NiCd battery replacement in vintage computers

[Mark J. Blair]

I found a reference which states that the NVRAM is used to hold SCSI controller parameters.

I decided to mount a CR123A holder inside the case on one of the slot filler panels. I had some through-hole PCB mount CR123A holders left over from a previous project. I machined a mounting base for the holder out of a chunk of Delrin on my little Sherline CNC mill, with a diode installed inside the base to protect the battery from being charged as well as providing reverse polarity protection. The CR123A cells I have sitting around are 10 years old, but one of them will do until I buy some fresh ones.

I physically debrided the corroded copper from the top layer. I hope the rot didn't get into inner layers, but at least it didn't make it to the bottom of the board.

I posted some pictures on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/nf6x/status/696269909014159360
https://twitter.com/nf6x/status/696270186517639168
https://twitter.com/nf6x/status/696270250879234048
https://twitter.com/nf6x/status/696270706451984384
https://twitter.com/nf6x/status/696271170069405696

I haven't hooked up the machine and booted it again yet, but I can see the RTC oscillator running off the CR123A cell with an oscilloscope.

-- 
Mark J. Blair, NF6X <nf6x at nf6x.net>
http://www.nf6x.net/