> Ok, here's our problem. My old 130 has started shutting off at random, and
> giving me a message that the power was interrupted.
<snip>
> If this were purely a hardware issue, wouldn't it shut off even while
> activating packages? Am I barking up the wrong tree? Frank??
<snip>
> I suppose I should have mentioned this stuff. We tried this with two
> different sets of rechargeables.
> We also tried this on
> my 9w adapter, and he has also had problems with the 7w adapter.
<snip>
What you describe sounds exactly like the Newton-turns-itself-off problem
which
is in my experience by far and wide the most frequent defect 130's can
develop.
If you want a look at 5 or 6 130's showing exactly the same behavior, just
drop
by...
As an educated guess I would think this is both a hardware and a software
problem.
The problem is definitely caused by either a bad connection inside the
printed
circuit board (very likely) or a bad soldering joint (very unlikely as I
have checked
many boards with this defect scrutinizingly under a microscope).
This hardware defect causes the shutdown. I think it doesn't cause
*hardware* to
shut down, but its existence makes the software think that something is
wrong and
shut down the system. Again, this is a guess, but I have had 130's that
always finished
loading the OS before they shut down.
Usually you can (slightly) reduce this defect if you raise the part of the
pcb to the right
of the battery compartment (where the black power cable and the two pin
ribbon
cable is). Do not raise it more than 1-2 mm, though, otherwise you'd tear
the ribbon
cable, it is fastened to the bottom of the case.
Without a schematic diagram it is nearly impossible to fix a defect like
that. If you can
get me one of those, I will fix all your 130's for free for the rest of your
life.
Dr. Newton does this kind of repair. Unless by some voodoo I'll be some day
able
to tap his brain (which I'm not going to try as he is a nice person with
whose
business I have no plans to interfere), he is your only chance unless you
have another
dead Newton with an otherwise intact mainboard.
Well, maybe voodoo wouldn't be a bad idea after all. Believe me, finding the
reason
for this problem is something I am obsessed with. I hate to lose, and I'm
determined
to solve this mystery even if it is the last thing I do in my life :-(
One thing I could do for you is turning the 130 into a 120. You wouldn't
have backlight
anymore, but you would at least have a working Newton again. Drop me a line
if
you are interested, I have some working 120 mainboards here.
Ocasionally list members recommend FixTrax as a cure. This was written to
solve
exactly the problem you describe, but for older models. On the one (out of
12 by now)
Newtons I was able to install it on before it shut off, it didn't help
whatsoever.
Frank (7 hours away from the ferry to Sweden...)
Newton hardware and software at http://www.pda-soft.de
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