[SPARCbook] Power problems

[Gary Borgen]

There are two flex cables connecting the main board to the LCD status 
board.  Try and re-seat the cables on both sides ends.  While you are at 
it, check the cable edges for corrosion.  If they need cleaning, carefully 
use a pencil eraser followed by a quick wipe with alcohol to remove the 
eraser shavings.  This is good thing to check regardless if it solves the 
problem or not.

I had a problem with NVRAM on my RDI Powerlite, where it seemed to take 
forever to boot.  It's been a while since it happened, but I seem to 
remember a problem with the diagnostic mode setting being set wrong.

-----Original Message-----
From:	Liam [SMTP:Liam1f at blueyonder.co.uk]
Sent:	Sunday, April 25, 2004 2:45 PM
To:	For owners of Tadpole/RDI's SPARCbook series of  portableSun-compatible 
computer systems.
Subject:	Re: [SPARCbook] Power problems

As it happens, the LCD has been a bit intermittent. At the moment the
machine will not even switch on with the charger lead connected. With the
plug removed, it starts and runs like it should. (I have obviously
complicated things by wiping out the NVRAM settings. I've done a
'set-defaults', but I don't think that's helped too much). When the charger
plug is reconnected, the LCD momentarily shows a + sign after the battery 
%,
and then shuts down. As a matter of interest, pressing 'pause-r' shuts it
down when there is a hard drive installed.
   Just once, I started the box with no hard drive fitted, and the orange
light came on. (Another thing...neither of the lights work). I connected 
the
charger plug, and it stayed switched on. The orange light stayed on and the
LCD was blank. Presumably with no disk in, it would use very little power,
anyway; but I left it running for quite a while, and I'm pretty sure it 
must
have been running from the charger. This has not since been duplicated.
   As I've been trying things as I'm typing this, I have also noticed that
the NVRAM is not getting to run a memory check. If I press 'pause-a'
straight away, I get an ok prompt. If not, it just freezes. I hope I'm not
making things worse by trying, here.
   Thanks for everyone's help. I seem to have dominated this months digest!
I think I've got to accept that this isn't just an intermittent fault that
will go away by pressing the right sequence of buttons. I have been given
some really useful information to take to my local electronics repair shop,
though, and I reckon the bloke there could sort it out. I will let you know
how it goes. In the meantime, any other thoughts or prompts would obviously
be really gratefully received. I can't see me getting to the shop before
next Saturday, so I will keep playing with it in the week.

Cheers, Liam