8 Apr
2005
8 Apr
'05
8:28 p.m.
Subject: NVRAM battery replacement
From: Saquinn624 at aol.com
Ethan- the DS1287 is the one used in SGIs (I2, Indy), isn't it? how did you
go about fixing it? [e.g. where in it is the batt. &cet.](all of my SGIs are
currently working, but the clock is ticking . . .)
I've repaird DS1287s used for PCs. The cast resin case of the chip is
actually over a regular plastic dip package. The battery is easy to
locate with a small magnet. Once located you scrape or sand the resin
in that area to expose it then pry it out. The battery used is a small
diameter 3V lithium cell and has a fairly hard steel case so it's easy
to sand or scrape down to it but, not through it. The two leads are
there and careful soldering will attach new leads to an external 3V
coin cell holder.
I've done this on maybe 10 of them. We had a rash of 486/133 PCs at
work that were about CA 1998 and the batteries were failing (in 2002-3).
Allison