If your ThinkPad model is not on the list
above, if it is an older model email me as I do have information on nearly all
the old ThinkPad models, I am publishing them here as customers request that
particular old model.
email Joe at
If your ThinkPad is a newer model.
Download the Hardware Maintenance Manual for
your ThinkPad use the link
below to download it now,
Download
the Hardware Maintenance Manual (HMM) for your TP model
The links above are to the Lenovo site, if it doesn't
work, don't panic, it isn't broken, their site is shut down daily for
maintenance and at those times they display spurious messages like the page
you requested cannot be found, wait a good while and try again.
Once you have your HMM search the manual for
"Removing and replacing a FRU" System Board.
Follow the instructions in the HMM to remove
the System board, the HMM will list all the other modules which have to be
removed and also the order in which to remove them.
Do heed the warnings in the HMM about handling
the System board carefully so as not to trigger the shock sensor.
Once you have the System Board in your hand,
look for one of the Integrated Circuits [ICs] listed below.
Usually the IC we are interested in is covered
by sticky black or clear plastic sheeting.
While searching for the IC, you will need to
carefully peel back the plastic sheeting.
Sometimes the IC is hidden under a plastic
piece, a bracket etc.
If you are only willing to
allocate 30 seconds toward finding the eeprom then it is best you
quit right now.
You need to be extremely thorough in your
search.
This will take more than 30
seconds, it WILL take quite a while, even if your vision is 20-20.
You do need very good strong
lighting even if your vision is 20-20.
A bare 100W bulb in the ceiling above you will NOT DO!
even if your vision is 20-20
You do need a good Magnifying Glass
even if your vision is 20-20
Some eeproms are very SMALL and the Laser etched part numbers are hard to see
(even if your vision is 20-20) specially if the Laser etch markings are covered with glue from the plastic
sheeting covering it.
You need to look on BOTH
sides of the System board.
You do need to LIFT ALL
black plastic sheeting covering components on the system board and LOOK UNDER
THE BLACK PLASTIC SHEETING.
This is NOT rocket science,
you are looking for particular part numbers on small chips that are on your system
board.
ATMEL 8356908 - Treat it as 24RF08
Note: you are only looking for the chip,
parts around it might be different.
The ATMEL 8356908 is found on a lot of the
newer ThinkPad models, the laser etched part number is difficult to see.
easiest way to look for it, it has 40 pins - 10
on each of the 4 sides = 40 pins.
The large white wedge - [top left] is the Pin 1
Marker on the System Board
The circular dimple - [top left] in the black
IC body is also the Pin 1 marker on the IC itself.
Use the Pin 1 markers to orient the IC on your
System Board so you can positively find the pins labelled SDA and SCL above.
Once you find the ATMEL 8356908, you may see 2
pull up Resistors near the pins labelled SDA and SCL in the photo above.
Sometimes there are no resistors nearby, they
may be far away from the IC, maybe on the other side of the board.
If the resistors are nearby, follow the thin
traces on the board back to the pins on the IC to confirm the resistors are indeed connected to the SDA and SCL pins of the ATMEL 8356908.
The reason for finding the resistors is - that
is is MUCH EASIER to connect your KeyMaker probes to the resistor rather than
the pins themselves - BECAUSE the pins are very small and very closely spaced,
the resistors a BIGGER and further apart- it just makes the task EASIER.
PC8394T - treat it as LSI
Note: you are only looking for the chip,
parts around it might be different.
Pin 1 marker, the white number 1 [bottom left]
on the System Board, the dimple [bottom left] on the IC itself.
The pins Labelled SDA and SCL in the photo
below are very closely spaced, follow the trace from each pin to the nearest
pad, it is MUCH easier to use those pads because they are more widely spaced.
P24S08 - Treat it as 24RF08
Note: you are only looking for the chip,
parts around it might be different.
Pin 1 marker is the white number 1 on the
System Board, also note that the left side of the IC itself is chamfered on
the pin 1 side.
DO NOT use the GND connection depicted below,
see notes at the bottom of this page for GND connection.
NXP P24S08
Philips P24S08
PS08 - treat it as 24RF08
Note: you are only looking for the chip,
parts around it might be different.
Pin 1 marker is the white stripe [top left] on
the System Board, this IC also has a dimple [top left] as Pin 1 marker.
DO NOT use the GND connection depicted below,
see notes at the bottom of this page for GND connection.
L08 - treat it as 24RF08
Note: you are only looking for the chip,
parts around it might be different.
Pin 1 marker is the white stripe [top left] on
the System Board, this IC also has a dimple [top left] as Pin 1 marker.
DO NOT use the GND connection depicted below,
see notes at the bottom of this page for GND connection.
24RF08 - 8 pin - treat it as 24RF08
Note: you are only looking for the chip,
parts around it might be different.
Pin 1 marker, there is a small notch [top left]
on the IC body, the left side of the IC itself is chamfered on the pin 1 side.
DO NOT use the GND connection depicted below,
see notes at the bottom of this page for GND connection.
24RF08 14 pin - treat it as 24RF08
Note: you are only looking for the chip,
parts around it might be different.
Pin 1 marker, the left side of the IC itself is
chamfered on the pin 1 side, there is also a dimple [top left].
DO NOT use the GND connection depicted below,
see notes at the bottom of this page for GND connection.
REALLY OLD MODELS
24C01 - treat it as 24C01
Note: you are only looking for the chip,
parts around it might be different.
Pin 1 marker, that dot [top left] just before
"SC27", the left side of the IC itself is chamfered on the pin 1
side.
DO NOT use the GND connection depicted below,
see notes at the bottom of this page for GND connection.
REALLY OLD MODELS
C46C1 or 93C46 - treat it as 93C46
Note: you are only looking for the chip,
parts around it might be different.
NOTE: see the white paint dot [top left] just to the right of
U38, that white paint dot is the Pin 1 Marker.
--- WARNING --- 93C46 cannot
be read in situ on the System Board.
It must be UNSOLDERED and
read removed from the System board
The unsoldering process
requires special tools.
DO NOT attempt unsoldering a
93C46 UNLESS you have the right tools AND you know how to use them.
93C46 connections to ATmega328 based KeyMaker
interface.
93C46 connections to ATmega1280 based KeyMaker
interface.
I receive many emails asking about the GND
connection, in reality it is very simple, you use some kind of a clip so that
you don't have to hold it in place, you DON'T HAVE 3 HANDS and there are 3
connections, GND SDA and SCL, so have a clip for GND, then you can use the 2
hands YOU DO HAVE to hold your SDA and SCL probes in place.
In the photos below I show an Ezi-hook and an
Alligator clip.
Almost any large piece of metal or the screws
for the external connectors of any ThinkPad are a good GND connecting point.
Anyway a picture is worth a thousand words
Click
here for pictures of GND Connections
Basically
you make the
