From: pfund3@uni2a.unige.ch (Daniel `HB9VBC' Pfund)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.psion.announce,comp.sys.palmtops,comp.answers,news.answers
Subject: PSION Series 3x palmtop FAQ part 3/6
Followup-To: comp.sys.psion.misc
Approved: news-answers-request@mit.edu,kaufman@mcs.com
Summary: This article is a collection of information on the Psion
Series 3(a) palmtop computers. It should be read by anyone
intending to post to the comp.sys.psion.* newsgroups.
Archive-name: psion-faq/part3
Version: $VER: Psion FAQ v1.6
Posting-Frequency: monthly
URL: http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/8130/faq.htm
See part 1 for complete table of contents of this FAQ (including this part's).
World takes its distance cue from the printer defaults set on the System screen (Psion-y on UK Psions). Set it to centimetres and World will use kilometres as default.
Some applications (mainly free/shareware) crash with an error message like:
ERORR in PROGRAM\PROC
Invalid arguments
This is due to changes in the UK default settings of either number formats (System menu) or time format (Time). You could try changing these but you're better off informing the programmer of the problem!
"A time ago I sarched for a method for changing the fonts used by standard applications. I wanted to implement polish national characters in the fonts. No success. The only fonts one can replace are dialog/menu fonts, "screen corner message" font and some little, unimportant fonts used by i.e. clock. The other fonts are opened directly from ROM by the applications.
I understand why. The Psion creators prepared methods to use another fonts by additional applications (by opening a user's own fonts). But user applications use also menus and dialogs. So there is wSetSystemFont() function to change font in them. And that's all. The creators did not foresee that one would want to change fonts in the built-in application.
There is commercial solution for national characters problem (apart of changing the hardware ROM). It was implemented in Czech Republic, and now in Poland. Parts of operating system located in memory (RAM) are replaced, and new parts are added. All English system texts are replaced by Polish texts. The fonts are modified. Additional key combinations are interpreted. It works. But it uses 170 KB of RAM (80 for OS, and 90 for resource files), so it is better for 1MB/2MB models."
"The answer is no, because of memory limitations. Something Perl-like is surely practical, but I don't know of anything. Scheme exists though, in a rather limited (just about useless) form; see my "port" (more "compilation" really) of scm http://supr.scm.liv.ac.uk/~bruce/"
If you've deleted your file from the internal RAM, then there's nothing you can do to get it back. If on the other hand you've deleted a file on a SSD, there's a chance of getting the info back. For flash disks, you can use Konstantin I. Saliy's "Undelete" shareware. For RAM SSDs, you'll have to phone Psion and send it in to them directly. Be sure not to use the RAM SSD anymore or the data may get overwriten!
The contacts to the main batteries are poor in many machines. This causes the machine to report low battery power inappropriately, and may cause automatic switchoff. The fix is to ensure the contacts are clean, and making firm contact with the battery. Different battery brands can be slightly different sizes, so pick a larger one. Batteries with dimples in either contact are more prone to problems. You might consider kludging a fix by bending the contacts, or decide to return your machine for replacement. Note that when replacing dead batteries with NiCads, you may see the REPLACE warning for a few seconds after the new cells are inserted. This is normal, and will go away on its own.
Opening/closing the older Series 3's can cause (possibly intermittent) problems to the machine's power supply, which in turn can manifest several problems mentioned in this FAQ. The constant twisting of the lead connecting the main board to the battery contacts can cause damage. This problem is the most serious one and is know as the "dreaded battery lead problem". Psion will repair this in warranty. You can fix it yourself if your machine is out of warranty. Remove the screws behind the batteries. Sometime re-seating the two-pin connector will give a permanent fix, otherwise, if you're handy, replace the wires. This should not be a problem on newer Series 3a's, but one never knows...
The built-in dialer is reported as variously as excellent, through unreliable to un-useable. Sometimes it will work on internal phone systems but not BT - sometimes vice versa. The recommendation for improving performance is to place the Series 3 on a flat non-resonant surface, and holding the phone just above it - not against it.
Not a bug, but a response by your machine to low battery power. When there is insufficient power to play the chosen alarm, it makes this noise which is designed to be loud but economical on power. Low available power can also be caused by poor battery connections or by the "dreaded battery lead problem" mentioned earlier.
Several people report that their machine can get into a mode whereby alarms sound - and need to be acknowledged - twice. This problem can be fixed by doing a soft reset or sometimes by exiting and restarting Agenda.
The Psion display flickers in bright sunlight - use an umbrella.
The LCD display works in such a way that the reflected light is polarized. If you wear polarising sunglasses who plane of polarization is at odds with that of the Psion, you'll see a blank screen. Fix: Take your shades off, or get some which are not simple polarizing lenses. Ray-Bans, for example, do not polarize in a single plane.
Some people have noticed problems with odd pixels, lines, rows or patches of pixels (usually in a corner - usually the lower right corner). These remain on (dark) all the time. In each case, there is no real fix but to return the machine for repair or replacement.
This just seems to happen with ageing of the LCD. It doesn't appear to get any worse, and if you have your LCD replaced it is likely to happen again. It may be related to the stresses of the LCD in the case but this is unverified.
Older Series3's had problems with the button bar at the top of the keyboard, which has a tendency to lift off. Also, some often-used buttons could stop working. Replacement is the best option. Glue might help those with no warranty. See the manual for key presses which can in all cases duplicate the function of defunct buttons.
Series 3a's with non functioning button bars may be due to some impact. Pat Egan at EEIPEN@eeiatns01.eei.ericsson.se passed this nice tip to me (originally writen by Kevin Reilly and anotated in capitals by Pat): Kevin wrote:
"I've had this problem twice now (I think it's caused by impact; has your machine been dropped recently?). The problem is caused by a ribbon cable becoming detached from the 'bottom' PCB - the one with the loudspeaker and SSD connectors. There are two solutions depending on your bravery and/or whether the warranty's expired.If you're confident enough to have a go, here's the method:
- Send it to Psion for repair. I've not done this so I don't know about turnaround times or costs.
- The 'do it yourself' method. You won't need many tools (a smallish watchmakers' screwdriver is actually sufficient) but I'd suggest ESSD handling precautions should be taken if possible. Having said that I once did this repair in a hotel room in Boston so workshop conditions aren't essential :)
- Back up all the data, or copy everything to an SSD. If it's a RAM SSD make sure the battery's OK!
AS I DO NOT HAVE BACK UP FACILITIES, I DECIDED TO HAVE A GO BY LEAVING THE MAIN BATTERIES CONNECTED. AS IT HAPPENS ON BOTH OCCASIONS I DID NOT LOOSE ANY FILES TO MY SURPRISE
- Remove all SSDs and batteries. Remove the four screws inside the battery compartment and remove it by unplugging the battery lead connector.
- Remove the two screws inside the SSD doors. You'll have to break the warranty seal to get to one of these
- Open the Psion (take care not to damage the button bar which can become trapped by the keyboard cover).
- Remove the keyboard cover (with the yellow legends on). This is the tricky bit. I've found by experience that the best way is to carefully lever the rear part up past the hinges, then lift it out towards you.
I FOUND ON MY PSION, THE BEST WAY TO REMOVE THE KEYBOARD COVER WAS TO LEVER THE FRONT PART OVER TWO RETAINING LUGS. A FLAT SCREW DRIVER PUSHED INTO THE DEAD CENTRE OF THE FRONT EDGE COVER AND TWISTED APPROX. 45 DEG. WILL REVEAL THE RETAINING LUGS. WHEN THE FRONT EDGE IS LIFTED A FAIR AMOUNT OF FORCE IS REQUIRED TO PULL THE BACK EDGE AWAY FROM THE HINGES
- Remove the rubber membrane with the keys on it. Carefully. Drop all those little keys and you'll be there all night trying to remember what goes where :)
- Lift the keyboard/PCB panel out, front edge first. This just 'sits' on the connections beneath; lift it up about 40 degrees and slide it out towards you. You might have to press the comms port cover in with the screwdriver to release it.
- Near the middle/front of the lower PCB there should be a BLUE ribbon cable going into a socket (it's the thinner of the two cables). This is the little baby which comes loose. PUSH THE RIBBON LOCKS ON THE CONNECTOR FORWARD. Carefully slide the cable into the connector then slide in the small plastic 'tabs'. These should lock the ribbon in place. It is these tabs which detach when the unit is dropped. I've been tempted to seal them with a drop of adhesive but I wonder if the next drop won't then split the ribbon cable
ON MY SECOND OCCASION I DECIDED TO TRY PREVENTING REOCCURRENCE BY STICKING A THIN STRIP OF SELLOTAPE / SCOTCHTAPE ACROSS THE CONNECTOR TO THE BLUE RIBBON.
- Reassembly is generally the reverse of disassembly, but take care when refitting the keyboard/PCB board; the serial connector is a very tight fit. Don't try to force it. It'll almost drop in when it's positioned correctly."
This might be due to excessive wear and tear on the extension port (but unverified). It seems that it is a design flaw which Psion doesn't want to admit... whatever the case, there is no other solution than glue or replacement! Ali Manson (Psion Inc's Technical Manager) stated that this problem occured in about 1.5% of all returns they receive. So don't be scared off by the apparently huge number of people stating having had this problem in the news groups!
A solution was posted by Charlotte Holmquist posted a solution to the newsgroup a while ago. Steve Hawtin commented the fix with his own version which also entailed detaching the icon bar completely. Here is the transcript with Steve's comments as they were posted:
"You will need: mini-Philips screwdriver, xacto knife, drill, 1-2 mm diameter square nail or small drill bit, 1-2 mm diameter spring wire, wire-cutters, pliers, tweezers (optional, depends on how big your paws are).
Steve: I used a small screw, by trimming the head off I managed to get about 2mm of plain cylinder (for the hinge) with just the start of the thred to screw it into the plastic of the icon strip.
- Back up ALL information
- Make sure your back-up battery is healthy, preferably fresh (mine wasn't fresh but it lasted through the surgery)
Steve: You really have three options here:I went for the final one, this is because I wanted to detach the icon strip from the Psion rather than working with the Psion attached.
- Attempt to last out on the backup battery like Charlotte did
- Keep a mains adaptor plugged in
- Give up on trying to save the contents
- Remove battery cover
- Remove batteries
- Remove 4 small screws
- Remove battery holder -- it swings out to the left, looking at the psion from behind, battery holder on top
- The blue battery lead is attached to a socket on the main body, the leads run under a holder, protected by a rubber collar
- Carefully slip the collar from under the holder and use the tweezer (or your tiny fingers) to unplug the battery plug. Pull on the plug, not on the wires.
- Your psion now runs on the back-up battery.
- You will see how everything is put together. You will notice two springs on either end of the buttonbar.
- Slip the loops of the spring-wires off the plastic pegs.
- Lift the long arms of the spring-wires out of position on the button-bar to release it.
- Note that the button-bar still is attached by its lead to the main machine.
Steve: To detach the icon bar completely:
- Remove the backup battery if you haven't already done so.
- Open the two drive doors, you will see two screws (one is obscured by a warning about warranty, only remove it if you don't mind losing your warranty).
- Tease out the two pins holding the screen to the main body.
- Use a screwdriver to carefully lever the keyboard circuit board from the back of the case, note the two tabs next to where the icon bar used to be, these need to be gently pushed in during the levering. Make sure that the screwdriver does not touch the circuit board (use the metal shields to push against).
- Once the back of the keyboard has lifted the two lugs at the front will slip out easily.
- You can now see the connector on the main circuit board, push the two catches on either side until they are all the way out, the icon ribbon will now pull out easily.
The icon strip is now completely detached from the rest of the system.
- You should now be able to manipulate the button-bar so that you can see the place where the plastic peg of the left hinge has broken off. You will also see where the peg fit into a hole in the case.
- Use a small drill to drill through the root of the peg, the spot where you will see that it broke off from. I didn't have a small enough drill so I used a small square nail in my drill machine.
Steve: To reassemble follow the above steps in reverse order. The main "gotcha" is the pair of lugs at the front of the keyboard, make sure they are well in before pushing the back down. The 3a has some connectors between the back and the main circuit board (the 3 just had wires) these seem to always just snap into place.
- Cut approximately 2 cm of the wire and bend it at a right angle in the middle.
- Trim one end so that approximately 1-1.5 mm will reach into the case of the psion when you´ve slipped it through the hole you made in the arm of the button-bar.
- Trim the other so that it slips down to the edge of the button bar, in the slot where the arm of the spring normally rests. I had to trim a bit of the plastic (approx. 0,2 mm) in the ridge to make my wire fit. After trimming the wire will be approximately 5 mm.
- Slip your new peg through the hole you made, into the case. Place the other arm in the slot where the wire-spring rests.
- Replace the spring-wires. First the long arms, then slip the loops onto their peg.
- The beauty of it all is that the left spring now keeps your new peg in place: No glue needed.
- Enjoy!"
As I said before, I won't accept responsibility for any damage caused by trying out my tip. Just because it's worked for me, it doesn't need to work for you. If you are unused to using your hands or careless or impatient or simply have bad luck you can cause damage!
Steve: This goes double for actually delving inside the main box!
This is a quite common problem when the Psion is new. The upper and lower body of the case are a little too tight so when you open it again, you see some key marks on the screen. Apparently it also has something to do with the "oilness" of your fingers... To fix this, either put something between the two or clean the screen with a soft cloth.
From Philippe Lebreton:
"It is an ABSOLUTE NECESSITY to clean the marks on the display regularly (or I'm a very strange guy), it appears that the "oilness" can be "acidness", at least in my case. Because the marks on the S3a where much much less visible than they where on the S3, I did not bother to clean them, and my screen is now permanently marked (I can feel the dent with my nail)."
From Jochen Hollmann:
"Some (greenish) displays have a protection film on the surface, which makes these displays thiker than other (grayish) displays. To test if this is the case, remove the gray frame with the printed Psion logo on it carefully from the inner side. This frame is actually glued on the display itself. You should be able to sense the film. (It was mounted about 2mm from the outer boundary of my display.) When removed, put the frame back to the old place.You should wait as long as possible before you remove the protection film, because you can do it only once in the lifetime of your display."
Unfortunately this was quite common with some older Series 3 and 3a. Actually there seem to be several different keyboard types, so it is not predictable if it will happen to you or not. There is no simple solution to this problem. If your Psion is not in warranty anymore, you can contact Psion PLC which offer a "cosmetic upgrade".
Blake Nancarrow suggests placing a piece of clear ("Magic") tape on the key(s). He finds that the tape wears out after 1 to 2 months.
Apparently, a number of the country codes are wrong. You can fix this by editing the country information as required, though there is a limited number of slots available in the database. Also note that a complete change in area codes was done in the UK during 1994/5. See the Phoneday program at the IC or on CIX for details and a suite of programs to fix your databases.
The Psion will dial all of the number you select. In some countries, (not the UK) dialling the area code for a local call causes problems. Psion's recommended fix is to have two entries for the party - specifying the number both with and without the area code.
If you have the link switched on, then files can be copied from your machine even when it is password protected. Be sure to turn the link off to remove this possibility. Note also that the link can turn the Psion on when it is off, and will transfer data even as the password screen is being presented.
Users of Tom Dolbilin's Macro System should be aware that macro key presses work even on a password-protected Series 3.
This is a quite annoying bug which has still not been resolved by Psion. Actually, it is a limitation: the first paragraph should not be bigger than 512 characters. Either start your file with a CR or make a small paragraph ;-)
The Psion Series 3(a) have a limited memory for each process they run of 64Kb. This means that the program and it's data must always stay below this limit. Usually you don't need to worry about this, but some people have found out about it the hard way: they couldn't save their document anymore. There is no way around this except to split your big document into smaller ones. Be extra careful with the Agenda program, make sure you regularly delete/tidy and compress it to regain space.
The Agenda files don't have to be under 64k themselves, but it is the entries' index which must stay within this limit. It is quite possible to have an Agenda file consisting of long memos but few entries; hence the file could run into hundreds of k in size without a problem.
If you press home (Psion-left) in an empty directory, you will cause a shell panic (and lose all your icon information, beware!). This is because "home" moves to the first file and not directory entry. This bug should be fixed on the 1/2 Mb versions. It was found up to v3.22F.
It doesn't allow you to enter 0 (zero) as the first digit of an area code.
The program editor does not work correctly if you set the font to proportional. Be sure to always leave it monospaced!
This is a problem with the PostScript INI file in the Psion's ROM. You need to copy that file into your \WDR directory and then add the "%!PS" yourself. The Psion will then use your edited INI file instead of the ROM's.
When Psion Word does a search, it breaks the text up into 256 character chunks. When doing a forward search the chunks start at the current cursor position, and at the start of each following paragraph. When doing backward searches the chunks start at the current cursor position and at the end of each preceding paragraph. If the word you are searching for straddles the join between 2 adjacent chunks, the search fails!
This can easily be demonstrated by entering a paragraph of text which is over 256 characters long, positioning the cursor at the start, and then searching for the word which includes the 256th and 257th characters.
A few ideas which reduce (but not eliminate) the problem.
It shouldn't crop up in the OPL editor, (where global search and replace is often used to change variable names), because there's usually a return character at the end if each line, and each line will be <256 characters?
Basic message is don't rely on global search and replace to work properly in Word app.
Only one is known until now:
Paul is an ex Psion employee and does an excellent job (reading the good reports he always gets on the net).
See also "Connecting your Psion" elsewhere for information on how to connect your Psion with modems.
There is a Usenet newsgroup hierarchy called comp.sys.psion.* in which even Psion employees lurk around (see first part for details of the newsgroups). There is also the comp.binaries.psion group for binaries. Before posting, it is considered good practice to read the messages and get the "feel" of the group for a while (apart from thoroughly reading through this FAQ ;-)
The comp.sys.psion.* groups are entirely archived at the IC FTP site in the packages/psion/comp.sys.psion.*/ directories. The comp.binaries.psion group is archived at the moderator's direct FTP site: ftp://ftp.it.dtu.dk/pub/psion/index.html and at the IC FTP site in the packages/psion/comp.binaries.psion directory.
Psion is also on CIX. Check the Palmtop A forum. There is an offline reader for the 3a (only) called "ReadCIX"
There is a Psion discussion forum called the palmtop a forum. You can access it by typing GO PALMTOPA. There is also an offline reader for the 3a (only) called "ReadCIS".
There is a Psion discussion forum that you can access with GO PSION.
Who has experience here?
All numbers are given in ITU format. To dial numbers outside your country, replace the + by your international code. To dial numbers inside your country, replace + and the country code by your national dialling code. For example: UK: for "+", dial "00", except for "+44" dial "0". US: for "+", dial "011", except for "+1" dial "1". Note that the Psion 3a at least knows how to do this. (Clive D.W. Feather)
This is an excellent publication entirely devoted to the Psion. It is called (quite rightly IMHO): "Palmtop, _the_ journal for Psion series 3 and 3a users". It is an independant magazine in the B5 format running 64 pages (minimum) bimonthly. It is run by only one person as his full job. Only available by subscription, credit cards accepted. For more info email Steve Clack at palmtop@aol.com or check out their web site at: http://members.aol.com/palmtop/
As the title says, this is a magazine clearly devoted to developers on Personnal Digital Assistants (PDAs). This is a general denomination and covers a wide range of machines, amongst which the Psion (although this could be arguable...). It can get quite technical at times but always very instructive with loads of examples and source code. Only problem: being an american magazine & Psion not being too well known over there, it tends to get quite thin on Psion articles. Published bimonthly. For more info, contact:
This on-line webzine found on the World-Wide Web is devoted mainly to all palmtops and PDAs currently on the market including the beloved Psion series 3. Like PDA Developers, the Psion specific articles are sparse but having Steve Clack on staff as the European Correspodent and Psion Editor should ensure a steady flow of articles and best of all the magazine is free. (Well almost free. You still have to pay your service provider for connection time while you read it on-line). Mobilis can be reached at: http://www.volksware.com/mobilis/
There's nothing you can do against your Psion being stolen... on the other hand, you can increase your chances of finding it again. It has been suggested to put a warning message of the like "$$$ REWARD if found - useless without password $$$" in the owner info. Not strictly true, but you never know. If you don't want to type a password each time you use your Psion, you should get PasOn from Andrew Lord. This excellent utility turns the password feature on at the time you set (usually in the night) and only asks for the password the first time you use your Psion the next day.
A lot of personal Psion pages (as opposed to the official Psion page) have appeared on the World Wide Web and the number seems to be growing from day to day! Fortunately for all of us, there is Mark Gould who maintains the most complete and actual web page of all at: http://www.bris.ac.uk/~lwmdcg/Psion/
Another site of great interest to programmers are the ever changing Psionic files which document most OS Services (INTs) at: http://www.gold.net/~cdwf/psion/psionics/
I also maintain a list of Psion programmers on the web with direct links to their homepages. You can find all (hopefully!) programmers homepage URLs linked at: http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/8130/prgers.htm
Steve Litchfield runs a shareware library in the UK:
From Steve himself:
"3-Lib tries to be *the* clearing-house for new PD & shareware! Authors can send programs in to me and I'll act as the definitive source for others to get new versions etc from, in addition to uploading to Compuserve, CIX, and sending floppies of new stuff to src.doc and some BBS systems etc. Although set up originally for people who have no access to modems, PCs etc, 3-Lib can be useful for those who are on the net and would like large amounts of shareware on floppy disk very cheaply!"
Alternatively, you can send him 4 HD (1.44Mb) disks and 11 UKP with a return envelope (and stamp/IRC) to receive the best of the library.
End of part 3/6
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