Classmate E09 (2010 FRC version) Troubles

Top status panel

From left to right: (1)wireless, (2)num lock, (3)caps lock, (4)disk access, (5)power, (6)battery

1)Wireless: on if wireless is turned on, off if off

2)Num lock: on if the num lock key has been toggled, off if not. Also blinks once on bootup (self-test).

3)Caps lock: on if the caps lock key has been toggled, off if not. Also blinks once on bootup.

4)Disk access: on if data is being written or retrieved from the disk-on-a-chip, off if not. Typically blinks rapidly while disk access is going on.

5)Power: on when the Classmate has been turned on, of otherwise

6)Battery: off if no battery or the Classmate is off and not on the wall charger, orange when the battery is undercharged, blinking orange briefly at startup while it’s first evaluating the battery charge status and also when the battery is dangerously low-10% or less, green when the battery is fully charged. Alternating blinking between green and orange means the battery temperature is too high.

  • There is also a second battery status LED immediately next to the power connector on the side of the Classmate. That is off if no battery is detected or no charger is connected, blinking green while the battery is being charged, solid green when the battery is fully charged.

Normal operation:

Battery

1)The battery LED on the top status bar will be:

  1. Green if a battery is installed, is fully charged, and the Classmate is either on or connected to the wall charger.
  2. Orange if a battery is installed, is underchargedcharged and the Classmate is either on or connected to the wall charger. Blinking if battery is very low- 10% or less.
  3. Alternating blinking between green and orange means the battery temperature is too high.
  4. Off if a battery is not installed or the Classmate is off AND not receiving power from the wall charger.

2)The battery status led immediately next to the power connector also reflects the battery condition if the charger is connected:

  • Blinking green means the battery is charging
  • Fast blinking means the battery temperature is too high
  • Solid green means the battery is fully charged.

Wall Charger

1)Without the battery:

  1. Battery LEDs are off
  2. Classmate boots and the power LED lights, the Caps/Num lock LEDs blink (or stay on if they are set)

2)With the battery:

  1. The battery LEDs will be on, showing charged or uncharged status
  2. Classmate boots and the power LED lights, the Caps/Num lock LEDs blink

Power

1)The power LED on the top status bar is on when the Classmate has been turned on and off otherwise.

2)The caps and num lockLEDs will still blink once or stay on as the Classmate is booting. This is just a hardware self-test and don't mean anything other than your keyboard is properly connected and is getting power.

System Status Indicators

Symptoms/causes

Power related symptoms:

The power LED on top does not come on when the charger is connected and the power button is pushed.

  1. On wall charger alone:
  • Cause: broken power connector or otherwise physically damaged Classmate. Could be broken/defective wall charger.
  1. On battery alone:
  • Cause: battery completely depleted or not connecting to Classmate properly. A depleted battery that isn’t charging may mean a defective wall charger.

Non-power related symptoms to look for if the powerLED on top is coming on okay:

1)The screen never even lights up with so much as the 2go logo. PowerLED on top comes on when the Classmate is booted and the caps lock and num lock blink once.

  • Cause: No memory - check and reseat the memory card behind the access panel underneath the Classmate. It's the card on the right side of the open compartment. It is connected via a card slot.

2)PowerLED on top comes on when the Classmate is booted, AND the 2go logo appears on the screen. Screen proceeds to stop after listing a "Media test failure".

  • Cause: The disk-on-a-chip is disconnected. Check behind the access panel underneath the Classmate. It's the card screwed down on the left side of the open compartment and is connected by a ribbon cable. There's a tiny black clamp that flips up to release and down to secure the ribbon cable.

Testing the battery

When the wall charger is plugged in and the battery is installed:

  • The batteryindicator light beside the power plug should come on.
    Normally it should be a slow blinking green LED meaning the battery is being charged and solid when it’s fully charged.
  • There is also the batteryLED on top that will light - orange for an undercharged battery, green for a fully charged battery.
    No battery lights usually means the battery isn't connecting to the Classmate properly and isn't being recognized by the Classmate. But a bad power connector or bad wall charger that prevents power from being supplied will show the same symptoms.
  • Booting the Classmate should make the top battery LED come on even if the wall charger isn’t working or connected.

Smart battery technology can prevent even a fully charger battery from being recognized by the Classmate.

Battery charge state shouldn’t affect the battery status LEDs, unless the battery is very, very dead. A semi-depleted battery that’s connecting properly to the Classmate will cause the battery LEDs to light.

If possible test with a nearby team's Classmate battery.

Testing the wall charger

  • With the battery removed and the wall charger connected the Classmate should be able to be turned on. Neither of the battery LEDs will light.
  • If you get any lights on the Classmate's top bar at all (including the wireless, caps lock, num lock, disk, power, battery), then the wall charger is probably fine.

If there are no lights whatsoever, then power from neither the battery nor the charger is making it's way into the Classmate.

Physical damage

  • Is the power connection loose or is the power connector inside the chassis out of alignment at all?
  • Classmate disassembly: