Compaq Portable (Original)

For more information, see this article's corresponding Wikipedia page: Compaq Portable.

This device is in the WorkNeeded:OriginalParts category because it was flagged as missing information on the original parts. It may have replacement parts listed but those cannot be assumed to be identical to the originals. If you have a list of the original parts, please feel free to add them by copying the relevant table from EditorsToolbox:Tables

This device is in the WorkNeeded:General category because it was flagged as missing general information about the device. The information may be incomplete, using default text, or inaccurate and should be verified with external sources if possible. If you can add or correct information on this page, please feel free to edit it and do so.

Compaq Portable

Preliminary Information
Release Year	1983
Leak Risk	Low
Batteries	None
Mounting Technology	Through Hole, Sockets
Capacitor Types	Aluminum Electrolytic, Others
Destructive Entry	No
CRT Guides
General Information · Repair Cautions

The Compaq portable was the first of the IBM PC clones. It came in a "luggable" form factor, with a built in monitor, dual 5.25" floppy drives, and internally connected detachable keyboard.

Known Issues

Unresponsive to Keyboard Input

Causes

• The Portable made use of a "foam and foil" key switch design, a type of capacitive switch wherein the key presses a plastic-foam-foil sandwich onto a set of contacts. Over time, this foam degrades to the point of disintegrating at the touch.

Solutions

• New foam and foil pads can be fabricated by hand (see here) or purchased (here) when in stock.

Disassembly Notes

• The outermost case has two removable plastic panels on the top and bottom They are attached by clips on the back (the side with the handle). I recommend prying outward at each clip with a plastic prying tool, working from one side to another, using clips or other tools to hold previous clips open as needed.
• Under the plastic panels is a metal inner case. Most all inner case panels can be removed by loosening the flathead screws and a few nuts (these can be removed, but do not need to be removed to remove the panels). On the top, there are panels covering the three main sections of the inner case: the ISA slots, Floppy drives, and monitor/PSU section.
• The ISA cards are fairly standard if you are familiar with IBM clones. They are screwed in to the case on the external facing side, and fit into plastic grooves on the opposite internal side.
• The floppy drives are screwed in on the top and bottom of the machine. To remove them, you should first remove all of the ISA cards, unscrew the drives, and pull them back towards the handle side to be lifted out from the card area. The front plastic drive covers and latches can remain attached during removal. There is an additional metal cage screwed onto the drives, which can be removed to access the drive heads for cleaning.
• The CRT control board is attached by one screw and three plastic standoffs. To remove it, remove the screw and pull the board upward to remove the plastic standoffs from their slots, removing the CRT cap connector and other cables as you go. I found it necessary to remove a zip tie retaining one of the cables attached to the board. This is very difficult. Feel free to curse.
• The motherboard power connector and motherboard keyboard connector are accessible from the bottom of the machine. After removing the outer plastic panel, remove the small metal panel by loosening the screws, as you have done on the top of the machine.
• The keyboard is held together with many, many screws. Keep track of which type of screw goes where. In the top right corner there is a voltage regulator which produces a significant amount of heat during operation. This heat is normally dissipated through the metal metal key assembly with thermal paste. For testing with this assembly removed, you can stack coins on top of the regulator. This is much less effective at dissipating the heat, but is better than nothing.
  • Four small plastic clips retain the hard plastic backing of each foam and foil pad. When replacing these, the backing can be pressed into the clips with a fingernail or pointed object.

Original Parts

Basic PCB Name

Note model numbers and board revisions here

Capacitor Specifications and Footprint Information

RefDes	Qty	Capacitance	Voltage	Mount	Diameter/Size	Height	Lead Spacing	Temp	Type	Brand	Series
		0 µF						0 °C

Replacement Parts

Basic PCB Name

Capacitors

RefDes	Qty	Compatible Part Number	Order Links
			Digikey

If parts are not available or different selection is preferred, you can use the values in the Original Parts section to perform a parametric search.

Kits

• Digikey BOM: https://www.digikey.com/

Related Links

• Videos or other things that might be helpful to check out