29 Sep
2006
29 Sep
'06
3:17 p.m.
Still can't find manuals. But here's what I know and maybe people can fill
in the blanks.
First info - Base model is 45711E, supposedly that designates 110+, 512k
Yep.
ram, & modem. The memory drawer has a model
82981A, which googling suggests
is 128k ram addon. There's a metal shield over the chips and I don't have
the right torq bit to remove. Upon boot all the ROM ID shows BBBBBB.
IIRC, the RAM drawer has 128K on the mainboard, but you can add 1 or 2
daughterboards, each is another 128K. All that RAM, BTW is in 8K*8 SRAM
chips (6264 type things). The original 110 had pin-through-hole (a large
board the entire size of the machine was almost all 6264s!), the 110+
used SMD ones.
You'll need (at least) TX6, TX8 and TX10 Torx tools and a set of metric
nutrdirvers to take this toy apart.
First question - going into system config lets me set the memory split
between main memory and edisk. All choices add up to 896k. How does that
square with 128k + 512k?
Sounds likle you have a couple of dughterboards fitted :-)
Second info - The PAM menu shows the following application choices - DOS
CMDS, HP reflection, VT reflection, Memo Maker, Time Management, and BASIC.
However, opening up the software drawer shows the following chips in the
following locations 82863K-Reflection1 (0L), 45504K-MemoMaker/TimeMgt (1L),
82862K-BASIC (4L), 45555K-1/2-ExecutiveCardMgr (5H),
45555K-2/2-ExecutiveCardMgr (5L), 45548K-1/2-Lotus123 (6H),
45548K-2/2-Lotus123 (6L).
Second question - I assume the PAM menu selections for HP reflection and VT
reflection are handled by the single 82863K rom. I am curious why the
Executive Card Manager and Lotus123 don't show up in the PAM menu?
The ROMs contains something a bit like an MS-DOS filesystem, you can have
several applicaitons in one ROM (this would (normally?) be done by having
subdirectories in the ROM). The TechRef gives the format of the data for
the ROMs, I may even have software (runs on the 110+) to create them.
For an application (in ROM or on disk) to show up in PAM, there needs to
be some data file which defines the label to appear in PAM, the
executable filename, and so on. The format of that (IIRC it's a text
file) is also documented. I would assume some of your ROMs don't contain
said file.
I assume you've got an MS-DOS prompt by now. Try DIR B: and see what
shows up.
Misc. questions - The built in battery is obviously dead and won't hold a
charge, as the unit won't run at all without the AC adapter. Every time I
boot up though, it asks to reformat the A drive due to memory loss. More
importantly, it has lost the date/time and system config settings
(memory/edisk split for example). I'm curious if the date/time and config
settings are kept by a different battery I may need to replace, or if all of
the above is maintained by the single battery. I will have to hunt up a new
battery.
No, there's only one battery, the 6V lead acid one.
Now getting that out is 'interesting'. The official HP procedure involves
bending some contact straps, they tend to break off. In fact HP tell you
to replace them every time, but good luck in finding them.
I have a sort-of workaround. It takes longer, but you don't bend
anything. It goes like this :
Remove the clip on battery cover [1] at the back. Move the jumper link to
the 'off' postion. Remove both drawers
Remove the (black) plastic cover over the battery terminals (2 screws).
Undo the terminal nuts behind it _but don't bend the straps down_. Loosen
the nuts holding the straps to the PCB. HP suggest you do this with the
machine upside down so that any swarf falls away from the PCB.
Now remveo all the screws on the bottom that hold the case together (I
forget if some are under labels/feet). Put the machine the right way up,
hold the straps away from the battery terminals (if the nuts on the PCB
are loose enough, you don't have to bend the straps to do this), and lift
up the top case starting at the rear. Free the connector panel from the
top case, then reach inside and unplug the display and keyboard cables
from the main PCB.
Turn the top case over. Remove the 4 Torx screws that go throught the
posts for the display hinges. One of the grounding flexiprints is now
free IIRC. Put the top case the right way up, lift off the centre
section betweem the display hinges (I forget whether the display needs to
be open or closed, but it's obviosu when you do it). Then take out the
battery and the foam pad around it.
[1] If you are really lucky, that cover will be held on by 2 screws and
will have a connector on it. That's the connector for the _rare_ video
display adapter which displays the LCD contents on a composite monitor.
If you have this connector, take out the 2 screws, ease away the cover,
unplug the end of the cable from the main PCB and later free the ground
tab when you remov the battery terminals, etc.
-tony