Hi guys.
My section boss has a Barracuda 7200.12 (ST500DM002) that worked 24/7 and failed at night around 3 weeks ago. An external data company failed to recover anything (I have very imprecise information - they applied something "magnetic-fields" related... "broken "sectors...). My superiors have assumed data is lost; the drive will go to warranty/RMA quite soon days. In the meantime They gave it to me as a "toy" to try data recovery. I come to your help, hat in hand...

It's not recognized by Bios, it spins-up and down 11 times.

5 years ago I built the RS232-TTL [url]hddguru.com/articles/2005.10.01-Seagate-RS-232-adapter-schematic/serial_max232.gif[/url]; loopback tests with it work fine.
I connected it to the HDD. TX-RX voltage is 1.3V. The HDD tells me the following and doesn't accept Ctrl+Z/ any key input


The last two lines repeat 10 times.

I'm about to try it with the spin connectors separated ("plastic card trick") so that I can access diagnostics mode. It looks like severe platter/head damage, but I'd like to hear your feedback.
Any help will be appreciated. Thanks.

Sounds like a bad heads. Head cant find servo adaptive parameters.

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Hello everyone, sorry for my poor english, because i using google translator.

AFAICT, the voltage levels should be 2.5V LVTTL. That's the supply voltage spec for the Winbond W9412G6JH SDRAM, so I'm thinking that should also be the MCU Vio voltage.

http://media.digikey.com/pdf/Data%20She ... 12G6JH.pdf

It still sounds like a head/media fault, though.

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A backup a day keeps DR away.

Thank you for your feedback.

They are.
(I meant they are 1.3V with variations when the RS232-TTL CIRCUIT IS ATTACHED)

When I plug the power and the motor (and head connector too, or not) are detached, I get the following:

(last two lines 10 times)

Also I have realized that invariably if I wait some seconds I get after the last lines. And I'm still unable to get to Diagnostic Mode, both with PCB connected and disconnected to the HD; from this I deduct the PCB could have some kind of damage...

Should I short read and write channels and try? I'm somewhat stuck at this point.

(I've checked my rs232-TTL circuit with a 7200.11 drive in very good condition; it works fine)

Thank you for the feedback guys. It seems my last message didn't get posted.

I know about heads problems... but I'd like to access the terminal and regenerate whatever partitions can be reformatted/regenerated without data loss. (Also I don't work at IT... I could suggest but I don't decide whether it goes to RMA or Data Recovery). Formatting the user partition with m0 doesn't format the disk drive partitions, does it?

I realized if I wait time the output changes (LED:000000EE FAddr:001028A6). Insulating the heads or the motor doesn't change the output much (Resp 0003 instead of 0007) or the fact that I can't access the drive.

I intend shorting the pins, but I haven't found yet information 100% specific to this HDD. Which ones in picture: red and/or blue one? Should I do it after Servo errors stop appearing?

red

after spin up

I tried shorting channel contact without any result, still no reply to CtrlZ commands. It seems the firmware is seriously locked... The TTL circuit works flawlessly in a 7200.11 HD, but maybe I should remove the resistor or something... In a couple days a new TTL cable arrives.
Also I don't like the noise when it spins...

Erm... Let me explain... I believe I should be able to access the Diagnostic Level from the TTL despite the drive having virtually no heads and no platters... I've read there is some firmware copy at the PCB.
From the diagnostic mode, I chiefly intend to print GList and SMART info (V45...) and maybe measure head resistance... And I will show that info to my boss.

I'm starting to think if Seagate had designed a more reliable/... FW, it would be easier...

The glist and smart have nothing to do with the PCB, they are located on the platter(s).

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I have tried shorting the read and/or write channel dozens of times, at different moments, for different periods of time. With my circuit and with a usual Chinese USB to TTL cable.

The output is always the same:

I'm ready to give up. In a couple days the drive will be sent to RMA I think...

Insulating the heads contact and trying to boot maybe changed the output somewhate (irreversibly, it seems?; I no longer get FAIL Servo Op=0100 Resp=0007... I get Resp=0003 instead)...

This shouldn't be so difficult... Diagnostic mode should be meant to work when things fail...