On Mon, Jun 1, 2009 at 3:49 PM, Arthur Evans <aceevans_95 at hotmail.com> wrote:
Please can you tell me where the bios battery is
situated as I cannot find it, also its voltage.
The BIOS battery in a Compaq SLT/286 is embedded inside the Dallas
DS1287 clock module. The battery itself is +3V, but you replace the
entire module, chip _and_ battery in one go. This is entirely unlike
"modern" PCs where you have a Lithium coin cell (CR2032, typically)
accessible and easy to replace.
It's easy to find discussions of this particular machine. Here's one...
<http://www.vintage-computer.com/vcforum/showthread.php?p=91535>
Physically, the DS1287 is located in the middle of the board, under
the battery tray, but you have to dismantle the entire machine to get
to it. Also, it's soldered in place. To make it harder, there's not
enough vertical clearance to install a socket. I installed a
low-profile socket in mine, but had to nibble a hole in the battery
tray to make room for the replacement Dallas clock.
It is not a trivial procedure to replace the DS1287 in a Compaq
SLT/286, certainly not compared to popping a coin cell out and in.
-ethan