RetroTechCollection

Psion Series 3a User Guide

The Psion Series 3a User Guide is Psion PLC's user manual for the Psion Series 3a: version 1.0, July 1993, part no. 6103-0044-01, in English, copyright 1991-1993.[1] The hosted PDF has 290 pages and is a text version of the printed guide made by David Kimberlin-Wyer in 2013, as its copyright page records. Printed page numbers are twelve lower than PDF page numbers (printed p. 244 is PDF p. 256).[1]

Front cover of the guide.

It is a user manual, not a service document. For a repairer it records the battery arrangements, the battery warnings, the reset procedures and Psion's specification for the early 256K and 512K machines.

Contents

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The guide has seventeen chapters and four appendices: Getting started; World; The Calculator; Time and alarms; The Database; The Agenda; The Word Processor; The Spreadsheet; The sound recorder; Dialling; Printing; Open files; Moving information with 'Bring'; Files and disks; Security and backups; The System screen; Troubleshooting; and appendices on the character set, the specification, changes for Series 3 users and the serial 3 Link, followed by an index and the warranty.[1]

Sections most useful for repair[1]
Section Printed page PDF page Covers
Where things are; powering the Series 3a 2 14 Reset hole, expansion and mains sockets; AA and backup batteries; mains adaptor
Fitting the batteries 3 15 Main AA cells and the backup cell under door B
Changing the batteries 17-19 29-31 Battery warnings, the usage monitor, alkaline and rechargeable cells, changing the main and backup batteries
Files and disks 205-219 217-231 Solid State Disks and the "Batteries too low to write to Flash" warning
Troubleshooting 237-244 249-256 General problems, memory full messages, soft and hard reset
Specification 249-250 261-262 Size, weight, screen, memory, SSDs, processor, sound, power, keyboard, temperature, communications
For Series 3 users 251-256 263-268 Hardware, power and application changes from the Psion Series 3

What it settles

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  • Psion's specification (printed p. 250): 165 × 85 × 22 mm, 275 g with batteries; 480 × 160 screen; 1 MB ROM; 256K or 512K RAM; NEC V30H at 7.68 MHz; two AA cells giving about 80 hours; a lithium backup battery; an optional 9-10 V 150 mA mains adaptor; 58-key keyboard; 0-50 °C; 1.536 Mbit/s fast serial interface for the 3 Link.[2]
  • Never remove the main batteries and the backup battery at the same time; with both out, internal memory is lost within a few seconds. The backup battery should last several years and should be changed within a week or two of the "Replace backup battery" message.[3]
  • Soft reset: press an unfolded paper clip gently into the reset hole above the On/Esc key. Hard reset: hold the right-hand Shift key while pressing the reset hole, then press On/Esc still holding Shift; everything in internal memory is lost.[4]

What it does not contain

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  • No disassembly, parts list, schematic or component values; see Psion Series 3a Service Manual
  • No coverage of the later 1 MB and 2 MB Series 3a models; this edition describes the 256K and 512K machines[2]
  • The backup cell is described but not identified by type

Pages that cite this document

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Document

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Download: Psion Series 3a User Guide (July 1993).pdf

See also Psion Series 3a Service Manual and Psion Series 3c User Guide.

References

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  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Psion PLC, Series 3a User Guide, version 1.0, July 1993, part no. 6103-0044-01. Hosted on this wiki: File:Psion Series 3a User Guide (July 1993).pdf. Copyright page (PDF p. 4) and contents (PDF pp. 7-11).
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Series 3a User Guide, p. 250 (PDF p. 262), Specification.
  3. ↑ Series 3a User Guide, pp. 17-19 (PDF pp. 29-31), Changing the batteries.
  4. ↑ Series 3a User Guide, p. 244 (PDF p. 256), Resetting the Series 3a.


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