hp110+ info

[Tony Duell]

> 
> Still can't find manuals. But here's what I know and maybe people can fill 
> in the blanks.
> 
> First info - Base model is 45711E, supposedly that designates 110+, 512k 

Yep. 

> ram, & modem. The memory drawer has a model 82981A, which googling suggests 
> is 128k ram addon. There's a metal shield over the chips and I don't have 
> the right torq bit to remove. Upon boot all the ROM ID shows BBBBBB.

IIRC, the RAM drawer has 128K on the mainboard, but you can add 1 or 2 
daughterboards, each is another 128K. All that RAM, BTW is in 8K*8 SRAM 
chips (6264 type things). The original 110 had pin-through-hole (a large 
board the entire size of the machine was almost all 6264s!), the 110+ 
used SMD ones. 

You'll need (at least) TX6, TX8 and TX10 Torx tools and a set of metric 
nutrdirvers to take this toy apart.

> 
> First question - going into system config lets me set the memory split 
> between main memory and edisk. All choices add up to 896k. How does that 
> square with 128k + 512k?

Sounds likle you have a couple of dughterboards fitted :-)

> 
> Second info - The PAM menu shows the following application choices - DOS 
> CMDS, HP reflection, VT reflection, Memo Maker, Time Management, and BASIC. 
> However, opening up the software drawer shows the following chips in the 
> following locations 82863K-Reflection1 (0L), 45504K-MemoMaker/TimeMgt (1L), 
> 82862K-BASIC (4L), 45555K-1/2-ExecutiveCardMgr (5H), 
> 45555K-2/2-ExecutiveCardMgr (5L), 45548K-1/2-Lotus123 (6H), 
> 45548K-2/2-Lotus123 (6L).
> 
> Second question - I assume the PAM menu selections for HP reflection and VT 
> reflection are handled by the single 82863K rom. I am curious why the 
> Executive Card Manager and Lotus123 don't show up in the PAM menu?

The ROMs contains something a bit like an MS-DOS filesystem, you can have 
several applicaitons in one ROM (this would (normally?) be done by having 
subdirectories in the ROM). The TechRef gives the format of the data for 
the ROMs, I may even have software (runs on the 110+) to create them. 

For an application (in ROM or on disk) to show up in PAM, there needs to 
be some data file which defines the label to appear in PAM, the 
executable filename, and so on. The format of that (IIRC it's a text 
file) is also documented. I would assume some of your ROMs don't contain 
said file.

I assume you've got an MS-DOS prompt by now. Try DIR B: and see what 
shows up.

> 
> Misc. questions - The built in battery is obviously dead and won't hold a 
> charge, as the unit won't run at all without the AC adapter. Every time I 
> boot up though, it asks to reformat the A drive due to memory loss. More 
> importantly, it has lost the date/time and system config settings 
> (memory/edisk split for example). I'm curious if the date/time and config 
> settings are kept by a different battery I may need to replace, or if all of 
> the above is maintained by the single battery. I will have to hunt up a new 
> battery.

No, there's only one battery, the 6V lead acid one.

Now getting that out is 'interesting'. The official HP procedure involves 
bending some contact straps, they tend to break off. In fact HP tell you 
to replace them every time, but good luck in finding them. 

I have a sort-of workaround. It takes longer, but you don't bend 
anything. It goes like this : 

Remove the clip on battery cover [1] at the back. Move the jumper link to 
the 'off' postion. Remove both drawers

Remove the (black) plastic cover over the battery terminals (2 screws). 
Undo the terminal nuts behind it _but don't bend the straps down_. Loosen 
the nuts holding the straps to the PCB. HP suggest you do this with the 
machine upside down so that any swarf falls away from the PCB.

Now remveo all the screws on the bottom that hold the case together (I 
forget if some are under labels/feet). Put the machine the right way up, 
hold the straps away from the battery terminals (if the nuts on the PCB 
are loose enough, you don't have to bend the straps to do this), and lift 
up the top case starting at the rear. Free the connector panel from the 
top case, then reach inside and unplug the display and keyboard cables 
from the main PCB. 

Turn the top case over. Remove the 4 Torx screws that go throught the 
posts for the display hinges. One of the grounding flexiprints is now 
free IIRC. Put the top case the right way up, lift off the centre 
section betweem the display hinges (I forget whether the display needs to 
be open or closed, but it's obviosu when you do it). Then take out the 
battery and the foam pad around it.

[1] If you are really lucky, that cover will be held on by 2 screws and 
will have a connector on it. That's the connector for the _rare_ video 
display adapter which displays the LCD contents on a composite monitor. 
If you have this connector, take out the 2 screws, ease away the cover, 
unplug the end of the cable from the main PCB and later free the ground 
tab when you remov the battery terminals, etc.

-tony