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FMA7600 laptop adventures: repairs and stuff

R

retro-pc_user

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Joined
Oct 13, 2017
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722
Location
SE Michigan, USA
I have a pair of FMA7600 laptops that both have the same specs, except one of them has no hard drive or caddy (don't know where they are at the moment or they broke months ago) and I've fixed the following issues:

1) RTC battery was dead on both of them, but I did the DGi DGi-P-90C laptop and it powers on without issues (before, it would require a power cycle to get it to turn on)

2) the left hinge was broken (the hinge is fine, the mounts got loosened), so I used longer screws to make the laptop open and close

The only thing I need to do is to source another power brick and a hard drive caddy for the one FMA7600 laptop; hard drives that have the OS and stuff on it or just the one. I can get away with solid state (SD2IDE).

Both of them have the same specs, except for one storage unit:

1) P90 no FDIV bug

2) 16MB RAM

3) 1.44MB FDD

4) 10.2" NEC TFT Active Matrix

5) C&T video

6) ES688F/YMF-262M

7) (DGi at the moment) 540/512MB HDD (boots just fine)

8) Trackball (both need a good cleaning)

If anyone is able to source some parts for me, hit me up.

Also, both displays have dead pixels and I'm very anal when it comes to laptop displays having dead pixels. I'm a perfectionist by trade, but it's no big deal if it's 1 or 2 dead pixels.

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Correct. Also, do you know where I can get the Vadem VG-468 drivers? I'm about to do a fresh DOS 6.22/WFW 3.11 installation on a pair of drives.

And do you have caddies for hard drives? The one I have is missing one.20230914_230836.jpg
 
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The one's I have are correct for the ODM AlphaTop Green 753 & Green 755 laptops. How about a picture of the four pin connector? That's the key to me knowing that I have the correct or usable adapter for your laptop. .
 
I know nothing about the FMA7600. I've never owned one or seen one in person. So as far as memory needs, I don't have a clue as to what is needed. Most likely EDO or Fast Page in pairs, but if custom configuration or 72 pin?

Regarding the AC adapters, I have a large box full of NOS adapters for the Green 753/755's and they have the same four pin connector, but the spec's on the adapter is different. I'll assume that they would work, but again no proof that that's correct. The one's I have were made by Ilan Elect Ltd. and are rated at 19V - 34 watts, 100-240v 50/60 Hz & 1.0 amps input. You will have to supply the AC cord since I don't have a supply of them. Cost is $15 plus shipping.
 
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This here is the RAM module both of the laptops utilize. Also, do you have spare hard drive caddies? I'll post a pic of the current one in the afternoon.
 
Again, I have no parts for the FMA7600, including any memory, hard drive caddies or anything else. It appears the FMA7600 used proprietary RAM and that's going to be a PITA to find. Laptop caddies, keyboards and plastics are all custom for each model and brand and so rare as unicorns after 20+ years.

It just so happens that a laptop that I do have parts for, that came from a different maker of laptops (AlphaTop), used an AC adapter with the same connector as found on your FMA7600's adapter. Whether the Green 753/755 adapters will work with the FMA7600 is a guess. Only a guess. I haven't a clue as to what the FMA7600 needs to power or charge your laptop. I'll hazard a guess that the pin out is the same, but I don't have a clue if the FMA7600 needs a higher voltage to charge the battery.
 
If the laptop doesn't use a goofy adapter, you can just slot the drive directly on to the connector and use plastic to keep it from shorting out.
 
It uses one of those funky things. I'll post a pic of it sometime and if they're unobtainable, I'll make one myself with a CF to IDE adapter so's I can insert and remove the card to plug it into my card readers and copy files that way.
 
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This here is what the caddy looks like. I cannot recall if I still have the other one or if I tossed it out. It's been a long time since I've seen it.

And if my memory serves for the laptop charger, it's 25VDC 1.6A for charge (pins 1 and 2), and 20VDC 2A for standard input (pin 3 - gnd, pin 4 - 20VDC).

Pins 1 and 2 are the top pins and pins 3 and 4 are the bottom ones. I'll use my multimeter to confirm the voltage on the pins carefully.
 
OBTW, if you are interested in Pentium 1 laptops, I do have those NOS Green 753's. They are in sealed OEM shipping boxes and come with the laptop, ac adapter with 115v cord, Win 3/95 driver disks, leatherette carry bag with strap and manuals. They need a CPU, hard drive (16GB max - note: caddy is included) and can take two std 72 pin FP/EDO SODIMM expansion memory sticks - 40MB max. including the 8MB ram on mobo, a CD drive and 3.5" floppy built-in. Plus use the 4 pin adapters that might (should) work with the FMA7600. Note: no main battery or OS system included. I'm selling them for $50 plus shipping. Shipping is expensive since the box weights about 14-15 lbs.
 
What CPU socket do the G753 systems use? If they’re socket 7 then I’ve got the K6-2 300MHz from my dead CTX EzBook that I could just drop in, assuming it’s compatible.
 
Socket 5/7 Intel CPU's (Pentium without MMX) or Intel Socket 7 Pentium with MMX (90? to 233MHz), but no AMD CPU's work due to OEM BIOS limit and I believe the one extra pin on the AMD's.

The MMX function is not supported in the BIOS, but I believe the MMX CPU's do run. It's been a long time since I messed with CPU experiments on these.

The Green 753 was "updated" to the Green 753+ later on with a new motherboard that did take Intel's MMX CPU's (still no AMD's) plus allowed 80MB RAM plus used a std. 19v with 2.5mm tip AC adapter, but I sold all of the new ones off years ago. I have a few used (some are abused too) Green 753+ with motherboard issues that were returns and sold along with all the left over new stuff back when I bought out the service center's inventory. But that's just a crap shoot what's wrong with each one. However, if some one wanted to buy all of my Green 753's (new and used) plus the remaining in need of repair Green 753+ laptops along with any spare parts you'd need a U-Haul or a large pickup truck bed to move it all.
 
If you have any TFT 753s left then I’m interested, but not right right now as I don’t have much spare spending cash. How pricy do you think shipping would be?

I have seen one on eBay that was 233MHz so those have gotta work.
Edit: that one was actually a plus
 
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