🇬🇧 Amstrad ACL-386SX: Part 1 (First Look - NOK - PSU Issues) [TCE #0634]
29A big thank you to Steve at the base of the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney, for sending me this weighty (8.15kg!) Amstrad ACL-386SX120 laptop from 1991! Really appreciate it!
Unfortunately it doesn't seem to work - the Rubycon RPS-1205 power supply spins up the fan but doesn't seem to output anything over 1VDC to the motherboard (yes, even "under load" when connected to the motherboard). So some work is required.
There is some excellent documentation here, including stripping the power supply - maybe that's what I need to do:
https://forum.vcfed.org/index.php?threads/amstrad-acl-386sx-laptop-computer.1244823/
This machine has the following features:
80386SX at 20MHz
80387 co-processor installed
DOS 5.0 and Windows 3.0 (on ten disks originally)
max. 20MB of RAM installed (4MB of built-in RAM plus 16MB expansion)
120MB swappable hard drive
3½" floppy drive with 36-pin Centronics for external drive
colour, backlit TFT LCD screen
built-in VGA/EGA/CGA/MDA/Hercules support & DE15 for external monitor
5-pin DIN socket for external keyboard
built-in trackball & buttons
serial (DE9) and parallel (DB25) ports
one AT expansion slot
The 386SX has a 24 bit address bus and is thus apparently limited to being able to address up to 16MB ... but the manual definitely says that up to 20MB can be installed and configured ... let's see ...
00:00 ... Intro
08:30 ... Power on test (NOK)
10:30 ... Checking optional expansions under keyboard
13:40 ... Screen hinge problem
16:00 ... Disassembly begins
20:00 ... Top case removal
25:30 ... Power on test again
27:40 ... Carefully checking voltages
29:00 ... Power supply closeup
33:00 ... Discovering the battery pack
37:20 ... Trying with 12VDC power
42:20 ... Channel thanks & outro
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