SeagateGate, on 29 April 2012 - 06:33 PM, said:
I was
smart stupid enough to get one of those MAX232EPE-based converters before
reading up on it on this resource. Thankfully, the IC chip is socket-mounted and is easily removed. Could I just get a MAX
3232 chip (which I understand operates at 3.3V TTL level) to replace the original 5V one? Or will it not work with the rest of the circuitry? I am still planning to supply 5V from USB.
Thanks for being gentle in your replies.

I guess it would be easier to "dumb down" the Tx line, see here:
http://www.msfn.org/...954#entry983954
http://www.msfn.org/...022#entry956022
If you check the links in READ-ME-FIRST, point #6, you will see:
http://www.interface..._threshold.html
how signals emitted from a 3.3V devices (the hard disk) are theoretically compatible with those emitted by a 5V device, so the Rx line of the adapter should have no problems.
The issue is on the Tx line of the adapter that will probably "shout" at 5 V to the receiver of the 3.3 V device (the hard disk) that won't be able to "understand", by limiting the peaks of the Tx you may get it working.
exchequer598, on 30 April 2012 - 03:38 AM, said:
Hi everyone,
So my Seagate 7200.11 500 GB HDD (620AS) died on me, and I've ended up on this thread. I'm a little excited about working with circuits after almost 2 years (I'm an engineer, working in IT now). I have a Nokia CA-101 cable with me. Will it work, instead of the CA-42?
Also, in theory, shouldn't any phone USB cable work? After all, all we need is RX, TX and 5V, right?
Are you sure you are an engineer?

WHAT the heck makes you think that each and every phone USB cable uses the same standard?
Anything that trasmits at 3.3V TTL will do, anything that does so at 5V TTL level WILL NOT.
Does the CA-101 trasmits at 3.3V TTL? If yes, it mucht do, if not, it may not.
As a rule of thumb experimenting on experimental procedures is not the smartest choice in the world, actually even the CA-42 (which is known to be a valid adapter) is NOT among the "suggested" choices because of the "fakes" and the general difficulty by a lot of people to find the right pins/cables.
I have NO idea if the CA-101 is a TTL adapter or not, all references I have ever seen are about the DKU-5 or CA-42 cable, so I find it improbable that the CA-101 is a pure TTL converter like the other two mentioned ones.
@BOTH,
please DO READ the READ-ME-FIRST:
http://www.msfn.org/...-read-me-first/
PARTICULARLY, but not only, point #6.
jaclaz