Multi interface PCB?

[Rino74]

Hi

I hope this is the right place to ask this

I was thinking of a ide about somekind of box with a controller chip and eeprom that you could program from computer with a HDD firmware and two cables from it to the hard drive there the pcb is broken, one cable to the motor and one to a adapter that fits the small interface on the hard drive that controlls the head and read/write function. the adaptor should be changed depending of what kind of hard drive you use.

The ide is that you could recover info from harddrives without spending money or time to get new pcb, the box is just so you could get right info about the size head and so on and be abel to comunicate with the drive.

It's almost like those boxes that unlock cellphones but this would be even better

I'm not good at programming so i'm not even shure it would work?

Would that kind of box and adapters be possible?

Thanks

[CK]

Would that kind of box and adapters be possible

No.

[Rino74]

Would that kind of box and adapters be possible

No.

Why not?

If you have a simulated HDD firmware (that are the same as the original pcb) in the box and then connected it to the HDD motor and interface, you should be abel to get communication.

I'm not an expert on chips/IC but the pcb on diffrent HDD is build almost exactly, what i have read you got eeprom for buffer memory one controll chip for motor and one IC to do the rest of communication with the IDE/SATA interface.

Shure there is some diffrence in the motor and read/write interface (not shure what that contact is called) connection on the HDD but if you then use adaptors so it will fit then it's not a impossible thing.

I know it's not the same with cellphones, but there you have a software a communication box and diffrent pin adaptors to fit the right phone.

[Vulcan]

I'm not an expert on chips/IC

And that is why it's not worth spending much time trying to explain the reasons to you, because (with respect) you don't have the background knowledge to understand the replies.

It's like someone without any medical training, who goes to an oncologist and asks why all cancers, in any part of the body, in any person, can't be cured easily with a single anti-cancer drug. Except that the person asking the question (the "questioner") hasn't actually invented that drug yet - but he's "sure" it must be possible. The question itself (and it's inherent assumptions) shows that the "questioner" won't understand the answers that they get - so any attempt by the oncologist to answer (without spending hours giving the "questioner" a course in oncology, and all the necessary prerequisites, which the "questioner" has to learn, believe and understand) will be a waste of time for both of them.

but the pcb on diffrent HDD is build almost exactly

I think you're trying to say that they are "buil[t] almost exactly [the same]". Not true. At the detailed level there are significant differences (e.g. data rates & encoding, track & servo layout, etc. etc. between drive families / generations - look at the different part numbers for the main chips on modern PCBs!) even though the PCBs look similar because of the obvious similarities at the general level. Therefore there is a wrong assumption of detailed similarity, which I think is leading you to the wrong expectation that the only change needed for different drives, would be the "adapters" which you mention, and that all recoveries could use one PCB. I haven't even started on the subject of drive-specific adaptive data...

I don't want to sound harsh, but if you don't believe me (and CK) that things are much more complicated than you suggest, that's fine - it's what I expected (see my oncologist analogy above). At least I tried to answer your question, so I think I'll stop here.

Last edited by Vulcan on February 26th, 2013, 14:36, edited 1 time in total.

[CK]

Why?

A) Because you totally underestimate the complexity of hard drive technology.

B) Because there is absolutely no demand or need for such a "tool".

[Vulcan]

@CK,

+1
I just gave the slightly longer version, and tried to explain a little of that complexity. Perhaps we still won't be believed... C'est la vie!

[CK]

Thanks Vulcan, I didn't have the time or the will to draw an analogy but you hit the nail on the head!

[Rino74]

well i do beleve it's not easy and that it's a very complex "tool", but still i'm not that convinced it would be impossible to use a software on computer to program a eeprom with the "firmware" that have all the info (data rates & encoding, track & servo layout, etc. etc) about just that hdd you working with, and from the toolbox there will be a adaptor that fits were the real pcb would be and cover the motor and the connections to the head so communication is possible. (diffrent adopter for diffrent brand of hdd)

@Vulcan
Thanks for a little more explanation than just a no

@CK
A) Rom didn't got build on one day.....but it got build
B) Shure that there is no need of something that's not invented yet, i would love to have one when i repair computers to people and the pcb is the fail and they need recover information to a new harddrive.

[guru]

Try building an Ikea flat-pack. If you can do that you can master the universal PCB

[CK]

You are proposing a "one size fits all" solution to a problem that's not really a problem.

You have a fundamental misunderstanding of "firmware" and how a hard drive REALLY operates.

There is a far simpler solution to a PCB failure - replace it and swap the ROM (to simplify it).

[Vulcan]

@CK,

Completely agree.

@guru,

Try building an Ikea flat-pack. If you can do that you can master the universal PCB

Next weekend I have to build some Ikea flat-pack shoe holders for my gf - I'm expecting it to be torture

[Rino74]

well then i have to try do both then hehehe more fun for me