76 lines
3.8 KiB
Markdown
76 lines
3.8 KiB
Markdown
# F3 Command Reference — confirmed vs. uncertain
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The Seagate **F3 architecture** terminal is common across modern Seagate drives,
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but the *command set differs by family*. The well-documented recipes are from the
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**7200.11 "Moose" / Barracuda** era (circa 2009, the famous BSY/0-LBA bricking).
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A 16 TB **Exos X18 (ST16000NM004J)** is many generations newer and its F3 dialect
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is **not reliably documented publicly**. Treat everything below accordingly.
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## Ground truth (safe to rely on)
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- **Electrical:** F3 UART is **3.3 V TTL, 8N1**. Baud is one of
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**9600 / 38400 / 115200** (sweep with the bridge's `~1/~2/~3` menu). 38400 is
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the most common default.
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- **Entering the terminal:** after the boot banner, **Ctrl-Z** → `F3 T>` prompt.
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`F3 T>` = top level. `F3 2>` etc. = other diagnostic levels.
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- **Level change:** `/` followed by a level id, e.g. `/2`, `/1`, `/T`, `/C`.
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- **Help:** `?` at a prompt *may* dump that level's command list. **Always run
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`?` and record the output before issuing anything.** This is how you learn the
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*actual* command tokens for this firmware instead of guessing.
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- **Logging:** every command may have side effects; keep `screen -L` running.
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## CLAR200-specific expectation
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This drive **boots and answers INQUIRY** (it is not BSY-hung), so you will
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*probably* get an `F3 T>` prompt without the isolation trick. The lock is the EMC
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firmware refusing **SCSI** FORMAT/READ-CAP — the F3 path sidesteps SCSI. The
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realistic in-terminal goal is a **low-level format / translator regeneration to
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512-byte logical sectors** (the drive is likely stuck at 520 B EMC-DIF and/or in
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a "format corrupt / block size 0" state).
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## Candidate commands — VERIFY with `?`, do NOT fire blind
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These are **7200.11-era** and listed only so you recognize the *shapes* of
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commands. **Confirm each against this drive's own `?` output before use.** Many
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will not exist or will differ on Exos.
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| Intent | 7200.11-era token | Status on Exos X18 |
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|---|---|---|
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| Spin down motor (level 2) | `Z` | unconfirmed |
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| Spin up motor (level 2) | `U` | unconfirmed |
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| Regenerate SMART (level 1) | `N1` | unconfirmed |
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| Partition regenerate (level T) | `i4,1,22` | unconfirmed |
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| Format / regen translator (level T) | `m0,2,2,0,0,0,0,22` | unconfirmed |
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| Low-level format w/ sector size | `m0,6,2,,,,,22` (historic 512-format) | **likely different** |
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⚠️ The `m0,...` translator/format commands are exactly the ones that, with wrong
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parameters, can make a drive *worse*. On Exos, the safer modern route is often a
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proper **Format Unit at the format level** with an explicit bytes-per-sector of
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512 — but the token for that comes from `?`, not this table.
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## BSY isolation trick (contingency only)
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Only if the terminal is **completely unresponsive / the drive hangs BSY** at
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power-on:
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1. Power off. Slip a thin insulator (business card / Kapton) between the PCB and
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the **head-contact block** (or motor contacts, per the drive) so firmware
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boots without reading the system area.
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2. Power on → you should now get `F3 T>` (firmware skipped the unreadable SA).
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3. Carefully remove the insulator / re-seat contacts **without** powering down.
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4. Spin up and proceed.
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This is a 7200.11 technique. It is **unlikely to be needed** here (the drive
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isn't BSY) and is drive-mechanically risky — last resort.
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## Sources / further reading (verify, don't trust blindly)
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- HDDGURU / MRT / PC-3000 community threads on "CLAR200" and "SS160520" Seagate
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EMC drives — the recurring finding is: SCSI tools fail, F3 terminal or array
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decommission is the path.
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- Seagate 7200.11 BSY fix write-ups — for F3 terminal *mechanics* (prompt, `/`
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levels, `?`), not for the exact Exos command tokens.
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When you discover the real Exos X18 tokens during the session, **record them
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here** so ZR511KWK (and any future EMC drive) is a known quantity.
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