Problem with WD Marvel Demo

[Vlad]

Of course, rom dump and empty copy of rom differs
How exactly drive respond on reset?
Copy/paste here log with EF FF EF FF, I do not understand about what do you say

[Severence]

Of course, rom dump and empty copy of rom differs
How exactly drive respond on reset?

Well i have to put it in one of my afformentioned modes (by default it's just BSY) with rersistors set in "my semi detect mode" AMNF, TMNF display in red. evry 10 seconds or so RDY, DWF, DSC, DRQ, COR, INX, ERR will light up (with ERR and DWF in red), when doing a soft reset BSY briefly lights up then dissappears, when hitting detect i get this in log

4/03/2017 15:42:55: The drive ???????????????????? Disk size -1152939097061330945 - -9007336Gb
14/03/2017 15:43:07: Security - Drive is password protected

My drive is not password protected btw.

Copy/paste here log with EF FF EF FF, I do not understand about what do you say

Log attached as bit to big to paste - it would have carried on but i killed the programs process

[Vlad]

Yes, ROM image damaged
No luck with UCommad or analog with TTL rom recovery function?

[Severence]

Yes, ROM image damaged
No luck with UCommad or analog with TTL rom recovery function?

With UCommand no luck unfortunately, i can access via terminal and read/write addresses, but i daren't write anything and don't have a clue where to start on that front are the VSC commands compatiable via terminal, do you know?

analog with TTL rom recovery function?

sorry i don't follow, is this software? or a command?

[Vlad]

In normal drive mode, drive supports VSC command via TTL
In your case, I do not know
You can download demo and test this
Analog of UCommand I mean, "WD Rom Recovery tool", if I remember rightly

[Severence]

In normal drive mode, drive supports VSC command via TTL
In your case, I do not know
You can download demo and test this
Analog of UCommand I mean, "WD Rom Recovery tool", if I remember rightly

If WD VSC Commands are compatiable via a UART TTL adapter does that mean it's possible to select a COM port (instead of base ATA port etc) in WDMarvel and attempt to issue commands in this manner?

As for U-Command Rom recovery tool, i tried all versions with no luck, the guy who made this tool is called "Canny Feng" this is the same dude who made DRT2012 drive software - looking at the support files - i think he ripped off MRT software.... or vice versa. i think he uses a drive definition list and if it's not an exact match (with the currently connected board) the tool won't even attempt communications.

Other software which might work is the previously mentioned qtaosoft q3 drive repair tool - which is a newer uart-ttl compatiable tool, but their website is broken and i can only find the seagate version, there is a WD option but it's not usable/grayed out.

Failing that i guess i'd have figure out what ARM core & architecture the MCU is using - find specific commands relevent to this and attempt to issue these arm specific commands via terminal - or use an ARM specific tool via UART.... but this is way out of my comfort zone - and software development ain't my game.

interesting subject though - this is likely how the very expensive programs/tools (ACE, dolphin labs etc) are able to put drives into "kernel" , debug, and UART mode purely in software via the 8-pin connector at back of drive without having to touch config resistors & test points etc - they're just sending an ARM spefic command at the bootloader stage.... hence all the guff they give on not powering down the drive once in this mode. if someone had one of these expensive programs it would be relatively simple to find out what specific command is being issued.

Vlad, on a side note, when using WDR-6 (in my Semi detect "mode") rather than seeing "Disk size -1152939097061330945 - -9007336Gb" using WDMarvel, i get a different number with WDR - off the top of my head i think it displays 2001 GB and a LBA value which is pretty close to what you'd typically expect (can't remember specifically as i'm not currently on my xp machine) Also unlike WDMarvel, with WDR i am able to write a Rom file - and it claims the write was successfull.... but i don't think it actually is. i'm also able to peform ram operations etc but i haven't played around with this in WDR much.

thought this was interesting and worth mentioning, no idea if it has any relevence or not...

[Vlad]

it's possible to select a COM port (instead of base ATA port etc) in WDMarvel and attempt to issue commands in this manner?

Yes, set work mode to Serial TTL and select port

i think he uses a drive definition list and if it's not an exact match (with the currently connected board) the tool won't even attempt communications.

No, it wait while drive start to send "S" symbols, XModem protocol

how the very expensive programs/tools (ACE, dolphin labs etc) are able to put drives into "kernel"

Sends command for this via TTL

Vlad, on a side note, when using WDR-6 (in my Semi detect "mode") rather than seeing "Disk size -1152939097061330945 - -9007336Gb" using WDMarvel, i get a different number with WDR - off the top of my head i think it displays 2001 GB and a LBA value which is pretty close to what you'd typically expect (can't remember specifically as i'm not currently on my xp machine) Also unlike WDMarvel, with WDR i am able to write a Rom file - and it claims the write was successfull.... but i don't think it actually is. i'm also able to peform ram operations etc but i haven't played around with this in WDR much.

You simple read noise from unconnected SATA port

[Severence]

Yes, set work mode to Serial TTL and select port

Ahh, i didn't realise your program had this functionality, i'll give a try

No, it wait while drive start to send "S" symbols, XModem protocol

yes, i figured it received "S" character - which presumably indicates a safe mode/service mode signal? then ucommand cross references with a drive definition list - at least that's what it looked like to me looking at the files, if you check out the DLL files in the UCommand folder they are just plain text - although i could be remembering it wrong, like i said software ain't my stong point. and the plain text matches that of the files stored in the MRT Drive software.

What would the character "E" represent in a terminal? Error maybe? or Empty as that's what i'm getting.

Sends command for this via TTL

of course

You simple read noise from unconnected SATA port

Yeah that's what i thought, damn

[Vlad]

This "DLL" files - programs for ARM MCU of drive, loader
UCommand wait for SSSS
Then send one "dll", this loader erases rom
Then send second "dll" with rom image, second loader write rom image into MCU

All problem to make rom recovery via ttl in this loaders

[Severence]

This "DLL" files - programs for ARM MCU of drive, loader
UCommand wait for SSSS
Then send one "dll", this loader erases rom
Then send second "dll" with rom image, second loader write rom image into MCU

Interesting stuff, doesn't ARM have some proprietary software beginning with a "U" i forget the name that does something similar for stockvARM based MCUs - would explain the name choice for U-command

Vlad, i just tested out the TTL mode in your program - still not completely clear what i can and cannot do yet in this mode. But i did try detect - but get nothing other than "drive not defined", hitting "soft reset" and i can see the RX icon lightup green, so from the menu i tried "Rom" "Read Rom" the RX/TX icons are not lighting up - and after 2 minutes in log i get "ROM read successfully" checking the resulting flash file and it's 0 KB in size, which could be absolutely correct i suppose, my internal rom could be compleyely blank.

What do you think?

Out of interest what is the baudrate set to in this mode? as i don't see any indicator or option to change it