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Toshiba T2000/40 revival (floppy/batteries)

R

RetroHospital

Experienced Member
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Oct 20, 2020
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Belgium
Hello everyone,

First of I wanted to thank @modem7 for the invaluable ressources he maintains on toshiba laptops (and I've got loads of those)

I've started reviving a toshiba T2000. It's a 80286 12Mhz laptop.

This repair is difficult because it involves recapping 3 boards (lcd, inverter, motherboard) and also the darn thing has multiple batteries in it; undocumented.

ced_2023-07-31@19h55_IMG_1385.JPG

My questions
1) Does anyone have the setup utilities/floppy for a T2000. This seems to be a very specific floppy with utilities that say T2000 in the menues. Can't find them anywhere...
2) Does anyone know what type of battery is the "sub battery". It's a thin long yellow thingie, maybe 5 AAA cells glued together. Tech manual doesn't say.
3) Tech manual also speak about an "rtc battery". This ; I simply can't find anywhere. Where the heck is it ?

Thanks !

If I succeed, I'll probably have the last running T2000 on earth... If not i'll ragequit this hobby again :)
 
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Here's an informed guess. IC46, the HD146818 is the RTC chip. I note a 2-pin conductor adjacent to it. I'd be inclined to guess that it's where the RTC battery goes.
 
CedsRepairs said:
2) Does anyone know what type of battery is the "sub battery". It's a thin long yellow thingie, maybe 5 AAA cells glued together. Tech manual doesn't say.
Click to expand...
NiCad according to the Toshiba ATLAS:

1690843619413.png

Here, Toshiba have used "sub" and "backup" interchangeably for the same thing. Maybe they started with 'sub' then moved to 'backup' because 'backup' better describes the purpose.
 
CedsRepairs said:
1) Does anyone have the setup utilities/floppy for a T2000. This seems to be a very specific floppy with utilities that say T2000 in the menues. Can't find them anywhere...
Click to expand...
The web page at [here] indicates TEST3.EXE, but I see what you are referring to on page 3-6 of the maintenance manual: TESTCE2.EXE

TESTCE2.EXE is at:
1. Goto [here].
2. In either download there, TESTCE2.EXE is in the folder named 'LOW'.

( I will update my web page at [here]. )
 
Thanks a million
If I manage to finish this repair I’ll post an update . This unit used to barely boot and the screen was mostly unreadable. I could hear the capacitors dying .

The inverter and motherboard are relatively easy to recap but the lcd screen seems to be a challenge . Parts are ordered .
I’ll first re use the original hard disk to not add problems on top of problems ; but my end goal is to replace it with a cf card ; but I will only do that if everything else works . I had pretty good results with « industrial » CF cards in laptops of the same era like the Compaq slt 386 ; so finger crossed .

Indeed it seems what I thought was the « sub battery « is actually the rtc clock battery ; the long yellow thing goes next to ic46 so that must be the rtc clock

So it’s the sub battery that I have to locate ; it seems to be hidden in the led board ; or maybe someone removed it before me which would explain why I can’t find it .
 
CedsRepairs said:
Indeed it seems what I thought was the « sub battery « is actually the rtc clock battery ; the long yellow thing goes next to ic46 so that must be the rtc clock
Click to expand...
Just because there is a connector next to the RTC chip does not mean that the connector must be for the RTC.
The Toshiba documentation indicates that the RTC battery plugs into PJ1 on the LED board.

The Toshiba ATLAS shows the sub (backup) battery as long and thin.

1690846276986.png
 
modem7 said:
Just because there is a connector next to the RTC chip does not mean that the connector must be for the RTC.
Click to expand...
Absolutely true! However, since you know where the RTC chip is and the pinout, a little work with a DMM will remove the veil of mystery... Remember, when making blind-ass guesses, validate before proceeding!
 
modem7 said:
NiCad according to the Toshiba ATLAS:

View attachment 1261639

Here, Toshiba have used "sub" and "backup" interchangeably for the same thing. Maybe they started with 'sub' then moved to 'backup' because 'backup' better describes the purpose.
Click to expand...
Buy a 9v nimh or nicd. Open it up and you will have a 6 cell version of the 5 cell sub batt. AAA too large.
 
What I badly need is two new variable resistors with those big adjuster wheels on them. I dropped my board and noth plastic wheels snapped off.

Those have got to be hard to find new!
 
@Twospruces are you in the same repair ? With a T2000 as well ?

There is someone on ebay selling the screen inverter, with knobs, for the insane price of $90 "or best offer" at the moment. Alternatively there's a chap in italy selling a full unit cheaper than that, I could use some of his parts (I don't have the plastic covers) and could send you the inverter board by mail (that would fit in a bubble envellope with stamps), but that would still be an investment.

I really thought nobody would participate in my topic so really thanks to all and to this great platform.
I am a bit ashamed to spend so much time and money on reviving one of those, but hey, I can't help.
 
CedsRepairs said:
@Twospruces are you in the same repair ? With a T2000 as well ?

There is someone on ebay selling the screen inverter, with knobs, for the insane price of $90 "or best offer" at the moment. Alternatively there's a chap in italy selling a full unit cheaper than that, I could use some of his parts (I don't have the plastic covers) and could send you the inverter board by mail (that would fit in a bubble envellope with stamps), but that would still be an investment.

I really thought nobody would participate in my topic so really thanks to all and to this great platform.
I am a bit ashamed to spend so much time and money on reviving one of those, but hey, I can't help.
Click to expand...
I might be in on those parts. I need tl do some careful research though to make sure they are the same as what I have. Thanks!
 
Twospruces said:
I just almost wrapped up my T1000XE repair. Fairly deep dive into the PSU.
Click to expand...
On my side I really wonder if anyone else went into the trouble of repairing a T2000 before.

Every SMD electrolytic I removed is leaking, absolutely each and every one of them. The board and each SMD pad has been cleaned, waiting for my parts tomorrow.
 
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