DDI4 with USB Add-On opinion

[kpeddie]

Hi

Thinking about buying a DDI with USB add on card to help cater for the large numbers (I say large but what i mean is a few a week) of these damned USB drives we are getting in. We at present outsource head replacement and spindle jobs but do most others in shop.

Is it worth me buying one? In anyone's experience, will it be of use to me for imaging damaged WD and Samsung USB drives or are most of these you see needing a head replacement anyway.

Im not that keen on doing the PCB dance with these drives as its just a huge hassle.....

Thanks

[lcoughey]

I certainly love having the add-on...using it right now.

[CK]

+1, it's a nice add-on that works really well and saves a lot of time.

[kpeddie]

Is it only useful after replacing heads or have you found it useful for drives that you can get away without replacing heads.

For example, with SATA WD drives i can fiddle around with RAM headmap and at least get some of the data and charge a discounted price if customer doesnt want to spend too much. Is there any facility for similar action on USB drives using DDI?

[CK]

You can create headmap via USB.

[positivebit]

You can create headmap via USB.

impressive!

[Maestro]

its very usuful tool and the most important is that it saved me a lot of time!!

[Nick_CT]

Ordering one today, keen to see what it can do

[positivebit]

A question: can the add-on read rom via usb without powering the motor?

[lcoughey]

A question: can the add-on read rom via usb without powering the motor?

DDI is a disk imager and has no need to provide that functionality. If you want to read and reprogram ROM, you need PC3K.

[positivebit]

A question: can the add-on read rom via usb without powering the motor?

DDI is a disk imager and has no need to provide that functionality. If you want to read and reprogram ROM, you need PC3K.

yes i know that, but since it can provide reading by selective heads, should read at least a rom imagine in RAM, from here it is short to output a binary file.

[lcoughey]

A question: can the add-on read rom via usb without powering the motor?

DDI is a disk imager and has no need to provide that functionality. If you want to read and reprogram ROM, you need PC3K.

yes i know that, but since it can provide reading by selective heads, should read at least a rom imagine in RAM, from here it is short to output a binary file.

Reading by selective heads is built from the SA, not the ROM.

[positivebit]

oh nice.. SA access via usb,there is a module in SA that contain a rom image...maybe could be a good idea to figure out a nice "save rom file from sa"
actually pc3K can't perform this task.

[lcoughey]

oh nice.. SA access via usb,there is a module in SA that contain a rom image...maybe could be a good idea to figure out a nice "save rom file from sa"
actually pc3K can't perform this task.

Unfortunately, I think adding any type of complex SA functionality to DDI would not be a good move for DeepSpar, due to the limited knowledge of the average DDI user, now that they are selling directly to computer shops. Though, a simple Export of ROM and SA modules and tracks via DRE to PC3K compatible files would be a cool feature. Are you sure that PC3K can't handle it? Even via the terminal connections?

[positivebit]

yes it can handle IF the drives reach DRD.