please help identifying this smd component - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: noobieguy
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: January 01, 2013, 02:50:58 am
content: i am presently working on a samsung external hard drive model # HN-M500XBB with part # HN-M500XBB/VP4. this external hard drive is a usb type. it is not detected anymore by the computer nor the plates run. when i removed the pcb board this white component (in red box) appears to have blown out. can someone please identify this smd component. is this a resistor? capacitor? can i bypass it like create a jumper? and how do i do the jumper?thank you so much and have a happy new year to all

author: Psi
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 01, 2013, 02:56:40 am
content: Pretty sure that's an LED.A hole in the top is normal for some LED packages.

author: SeanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 01, 2013, 05:29:37 am
content: Need a new board from another unit, then swap them and get the data off. This one is dead, most likely somewhere in the big chip in the right. When you plug it in to a USB hub is there a link light lighting up, at all on the hub?

author: PhynixViking
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 01, 2013, 08:20:38 am
content: Speaking from a fair bit of experience...Yes that HAS TO BE a LED. BUT that is not the problem I'm sure its not the problem. If its blown, ok yea its "a broken part" but it didn't just blow on its own.1 - Check the fuse (sometimes they use a 1ohm or less resistor as a "fuse" on some hard drives and small usb devices.)If fuse is blown, try just replacing the fuse (or shorting it by soldering a thin "hair like" wire across it.)Then test it on a DESKTOP with USB 2.0 or 2.1 (not 1.1 or 1.0) NOT on a laptop! Why? Because most laptops do not allow/have the USB amps that a desktop controller has/allows. I have a computer just for testing and repairing things. I have a modified USB card that pulls power directly from the power supply (so I have about 10 amps available to be pulled. Not that I never need that much, LOL)2 - If fuse is fine, or it still doesn't work, check the surface mount connections that are connected to/from the PIN1 and PIN5 usb connection. (First and last pins. Pin5 is GND/-5V and Pin1 is VCC/+5v) also look around both sides for burnt/missing PC wires. I've had MANY times that there was a burnt wire and it was simply just missing! I soldered on a "jumper wire" very VERY carefully and the unit worked again! Its a common thing for laptops, and usb devices.3 - Check those inductors/coils. Sometimes they get hot (keep in mind how hot hard drives can get) and burn/short.Last resort: If data is on there that needs to be replaced, there IS someone on ebay selling a logic board (just type in the model) but I saw for $75. Seems pricey. But cost of data is sometimes priceless so... yea... I all the time buy logic boards when I can't fix one in order to recover customer data.If I may be nosey... what was the use of this hard drive? Seems a bit over priced for what it does. (Example just getting a SATA and a USB3 converter or encloser)PS: Sorry I've been very sick so my brain might not be so in there with the terms and all or spelling... lolANYWAY!!! Good luck! Hopefully this helps or you figure it out or someone else does.

author: noobieguy
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: January 01, 2013, 11:54:03 pm
content: thanks guys for the fast replies. it is indeed an led. there are files inside the hdd that my friend said he has backed up. my friend also said that if i can get this hard drive to work again then it's minei really cannot afford to purchase a donor board. it is too expensive here in the philippines and it would be like purchasing a brand new hard drive. i just love trying to fix things but i have a small background in electronics.will work on this board later on. just arrived from work.@psi....thanks@SeanB....yes this LED is blinking when i connect it to a usb port on my desktop. i was wondering why it did not light up when i first plugged the hdd in...but it is blinking right now@PhynixViking...i will follow your instructions...and take your medsthanks guys

author: Vec
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: January 02, 2013, 06:56:19 am
content: Something to keep in mind with swapping logic boards is that the firmware of the board may very well need to be identical. That and potentially any calibration data on the board would need to be transferred as well (don't know for sure, but would make sense).I went down that rabbit hole many years ago. Drive died. Got a new one of the same model... New board with old drive spun up the board (which the old one didn't) but nothing was readable.

author: SeanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 02, 2013, 07:29:40 am
content: You need same model, same size, similat firmware version. It will work with the same version, and possibly with 5 up or down versions. The drive stores the needed calibration data on it, like bad block tables and such, so it should work with the controller swap. If it powers up see if the computer enumerates it ( Dmesg output or LSUSB) and if it has any error messages via USB.

author: blogasdf
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: January 22, 2013, 08:41:54 am
content: Some older drives have the same basic information on two PCB boards of the same model, provided that both drives were made at about the same time, before more unique adaptives were programmed into the next line of drives. If one of the PCBs fails, there is some chance of making a recovery by simply swapping the boards of the two drives. However, hard drives have contained "customized" firmware on at least an occasional basis since they've become a consumer product, so the chances of a straight "board swap" working are low. So in most cases you also need to move the old PCB's BIOS to the replacement one.http://www.hddzone.com/fix_hard_drive_pcb_board.html

author: AlphZeta
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 22, 2013, 04:36:08 pm
content: Quote from: Vec on January 02, 2013, 06:56:19 amIndeed, the calibration data on modern harddrives are vital to their functioning and without the calibration data it is next to impossible to fix the drive by just swapping the circuit board.On certain drives, the calibration data is stored in a separate EEPROM and in that case, you could swap the board and also swap out the EEPROM. But more and more modern drives store the calibration information within the EEPROM in the MCU, which makes data recovery a lot harder.I just recently fixed a WD1001FALS (http://www.kerrywong.com/2012/12/12/bring-a-dead-wd1001fals-back-to-life/), I was lucky enough that the only damaged part was the motor controller and thus by swapping out the controller chip everything worked.