Club 100

Test Portable Disk Drive via TELCOM
by Ron Wiesen
Ron.Wiesen@icn.siemens.com

This tests a Portable Disk Drive and identifies whether it's a PDD or a PDD2. You need three things for the test: a Model 10x or Model 200 laptop, a sharp pointed tool (e.g., thumbtack), and the disk drive and its cable. No diskette is needed.

1. Attach the cable from the disk drive to the RS-232C port of the laptop.

2. Set the laptop power switch to ON. The laptop Menu appears.

3. Latch the CAP LOCK key.

4. Be sure the NUM key is not latched.

5. Use the pointed tool and remove the small plastic cover from the bottom of the disk drive. Put the cover in your pocket so it doesn't get lost.

6. Look inside. If you see no DIP switches, it's a PDD2. Go to step 8.

7. If you see a group of four DIP switches, it's a PDD. Use the pointed tool and slide all four DIP switches to their outboard position.

8. Invoke TELCOM.

9. Press F3 [Stat] and set 19200 Baud operation:

10. Open the disk drive door by pushing the EJECT button.

11. Slide the disk drive Power switch to its ON position.

12. Press F4 [Term].

13. If [Full] shows, press F4 for [Half].

14. Make the following twelve keystrokes as quickly as you can. Review them now so that you can strike them at a reasonable speed without error. Note that the ENTER key is not struck.

15. Look at the screen just right of the word FLOPPY for the test result.

16. Valid result is two characters, which are:

If there is no result, or an invalid result, the disk drive is defective. Regardless of result, continue at step 17.

17. Press F8 [Bye ], type Y and press ENTER.

18. Slide the disk drive Power switch to its OFF position.

19. If it's a PDD2 (result was p|), go to step 27.

20. Use the pointed tool and slide only the rearmost DIP switch to its inboard position.

21. Press F3 [Stat] and set 9600 Baud operation:

22. Repeat steps 10 through 15, and then continue at step 23.

23. Valid result is two characters, which are:

If there is no result, or an invalid result, the disk drive is defective. Regardless of result, continue at step 24.

24. Press F8 [Bye ], type Y and press ENTER.

25. Slide the disk drive Power switch to its OFF position.

26. Use the pointed tool and slide the rearmost DIP switch to its outboard position.

27. Replace the small plastic cover.

28. Press F8 [Menu]. The laptop Menu appears. The test is complete.

Model Ts Forever!
The Original Laptop Computer . . . 1983