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JD2020

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Dec 31, 2016
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I had an HDD PCB controller fry because I plugged it in using a SATA PSU power cable that wasn't wired correctly (turned out it was from a different PSU/manufacturer - used the same square-corner-cut style plug though! Super annoying that they'd not stick to a standard wiring config.)

It burned out the SMOOTH controller, so I ordered a replacement PCB. This is a bit older drive so I wanted to try it out and see if it works without swapping the configuration ROM, installed the board and put it in a dock.

It does not power on.

That sounds like a bad PCB already to me, place I bought it from took a month to ship it so maybe they had some stock issues and sent me a bad one? Would a good PCB not even spin up the disks if it has the wrong ROM information?

Is there a simple method of testing the internal motor for damage to rule that out? All the (unpowered) leads currently have .8-1ohm resistance as I'd expect, but limited knowledge on what else could be wrong. Maybe try measuring the voltage on the leads while powered on?

Drive is a remanufactured WD25EZRS.
 
Solution
First - there is no standard for the output connecters on a modular PSU; therefore, the cables are not interchangeable between PSUs.

Second - for the PCB swap to even remotely to have a chance to work, the replacement board needs to be from the same production series of drive then the one you have.

A lot of information about the drive is stored on the PCB and if that does not match the drive will not be accessible.
First - there is no standard for the output connecters on a modular PSU; therefore, the cables are not interchangeable between PSUs.

Second - for the PCB swap to even remotely to have a chance to work, the replacement board needs to be from the same production series of drive then the one you have.

A lot of information about the drive is stored on the PCB and if that does not match the drive will not be accessible.
 
Solution

DR_Luke

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Dec 1, 2016
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If you sourced a donor PCB, you will need the full part number on the PCB to match and then move the U12 ROM from the patient to the donor. But, if you blew out the smooth controller chip, there is a good chance that it took out the head pre-amp, making for a much more complicated recovery procedure.

If you can post a high resolution picture of both the chip side of the patient and the donor PCBs, I may be able to confirm whether or not you have a suitable donor.
 

JD2020

Commendable
Dec 31, 2016
2
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1,510


I'm certain the PCB is a suitable donor, it's identical (down to revision letter), so I'm just trying to guess at whether moving the U12 ROM (it has one) will fix the problem or if (as you mentioned about the head preamp) something else is broken.

Even with the wrong ROM I get the impression the HDD would power on and spin, the OS would not recognize the data. However, currently it does not spin up at all, no voltage to the motor. I'm asking if there's some troubleshooting I can do to verify that (before buying a donor drive and swapping the head).

Thanks!
 

DR_Luke

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Dec 1, 2016
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If you did not move the ROM, 99.99% of the time, the donor PCB will not be compatible. But, what do I know? I only run a data recovery lab where I do this procedure many times a day. ;)
 
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