Quantum Fireball Plus AS 60GB

[Michael S]

There is an error LED on the PCB, but I'm assuming yours don't flash, otherwise we would have heard from you.

You're correct. The LED is dead on the bad PCB but lights on power-up on the donor.

[Michael S]

My next step would be to measure the voltage across the pair of 0.68 ohm current limit resistors. It might be easier to measure the voltage between the tab of AE and the 3.3V test point. If this voltage is around 0.7V, then this would imply that the Vio supply is being overloaded by something on the Vio rail.

I will test this later. I know I'm only getting 1.1V at the 3.3V test point if that makes any difference.

[Michael S]

It might be easier to measure the voltage between the tab of AE and the 3.3V test point. If this voltage is around 0.7V, then this would imply that the Vio supply is being overloaded by something on the Vio rail.

Ok, I'm getting no reading at all between those points, maybe I'm doing something wrong. What would you expect me to be getting?

[fzabkar]

I'm getting Vio = +3.3V and Vcore = +2.64V.

The voltage drop across the 0.68 ohm resistor pair is 0.132V. That corresponds to a load current of 388mA.

[Michael S]

Sorry for my ignorance but you've lost me now. I can't replicate your results. Please explain which points you are using to take these readings. Which "tab of AE" are you referring to?

[HaQue]

Sorry for my ignorance but you've lost me now. I can't replicate your results. Please explain which points you are using to take these readings. Which "tab of AE" are you referring to?

in the photo there is transistor labelled AE, and the tab is the larger(single) metal bit, on the opposite side to the 3 legs, soldered to the PCB.

[guru]

Why is everyone still bothering? It's FW issue

[fzabkar]

Why is everyone still bothering? It's FW issue

It would seem so (based on the firmware and ROM versions), but your colleagues don't appear too certain. Maybe they know something that you don't? In any case I'm quite happy to try to narrow down the PCB fault if the OP wishes to continue. If I can motivate myself I might even have a look at the terminal output as well. You can never have too much information. ;-)

[HaQue]

You can never have too much information.

Until, while testing the recovered DATA, you click on the c:\windows\system32\dr1vers\pr1nter\canon\temp" folder.....! ;-0

[Michael S]

In any case I'm quite happy to try to narrow down the PCB fault if the OP wishes to continue.

I'd like to continue if there's a chance of saving the drive and your patience holds. What's the prognosis?!

[guru]

Terminal output will help 100%

[fzabkar]

In any case I'm quite happy to try to narrow down the PCB fault if the OP wishes to continue.

I'd like to continue if there's a chance of saving the drive and your patience holds. What's the prognosis?!

I'm not a data recovery professional, but IMHO you have two problems. The first is obviously a PCB fault. The second is a firmware problem.

Quantum drives store their firmware in two places. Part of the firmware is embedded within the MCU chip on the PCB, either as ROM or flash memory (?), while the remainder is stored in a reserved area on the platters ("Discware"). If there is a problem with any of the critical Discware modules, then the drive won't come ready. That appears to be why the LED remains lit (mine comes on until the drive finishes its power up sequence, and then goes off).

Quantum drives have a serial terminal diagnostic interface by which you can view any error report. You can connect to this port using a tool such as HyperTerminal or PuTTY. You will need a serial adapter, eg a USB-to-RS232 LVTTL/TTL adapter that supports 3.3V.

The pinout is as follows (DS jumper installed):

Code:

                   Jumper block

      Power    /--------\  .-.
    .-------. |    o  o  o |o|     .---------------------------.
    |o o o o| |   /        | |     |           IDE             |
    '-------' |  | o  o  o |o| o   '---------------------------'
              |  |   /     '-'
              |  |  | PK CS DS
              |  |  |
              |  |  |
              |  |  |
              |  |  |
              o  o  o
                RxD
            Gnd    TxD

(created by AACircuit v1.28.7 beta 02/28/13 www.tech-chat.de)

The baud rate is 57600bps.

[Michael S]

Thanks again for all the assistance.

I dug out a USB to serial adapter and connected to the drive. All gibberish so far so I'll muck about with the Baud rate a bit and see if I can get anything meaningful.

Just to clarify: the LED on the donor board doesn't stay on, it lights once at power-up and then goes off.

Cheers.

[Michael S]

Sorry must've been something wrong with my wiring. The interface returns the following (the errors are at the end):

SpinUp
Init RPM=0000
hotRpm=0000
RECAL recalStep 0000 recalStep 0001 recalStep 0002 recalStep 0003 recalStep 0004 recalStep 000E recalStep 0009 recalStep 0005 recalStep 0005 71 recalStep 0005 7E recalStep 0005 80 recalStep 0005 recalStep 0005 recalStep 0007 HdMap 0E
recalStep 0008 recalStep 000E recalStep 000A recalStep 000F recalStep 000E recalStep 000C recalStep 0011 RdFile 0E
RS #01 FFF7 01 0000 R EC 001B
RS #01 FFF7 01 0000 R EC 001B
RS #01 FFF7 01 0000 R EC 001B
RS #01 FFF7 01 0000 R EC 001B
RS #01 FFF7 01 0000 R EC 001B
RS #01 FFF7 01 0000 R EC 001B
RS #01 FFF7 01 0000 R EC 0019
RS #01 FFF7 01 0000 R EC 001B
RdFile 65
RS #01 FFF7 01 0001 R EC 001B
RS #01 FFF7 01 0001 R EC 001B
RS #01 FFF7 01 0001 R EC 001B
RS #01 FFF7 01 0001 R EC 001B
RS #01 FFF7 01 0001 R EC 001B
RS #01 FFF7 01 0001 R EC 001B
RS #01 FFF7 01 0001 R EC 001B
RS #01 FFF7 01 0001 R EC 001B
RdFile 06
RS #01 FFF7 01 0003 R EC 001B
RS #01 FFF7 01 0003 R EC 001B
RS #01 FFF7 01 0003 R EC 001B
RS #01 FFF7 01 0003 R EC 001B
RS #01 FFF7 01 0003 R EC 001B
RS #01 FFF7 01 0003 R EC 001B
RS #01 FFF7 01 0003 R EC 001B
RS #01 FFF7 01 0003 R EC 001B
RdFile 05
RS #01 FFF7 01 0005 R EC 001B
RS #01 FFF7 01 0005 R EC 001B
RS #01 FFF7 01 0005 R EC 001B
RS #01 FFF7 01 0005 R EC 001B
RS #01 FFF7 01 0005 R EC 001B
RS #01 FFF7 01 0005 R EC 001B
RS #01 FFF7 01 0005 R EC 001B
RS #01 FFF7 01 0005 R EC 001B
RdFile 01
RS #01 FFF3 01 000A R EC 001B
RS #01 FFF3 01 000A R EC 001B
RS #01 FFF3 01 000A R EC 001B
RS #01 FFF3 01 000A R EC 001B
RS #01 FFF3 01 000A R EC 001B
RS #01 FFF3 01 000A R EC 001B
RS #01 FFF3 01 000A R EC 001B
RS #01 FFF3 01 000A R EC 001B
RS #01 FFF0 01 000A R EC 001B
RS #01 FFF0 01 000A R EC 001B
RS #01 FFF0 01 000A R EC 001B
RS #01 FFF0 01 000A R EC 001B
RS #01 FFF0 01 000A R EC 001B
RS #01 FFF0 01 000A R EC 001B
RS #01 FFF0 01 000A R EC 001B
RS #01 FFF0 01 000A R EC 001B
RS #01 FFEF 01 000A R EC 001B
RS #01 FFEF 01 000A R EC 001B
RS #01 FFEF 01 000A R EC 001B
RS #01 FFEF 01 000A R EC 001B
RS #01 FFEF 01 000A R EC 001B
RS #01 FFEF 01 000A R EC 001B
RS #01 FFEF 01 000A R EC 001B
RS #01 FFEF 01 000A R EC 001B
RS #01 FFF0 01 000A R EC 001B
RS #01 FFF0 01 000A R EC 001B
RS #01 FFF0 01 000A R EC 001B
RS #01 FFF0 01 000A R EC 001B
RS #01 FFF0 01 000A R EC 001B
RS #01 FFF0 01 000A R EC 001B
RS #01 FFF0 01 000A R EC 001B
RS #01 FFF0 01 000A R EC 001B
RS #01 FFEF 01 000A R EC 001B
RS #01 FFEF 01 000A R EC 001B
RS #01 FFEF 01 000A R EC 001B
RS #01 FFEF 01 000A R EC 001B
RS #01 FFEF 01 000A R EC 001B
RS #01 FFEF 01 000A R EC 001B
RS #01 FFEF 01 000A R EC 001B
RS #01 FFEF 01 000A R EC 001B
RS #01 FFEF 01 000A R EC 001B
RS #01 FFEF 01 000A R EC 001B
RS #01 FFEF 01 000A R EC 001B
RS #01 FFEF 01 000A R EC 001B
RS #01 FFEF 01 000A R EC 001B
RS #01 FFEF 01 000A R EC 001B
RS #01 FFEF 01 000A R EC 001B
RS #01 FFEF 01 000A R EC 001B
err=0011
ROMPowerOn err=0020

[fzabkar]

SpinUp
Init RPM=0000
hotRpm=0000
RECAL recalStep 0000 recalStep 0001 recalStep 0002 recalStep 0003 recalStep 0004 recalStep 000E recalStep 0009 recalStep 0005 recalStep 0005 71 recalStep 0005 7E recalStep 0005 80 recalStep 0005 recalStep 0005 recalStep 0007 HdMap 0E

"HdMap 0E" would suggest that the drive has 3 heads, yet Quantum's documentation states that the 60GB model has 6 heads. Did the donor board come from a 30GB model, or am I misreading the output?

Quantum Fireball Plus AS datasheet:
http://www.seagate.com/staticfiles/maxt ... asheet.pdf

Quantum Fireball Plus AS 10.2/20.5/30.0/40.0/60.0 GB AT Product Manual:
http://www.seagate.com/staticfiles/maxt ... Manual.pdf

[fzabkar]

I have been trying to make sense of the terminal output and ISTM that the drive is attempting to load firmware modules (aka "Files") from the System Area on Head #1.

I'm using the following threads to give me clues:

http://www.hardw.net/forum/topic9118.htm#80754
http://usenet.su/showthread.php/812471-Quantum-AS-??????

At the RECAL point the heads appear to unpark and go through a calibration process.

I'm guessing that the following sequence corresponds to a head calibration process beginning with head #0 and ending with head #5. ISTM that the drive tests for the presence of 6 heads and detects only 3 (heads #1, 2, and 3). A calibration test result is reported for each of the discovered heads (71, 7E, 80).

recalStep 0005
recalStep 0005 71
recalStep 0005 7E
recalStep 0005 80
recalStep 0005
recalStep 0005
recalStep 0007
HdMap 0E

The head map (HdMap) reflects the active heads as follows:

0x0E = 0b00001110

Bit #0 corresponds to head #0
Bit #1 corresponds to head #1
...
Bit #5 corresponds to head #5

The "RdFile 0E" message is reporting that the drive is attempting to load firmware module 0x0E from the platters into memory. Subsequently the drive tries to retrieve modules 65, 06, 05, and 01. Each attempt appears to fail after 8 retries.

I believe the message format identifies the CHS locations of the inaccessible modules. For example, the following lines appear to be telling us that there was an error reading module 01, and that the bad sector was at cylinder 0xFFF3, head 0x01, sector 0x000A.

RdFile 01
RS #01 FFF3 01 000A R EC 001B

Cylinder 0xFFF3 is a "negative cylinder", ie it is outside the user area. These negative cylinders are where the DiscWare resides.

[Michael S]

Did the donor board come from a 30GB model, or am I misreading the output?

The donor is definitely a 60GB model.

Cylinder 0xFFF3 is a "negative cylinder", ie it is outside the user area. These negative cylinders are where the DiscWare resides.

Does this mean I'm out of luck unless I can get the old PCB working?

[pcimage]

Does this mean I'm out of luck unless I can get the old PCB working?

This has nothing to do with the PCB, what fzabkar is talking about is firmware residing in the Service Area on the platters of the drive. You need very specialist tools to work with this.

[fzabkar]

I'm not certain as to what is going on, but ISTM that the drive is unable to access heads 0, 4, and 5. I believe that DiscWare resides on surface #0. When the drive fails to detect head #0, I suspect that it then attempts to find the firmware on surface #1, and fails. Other drives store the head map in flash memory on the PCB but it appears that your Quantum HDD goes through a process of discovery at power-up and determines the head map on the fly. Therefore, ISTM that the drive has an internal fault, and that a PCB repair would be pointless. Of course I could be spectacularly wrong ...

I'll try to get access to a working drive and compare its terminal output to yours. I suggest you also obtain a terminal report from your own working donor for comparison purposes.

If my diagnosis is correct, then perhaps you could try a hot swap. This entails taking a working donor, spinning it down and putting it into standby, transferring the PCB to your patient drive with power still applied, and then waking the patient out of standby. However, before you do anything, and if you don't wish to take any risks with your data, I would seek the advice of a professional.

[guru]

Let's see the terminal output from the good drive

Just out of curiosity can I see pic of the bottom of both drives?