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Finding a Dallas DS1287 replacement

I've replaced the DS1287 in my PS/2 models 30-286 and 55SX with DS12887 but they still stop at 161 and 163 errors.

Bad chips? Flat batteries? Need to run setup disks?

Any help will be appreciated.
 
Mouser sells both DS12887 modules and DS12885 ICs (the same IC as used inside DS12887, but without battery and crystal). They are not very cheap though. I bet there are many other places where you can buy them, but I like Mouser because they sell new components (other places might sell you modules made 10 years ago, with almost completely discharged batteries).

Last week I repaired two DS1287 modules in my Intel Professional Workstation boxes, and soldered / glued nice CR2032 battery holders on top of them. The process is really very simple. If needed I can post some pictures.

BTW Intel Professional Workstation is a really interesting box. Kind of 1990's Intel vision of PC of the future. It is 486 based, EISA bus, low profile (7.6 cm / 3" high) box, with on-board SCSI, Ethernet, VGA (all this in '91 or so). The box could be opened by unscrewing only one single screw, there is no wires inside the box except short IDE and HDD power cables (5 cm / 2" long or so). If people are interested, I can start another thread with system description...
 
Was your battery in a socket or soldered to the motherboard? And how easy (or difficult) was it to find both of the pins? Some pictures would be good for a future reference.

I'd be interested to see what that Intel system looks like on the inside.
 
Was your battery in a socket or soldered to the motherboard? And how easy (or difficult) was it to find both of the pins? Some pictures would be good for a future reference.

I'd be interested to see what that Intel system looks like on the inside.

DS1287 modules were installed in sockets and I extracted them before patching. It is possible to patch soldered modules (people have done that), but it could be more difficult, depending on module placement, other components nearby, etc.
The patch work is fairly easy, no problem with locating pins. All you need is a sharp knife, soldering iron, CR2032 battery holder (sold in Radio Shack for example - http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3060977) and battery, some wires and glue (glue gun).

I'll take and post some pictures of my DS1287 patch work and PWS tonight...
 
Yep, that's one method of doing it. I usually perform the 2x AA batteries method, but both do the same job.

Not all DS1287s are socketed. There are those, like in early Compaq laptops (SLT-286 and 386) that are soldered into the motherboard. I've had to do that rework with my SLT.
 
If you want the reassurance of buying from someone really mainstream, RS also have the DS12887, the datasheet for which includes a statement to the effect that it is designed as a direct replacement for the DS1287.

http://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/real-time-clocks/0133781

However, looking over at related threads in the Vintage Computer Forum there are some people saying that the DS12887 is not always usable as a direct replacement for the DS1287, although they don't take the trouble to explain why. RS's price for the DS12887 seems fairly reasonable: Probably worth a try?
 
However, looking over at related threads in the Vintage Computer Forum there are some people saying that the DS12887 is not always usable as a direct replacement for the DS1287, although they don't take the trouble to explain why.

It might be the case that the DS12887 is less forgiving of some systems using internal bits that are documented as reserved than the DS1287 was and that can cause problems. I don't have any links handy at the moment to back that up.
 
The "why" of the 12887 not working in place of the 1287 may be hard to qualify for most. "Doesn't pass POST" might be as good as it gets.

But yes, there are those who have shelled out for the 12887 and met with failure.
 
One of the main differences I think is a 128 byte CMOS instead of 64 bytes.
 
The "why" of the 12887 not working in place of the 1287 may be hard to qualify for most. "Doesn't pass POST" might be as good as it gets.

But yes, there are those who have shelled out for the 12887 and met with failure.

I personally can confirm that the 12887 does NOT work as a replacement for the 1287 in the Dell 316SX machine. It looks like it works, but it fails to actually save the CMOS settings over power cycles.
 
If you want the reassurance of buying from someone really mainstream, RS also have the DS12887, the datasheet for which includes a statement to the effect that it is designed as a direct replacement for the DS1287.

Which is the lesson every EE eventually learns--that datasheets are useful, but one is advised not to take them at face value.
 
I personally can confirm that the 12887 does NOT work as a replacement for the 1287 in the Dell 316SX machine. It looks like it works, but it fails to actually save the CMOS settings over power cycles.

I wonder if it is due to BIOS bugs or something similar.
 
After reading the data sheets for the 1287/12887/1285/12885, really the only difference between the 12885 and 12887 is the xxx87 comes with the battery and crystal encapsulated where as the xxx85 has pins for crystal input and 3v battery source. Couldn't a little circuit board be made to hold a DS12885 chip with a crystal and a CR2032 coin cell holder with pins to plug in to the original socket?

Just a thought.
 
After reading the data sheets for the 1287/12887/1285/12885, really the only difference between the 12885 and 12887 is the xxx87 comes with the battery and crystal encapsulated where as the xxx85 has pins for crystal input and 3v battery source. Couldn't a little circuit board be made to hold a DS12885 chip with a crystal and a CR2032 coin cell holder with pins to plug in to the original socket?

Just a thought.

Not sure you'd even need a circuit board. Just bend the crystal pins up and solder it directly onto them and do the same with the 3V battery pins. Could eve just put on a 2 pin header and then it could be used with any 3v source.
 
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