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Deep technical XT/370 + 3270 PC family page with verified sources (IBM SA38-0037-00 Service Info Manual, IBM GA33-3141-0, IBM 1502336, Kozuh/Livingston/Spillman IBM Systems Journal 1984, seasip.info, Wikipedia)
 
Fix refs so they render; correct BNC twinax and the 75-ohm terminator - it is coax, point to point, no terminator, and IBMs check is <1 ohm at the system unit connector; Model F has no foam pads (capacitive flyplate, not foam and foil); add IBMs coax isolation procedure, the error-code to FRU map, the false 2801 (ECA001, P/N 1497249) and false 8505; remove the unsourced 12-15 kV figure
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This guide documents preventive maintenance for the '''[[IBM 3270 PC]]''' (machine type 5271, 1983). Because the 3270 PC chassis is mechanically an [[IBM PC XT (5160)]], chassis-level maintenance is identical to the XT; the 3270-specific procedures cover the specialist cards (Keyboard Adapter, 3270 PC Display Adapter, APA, PSS, 3278/79 Emulation Adapter), the 5271 Keyboard Element, the 5272 colour display, and the 3270 PC Control Program software environment.
This guide documents preventive maintenance for the '''[[IBM 3270 PC]]''' (machine type 5271, 1983). Because the 3270 PC chassis is mechanically an [[IBM PC XT (5160)]], chassis-level maintenance is identical to the XT; the 3270-specific procedures cover the specialist cards (Keyboard Adapter, 3270 PC Display Adapter, APA, PSS, 3278/79 Emulation Adapter), the 5271 Keyboard Element, the 5272 colour display, and the 3270 PC Control Program software environment.


== Safety Warning ==
== Safety ==


The 3270 PC uses the standard '''IBM 130 W switching PSU''' (Astec / Zenith). Mains-rectified bulk capacitors hold a lethal charge after power-off. Before any work inside the chassis:
The system unit's supply is the '''5160 XT supply''' — IBM's parts catalogue states that "all base system parts for the 3270 XT products are the same as 5160 XT base system parts", and that includes the power supply.<ref name="sim">IBM, ''IBM Personal Computer Family Service Information Manual'', SA38-0037-00, July 1989 &mdash; hosted on this wiki as [[IBM Personal Computer Family Service Information Manual]]. Chapter 10, "3270 PC Products", is the source for the system-unit and display combinations, the full 5271, 5371 and 5373 model lists, the 5371 and 5373 slot allocations, the unit specifications for the 5371, 5278, 5279, 5378 and 5379, the statement of which unit powers which, the 3270 unique error code to FRU indication table, the diagnostic tips and the ECA history. Chapter 18, "Personal Computer Parts Catalog", is the source for the 5271, 5371 and 5373 FRU part numbers and for IBM's note that "all base system parts for the 3270 XT products are the same as 5160 XT base system parts".</ref> It is a switching supply with a rectified-mains reservoir on its primary side, so treat every large capacitor on that board as charged until a meter says otherwise, and discharge through a resistor rather than a screwdriver.


# Power off and unplug the mains lead.
# Power off and unplug at the wall.
# Wait at least 30 seconds.
# Discharge each bulk capacitor through a resistor.
# Discharge each PSU bulk filter capacitor through a 1 kΩ / 5 W resistor.
# Verify with a meter before touching anything.
# Verify with a multimeter.


The IBM 5272 / 5151 displays carry lethal high voltage on the flyback transformer and anode. '''Discharge the CRT anode to chassis ground via a high-voltage probe''' before any work on the display.
The '''5272 and 5151 displays''' carry extra-high tension on the flyback and the anode. Follow the [[CRT Discharge Procedure]] and discharge a second time a few minutes later.


== Documentation Set ==
'''The coaxial cable is a separate hazard, and not the one you expect.''' IBM warns twice in the maintenance manual: '''do not connect or disconnect the coaxial cable during an electrical storm'''.<ref name="mi3270">IBM, ''IBM 3270 Personal Computer Maintenance Information'', SY27-2567-2, third edition, October 1984 &mdash; hosted on this wiki as [[IBM 3270 PC Maintenance Information]]. The safety inspection checklist; the problem isolation charts, including the coaxial cable connection test and the coaxial cable resistance check; section 4, locations, including the system board diagram; section 5, removal, replacement and adjustments; and section 7, the illustrated parts catalogue for the 5271 system unit, the 5161 Expansion Unit, the 5151 Monochrome Display, the 5272 Color Display and the keyboard.</ref> The run to the control unit is often long and sometimes between buildings.


* '''IBM SA38-0037-00''' — ''Personal Computer Family Service Information Manual'' (July 1989), '''Chapter 10''' covers the 3270 PC family (5271 and 5371).
See also [[Recommended Tools]].
 
== Documentation ==
 
Two of these are hosted here, and they are the two to start from:
 
* [[IBM 3270 PC Maintenance Information]] — '''SY27-2567-2''', third edition, October 1984. The CE manual for the 5271: safety inspection, problem isolation charts, locations, removal and replacement, and the illustrated parts catalogue.<ref name="mi3270" />
* [[IBM Personal Computer Family Service Information Manual]] — '''SA38-0037-00''', July 1989. Chapter 10 covers the 3270 PC products; chapter 18 has the parts catalogue.<ref name="sim" />
 
The rest:
* '''IBM G320-9539-0''' — ''IBM 3270 Personal Computer Hints and Tips'' (June 1986).
* '''IBM G320-9539-0''' — ''IBM 3270 Personal Computer Hints and Tips'' (June 1986).
* '''IBM 1502336''' — ''PC 3278/79 Emulation Adapter Technical Reference'' (October 1983).
* '''IBM 1502336''' — ''PC 3278/79 Emulation Adapter Technical Reference'' (October 1983).
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The 3270 PC interior is densely populated. A typical full configuration occupies:
The 3270 PC interior is densely populated. A typical full configuration occupies:


* Slot 1 — IBM Hard Disk Adapter (Model 6 / 30 / 50 / 70).
* Hard Disk Adapter (Models 006, 026, 070, 071 only — '''not''' 030 or 050, which are diskette-only).
* Slot 2 — Floppy Disk Adapter.
* Diskette Drive Adapter.
* Slot 3 — 3270 PC Display Adapter.
* 3270 PC Display Adapter, or the '''3295 Plasma Display Adapter''' on Models 024 and 026.
* Slot 4 — APA card (optional).
* All-Points-Addressable card, where fitted.
* Slot 5 — PSS card (optional).
* Programmed Symbols card, where fitted.
* Slot 6 — 3278/79 Emulation Adapter.
* 3278/79 Emulation Adapter — IBM calls it the '''DFCA''', the Distributed Function Communications Adapter.
* Slot 7 — Keyboard Adapter card.
* Keyboard Adapter, or the '''Plasma Keyboard Adapter''' on Models 024 and 026.
* Slot 8 — XMA (1986 31/51/71 models) or other expansion.
* Printer/Memory Adapter, or the '''XMA''' with 1 MB on Models 031, 051 and 071.


All slot positions can vary; check the as-built configuration of your specific machine.
'''IBM does not publish a fixed slot order for the 5271''', so record the as-built configuration before you pull anything. One documented constraint: the XMA '''jumpered as LPT2 on a 5271 with a fixed disk is not supported''' — there is an interrupt-level conflict.<ref name="sim" />


== Card Inventory at Service Time ==
== Card Inventory at Service Time ==
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For each service visit, verify the card complement and check the as-built ROMs:
For each service visit, verify the card complement and check the as-built ROMs:


# '''Keyboard Adapter''' — Two ROM variants: '''6323581''' (simple) or '''6323582''' (complicated with NMI + serial). '''Critical: this card holds the video BIOS''' for the 3270 PC Display Adapter. Without it, the video cards do nothing.<ref>http://www.seasip.info/VintagePC/5271.html</ref>
# '''Keyboard Adapter''' — two ROM variants: '''6323581''' (simple) or '''6323582''' (complicated, with NMI button and serial port). '''This card holds the video BIOS''' for the 3270 PC Display Adapter; without it the video cards do nothing, which is the single most confusing failure mode on this machine.<ref name="seasip">John Elliott, [http://www.seasip.info/VintagePC/5271.html The IBM 5271 (aka 3270 PC)], seasip.info. A community technical reference built from a working machine: the card complement and what each card does, the video BIOS living in the keyboard controller ROM (part 6323581 for the "simple" controller and 6323582 for the "complicated" one), the error codes 3201, 3202, 3203 and 2801, the 5272 display timings, and the statement that the case, motherboard, drives and power supply are all identical or very similar to the XT.</ref> Models 024 and 026 use a '''Plasma Keyboard Adapter''' instead.<ref name="sim" />
# '''3270 PC Display Adapter''' — SCN2672 PVTC at 0180h–019Bh. Inspect the SCN2672 socket for oxidation.
# '''3270 PC Display Adapter''' — SCN2672 PVTC at 0180h–019Bh. Inspect the SCN2672 socket for oxidation.
# '''APA card''' (where fitted) — adds CGA modes + 3270-PC graphics modes.
# '''APA card''' (where fitted) — adds CGA modes + 3270-PC graphics modes.
# '''PSS card''' (where fitted) — Programmed Symbol Set, RAM-loaded fonts.
# '''PSS card''' (where fitted) — Programmed Symbol Set, RAM-loaded fonts.
# '''3278/79 Emulation Adapter''' — I/O at 2D0h–2D6h (older) or 2D0h–2D7h (newer). BNC twinax to controller.
# '''3278/79 Emulation Adapter''' — I/O at 2D0h–2D6h (older) or 2D0h–2D7h (newer). BNC twinax to controller.
== What IBM's Error Codes Mean ==
The 5271 posts codes that a plain XT does not, and IBM maps each range to a field-replaceable unit:<ref name="sim" />
* '''28XX''' — the DFCA (3278/79 Emulation Adapter).
* '''32XX''' — Display Adapter, Programmed Symbols Adapter, All-Points-Addressable Adapter, or the Top Card Connector.
* '''44XX''' — Display Attachment Unit (on the [[IBM 3270 PC/G|/G]] and [[IBM 3270 PC/GX|/GX]], not the base 5271).
* '''45XX''' — IEEE Interface Adapter card.
Two of these lie to you:
* '''A false 2801.''' If a long DFCA has been replaced with the newer short card, the '''Keyboard Timer Adapter''' may need changing too. Press F1 to continue after POST; if the host session then establishes normally, the 2801 is false. ECA001 directs the engineer to order '''P/N 1497249''' (one EPROM) and replace the pluggable EPROM on the Keyboard Timer Adapter.<ref name="sim" />
* '''A false 8505.''' The XMA diagnostic tests D000&ndash;DFFF; any other adapter with RAM or ROS in that range produces an 8505 that is not a real fault.<ref name="sim" />
A plain 83-key XT keyboard in place of the 5271 Keyboard Element produces POST error '''302''' — press F1 to continue.<ref name="seasip" />


== Keyboard Adapter Dongle ==
== Keyboard Adapter Dongle ==
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Same as the standard XT — see [[IBM PC XT (5160) Maintenance Guide]].
Same as the standard XT — see [[IBM PC XT (5160) Maintenance Guide]].


A '''fully-loaded 3270 PC''' (all card slots occupied, hard drive fitted) draws close to the PSU's 130 W capacity. Rail sag under load is more common than on a stock XT and is the first symptom of aged PSU electrolytics — see [[IBM 3270 PC Capacitor Replacement Guide]].
A fully populated 3270 PC has almost every slot occupied and, on some models, a fixed disk as well, so it sits closer to the supply's rated output than a stock XT does. Rail sag under load that clears when cards are removed points at the supply rather than at any one card — see [[IBM 3270 PC Capacitor Replacement Guide]].


== 5271 Keyboard Element Maintenance ==
== 5271 Keyboard Element Maintenance ==


The 122-key Model F is a robust mechanism but has some specific service items:
IBM's parts catalogue lists the keyboard as part '''6110344''' in Figure 7 of the maintenance manual.<ref name="mi3270" />
 
'''A correction worth making before you take one apart: the Model F has no foam pads.''' It is a capacitive buckling-spring design — the spring buckles and throws a '''flyplate''' against the sensing pads on the PCB. There is no foam-and-foil layer to degrade, and searching for one will cost you an afternoon. What does go wrong:


* '''Foam pad degradation''' under the buckling-spring capacitive pads — common on Model F keyboards of this era. Symptom: keys stop registering or require excessive force. Replacement foam is available from the Model F restoration community.
* '''Flyplate and barrel wear''' — a key that needs excessive force or stops registering is usually mechanical, at the barrel or the spring, not a dead sense pad.
* '''Cable strain relief''' — heavy cable on the keyboard side can damage the wire harness near the cable entry.
* '''Corrosion on the sense PCB''' — the capacitive pads are exposed to whatever has been spilled on the keyboard over forty years.
* '''Keycap removal''' — use the IBM tool. Do not pull keycaps by hand; the stems are easily damaged.
* '''Cable strain relief''' — the cable is heavy and the harness fails at the entry point.
* '''Microcontroller''' (IBM part '''1503828''' / Motorola SC81155P) — described as "possibly a microcontroller" by community researchers; failure mode is uncertain because the part has never been publicly decapped. Replacement requires a donor keyboard with the same firmware.
* '''Keycap removal''' — use the tool. The stems are easily damaged by pulling.
 
IBM's own note in the Service Information Manual gives '''P/N 1389098''' as the replacement keyboard part, "for either the metal bottom or the plastic bottom keyboard".<ref name="sim" /> Both bottom types exist and both take the same replacement.


== Display Maintenance ==
== Display Maintenance ==
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=== IBM 5272 Color Display ===
=== IBM 5272 Color Display ===


* CRT discharge: 12–15 kV at the anode.
* Follow the [[CRT Discharge Procedure]]. This wiki has not found an IBM-published anode voltage for the 5272; the "12–15 kV" figure that used to appear here had no source and has been removed. Treat it as lethal and discharge it whatever the number is.
* Inspect flyback for cracked insulation.
* Inspect flyback for cracked insulation.
* Pin 4 of the DE-9 selects mono vs colour. If the display does not show colour, verify pin 4 is being correctly asserted by the host.
* Pin 4 of the DE-9 selects mono vs colour. If the display does not show colour, verify pin 4 is being correctly asserted by the host.
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=== IBM 3295 Plasma Monitor ===
=== IBM 3295 Plasma Monitor ===


* Plasma displays of this era can develop pixel rot. Severely affected panels are not repairable; replacement requires a donor.
* Fitted only to Models 024 and 026, which also carry the Plasma Keyboard Adapter rather than the standard one.<ref name="sim" />
* Supports 62 × 160 or 46 × 106 text grids.
* Plasma panels of this era can develop cell failures. Severely affected panels are not field-repairable.
 
== Coaxial Cable to the Control Unit ==
 
The 3270 PC attaches to an IBM '''3274''' (later 3174) control unit over '''coaxial''' cable. '''It is coax, not twinax''' — twinax is the midrange 5250 attachment and will not work here — and the link is '''point to point''', one control-unit port per workstation, with '''no terminator''' at either end.<ref name="mi3270" /><ref name="sim" />
 
IBM's own isolation procedure, which is worth following in order because it costs nothing:<ref name="mi3270" />


== Cable to 3174 / 3274 Controller ==
# With the machine powered off, '''swap the coaxial cable with one from a known-working 3270 PC''' and repeat the connection test. If your machine now connects, the cable or the control-unit port is at fault, not the workstation.
# If it still does not connect, reconnect both machines to their own cables and rerun the DFCA diagnostic. If the other machine now fails, the problem is external to your workstation.
# If neither of those resolves it: power off, disconnect the coaxial cable at the system unit, and '''measure the resistance at the system unit's coaxial connector. It should be less than 1 ohm.''' If it is not, IBM's instruction is to replace the DFCA.


The 3270 PC connects to a host mainframe through an IBM 3174 or 3274 cluster controller via '''BNC twinax''' (or RG-62 coax with BNC terminators). Maintenance:
Clean both connectors with a contact cleaner, and verify the control-unit port is configured for a 3278 or 3279 — the workstation presents itself to the control unit as a 3278.


* Clean the BNC connector on both sides with deoxidising contact cleaner.
'''Do not connect or disconnect the coaxial cable during an electrical storm.''' IBM says this twice.<ref name="mi3270" />
* Verify the cable is properly terminated at the controller end (75 Ω terminator).
* Verify the controller-side port is configured for a 3278 or 3279 emulator (the 3270 PC presents itself as a 3278 LU to the controller).


== 3270 PC Control Program Maintenance ==
== 3270 PC Control Program Maintenance ==
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* Deoxidising contact cleaner.
* Deoxidising contact cleaner.
* IBM keycap removal tool (for the 5271 Keyboard Element).
* IBM keycap removal tool (for the 5271 Keyboard Element).
* Spare BNC terminators and RG-62 patch cables.
* A spare coaxial patch cable — the fastest way to prove the link is not the machine's fault.
* SA38-0037-00 PDF (chapter 10).
* [[IBM 3270 PC Maintenance Information]] and [[IBM Personal Computer Family Service Information Manual]], both hosted here.
* 1502336 PC 3278/79 Emulation Adapter Technical Reference PDF.
* 1502336 PC 3278/79 Emulation Adapter Technical Reference PDF.


Line 140: Line 174:
== References ==
== References ==


* [http://bitsavers.org/pdf/ibm/pc/SA38-0037-00_Personal_Computer_Family_Service_Information_Manual_Jul89.pdf IBM SA38-0037-00 (July 1989)], Chapter 10.
<references />
* [http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/ibm/pc/3270/G320-9539-0_IBM_3270_Personal_Computer_Hints_and_Tips_198605.pdf IBM G320-9539-0 (June 1986)].
* [http://www.seasip.info/VintagePC/5271.html John Elliott, seasip.info — IBM 5271 (3270 PC)].


{{Navbox-IBMComputers|state=collapsed}}
{{Navbox-IBMComputers|state=collapsed}}

Revision as of 22:03, 24 September 2026

This guide documents preventive maintenance for the IBM 3270 PC (machine type 5271, 1983). Because the 3270 PC chassis is mechanically an IBM PC XT (5160), chassis-level maintenance is identical to the XT; the 3270-specific procedures cover the specialist cards (Keyboard Adapter, 3270 PC Display Adapter, APA, PSS, 3278/79 Emulation Adapter), the 5271 Keyboard Element, the 5272 colour display, and the 3270 PC Control Program software environment.

Safety

The system unit's supply is the 5160 XT supply — IBM's parts catalogue states that "all base system parts for the 3270 XT products are the same as 5160 XT base system parts", and that includes the power supply.[1] It is a switching supply with a rectified-mains reservoir on its primary side, so treat every large capacitor on that board as charged until a meter says otherwise, and discharge through a resistor rather than a screwdriver.

  1. Power off and unplug at the wall.
  2. Discharge each bulk capacitor through a resistor.
  3. Verify with a meter before touching anything.

The 5272 and 5151 displays carry extra-high tension on the flyback and the anode. Follow the CRT Discharge Procedure and discharge a second time a few minutes later.

The coaxial cable is a separate hazard, and not the one you expect. IBM warns twice in the maintenance manual: do not connect or disconnect the coaxial cable during an electrical storm.[2] The run to the control unit is often long and sometimes between buildings.

See also Recommended Tools.

Documentation

Two of these are hosted here, and they are the two to start from:

The rest:

  • IBM G320-9539-0 — IBM 3270 Personal Computer Hints and Tips (June 1986).
  • IBM 1502336 — PC 3278/79 Emulation Adapter Technical Reference (October 1983).
  • IBM SC23-0103-2 — 3270 PC Control Program User's Guide and Reference (July 1984).
  • IBM 84X0982 — 3270 Workstation Program v1.0 User's Guide and Reference (April 1987) — the Control Program's software-only successor.
  • IBM 59X8423 — PC 3270 Emulation Program v2.00 User's Guide (March 1986).
  • IBM 83X9705 — IBM 3270 Connection Technical Reference (April 1987).

Opening the System Unit

Identical to the IBM PC XT (5160) Maintenance Guide:

  1. Power off and unplug all cables (mains, keyboard, video, printer, BNC twinax to controller).
  2. Five Philips #2 screws on the rear panel.
  3. Slide cover forward to release.

The 3270 PC interior is densely populated. A typical full configuration occupies:

  • Hard Disk Adapter (Models 006, 026, 070, 071 only — not 030 or 050, which are diskette-only).
  • Diskette Drive Adapter.
  • 3270 PC Display Adapter, or the 3295 Plasma Display Adapter on Models 024 and 026.
  • All-Points-Addressable card, where fitted.
  • Programmed Symbols card, where fitted.
  • 3278/79 Emulation Adapter — IBM calls it the DFCA, the Distributed Function Communications Adapter.
  • Keyboard Adapter, or the Plasma Keyboard Adapter on Models 024 and 026.
  • Printer/Memory Adapter, or the XMA with 1 MB on Models 031, 051 and 071.

IBM does not publish a fixed slot order for the 5271, so record the as-built configuration before you pull anything. One documented constraint: the XMA jumpered as LPT2 on a 5271 with a fixed disk is not supported — there is an interrupt-level conflict.[1]

Card Inventory at Service Time

For each service visit, verify the card complement and check the as-built ROMs:

  1. Keyboard Adapter — two ROM variants: 6323581 (simple) or 6323582 (complicated, with NMI button and serial port). This card holds the video BIOS for the 3270 PC Display Adapter; without it the video cards do nothing, which is the single most confusing failure mode on this machine.[3] Models 024 and 026 use a Plasma Keyboard Adapter instead.[1]
  2. 3270 PC Display Adapter — SCN2672 PVTC at 0180h–019Bh. Inspect the SCN2672 socket for oxidation.
  3. APA card (where fitted) — adds CGA modes + 3270-PC graphics modes.
  4. PSS card (where fitted) — Programmed Symbol Set, RAM-loaded fonts.
  5. 3278/79 Emulation Adapter — I/O at 2D0h–2D6h (older) or 2D0h–2D7h (newer). BNC twinax to controller.

What IBM's Error Codes Mean

The 5271 posts codes that a plain XT does not, and IBM maps each range to a field-replaceable unit:[1]

  • 28XX — the DFCA (3278/79 Emulation Adapter).
  • 32XX — Display Adapter, Programmed Symbols Adapter, All-Points-Addressable Adapter, or the Top Card Connector.
  • 44XX — Display Attachment Unit (on the /G and /GX, not the base 5271).
  • 45XX — IEEE Interface Adapter card.

Two of these lie to you:

  • A false 2801. If a long DFCA has been replaced with the newer short card, the Keyboard Timer Adapter may need changing too. Press F1 to continue after POST; if the host session then establishes normally, the 2801 is false. ECA001 directs the engineer to order P/N 1497249 (one EPROM) and replace the pluggable EPROM on the Keyboard Timer Adapter.[1]
  • A false 8505. The XMA diagnostic tests D000–DFFF; any other adapter with RAM or ROS in that range produces an 8505 that is not a real fault.[1]

A plain 83-key XT keyboard in place of the 5271 Keyboard Element produces POST error 302 — press F1 to continue.[3]

Keyboard Adapter Dongle

A small external "dongle" cable splits the keyboard adapter card's DE-9 connector at the rear of the chassis into two 5-pin DIN connectors:

  • One for the 122-key 5271 Keyboard Element.
  • One that passes through to the standard XT keyboard port on the planar.

The dongle is a known service item — it can be lost, worn, or pin-damaged. Pinout is documented at seasip.info and is reproducible by a competent hobbyist with a soldering iron and the right connector shells.

PSU Voltage Checks

Same as the standard XT — see IBM PC XT (5160) Maintenance Guide.

A fully populated 3270 PC has almost every slot occupied and, on some models, a fixed disk as well, so it sits closer to the supply's rated output than a stock XT does. Rail sag under load that clears when cards are removed points at the supply rather than at any one card — see IBM 3270 PC Capacitor Replacement Guide.

5271 Keyboard Element Maintenance

IBM's parts catalogue lists the keyboard as part 6110344 in Figure 7 of the maintenance manual.[2]

A correction worth making before you take one apart: the Model F has no foam pads. It is a capacitive buckling-spring design — the spring buckles and throws a flyplate against the sensing pads on the PCB. There is no foam-and-foil layer to degrade, and searching for one will cost you an afternoon. What does go wrong:

  • Flyplate and barrel wear — a key that needs excessive force or stops registering is usually mechanical, at the barrel or the spring, not a dead sense pad.
  • Corrosion on the sense PCB — the capacitive pads are exposed to whatever has been spilled on the keyboard over forty years.
  • Cable strain relief — the cable is heavy and the harness fails at the entry point.
  • Keycap removal — use the tool. The stems are easily damaged by pulling.

IBM's own note in the Service Information Manual gives P/N 1389098 as the replacement keyboard part, "for either the metal bottom or the plastic bottom keyboard".[1] Both bottom types exist and both take the same replacement.

Display Maintenance

IBM 5272 Color Display

  • Follow the CRT Discharge Procedure. This wiki has not found an IBM-published anode voltage for the 5272; the "12–15 kV" figure that used to appear here had no source and has been removed. Treat it as lethal and discharge it whatever the number is.
  • Inspect flyback for cracked insulation.
  • Pin 4 of the DE-9 selects mono vs colour. If the display does not show colour, verify pin 4 is being correctly asserted by the host.
  • Color timings: hsync 24 kHz negative, vsync 63 Hz negative. Out-of-spec timings produce display drift / rolling.

IBM 5151 Monochrome Display

  • Standard IBM 5151 maintenance — see standard IBM PC documentation.

IBM 3295 Plasma Monitor

  • Fitted only to Models 024 and 026, which also carry the Plasma Keyboard Adapter rather than the standard one.[1]
  • Plasma panels of this era can develop cell failures. Severely affected panels are not field-repairable.

Coaxial Cable to the Control Unit

The 3270 PC attaches to an IBM 3274 (later 3174) control unit over coaxial cable. It is coax, not twinax — twinax is the midrange 5250 attachment and will not work here — and the link is point to point, one control-unit port per workstation, with no terminator at either end.[2][1]

IBM's own isolation procedure, which is worth following in order because it costs nothing:[2]

  1. With the machine powered off, swap the coaxial cable with one from a known-working 3270 PC and repeat the connection test. If your machine now connects, the cable or the control-unit port is at fault, not the workstation.
  2. If it still does not connect, reconnect both machines to their own cables and rerun the DFCA diagnostic. If the other machine now fails, the problem is external to your workstation.
  3. If neither of those resolves it: power off, disconnect the coaxial cable at the system unit, and measure the resistance at the system unit's coaxial connector. It should be less than 1 ohm. If it is not, IBM's instruction is to replace the DFCA.

Clean both connectors with a contact cleaner, and verify the control-unit port is configured for a 3278 or 3279 — the workstation presents itself to the control unit as a 3278.

Do not connect or disconnect the coaxial cable during an electrical storm. IBM says this twice.[2]

3270 PC Control Program Maintenance

The Control Program is on diskette (Models 2 / 4 / 24) or pre-installed on the hard drive (Models 6 / 26 / 30 / 50 / 70). Service items:

  • Image the Control Program diskettes immediately if you have an original set — they are increasingly rare and the install procedure required mainframe sysprog assistance in period.
  • Control Program v3.0 is required for Models 31/51/71 and all P-models. Earlier versions will not boot on these.
  • If a Control Program install fails on a P-model, verify the keyboard is a 101-key Enhanced AT-style — the P-models do not work with the 122-key 5271 Keyboard Element.

Floppy and Hard Drive Maintenance

Standard IBM PC XT 5.25" 360 KB DSDD floppy and 10 MB ST-412 (Model 6) or 20 MB hard drive (Models 30 / 50 / 70). Maintenance is identical to the IBM PC XT (5160) Maintenance Guide.

  • Philips #2 and T15 / T20 Torx screwdrivers.
  • Anti-static strap.
  • Digital multimeter with HV-rated probe.
  • High-voltage probe for CRT discharge.
  • IPA + foam swabs.
  • Soldering iron (fine tip) + solder wick.
  • Deoxidising contact cleaner.
  • IBM keycap removal tool (for the 5271 Keyboard Element).
  • A spare coaxial patch cable — the fastest way to prove the link is not the machine's fault.
  • IBM 3270 PC Maintenance Information and IBM Personal Computer Family Service Information Manual, both hosted here.
  • 1502336 PC 3278/79 Emulation Adapter Technical Reference PDF.

References

  1. ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 IBM, IBM Personal Computer Family Service Information Manual, SA38-0037-00, July 1989 — hosted on this wiki as IBM Personal Computer Family Service Information Manual. Chapter 10, "3270 PC Products", is the source for the system-unit and display combinations, the full 5271, 5371 and 5373 model lists, the 5371 and 5373 slot allocations, the unit specifications for the 5371, 5278, 5279, 5378 and 5379, the statement of which unit powers which, the 3270 unique error code to FRU indication table, the diagnostic tips and the ECA history. Chapter 18, "Personal Computer Parts Catalog", is the source for the 5271, 5371 and 5373 FRU part numbers and for IBM's note that "all base system parts for the 3270 XT products are the same as 5160 XT base system parts".
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 IBM, IBM 3270 Personal Computer Maintenance Information, SY27-2567-2, third edition, October 1984 — hosted on this wiki as IBM 3270 PC Maintenance Information. The safety inspection checklist; the problem isolation charts, including the coaxial cable connection test and the coaxial cable resistance check; section 4, locations, including the system board diagram; section 5, removal, replacement and adjustments; and section 7, the illustrated parts catalogue for the 5271 system unit, the 5161 Expansion Unit, the 5151 Monochrome Display, the 5272 Color Display and the keyboard.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 John Elliott, The IBM 5271 (aka 3270 PC), seasip.info. A community technical reference built from a working machine: the card complement and what each card does, the video BIOS living in the keyboard controller ROM (part 6323581 for the "simple" controller and 6323582 for the "complicated" one), the error codes 3201, 3202, 3203 and 2801, the 5272 display timings, and the statement that the case, motherboard, drives and power supply are all identical or very similar to the XT.


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