Psion Organiser II Datapak Repair
Pack repair for the Psion Organiser II (CM, XP, LA, LZ, LZ64 and the POS models). The Organiser II takes three kinds of storage pack in its two side slots, B: (upper) and C: (lower): EPROM Datapaks, battery-backed Rampaks and Flashpaks.[1][2][3] All three use the same 16-way connector, with a counter on the pack addressing the memory.[4][5] Psion's Datapak leaflet states that there are no user-serviceable parts inside a Datapak.[6] The faults that can be dealt with at the bench are dirty contacts, packs full of erased records, packs that need formatting, flat Rampak cells and Flashpak driver mismatches. The Organiser's own programming supply is covered in the Psion Organiser II Troubleshooting Guide.
Pack types
[edit | edit source]| Pack | Memory | Psion sizes | How it is cleared | Machines |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Datapak | UV-erasable EPROM | 8, 16, 32, 64 and 128 KB[1] | UV light in a Psion Formatter, 30 minutes[1] | All; 128 KB packs are not supported on the CM[4] |
| Rampak | CMOS static RAM with a lithium backup cell | 32 KB[1][3] | Records are deleted outright; the LZ formats a Rampak from its Utils menu[2] | Not the CM, whose operating system does not handle Rampaks[7][4] |
| Flashpak (Flash Datapak) | Flash memory | 128 and 256 KB[3] | Formatted in the Organiser, with a second Flashpak or a Flash Datapak Formatter pack[8] | All except the CM[8] |
Third-party makers produced larger packs, including Rampaks of 64 KB to 512 KB, and Olivier Gossuin has made new 256 KB Rampaks and 512 KB Flashpaks.[3] Program packs are usually ordinary Datapaks; Psion's Concise Oxford Spelling Checker and some Travel Packs used a 64K PROM, and the Thesaurus and Spelling Checker a surface-mounted 256K ROM.[3]
Datapaks
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A Datapak holds an EPROM and a counter. The counter drives the EPROM's address lines, so the Organiser reaches any byte through a few control lines and the 8-bit data bus. There are three addressing schemes:[4]
| Size | Bytes[1] | Addressing[4] | EPROM[9] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8K | 8,192 | Linear | 27C64 |
| 16K | 16,384 | Linear | 27C128 |
| 32K | 32,768 | Linear or paged | 27C256 |
| 64K | 65,536 | Mostly paged; a few linear | 27C512 |
| 128K | 131,072 | Paged and segmented | D27011, organised as eight 16K segments[4] |
Psion redesigned the board so that 8K and 16K packs share one circuit board. The linear and paged 32K packs differ only in the position of one zero-ohm resistor. Some packs use CMOS EPROMs (a 27C256 in place of a 27256), which draw less from the battery; Psion marked their labels with a P in a circle.[3]
Psion's Spare Parts List gives the 128K Datapak as an HEF4024BT counter, an LM317LZ regulator, a BAV70 dual diode, a BCW31 transistor, 47 nF chip capacitors, a 1.5 µF tantalum capacitor at C5, and the EPROM (Psion 4503 0006, listed as "EPROM 27C128").[10]
Rampaks
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A Rampak replaces the EPROM with CMOS static RAM, kept alive by a lithium battery with an estimated life of five years.[4][7] Writing is as fast as reading, needs no 21 V programming pulse, and deleted records free their space. The RAM is more easily corrupted than EPROM, for example by pulling the pack out while it is being accessed.[4] The 32K Rampak is a paged pack with a hardware ID byte of 1.[4]
Psion's Spare Parts List for the 32K Rampak gives a 32K × 8 static RAM, 150 ns, in SO28 (KM62256BLG-10), HEF4024BT, HEF4081BT and HEF4093BT logic, BAS16 and BAT54C diodes, BCW30 and BCW31 transistors, a PCB-mounting CR2032 lithium cell (Psion 4900 0015) and a plastic insulation spacer (8700 0010).[10] The Rampak in Jaap Scherphuis's photograph has a Hitachi HM62256LFP-12T RAM and HCF4024 counters.[3]
Flashpaks
[edit | edit source]Flashpaks use flash memory, which the Organiser can erase in place. The 128K pack has one chip and the 256K pack two.[3] The chip is a 28F010.[9] Psion's parts list gives it as a 128K × 8 flash device, 200 ns, in PLCC32 (Psion 3503 0004), with an LM317 regulator, a 74HC174 latch and HEF4001BT, HEF4011BT and HEF4024BT logic.[10]
Writing to flash needs a software driver, which is stored on every Flashpak and on the Flash Datapak Formatter pack.[5] Loaded into the Organiser, it takes about 4.5K of internal memory. A freshly formatted Flashpak has about 7K reserved for its copy of the driver, so it never shows as completely empty.[8] Psion released driver version 1.2 in November 1990 and version 1.5, for new flash chips, in December 1991.[5]
The pack connector
[edit | edit source]The side slot connector and the pack connector carry the same sixteen lines.[4]
| Pin | Signal | Function | Pin | Signal | Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SD1 | Data | 2 | SD0 | Data |
| 3 | SD3 | Data | 4 | SD2 | Data |
| 5 | SD5 | Data | 6 | SD4 | Data |
| 7 | SD7 | Data | 8 | SD6 | Data |
| 9 | SMR | Master reset (counter reset) | 10 | SCLK | Clock (counter increment) |
| 11 | SOE_B | Output enable | 12 | SS_B | Slot select |
| 13 | Gnd | 0 V | 14 | SPGM_B | Program (page counter on paged packs) |
| 15 | SVCC | 5 V supply | 16 | SVPP | Programming voltage: 21 V while writing a Datapak, 4.5 to 5 V otherwise[11] |
Viewed side on with the keyboard on top, the odd pins form the upper row and the even pins the lower row of the Organiser's slot connector.[4] The Organiser switches slot power on under software control and powers the slots down when it can. SVCC and SVPP are shared by all the slots.[4]
How packs fail
[edit | edit source]- Deleting a record from a Datapak or Flashpak only crosses it out; it still takes space. A full pack with few live records is normal, and the Organiser reports PACK FULL.[1][8]
- If a Datapak is being written when the battery runs low, the record being saved is erased on the pack, then BATTERY TOO LOW appears and the machine switches off.[1]
- A Datapak that was not fully erased reports PACK NOT BLANK when the Organiser tries to size it.[1][4]
- A Rampak's contents are lost when its lithium cell runs down; Psion gives the cell a life of about five years.[7][4]
- Inserting or removing a Rampak with the Organiser switched on loses everything on it and can damage the Rampak or the Organiser.[7]
- Static electricity can damage the Organiser and Rampaks.[7]
- On an Organiser with operating system version 2.4 or below, deleting the Rampak file MAIN re-initialises the Rampak and loses everything on it. A Rampak that has been used on such an Organiser is re-initialised, losing its data, if it is then used on one with a version above 2.4. Psion's leaflet gives a short OPL procedure, VERNO, that displays the version.[7]
- Flashpaks with different driver versions do not mix. A Flashpak may not work unless the newest driver is installed, and formatting a newer pack from an older one copies the older driver onto it.[8]
- The white label on a Datapak covers the EPROM window and protects the chip from excessive exposure to light.[1]
- Psion rated a Datapak for about 100 formatting cycles: up to 100 in the Operating Manual, over 100 in the Datapak leaflet.[1][6]
Diagnosis
[edit | edit source]Error messages
[edit | edit source]| Message | Number | Psion's explanation | What to check |
|---|---|---|---|
| SIZING PACK B: / PLEASE WAIT | None | Shown the first time a new or newly formatted Datapak is used, while the Organiser checks its size[1][2] | Normal. |
| NO PACK | 246 | No pack in the named device, or a pack removed during access | The Organiser treats a first byte of zero as an empty slot, because the slot's data lines are pulled low when nothing drives them.[4] A pack fitted but not seen: clean and re-seat it, and try the other slot. |
| UNKNOWN PACK | 240 | A pack not supported by the Organiser II | The ID byte is invalid.[4] Try the pack in another Organiser. A CM supports neither 128K Datapaks nor Rampaks.[4] |
| PACK NOT BLANK | 241 | Residual data is still present; the Datapak needs re-formatting | Format it again for the full time. |
| PACK FULL | 239 | A write to a Datapak that is already full | Copy the live files to another pack and format this one. |
| READ PACK ERROR | 200 | The data cannot be read and the pack needs re-formatting | Copy off what can still be read, then format. |
| WRITE PACK ERR | 245 | The Organiser cannot write to the pack; try re-fitting it | Clean and re-seat. If every Datapak fails to write but a Rampak writes normally, suspect the Organiser's 21 V programming supply, which Rampaks do not use.[4][11] On an LZ, the same message from Format may mean that a Datapak was fitted in place of a Rampak.[2] |
| READ ONLY PACK | 244 | A write to a program pack | Normal for program packs. A Flashpak reports it when its driver is not loaded.[5] |
| PACK CHANGED | 242 | A pack changed in the middle of a COPY | Leave packs in place until COPY finishes. |
| PAK NOT COPYABLE | 232 | The pack is copy-protected | Not a fault. |
| DEVICE READ FAIL, DEVICE WRITE FAIL | None given | Usually a faulty pack, or a copy-protected or write-protected pack | Try the pack in the other slot and another Organiser. |
| BATTERY TOO LOW | 194 | The battery is low | Replace the battery before any pack work. The Organiser checks the battery before logging on to a pack.[4] |
Checks in order
[edit | edit source]- Switch the Organiser off before removing or fitting any pack.[7][8]
- Lay the machine face down so that no key is pressed, press down and out on the ribbed end to remove the pack, and push it back until it clicks home.[1]
- Inspect the pack connector and the slot contacts. Clean both with isopropyl alcohol on a foam swab and let them dry.
- Fit a fresh PP3. The Organiser checks the battery before it logs on to a pack.[4]
- Use INFO on the main menu to see how much space is left on each pack.[1] From the calculator,
8*PEEKB(8418)and8*PEEKB(8428)give the size in KB of the pack in B: and C:.[12] - Swap the pack between B: and C:, and try a known-good pack in the suspect slot.
- Try a SAVE to a Rampak and to a Datapak. If the Rampak writes and every Datapak fails, the fault is in the Organiser's programming supply.[4]
A pack the Organiser cannot read can sometimes be read on a PC. Martin Prest's Arduino-based reader reads and writes linear and paged Datapaks and Rampaks as OPK image files; it does not support segmented (128K) packs, and it cannot erase a Datapak.[13]
Repair
[edit | edit source]Copying a pack
[edit | edit source]Copy everything worth keeping before formatting. The COPY option on the main menu copies files between devices: FROM B: and TO C: copies every file on B: to C:. Erased records are not copied. If a file of the same name already exists on the destination, the records are added to the end of it.[1] On the LZ, Copy is on the Utils menu.[2]
Formatting a Datapak
[edit | edit source]Formatting a Datapak means erasing its EPROM with ultraviolet light. Psion sold the Psion Formatter and the Psion Eraser 16 for the job and also ran a postal formatting service.[6]
- Copy the pack's contents to another pack.
- Remove the white label to uncover the circular window over the EPROM.[6] Jaap Scherphuis removes one half of the case instead, which keeps the label intact.[3]
- Expose the pack in the Formatter for the full 30 minutes.[1]
- Cover the window completely with a new label.[6]
- Fit the pack and save a record to it. The Organiser shows SIZING PACK and treats the pack as new.[1] PACK NOT BLANK means it needs formatting again.[1]
The Organiser II Datapak Formatter has a 4 W, 254 nm UV quartz discharge tube with a conventional choke and starter and a timer, and runs from 240 V AC.[14] The earlier formatter in Series 1 styling was also used with the Organiser II for a time.[15] A general-purpose EPROM eraser also works: Microchip specifies 15 W·s/cm² at 253.7 nm for complete erasure of its 27C256, about 20 minutes with the window within an inch of a 12,000 µW/cm² lamp.[16]
Formatting a Flashpak
[edit | edit source]- Switch off. Fit the Flashpak to be formatted and either a second Flashpak or a Flash Datapak Formatter pack.
- Switch on. FLASH should appear near the end of the main menu; if it does not, press ON/CLEAR again.
- Select FLASH, choose to format, and select the slot holding the pack to be erased.
- Confirm. Formatting takes a few minutes; ON/CLEAR interrupts it, leaving the pack to be formatted later.
Formatting draws noticeable power, so Psion suggests running from a mains adaptor.[8][5] The driver writes every byte to zero, erases the chips back to FF and checks each byte, retrying until the whole pack is erased or the chip is judged to have failed.[5] The Flash Datapak Formatter cannot format Datapaks or Rampaks.[17] Before formatting with a second pack or a Formatter pack, check that its driver version is not older than the one on the pack being formatted; the version shows when FLASH is selected, and Psion upgraded old Formatter packs.[8]
Rampaks: formatting and the backup cell
[edit | edit source]On the LZ and LZ64, Format on the Utils menu clears a Rampak and re-sizes it.[2] Psion's leaflet says to back up a finished program on a Rampak to a Datapak.[7]
Psion published no procedure for changing a Rampak's cell. The parts list gives it as a PCB-mounting CR2032 (4900 0015), listed with a plastic insulation spacer (8700 0010).[10] In Jaap Scherphuis's photograph the cell sits on the back of the connector board, with a metal tag across it.[3] The RAM is volatile and depends on the cell to keep its contents, so copy the Rampak to a Datapak before removing the cell.[4] Gossuin's 256K Rampaks use a thicker battery, and part of the case has to be cut away to fit it.[3]
Safety
[edit | edit source]- Formatters contain mains wiring. The Organiser II Formatter runs from 240 V AC through a choke and starter.[14] Unplug it before opening it.
- EPROM erasers use short-wave ultraviolet (UV-C) at 253.7 nm.[16] UV-C injures the eyes (photokeratitis and photoconjunctivitis) and the skin, and the injuries reported to the European Commission's scientific committee came mainly from accidental exposure to UV-C lamps.[18] Never run an eraser with its drawer or lid open or look at a lit lamp.
- Psion warns against static on the Organiser, Datapaks, Rampaks and cables.[7]
- Anyone driving the slots from their own code or hardware: select only one slot at a time, since selecting two can permanently damage the hardware, and switch 21 V to SVPP only with the slots powered and the pump stopped.[4]
Parts and tools
[edit | edit source]| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Datapak labels | Supplied with new Datapaks; Psion also sold packs of 30[6] |
| Rampak backup cell | CR2032, PCB-mounting (Psion 4900 0015), with insulation spacer 8700 0010[10] |
| Pack parts lists | 128K Datapak, 32K Rampak and Flashpak, pages 8 to 10 of the Psion Organiser II Spare Parts List[10] |
| Schematics | Olivier Gossuin's drawings of the 16K, 32K, 64K and 128K Datapaks, the 32K and 256K Rampaks and the 256K Flashpak[9] |
| UV eraser | Psion Formatter or Eraser 16, or a general-purpose EPROM eraser[6] |
| Flash formatting | A second Flashpak, or the Flash Datapak Formatter pack (part 6300 0040)[17] |
| Pack reader | Martin Prest's Arduino reader and writer, for imaging linear and paged packs on a PC[13] |
Related pages
[edit | edit source]- Psion Organiser II
- Psion Organiser II General Maintenance
- Psion Organiser II Troubleshooting Guide
- Psion Organiser II Spare Parts List
- Psion Organiser Datapak Repair
- Recommended Tools
References
[edit | edit source]- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 Psion PLC, Psion Organiser II Operating Manual (CM/XP), V1, January 1989, part no. 6100-0024: chapter 8 "Storage devices" (fitting and sizing Datapaks, formatting, INFO), chapter 9 "Records and files" (COPY), chapter 10 "Replacing the battery", appendix B "Technical data" and appendix D "Error messages". Transcribed at Jaap's Psion Organiser II Page.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Psion PLC, Psion Organiser II LZ/LZ64 Operating Manual, chapter 13 "Storage devices" and chapter 15 "Utils", sections 5 "Copy" and 10 "Format". Transcribed at Jaap's Psion Organiser II Page.
- ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 Jaap Scherphuis, "Gallery of Psion Organiser II packs", Jaap's Psion Organiser II Page, sections "Datapaks", "Program Packs", "Rampaks" and "Flashpaks". Chip markings read from the photograph of the Psion 32K Rampak.
- ↑ 4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10 4.11 4.12 4.13 4.14 4.15 4.16 4.17 4.18 4.19 4.20 4.21 4.22 4.23 4.24 Psion Organiser II Technical Manual, Psion Ltd, chapter 9 "Datapacks": 9.2 hardware, 9.2.2 counter and addressing, 9.2.3 Rampacks, 9.2.4 connector, 9.3 Organiser interface (9.3.2.2 powering the slots, 9.3.2.3 slot selection, 9.3.2.4 reading, 9.3.2.5 hardware ID byte, 9.3.2.6 programming voltage), 9.4.3 pack ID string, 9.5.1 PK$SETP and 9.5.10 pack errors. Transcribed at Jaap's Psion Organiser II Page.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 Psion, Technical Reference for Organiser Flash Datapaks, version 1.0, 14 January 1991, sections 4 "Writing", 5 "Formatting" and 10 "Versions". Transcribed at Jaap's Psion Organiser II Page.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 Psion, Datapak Instruction Leaflet for the Organiser II, part no. 6100 0003: "Formatting your Datapak" and warranty. Transcribed at Jaap's Psion Organiser II Page.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 7.7 7.8 Psion, 32K Rampak Instruction Leaflet. Transcribed at Jaap's Psion Organiser II Page.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 8.6 8.7 8.8 Psion PLC, Flashpak Instruction Leaflet, V2.02, June 1993, part no. 6300-0041-02, including "Erasing a Flash Datapak" and "Software versions". Transcribed at Jaap's Psion Organiser II Page.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Jaap Scherphuis, "Psion Organiser II Datasheets and Schematics", Jaap's Psion Organiser II Page: pack chip datasheets and Olivier Gossuin's memory pack schematics.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 Psion, Organiser II Spare Parts List, version 3, pages 8 (128K Datapak), 9 (32K Rampak) and 10 (Flashpak). Hosted on this wiki as File:Psion Organiser II Spare Parts List v3.pdf.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Psion Organiser II Technical Manual, Psion Ltd, chapter 3 "Power Supply Board", sections 3.3 "Supply rails", 3.8 "Voltage pump" and 3.9 "SVPP regulator". Transcribed at Jaap's Psion Organiser II Page.
- ↑ Jaap Scherphuis, "Psion Organiser II Models and Version Numbers", Jaap's Psion Organiser II Page.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Martin Prest, "PSION II Datapak and Rampak Reader/Writer", Hackaday.io.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 "Psion Organiser II Datapak Formatter", Radiomuseum.org, model page by Christian Erker: 240 V AC, 4 W 254 nm UV quartz discharge tube (T5), series choke, starter and timing electronics.
- ↑ Jaap Scherphuis, "Psion Organiser Series 1 Image Gallery", section "Psion Datapak Formatter".
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 Microchip Technology Inc., 27C256 256K (32K x 8) CMOS EPROM datasheet (2004), section 1.5 "Erase Mode (U.V. Windowed Versions)". Copy at Jaap's Psion Organiser II Page.
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 Psion PLC, Flash Datapak Formatter Instruction Leaflet, V1, October 1990, part no. 6300 0040. Transcribed at Jaap's Psion Organiser II Page.
- ↑ European Commission Scientific Committee on Health, Environmental and Emerging Risks (SCHEER), Opinion on biological effects of UV-C radiation relevant to health with particular reference to UV-C lamps, adopted 2 February 2017, abstract (p. 2) and section 7.1 "Human health effects" (p. 25).