Swapping PCB on 7200.11

[whiletruedobreak]

WAIT, WAIT...I have read the FGA! This is a request for clarification/additional info..

When I started researching possible ways to fix a failed drive earlier today, one solution I read about was a company that sells replacement PCBs for drives, including the Seagate 7200.11. When I looked at their site (http://stores.ebay.com/PCB-Solution-Hard-Drive-Board-Store/_i.html?_fsub=1831226016) I saw that one of the things you have to do when you purchase one of these boards is to send them information off of your board and, in fact, the bad board. It appears that they use this information to customize the board that they send back to you.

It seems reasonable to me that this MIGHT work as it seems to address the issue noted in the FGA. So the purpose of this post is to suggest that if anyone knows (one way or the other) then you might wish to expand the FAQ to include this information.

As for my problem, it has all the earmarks of the 7200.11 BSY problem and I am looking forward to trying to use the repair procedures documented here after I get a RS-232/TTL converter....even though I have a 7200.12 and there doesn't seem to be any definitive posts on the BSY problem on this version of the drive. Still, I can hope that it will!

[jaclaz]

There is NOTHING that needs to be added.

Modern drives like the 7200.11 store some info on a chip (often called ROM, though it is actually either a Flash or EEPROM).

These data are specific to the disk that is attached to the PCB.

Through special tools (OUT of reach for the hobbyist) it is possible to read these data from the "old" PCB and write them on the new PCB.

An alternative is to physically de-solder the chip from the old PCB and re-solder it on the new one.

This also is OUT of reach for common hobbyist, as it needs some experience/abilities that are not "common".

Some people who sell replacement PCB's will do either of the above for you.

BUT this WILL NOT help for a LBA0 or BSY issue.

DO NOT EVEN THINK of swapping a PCB unless the PCB is "fried" and you don't do one of the above explained procedure.

Guess WHY this additional sticky was made?

jaclaz