Psion Workabout General Maintenance
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Care and preventive maintenance for the original Psion Workabout. Psion's 1995 user guide covers cleaning, the batteries, the SSDs and the fuse, and states that there are no user-serviceable parts inside.[1] For fault-finding see the Psion Workabout Troubleshooting Guide.
Cleaning
[edit | edit source]The Workabout is dust proof and splash proof. To clean it, switch it off and wipe the keyboard and screen gently with a soft, clean, dry cloth.[1]
Batteries
[edit | edit source]| Cell | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Main | Two AA alkaline cells, or the Psion Ni-Cd pack (part no. 2802-0005) | Two separate Ni-Cd AA cells will run it but cannot be charged in the machine |
| Backup | 3 V lithium CR1620 (Psion part no. 4900-0018, "BAT LITH. 3V 60mAH") | Keeps the RAM for about five days with no other power |
The cells are in the SSD/battery drawer that slides out of the centre of the case.[1]
Rules that protect the data
[edit | edit source]- Removing the main batteries and the backup cell together erases the internal memory and the internal disk M:. Copy anything important to an SSD or a PC first.[1]
- When the main batteries go flat, leave them in until fresh ones are ready. The backup cell keeps the memory while they are changed, and this saves the backup cell.[1]
- Before storing the Workabout for a long time, copy the internal disk M: to an SSD and take out both the main batteries and the backup cell.[1]
- Leave the automatic switch-off enabled. A Workabout left on can drain both the main batteries and the backup cell, and the data is then lost.[1]
Changing the backup cell
[edit | edit source]From Psion's user guide:[1]
- Switch the Workabout off.
- Press the drawer release button on the left of the screen and pull the drawer out until the backup battery cover shows.
- Slide the cover open in the direction of the arrow.
- Fit the CR1620 with its positive side, the flatter side marked +, facing the outer edge of the Workabout. Psion warns of a risk of explosion if a lithium cell is fitted wrongly.
- Slide the cover back and close the drawer.
Tape over the terminals of a used lithium cell before disposal. Do not burn, crush or try to recharge it.[1] Look for leakage and corrosion on the contacts while the drawer is out; see Battery Explosion, Capacitor or Corrosion Damage.
Ni-Cd pack
[edit | edit source]A new Ni-Cd pack usually arrives flat and must be charged first. It charges in the Workabout or on its own in a Workabout Docking Station, fast or trickle according to the station, or in the Workabout through a LIF converter and mains adaptor, which only trickle charges. A fast charge takes about an hour; a trickle charge takes about 14 hours, with the pack 90 % charged after 12.[1] Charge the pack only by Psion's methods, and do not short, open or burn it: the cells contain cadmium.[1]
Fuse
[edit | edit source]The main fuse sits beneath the main batteries in the drawer. Psion's specification gives it as 1.25 A, 20 × 5 mm, glass, fast blow.[1] It blows if the batteries are fitted the wrong way round and the mechanism that should stop them making contact has failed, if the battery terminals are shorted, or if a fault draws too much current. Psion's 1995 guide told owners to send the unit to Psion's service centre to have the fuse replaced.[1] Psion's later service manual for the Workabout mx gives the fuse change as the first step of dismantling; see Psion Workabout mx General Maintenance.
SSDs and the drawer
[edit | edit source]- The upper SSD slot is drive A: and the lower is B:. Insert an SSD with the arrow on its front edge pointing into the slot.[1]
- Do not open the drawer while the Workabout is reading or writing an SSD.[1]
Connectors
[edit | edit source]- The LIF-PFS socket on the bottom end takes only a LIF converter; a mains adaptor cannot be plugged straight into the Workabout.[1]
- A peripheral on an internal expansion port must not draw more than 200 mA.[1]
Inside the case
[edit | edit source]Psion's 1995 guide states that there are no user-serviceable parts inside.[1] Psion's only published dismantling procedure is in the Workabout MX Service Manual, written for the later model; it is summarised on Psion Workabout mx General Maintenance. Check your own unit against it before following it on an original Workabout.
Maintenance checklist
[edit | edit source]- Copy the internal disk M: to an SSD before any battery work.[1]
- Check the backup cell and replace it if the machine no longer keeps its memory while the main batteries are out.[1]
- Inspect the battery and backup cell contacts for corrosion.
- Check that the automatic switch-off is enabled.[1]
- Wipe the case, keyboard and screen with a soft dry cloth.[1]
- For storage, remove both the main batteries and the backup cell after copying M: to an SSD.[1]
Related pages
[edit | edit source]- Psion Workabout
- Psion Workabout Troubleshooting Guide
- Psion Workabout Documentation
- Psion Workabout mx General Maintenance
- Battery Explosion, Capacitor or Corrosion Damage
- 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 1.18 1.19 1.20 1.21 1.22 Psion PLC, Workabout User Guide, version 1.0, February 1995, part no. 6104-0001-01. Hosted as File:Psion Workabout User Guide (February 1995).pdf. Care (p. 2), powering, backup battery and main batteries (pp. 3-5), Ni-Cd charging (p. 5), mains power and low power (p. 6), automatic switch-off (p. 7), the SSD drives (p. 12), the LIF-PFS socket (p. 13), expansion ports and the fuse (p. 14), "no user-serviceable parts" (p. 17), auto switch-off warning (p. 18), specification (pp. 277-279). Printed page n is PDF page n+9.