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Restructure to maintenance template; fix charging advice (page said run down before charging and never top up; Psion's handbook says charge any time and keep topped up); add Psion care, storage and retention figures; drop uncited capacitor section
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[[File:Psion Revo.jpg|thumb|420px|A Psion Revo. Everything about looking after one comes back to the two soldered-in NiMH cells and the charging circuit that manages them.]]
[[File:Psion Revo.jpg|thumb|420px|A Psion Revo]]


Preventive maintenance for the '''[[Psion Revo]]''' (and, with the differences noted, the [[Psion Revo Plus]] and Diamond Mako).
Routine care of the [[Psion Revo]], and with the differences noted the [[Psion Revo Plus]] and Diamond Mako, is mostly about the two internal NiMH AAA cells and the charging circuit that manages them. The cells are soldered to a connector and sealed under the lid nameplate, so they cannot be changed without opening the case.<ref name="wprevo" /><ref name="r3uk" />


'''The Revo's maintenance story is its battery.''' Unlike every other EPOC Psion, you cannot change the cells in the field: they are '''two NiMH AAA cells soldered to a connector and sealed under the nameplate'''.<ref name="wprevo">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psion_Revo "Psion Revo"], Wikipedia. Source for the built-in cell arrangement, the battery notoriety, the loose-battery problem and its fix in the Plus, the NiMH-only requirement, the over-80 % charging caution, the recalibration charge and the 84 % charging-light behaviour.</ref>
== Regular cleaning ==


== Charging rules ==
=== Screen and keyboard ===
These are the habits that determine how long a Revo's cells last, and they are unusual enough to be worth learning deliberately.


* '''Do not put the machine on charge when the battery is already above about 80 %.''' The charge termination depends on sensing a thermal change that occurs around that level. '''Missing that thermal change can and does lead to overcharging.'''<ref name="wprevo" />
* Switch the Revo off and wipe the screen and keyboard with a soft, clean, dry cloth. Psion says never to use water or corrosive solvents. If the Revo is set to switch on when the case is opened or the screen is tapped, turn that preference off first.<ref name="revohb" />
* '''NiMH cells only.''' Because of the way the charging circuit works, no other chemistry is recommended.<ref name="wprevo" />
* Use the supplied stylus on the touch screen. Psion warns against sharp-tipped objects and ink pens.<ref name="revohb" />
* '''The red charging light turns off at around 84 %''', not at 100 %. That is normal; it does not mean charging has finished.<ref name="wprevo" />
* The screen has no backlight, so a Revo that is hard to read in poor light is behaving normally.<ref name="revohb" />
* '''After any cell replacement, and after a hard reset, charge uninterrupted from 0 % to 100 %''' — about six hours for stock 700 mAh capacity, preferably with the machine switched off — so the hardware can recalibrate. Ignore the battery meter during that first charge.<ref name="wprevo" />


Put plainly: '''let it run down properly before charging, and let the charge finish.''' Topping a Revo up constantly is the worst thing you can do to it.
=== Case and connectors ===


== The loose battery connector ==
* Keep the Revo at +5 °C to +40 °C in use and away from direct sunlight, heaters, damp, dust and sand. Do not keep it next to credit cards or transport tickets: the speaker magnet can corrupt magnetic strips.<ref name="revohb" />
* Keep the infrared window, the docking connector and power socket at the rear, and the docking station contacts clean.
* The nameplate on the lid is glued. If it has been removed, refit it with hot-melt glue rather than superglue.<ref name="r3uk" />


'''Original Revos suffer from batteries coming loose and unplugging''' inside the case. Psion '''fixed this on the [[Psion Revo Plus|Revo Plus]]'''.<ref name="wprevo" />
== Battery and charging ==


That means an original Revo which dies intermittently, refuses to charge, or resets for no reason may have nothing wrong with it electrically — the connector may simply have worked loose. If you are in the machine for any reason, '''put a small dab of hot-melt glue or silicone over the battery connector''' to hold it. '''Not superglue''' — you will want to disconnect it again one day.<ref name="r3uk">David Savery, [https://www.r3uk.com/index.php/tech-tips/34-disassembly-guides/3-psion-revodiamond-mako-disassembly-and-battery-replacement "Psion Revo/Diamond Mako Disassembly & Battery Replacement"], R3UK, 2004. Source for the glue guidance, the microswitch warning, the thermistor, the pack construction, the screen ribbon restraint and the disassembly cautions.</ref>
Psion's charging instructions:<ref name="revohb" />


== The case microswitch ==
* Use only the supplied adaptor or a Psion-approved one (6 V DC, 500 mA).
* The battery can be charged at any time; it does not have to be run down first. Psion says the battery performs better in the long term if it is kept topped up and not regularly run flat.
* The Revo fast-charges to 85 % (red light on), then trickle-charges (red light off). A full charge from empty takes up to 6 hours.
* After a full charge, the Revo does not charge again until it is disconnected from the adaptor and reconnected.


'''A microswitch on the rear turns the Revo on and off as the case is opened and closed''', and it is '''easily broken by too much force when refitting the battery bay'''.<ref name="r3uk" />
Kevin Millican's notes on the charge controller add one rule: avoid starting a charge when the gauge is above about 80 %. The controller calibrates itself from a thermal change in the cells at about 84 % of indicated capacity, and a charge started above that point may not drop to trickle charge, which overcharges the cells. Any level between 10 % and 80 % is fine.<ref name="millican" />


Treat it as the most fragile thing in the machine after the screen. A Revo that no longer wakes on opening, or no longer sleeps on closing, has usually lost this switch to a previous repair.
After a hard reset or a battery replacement, charge without interruption from empty to full so that the gauge recalibrates. Millican recommends doing this with the machine switched off and ignoring the gauge during the charge.<ref name="revohb" /><ref name="millican" /> Replacement cells must be NiMH.<ref name="wprevo" />


== Backups ==
=== Storage ===


There is '''no CompactFlash slot''', so the only routes off the machine are the '''serial link through the docking station''' and '''IrDA'''.<ref name="wprevo" />
* Switched off, the Revo uses about 1 % of its charge per day. Fully charged, it keeps its data for up to 6 weeks; once the battery has run down, the data lasts about 2 weeks.<ref name="revohb" />
* Charge the Revo fully before putting it away, back it up, and store it dry at −10 °C to +40 °C.<ref name="revohb" />
* The Revo Plus and Diamond Mako hold twice the RAM, which Millican estimates doubles the standby drain.<ref name="millican" />


* '''Keep the docking station and its cable with the machine.'''
== Backups ==
* '''Back up before any work''' — opening a Revo to replace the cells '''factory resets it'''.<ref name="r3uk" />
* Keep the IrDA window clean; it is the only wireless route.


== Screen and case ==
The Revo has no memory card slot, so data leaves the machine through the docking station's serial link or by infrared.<ref name="revohb" /><ref name="wprevo" />


* The screen is '''480 × 160 with no backlight'''.<ref name="wprevo" /> A Revo that seems dim in poor light is behaving normally.
* Back up regularly with PsiWin, Psion's PC connectivity software.<ref name="revohb" />
* '''Use a proper stylus''' on the resistive touchscreen, not a fingernail or a pen.
* Keep the docking station and its cable with the machine.
* The screen ribbon connector has a '''restraint that flips up'''; with it lifted the ribbon needs '''no force''' to insert or remove. '''If it resists, the restraint is not properly released — do not force it.'''<ref name="r3uk" />
* Back up before any work inside the case: disconnecting the battery resets the Revo.<ref name="r3uk" />
* '''Prising the screen from its surround with too much force will shatter it.'''<ref name="r3uk" />
* The nameplate is glued. If it is ever off, '''refit it with hot-melt glue''', not superglue.<ref name="r3uk" />


== Capacitors ==
== Common failure points ==


'''Not a recap candidate.''' The Revo is a 1999 low-voltage surface-mount design of the same generation and construction as the [[Psion Series 5mx|5mx]]. Its faults are the battery, the charging circuit's calibration, the case microswitch and physical damage — none of which is a capacitor.
* Battery connector. A small number of early 8 MB Revos had cells that shook loose in the pack, resetting the machine and losing data. On older machines the battery cable can wear and develop a high resistance, which switches the machine off under load even with the gauge above 50 %.<ref name="millican" /> When the case is open, secure the connector with a dab of hot-melt glue or silicone sealer, not superglue.<ref name="r3uk" />
* Case microswitch. A microswitch on the rear switches the Revo on and off as the case is opened and closed. It breaks easily if the battery bay is forced back in during a repair.<ref name="r3uk" />
* Screen ribbon. The screen ribbon connector has a restraint that flips up; with it lifted, the ribbon needs no force. Prising the screen out of its surround with too much force cracks it.<ref name="r3uk" />


For the small number of situations where capacitor work is justified on a board of this type, see [[Psion Series 5mx Capacitor Replacement Guide]].
Replacing the cells is covered on [[Psion Revo Battery Replacement]].


== Preventive maintenance checklist ==
== Recommended tools ==


# Back up through the dock or IrDA.
* Scalpel or watchmaker's knife, jeweller's screwdrivers and a small flat screwdriver
# '''Let the battery run down before charging, and let the charge complete.'''
* Dental floss for lifting the nameplate without bending it<ref name="r3uk" />
# Do not leave it on charge above 80 %.
* Fine-tipped soldering iron, heatshrink or tape, hot-melt glue or silicone sealer
# If the runtime has collapsed, plan a cell replacement — see [[Psion Revo Battery Replacement]].
* NiMH AAA cells with solder tags, when the cells need replacing
# On an original Revo, secure the battery connector with hot-melt glue if you are ever inside the case.
* The docking station, cable and Psion adaptor
# Check the rear case microswitch still wakes and sleeps the machine.
# Clean the IrDA window, the serial connector and the dock contacts.
# Clean the touchscreen with a soft dry cloth.


== Recommended tools ==
See [[Recommended Tools]] for the general workshop kit.


* Scalpel or watchmaker's knife, jeweller's screwdrivers, small flat screwdriver.
== Preventive maintenance checklist ==
* '''Dental floss''' for lifting the nameplate without bending it.<ref name="r3uk" />
* Fine-tipped soldering iron, heatshrink or tape, hot-melt glue gun or silicone sealer.
* '''NiMH AAA cells with solder tags''' when the time comes.
* The docking station and cable.


See [[Recommended Tools]] for the general workshop kit.
# Back up with PsiWin.
# Charge when the gauge is between 10 % and 80 %, and let each charge finish.
# Charge fully before storing the machine, and recharge at least every few weeks in storage.
# If the running time has collapsed, recalibrate with a hard reset and full charge, then plan a cell replacement if that does not help.
# Check that the case microswitch still switches the machine on and off.
# Clean the infrared window, the rear docking connector and the dock contacts.
# Wipe the screen with a soft dry cloth.


== Related pages ==
== Related pages ==


* [[Psion Revo]] · [[Psion Revo Troubleshooting Guide]] · [[Psion Revo Battery Replacement]]
* [[Psion Revo]]
* [[Psion Revo Troubleshooting Guide]]
* [[Psion Revo Battery Replacement]]
* [[Psion Revo Plus General Maintenance]]
* [[Psion Revo Plus General Maintenance]]
* '''[[Battery Refurbishment]]''' · [[Battery Explosion, Capacitor or Corrosion Damage]] · [[Recommended Tools]]
* [[Battery Refurbishment]]
* [[Recommended Tools]]


== References ==
== References ==


<references />
<references>
<ref name="revohb">Psion Computers PLC, ''Psion Revo Handbook'', version 1.1, February 2000: "Getting started" (pp. 14–18), "Care & safety" (pp. 196–198) and "Specification" (p. 206). Hosted on this wiki as [[:File:Psion Revo Handbook (February 2000).pdf]].</ref>
<ref name="wprevo">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psion_Revo "Psion Revo"], Wikipedia.</ref>
<ref name="r3uk">David Savery, [https://www.r3uk.com/index.php/tech-tips/34-disassembly-guides/3-psion-revodiamond-mako-disassembly-and-battery-replacement "Psion Revo/Diamond Mako Disassembly & Battery Replacement"], R3UK, 9 August 2004.</ref>
<ref name="millican">Kevin Millican, [https://www.millican.info/oldsite/revobats.htm "Revo Battery Information"], 25 May 2003.</ref>
</references>


{{Navbox-Psion}}
{{Navbox-Psion}}

Revision as of 11:40, 30 September 2026

A Psion Revo

Routine care of the Psion Revo, and with the differences noted the Psion Revo Plus and Diamond Mako, is mostly about the two internal NiMH AAA cells and the charging circuit that manages them. The cells are soldered to a connector and sealed under the lid nameplate, so they cannot be changed without opening the case.[1][2]

Regular cleaning

Screen and keyboard

  • Switch the Revo off and wipe the screen and keyboard with a soft, clean, dry cloth. Psion says never to use water or corrosive solvents. If the Revo is set to switch on when the case is opened or the screen is tapped, turn that preference off first.[3]
  • Use the supplied stylus on the touch screen. Psion warns against sharp-tipped objects and ink pens.[3]
  • The screen has no backlight, so a Revo that is hard to read in poor light is behaving normally.[3]

Case and connectors

  • Keep the Revo at +5 °C to +40 °C in use and away from direct sunlight, heaters, damp, dust and sand. Do not keep it next to credit cards or transport tickets: the speaker magnet can corrupt magnetic strips.[3]
  • Keep the infrared window, the docking connector and power socket at the rear, and the docking station contacts clean.
  • The nameplate on the lid is glued. If it has been removed, refit it with hot-melt glue rather than superglue.[2]

Battery and charging

Psion's charging instructions:[3]

  • Use only the supplied adaptor or a Psion-approved one (6 V DC, 500 mA).
  • The battery can be charged at any time; it does not have to be run down first. Psion says the battery performs better in the long term if it is kept topped up and not regularly run flat.
  • The Revo fast-charges to 85 % (red light on), then trickle-charges (red light off). A full charge from empty takes up to 6 hours.
  • After a full charge, the Revo does not charge again until it is disconnected from the adaptor and reconnected.

Kevin Millican's notes on the charge controller add one rule: avoid starting a charge when the gauge is above about 80 %. The controller calibrates itself from a thermal change in the cells at about 84 % of indicated capacity, and a charge started above that point may not drop to trickle charge, which overcharges the cells. Any level between 10 % and 80 % is fine.[4]

After a hard reset or a battery replacement, charge without interruption from empty to full so that the gauge recalibrates. Millican recommends doing this with the machine switched off and ignoring the gauge during the charge.[3][4] Replacement cells must be NiMH.[1]

Storage

  • Switched off, the Revo uses about 1 % of its charge per day. Fully charged, it keeps its data for up to 6 weeks; once the battery has run down, the data lasts about 2 weeks.[3]
  • Charge the Revo fully before putting it away, back it up, and store it dry at −10 °C to +40 °C.[3]
  • The Revo Plus and Diamond Mako hold twice the RAM, which Millican estimates doubles the standby drain.[4]

Backups

The Revo has no memory card slot, so data leaves the machine through the docking station's serial link or by infrared.[3][1]

  • Back up regularly with PsiWin, Psion's PC connectivity software.[3]
  • Keep the docking station and its cable with the machine.
  • Back up before any work inside the case: disconnecting the battery resets the Revo.[2]

Common failure points

  • Battery connector. A small number of early 8 MB Revos had cells that shook loose in the pack, resetting the machine and losing data. On older machines the battery cable can wear and develop a high resistance, which switches the machine off under load even with the gauge above 50 %.[4] When the case is open, secure the connector with a dab of hot-melt glue or silicone sealer, not superglue.[2]
  • Case microswitch. A microswitch on the rear switches the Revo on and off as the case is opened and closed. It breaks easily if the battery bay is forced back in during a repair.[2]
  • Screen ribbon. The screen ribbon connector has a restraint that flips up; with it lifted, the ribbon needs no force. Prising the screen out of its surround with too much force cracks it.[2]

Replacing the cells is covered on Psion Revo Battery Replacement.

  • Scalpel or watchmaker's knife, jeweller's screwdrivers and a small flat screwdriver
  • Dental floss for lifting the nameplate without bending it[2]
  • Fine-tipped soldering iron, heatshrink or tape, hot-melt glue or silicone sealer
  • NiMH AAA cells with solder tags, when the cells need replacing
  • The docking station, cable and Psion adaptor

See Recommended Tools for the general workshop kit.

Preventive maintenance checklist

  1. Back up with PsiWin.
  2. Charge when the gauge is between 10 % and 80 %, and let each charge finish.
  3. Charge fully before storing the machine, and recharge at least every few weeks in storage.
  4. If the running time has collapsed, recalibrate with a hard reset and full charge, then plan a cell replacement if that does not help.
  5. Check that the case microswitch still switches the machine on and off.
  6. Clean the infrared window, the rear docking connector and the dock contacts.
  7. Wipe the screen with a soft dry cloth.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Psion Revo", Wikipedia.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 David Savery, "Psion Revo/Diamond Mako Disassembly & Battery Replacement", R3UK, 9 August 2004.
  3. ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 Psion Computers PLC, Psion Revo Handbook, version 1.1, February 2000: "Getting started" (pp. 14–18), "Care & safety" (pp. 196–198) and "Specification" (p. 206). Hosted on this wiki as File:Psion Revo Handbook (February 2000).pdf.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Kevin Millican, "Revo Battery Information", 25 May 2003.


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