Psion Series 3mx
 | |
| Psion Series 3mx | |
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Developer | Psion PLC |
| Manufacturer | Psion PLC |
| Type | Clamshell palmtop computer |
| Released | July 1998 (announced) |
| Intro price | £229.95 (reduced price, late 1998) |
| CPU | NEC V30MX (80C86 compatible) at 27.684 MHz |
| Memory | 2 MB ROM; 2 MB RAM |
| Storage | Two internal Solid State Disk (SSD) slots |
| Display | 480 × 160 monochrome LCD, backlit |
| Sound | Microphone, loudspeaker and CODEC; 8 kHz 8-bit recording; DTMF dialling |
| Dimensions | 165 mm × 85 mm × 22 mm |
| Weight | 275 g including batteries |
| OS / Firmware | EPOC16 (SIBO), with OPL |
| Predecessor | Psion Series 3c |
| Successor | Psion Revo |
The Psion Series 3mx is a clamshell palmtop computer made by Psion PLC and announced in July 1998. It is the last of Psion's 16-bit SIBO machines, released after the 32-bit Psion Series 5, and is an upgraded Psion Series 3c with a faster processor, a faster serial port and a backlit screen on every model.[1]
History
[edit | edit source]The 3mx was announced in July 1998, after the release of the Series 5.[1] Psion's Gold Support Service Bulletin No. 21 announced a reduced price of £229.95 and quoted reviews from August and October 1998.[2] The 3mx and the 3c contain an Easter egg with a hidden melody and a credits screen.[1]
Architecture and processor
[edit | edit source]The processor is a 16-bit NEC V30MX, 80C86 compatible, running at 27.684 MHz, against the 7.68 MHz V30H of the 3a and 3c.[3][4] The software and SIBO architecture are those of the Series 3 family; for the power states and supply rails, see Psion Series 3a.
Memory and storage
[edit | edit source]The 3mx has 2 MB of ROM and 2 MB of RAM, and two internal SSD drives.[3]
The 3mx senses its SSD doors with a pair of microswitches set at an angle, where the 3c uses tracks and a small metal contact on the door hinge. The plastic tips of the switch buttons snap off if the main board is prised up with the SSD doors closed, and the machine then does not recognise SSDs in either slot.[5] Always open both SSD doors before lifting the main board. The repair is in the Psion Series 3mx Troubleshooting Guide.
Display
[edit | edit source]The screen is a 480 × 160 LCD, as on the 3a and 3c, and every 3mx is backlit. On the 3c a backlight was fitted only to some models, mainly for the US market.[3][1]
Sound
[edit | edit source]A microphone, loudspeaker and CODEC provide digital recording and playback at 8,000 samples per second, 8 bits wide (12 bits compressed to 8). The speaker also generates DTMF tones for dialling.[3]
Input, output and expansion
[edit | edit source]The keyboard has 58 keys in a QWERTY layout, with nine touch-sensitive application buttons.[3] The RS-232 serial port runs at up to 115 kbit/s, twice the 3c's 57,600 baud.[1][4] Psion's Travel Modem connects to the 3c and 3mx differently from the Series 3 and 3a.[1] The 3mx has an infrared port.[1]
Power
[edit | edit source]| Item | Specification |
|---|---|
| Main cells | 2 × AA |
| Backup cell | CR2025 lithium |
| Mains adaptor | 9 V, 250 mA |
The backup cell is a CR2025. The Series 3, 3a and 3c take a CR1620, so the cells are not interchangeable.[3][1]
Case
[edit | edit source]The 3mx has the 3c's case shape with a matte silver metallic finish in place of the 3c's dark grey.[1] It measures 165 × 85 × 22 mm and weighs 275 g with two AA cells.[3]
Documentation
[edit | edit source]Related Psion documents:
- Psion Series 3c User Guide (PDF) – the user guide for the 3c, from which the 3mx was developed.[4]
- Psion Series 3a Service Manual (PDF) – Psion's service manual for the Series 3a, which describes the disassembly of the same style of case.[6]
Known faults
[edit | edit source]The documented weak points of the Series 3 family are broken hinges, a button bar that stops working, and deterioration of the cable to the screen, which shows as vertical lines.[1] The 3mx adds the SSD door microswitches. See:
- Psion Series 3mx Troubleshooting Guide
- Psion Series 3mx General Maintenance
- Psion Series 3mx Hinge Repair
Related pages
[edit | edit source]- Psion Series 3mx General Maintenance
- Psion Series 3mx Troubleshooting Guide
- Psion Series 3mx Hinge Repair
- Psion Series 3c
- Psion Series 3a
- Psion Siena
- Psion Revo
- Battery Refurbishment
References
[edit | edit source]- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 "Psion Series 3", Wikipedia. The 3mx announcement date, its place as the last SIBO machine, the V30MX processor, the 115 kbit/s serial port, the silver finish, the backlight, the CR2025 backup cell, the Easter egg and the documented clamshell problems.
- ↑ Psion UK PLC, Gold Support Service Bulletin No. 21, Internet Archive, p. 1 ("New low price on Series 3mx").
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 "Psion specifications" (Psion 3mx, Psion 5, Psion 5mx, Revo and Revo Plus), netogram.com. Series 3mx processor, ROM, RAM, power, backup cell, communications, keyboard, backlight, dimensions, weight, screen and sound.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Psion PLC, Series 3c User Guide, Version 1.0, August 1996, part no. 6103-0107-01. Hosted on this wiki as File:Psion Series 3c User Guide (August 1996).pdf. Specification (pp. 373–374).
- ↑ R. Zealley, "Psion Series 3mx SSD door microswitch repair", Retro Coding, 25 May 2020. The 3mx door microswitches, how they break, and their repair.
- ↑ Psion PLC, Series 3a Service Manual, Version 1.0, June 1996, part no. 6103-0114-01. Hosted on this wiki as File:Psion Series 3a Service Manual (June 1996).pdf.