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 Post subject: deskstar pcb swapping
PostPosted: November 27th, 2008, 12:04 
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Joined: April 18th, 2008, 11:15
Posts: 30
Hi Guys,
I am no big expert at this but I did swap PCBs on deskstar drives and I did get the data back more than once. Here I read that the NVRAM would have to be swapped too to get the thing to work (in all cases?).
Could some one please explain what the deal is?
cheers / harald


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 Post subject: Re: deskstar pcb swapping
PostPosted: November 27th, 2008, 12:06 
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Joined: March 13th, 2005, 12:33
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Location: Dublin
Adaptive Data (Drive specific information) is stored on the NV-RAM chip on certain Hitachi drives. For the older drives, a PCB swap would suffice but it will not work on all drives. You will need to resolder the NVRAM chip onto your donor board should it be one of the models which stores adaptive data.

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 Post subject: Re: deskstar pcb swapping
PostPosted: November 27th, 2008, 12:17 
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Joined: November 29th, 2006, 10:08
Posts: 7865
Location: UK
You can get lucky sometimes, the NVRAM contains the starting address for the SA of the drive.

I had a VLAT drive yesterday that worked with a PCB from another one, but that's pretty rare!

Also some models of Hitachi don't have NVRAM at all, such as the ATDA and ATCS series.

Mostly you WILL need to transfer the NVRAM (either re-program or physically transfer)

Sean

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 Post subject: Re: deskstar pcb swapping
PostPosted: November 27th, 2008, 12:19 
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Joined: April 18th, 2008, 11:15
Posts: 30
Thanks!
How do I spot if the drive has a NVRAM?
What sort of data is this drive specific data?
cheers / harald


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 Post subject: Re: deskstar pcb swapping
PostPosted: November 27th, 2008, 22:41 
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Joined: December 16th, 2007, 10:26
Posts: 1151
hello,
would you like to post the image of your PCB?

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 Post subject: Re: deskstar pcb swapping
PostPosted: November 28th, 2008, 13:05 
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Joined: April 18th, 2008, 11:15
Posts: 30
Hi,
This is the picture of the drive concerned (front and back).
It makes 'the' clicking sound.


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 Post subject: Re: deskstar pcb swapping
PostPosted: November 28th, 2008, 13:06 
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Joined: April 18th, 2008, 11:15
Posts: 30
ok, ok...
Here is the URL:
http://www.chipmunk.nl/plaatjes/untitled-98.jpg
sorry!


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 Post subject: Re: deskstar pcb swapping
PostPosted: November 28th, 2008, 13:49 
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Joined: November 29th, 2006, 10:08
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Location: UK
The NVRAM is the 8-legged chip above the big Infineon chip

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 Post subject: Re: deskstar pcb swapping
PostPosted: November 29th, 2008, 1:08 
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Joined: October 7th, 2005, 2:03
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Is it enough to change NVram without exchange ROM?

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 Post subject: Re: deskstar pcb swapping
PostPosted: November 29th, 2008, 6:44 
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Location: UK
yes,

make sure the 1st two lines of the PCB code match.

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 Post subject: Re: deskstar pcb swapping
PostPosted: November 29th, 2008, 10:19 
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Joined: April 18th, 2008, 11:15
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> First two lines of PCB code have to match...

You means the '0A29525 BA1790'?


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 Post subject: Re: deskstar pcb swapping
PostPosted: November 29th, 2008, 10:23 
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Location: UK
If that's the first two lines from the four lines of code on the little sticker on the PCB, then yes!

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 Post subject: Re: deskstar pcb swapping
PostPosted: December 2nd, 2008, 10:57 
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Joined: April 18th, 2008, 11:15
Posts: 30
What kind of behaviour would I get from a drive if the NVram is 'wrong'?

For example I have two drive of the same model Hitachi. One 'clunks' the other is fine. If I swap the PCBs then the working one still works and the bad drive still 'clunks'.
Can I conclude that both NVrams are identical in this case? (because the good drive works with the suspect PCB)
Can I conclude that the problem is in the mechanism?

How do I nail down the cause of the 'clunking' in an easy way?
All help is more than welcome!


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 Post subject: Re: deskstar pcb swapping
PostPosted: December 2nd, 2008, 12:17 
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Joined: November 29th, 2006, 10:08
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Location: UK
It would appear then the NVRAM is identical in this case.

The clunking is probably down to bad head(s), could be firmware but much less likely.

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 Post subject: Re: deskstar pcb swapping
PostPosted: December 2nd, 2008, 13:42 
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Joined: July 18th, 2006, 3:05
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I vote for bad head/s or platter damage (ouch !!!) ...


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 Post subject: Re: deskstar pcb swapping
PostPosted: December 2nd, 2008, 19:26 
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Joined: July 16th, 2008, 17:52
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Location: Long Beach, California
Indeed, heads it is.



And as stated, NVRAM stores adaptives, and sometimes you may get lucky that the adaptives are close enough of a match that you do not need to tranfer NVRAM chip, but this is a rare occurence, you got very lucky.


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 Post subject: Re: deskstar pcb swapping
PostPosted: December 11th, 2008, 7:54 
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Joined: December 11th, 2008, 6:47
Posts: 2
Guys I'm hoping you can help. I am swapping the PCB board on two IBM Deskstar drives because of broken pins. I've removed the screws but stopped there as I wasn't sure how to remove the thin cable that attaches the drive to the board. Before I experimented and risked damaging it could you share with me how to remove it.
Thanks

and sorry for reviving an old post but there was not much out there on the topic.


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 Post subject: Re: deskstar pcb swapping
PostPosted: December 11th, 2008, 8:30 
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Joined: March 13th, 2005, 12:33
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Location: Dublin
very easy to remove the cable.......just observe ESD precautions and be gentle...
Attachment:
IMG_0729.JPG
IMG_0729.JPG [ 48.05 KiB | Viewed 10485 times ]

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 Post subject: Re: deskstar pcb swapping
PostPosted: December 11th, 2008, 19:38 
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Joined: December 24th, 2007, 16:08
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Location: EUROPE
Russwinters wrote:
Indeed, heads it is.
And as stated, NVRAM stores adaptives, and sometimes you may get lucky that the adaptives are close enough of a match that you do not need to tranfer NVRAM chip, but this is a rare occurence, you got very lucky.


Hi, can you confirm iff the ROM version and the NVRAM Version the first two letters match, them we can acess the SA.

ROM ID.................................. : ADxx
NV-RAM ID............................... : ADxx

RESF version............................ : ADxx

Thanks
ZeBong

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 Post subject: Re: deskstar pcb swapping
PostPosted: December 12th, 2008, 9:07 
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Joined: December 11th, 2008, 6:47
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Thank you CK


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