Samsung HD103SJ FW 1AJ10001 corrupt ROM ?

[ThomasH]

I've read elsewhere that Samsung had lots of bad ROMs from 10/2010-11/2010. Not sure, but this would make sense.
Have a HD103SJ, no spin. See terminal:

*PA VID=0000 PN=0004 Rev=0002- 785x Found
*PA VID=0000 PN=0004 Rev=0002- 785x Found
ChipRev = 63B0
U
S_0
[DEBUG HALT @MDL_RSRC_BufferAlloc():10034AB5 L0 1003A471]

RV En Sensor Circuit
En Shock Sensor Circuit

A same-code PCB (BF41-00303A 00) with a different ROM does spin the drive, but no detect/go ready. Note: I only have a donor PCB from donordrives, not a complete donor HD.
Swapping ClientROM to this DonorPCB is also no-spin.
Swapping DonorROM on ClientPCB spins up but no detect.

I think it's corrupt ROM, unless you have another suggestion.
I can't find a same-FW donor so can't do much else yet (can't hotswap). FW is 1AJ10001.

Below is the log text when reading the ClientROM. Note the FIPS checksum error.

Read ROM via terminal
Into folder............................. : <HDD Profile>\Data\ROM
Downloading executable code to RAM...... : Ok
Calling executable code................. : Ok
ROM reading in progress...
Data availability checking.............. : Ok
Checksum verification................... : Ok

Information about dump
Dump size............................... : 524288 bytes
Firmware checksum....................... : Ok
FIPS offset............................. : 0x00070000
FIPS size............................... : 1024 bytes
FIPS checksum........................... : Error
Firmware type........................... : Main Code
Original name........................... : 1AJf3suM.126
Platform Id............................. : 0x1A
Head map................................ : 0, 1, 2, 3
Test completed

Might anyone have a ROM i could try to write over the DonorROM...or other suggestions?

[ACE_Admin]

Hello.

Haven't you tried to to send a soft reset after startup with donor board?
Also, unfortunately, the office is closed until 9th of January, cant get to all the database.

[ThomasH]

Just tried soft reset, hard reset, recalibration... both before entering utility, and starting fresh, after entering utility.
No good.

Here's a terminal report of attempting to boot with the DonorPCB+DonorROM:

ChipRev = 63B0
U
S_0
RV En Sensor Circuit
En Shock Sensor Circuit
SO_1
SpinStartUp: mcSpinRPM = 701
RPM at Handoff: 861
Temp : 21 degC
SpinOk
mS1 00000003
SK C:128922 H:0
POK
POK
Boot Sector Error! Take a default.
Loaded FIT ( 0: 0: 1)
CalibTable Loaded. Rev:0x14
Selective MARC NX Loaded
ResoTable Loaded. Rev:0x01
Ovly loaded to 0x0001CD00
Ovly loaded to 0x1005B800

[ThomasH]

Solution found.
Involved writing the FIPS section of a donor ROMsave to the ClientROMsave with WinHex. Had to then write the correctedROM back to a ROMchip using an external ROM writer. For some reason it didn't write with the FIPS section properly through the pc3000 doing a regular ROM write. However, I might just not have done something right, and I see there are FIPS options in the utility, which I've never used before...

Once the ROM was set back properly...or close enough, the drive would spin and had LED errors.
Did the "LE" command, and it fixed itself.
Drive cloned with 424 bad sectors.

Also Note: Using the clientPCB with the corrected ROM (using either native or donor ROMchip) it cloned full speed, but when using the donorPCB and either corrected ROMchip it had constant hiccups, probably cloning 1/20th normal speed, even though it did boot that way. I never had the full donor drive, but it was a numbers matching PCB from donordrives.com. Might be crappy pcb, but also definitely could be some other incompatibility. Top line of main chip matched. Bottom line of Client mainchip was 1034 B0P U. Bottom line of Donor mainchip 1036 B0E U. Again, not sure if that mattered, or if it was a shoddy donor pcb.

Thanks to Igor for the help!

[300ddr]

Thanks for sharing your solution ThomasH!