CMOS checksum error

[RaceDiagnostics]

Got a unit with this error, looks like it is using a SBC mounted in the metal case mounted vertically on the rear.

What are the chances that it's a failed battery in there? Hell of a lot of disassembly to get into it.

 

[ajlelectronics]

Take out the CMOS battery, short the motherboard contacts and fit a new battery.

 

[RaceDiagnostics]

No easy way to get in there to check that there is a battery. Also do modern mother boards still use batteries.

 

[ajlelectronics]

No easy way to get in there to check that there is a battery. Also do modern mother boards still use batteries.

Almost universally. I would put money on a flat 2032 in there, never previously replaced because it is a pain to do. Bite the bullet!

 

[MetalMonkey]

Got a unit with this error, looks like it is using a SBC mounted in the metal case mounted vertically on the rear.
What are the chances that it's a failed battery in there? Hell of a lot of disassembly to get into it.

Pretty good chances it is just the battery - yes it looks like it is the unit at the back, really need a picture from the other side to see how it would come out - hopefully it would just unbolt and slide out.

Also do modern mother boards still use batteries.

Yup

 

[RaceDiagnostics]

No way in without removing the entire front mechanism. Lots of inaccessible bolts. Looks like it was assembled from the back to the front.

 

[RaceDiagnostics]

Drive belt on this will be a bit easier.

 

[sako243]

Also do modern mother boards still use batteries.

It's used to maintain the real-time clock when the mains power is switched off. Might also keep a battery backed up RAM charged although modern stuff is more likely to use an FRAM or some flash based storage.

 

[RaceDiagnostics]

Just got this back from Roche, £1800 to change the battery.

 

[ajlelectronics]

Not something that customers can do themselves...

 

[Screwdriver]

There are some super smart chaps out there working in phone shops/hacking/jailbreaking etc. and swapping batteries for peanuts.

Wonder if you might be able to find a shop like that (talk to the manager!) that might take this on. It's not a complex or even really a difficult operation to tear it apart. The trick of course is in getting it back together again (obviously) with the sheer amount of time that takes and the number of parts + order of operations.

The sorts of shops I am talking about have extremely low hourly rates and you have a huge quote with plenty of headroom to duck underneath...

 

[MetalMonkey]

Can you see the CMOS battery? If you can perhaps you can get something non-conductive such as a chopstick in there to just pop the tab and drop it out without dismantling.
Then find a suitable five year old to insert the new one.

 

[Neilj]

Almost certainly a dead battery looking at the date on the BIOS screen, it's quite a few years old and likely to never have been changed before

 

[RaceDiagnostics]

There are some super smart chaps out there working in phone shops/hacking/jailbreaking etc. and swapping batteries for peanuts.

Wonder if you might be able to find a shop like that (talk to the manager!) that might take this on. It's not a complex or even really a difficult operation to tear it apart. The trick of course is in getting it back together again (obviously) with the sheer amount of time that takes and the number of parts + order of operations.

The sorts of shops I am talking about have extremely low hourly rates and you have a huge quote with plenty of headroom to duck underneath...

It's my job to fix it. Wouldn't trust a phone shop with a £20k bit of kit they had never seen before.

 

[RaceDiagnostics]

Can you see the CMOS battery? If you can perhaps you can get something non-conductive such as a chopstick in there to just pop the tab and drop it out without dismantling.
Then find a suitable five year old to insert the new one.

No chance, it's in an enclosure behind all the gubbins.

 

[Screwdriver]

It's my job to fix it. Wouldn't trust a phone shop with a £20k bit of kit they had never seen before.

Well then, roll up your sleeves, make some space (ideally a very large room with plenty of tables!), set up some cameras so you know what goes where and get on with it.

It's not rocket science.

Having said that, I wouldn't want to do it. Looks like a very long difficult process not helped at all by the demoralising simplicity of the actual "repair". I would be cursing and losing my temper in the first few minutes. If it's a proper "job" I'd be making all sorts of noises with the higher-ups making sure they realise what this disastrous design means in terms of timescale.

If what you're really after is some sympathy, well you have mine. There's no upside to a job like this. After all, you're "just changing the battery" but while there is only one way for it to go back together and work, there are an infinite number of ways it does not...

See you on the other side.

 

[hotponyshoes]

Does it boot up normally if you manually set the bios clock and restart?

If it does, just change the power settings from turn off to hibernate.
That's how I keep the old veterinary kit going... I'd only change the battery out if it was being serviced to be sold..

 

[RaceDiagnostics]

No way to skip the bios and get past that screen, normally, the instructions the guy sent me show how to do it with an external keyboard. Anyway I'm almost completely stripped down now but need a stubby Allen to get any further.

I'll get back to it on Monday.

In the meantime time, left work at 3.30 and not quite home yet.

 

[angellonewolf]

top job for having a go its great people asking you to fix stuff but they all expect it to be plain sailing and dont see the expected problems if you end up fixing it its expected you break it and it dont power back on you never hear the end of it

i had a bifold door at work a very large expensive one was asked to have a look at it (12/15 grand job new) it was not running right very hard to open and near impossable to close (to be fair at work if i say we need a pro to look at it they say get a few qoutes and have the job done) but i spent a bit of time and found a problem with one of the hinged roller failed went to the office found some details and then found the company had gone bust so we was on our own rung around and found a company local ish and sent photos to and went and collected part and fitted yestarday

all fixed and running also cleaned all the runers spot less runs like a dream cost was 44 for the part and a couple hours of my time the qoute to fix by a couple window companys was very near £500 plus parts

 

[RaceDiagnostics]

So approximately 1 hour of work.

Pretty easy in the end.