Unbricking my Seagate 7200.11 1T

Last week, my Seagate 7200.11 1T bricked suddenly without any notice. I had bought it (At Grosbill. I’ll never buy anything from them again) in the very beginning of 2009 after my two raid0 HD had bricked as well. It disappeared so suddenly that my first thoughts were that an HW error had occurred, such as a cold soldering problem.
Nevertheless, I was convinced that every piece of data was still available somewhere, somehow.
Surprisingly enough, this kind of problem occurs everytime that I find myself in the middle of a balance sheet establishing.
After a day of sorrow, I began to try to deep freeze that bloody brick. Nothing happened. What about the oven ? (same temperature as for snails…) no better results. Back in the deep freeze, and again such a warm-cold cycle. Slight hammering on the side of the brick did not awake it, either.
Then, I discovered on the internet that I was the owner of a splendid Seagate ST31000340AS, which had some special features such as bricking randomly due to software bugs (Firmware SD15).
I even discovered a youtube video ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29FztWJVxbM) and a site (http://www.msfn.org/board/topic/128807-the-solution-for-seagate-720011-hdds/) whose only purpose was the unbricking of this HD.
Magic formulas were to be entered over an RS232 TTL link, available on the HD.
Then, I began to dig my personal electronics archive at home, looking for a MAX232, or a transistor, or some Schmidt trigger to make a connection with a true RS232 interface I had on one of my very old PCs. Found nothing, so I purchased a Nokia CA-42 cable on Amazon as they recommend on the video. After that I was very agitated, because I did not know if my cycles in the fridge and the oven had completely finished the HD. Digged again in the appartment. Found a lot of 74HC00s, a couple of LS07s, but nothing useful. Then found a nice MC1488… Well what’s that exactly? It actually reminded me of something related with RS232, but why? So back on Internet… Datasheet… Yes. But I need its brother MC1489… Found as well (after 1 more hour of desperate research).
Breadboard, soldering, bought 4 4,5V batteries to make -9V, +9V and +5V supplies (On a Sunday… 4 batteries at the corner’s chink… not given). And guess what… Applying the method of the video, I recovered my HD. I am very proud of myself. So if someone needs a Nokia cable? I should get one tomorrow or the day after.

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