 7 of them and all had same firmware version. if anybody need a Rom PM.