Tandy 1000 RLX Troubleshooting Guide
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Fault finding on the Tandy 1000 RLX and RLX/HD draws on the Tandy 1000 FAQ, Tandy's 1995 parts list and owners' reports. The RLX shares its supply design with the Tandy 1000 RL, so power faults are covered on Tandy 1000 RL Troubleshooting Guide and Tandy 1000 RL Capacitor Replacement Guide.[1]
 | The supply runs from the mains. Unplug the computer before opening it, and check the rating label before connecting it to the mains. |
Quick reference
[edit | edit source]| Symptom | Likely cause | Section |
|---|---|---|
| "Invalid configuration" at start-up | EEPROM contents do not match the hardware | Invalid configuration |
| Stops at the memory count or will not boot | Corrupted EEPROM | Will not boot |
| No power, tone or burning smell | Supply or a shorted tantalum | Power faults |
| Mouse dead in Windows | Windows driver expects IRQ 12 | Mouse |
| Low-density drive will not work | The RLX controller needs high-density drives | Floppy drives |
| Extended memory not seen | HIMEM.SYS setting | Memory |
| Tandy sound missing in some games | Games look for Tandy video | Sound |
Invalid configuration
[edit | edit source]At start-up the BIOS checks the EEPROM contents and, if they make no sense, uses built-in defaults and asks for the setup program to be run. Run SETUPRLX and save the changes; leaving without saving brings the message back. If it persists, the FAQ suggests putting the mouse on COM1 and a modem on COM2, since the BIOS may object to serial ports used out of order.[2]
Will not boot
[edit | edit source]The FAQ quotes this procedure from Tandy's notes for clearing the RLX's EEPROM when the machine will not boot:[3]
- Turn the power off.
- Connect a 150 ohm, 1/4 W resistor between pin 4 and pin 8 of U3, the EEPROM. Make sure it touches no other pins. Pin 1 is to the left of the notch, and the pins are numbered anticlockwise.
- Turn the power on. When the A> prompt appears, remove the resistor.
- Run SETUPRLX.
The FAQ's author confirms that the method works. Removing the clock battery does not clear the EEPROM.[3]
Power faults
[edit | edit source]The RLX's supply parts match the RL's, and one RL's main board failed with a shorted surface-mount tantalum that produced a wailing tone and a burning smell.[1][4] Follow the checks on Tandy 1000 RL Troubleshooting Guide. The supply's outputs, from an RLX/HD owner's reading of the label, are -12 V, +12 V and +5 V on a six-pin connector; the pin table is on Tandy 1000 RL Capacitor Replacement Guide.[5]
Mouse
[edit | edit source]Windows' mouse driver expects the PS/2 mouse on IRQ 12, which the RLX does not have; use a serial mouse in Windows. Under DOS or DeskMate the PS/2 port works once it is enabled in SETUPRLX.[6] If the port is enabled but dead, disable it, restart, enable it and restart again; DeskMate's built-in driver shows whether the mouse itself works.[6]
Floppy drives
[edit | edit source]The RLX controller will not work with low-density drives, and its 1.44 MB drives take power through the data cable. A standard drive on the unmodified cable can damage the drive and the computer.[7]
Memory
[edit | edit source]- If HIMEM.SYS does not find the 384 KB of extended memory, use its /M:2 option.[8]
- One owner using a RAM disk in extended memory found the system unreliable above about 300 KB and keeps it below that.[5]
- ZIP DRAMs for the RLX are hard to find; the FAQ names the Samsung KM44C256AZ-8.[9]
Sound
[edit | edit source]The RLX keeps the three-voice sound chip at its usual address, but because it has VGA instead of Tandy video, some games do not offer Tandy sound on it.[10]
Related pages
[edit | edit source]- Tandy 1000 RLX
- Tandy 1000 RLX General Maintenance
- Tandy 1000 RLX Capacitor Replacement Guide
- Tandy 1000 RL Troubleshooting Guide
- Floppy Drive Repair
References
[edit | edit source]- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Tandy National Parts, bill of materials 250-1452 "Tandy 1000 RL-286", January 1995, 25-1452.txt, TVDog's Tandy 1000 archive (retrieved 2026-10-21).
- ↑ Jeff Hayes, "Tandy 1000-series FAQ", version 2.52, 25 October 2005, TVDog's Tandy 1000 archive (retrieved 2026-10-21). Section III.F.3.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Hayes, "Tandy 1000-series FAQ" (2005), section II.K.8.
- ↑ "Tandy 1000 RL tone of death", Vintage Computer Federation forum, February 2021, thread. Posts by falter, daver2 and keenerb, 14-20 February 2021.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Tandy 1000 RLX/HD power supply replacement (6-pin connector type, wiring gauge, etc)", Vintage Computer Federation forum, July 2026, thread. Posts by TandyDean and Plasma, 18 July 2026.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Hayes, "Tandy 1000-series FAQ" (2005), sections II.G.2 and II.G.5.
- ↑ Hayes, "Tandy 1000-series FAQ" (2005), sections II.C.1, II.C.2 and II.C.5.
- ↑ Hayes, "Tandy 1000-series FAQ" (2005), section II.A.5.
- ↑ Hayes, "Tandy 1000-series FAQ" (2005), section II.A.1.
- ↑ "Why settle for one Tandy 1000 RSX when you can have two...", Vintage Computer Federation forum, May-July 2025, thread. Post by vwestlife, 15 July 2025.