Hi Greg.

16-Mar-04 15:30:49, Greg Mayman wrote to Roy J. Tellason


  >> More and more stuff seems to be showing up on line all the time...
  >>  Now if the time I had to spend on it would stretch
  >> proportionately! :-)

 GM> A perenial problem. Believe me, it gets worse as you get older!

 GM> Now here's a puzzler that you or one of our other correspondents
 GM> may be able to help with

 GM> I have been given an EPSON 386 computer, model EL3/33. The problem
 GM> with it is that the CMOS battery has died. But I can't find
 GM> anything that looks like a battery anywhere on board

 GM> I even opened the p/s to check for a battery inside, but no go
 GM> there too.

 GM> But there is a realtime clock module - "DALLAS DS1287 REAL TIME
 GM> 9026B3".

 GM> Does anyone recognize this part? Is it one of those clock modules
 GM> with the internal battery?

 the brand name matches

 GM> If so is there anyway to bypass the battery or hook in an external
 GM> one

The dallas part I saw inside a PS/2-30 consisted of a "regular" clock chip
with three (or four?) pins bent backwards two soldered to a small crystal
and two to a 3v button cell,

The whole lot was potted in some sort of resin with the pins sticking out
the bottom. I managed to cut the box off,separate the chip from the
resin, and wire in an external battery.

I've heard that some only have a snap-on cover and no resin.

 GM> I'd hate to scrap the computer, as it would be dandy as a second
 GM> (or third) unit for multitasking while my main one is busy

a 386?

 GM> But as the m'board is VERY nonstandard, as are all the other
 GM> boards and the p/s,

About what I'd expect from a "name brand" of that vintage

 -=> Bye <=-

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