Date : Wed, 16 Oct 1991 13:20:33 GMT
From : agate!spool.mu.edu!think.com!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!hobbes.physics.uiowa.edu!news.iastate.edu!IASTATE.EDU!danny@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU (Danny A Staedtler)
Subject: Re: Osborne Executive -- Part Missing
The Osborne Executive has two long connectors on each side of the
motherboard. The connector on the left is for the memory board. The
board is positioned upside down on spacers. If you lift the board off
you will find two rows of 4164 rams chips and some TTL support chips.
If you are missing this card your in trouble. I am working on a
replacement (see below), but I won't count on it right away.
The connector on the right was used for the hard disk interface card.
(Did I really say HARD DISK?) Yes, a very few Osborne Executives had
hard disks in them. I have not seen one, but a co-worker said he once
had one. ( I am trying to find out more about this.)
You didn't give very much information on the symptoms on why your
machine would not boot. I am willing to help you, but I'll need more
information on the trouble.
Since I used to service Osbornes (and still do) I have the service
manuals and schematics to the Executive. I am working on upgrading my
Executive to add the additional four banks of memory, a larger boot
EPROM to add additional routines to the BIOS and replacing the 5 1/4
inch disk drives with 3 1/2 inch HD drives. (The Executive was built
with easily expandable hardware.) I almost have the pc layout of the
memory board done. I am still trying to track down the Osborne
Technical Reference manuals to get the BIOS listings to do the EPROM
and disk drives.
Even though I don't mind altering my Executive, I would like to find
one I could experiment with. If anyone has an Executive they don't
want anymore I would gladly pay shiping and handling.
Danny A. Staedtler
291 Durham Center
Iowa State University
Ames, Iowa 50011
515-294-7628