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x41t won't turn on after SATA Mod

X20/X21, X30/X31, X40/X41 Series
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sudodmz
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x41t won't turn on after SATA Mod

#1 Post by sudodmz » Mon Dec 05, 2016 7:37 pm

Hey Guys, so I found my self crawling through the Internet for some time (I try to solve my problems generally by observing and not disturbing you guys) but this time I found no solution. I tried the static discharge trick checked my doing several times to no avail. Story is: I ordered myself an IBM X41 Tablet several weeks ago with the sole purpose to do the SATA Mod and use it for university and cars (practical 12" and convertible you know). However things got complicated; The laptop was working before the modding attempt (although no OS was installed I could access the BIOS and the computer told me that no OS was installed on bootup). After doing the mod I got nothing; as I told before there is no reaction, it simply won't turn on. The only sign of life I got so far is the charging indicator (and this one I just got today, before it was just simply and plainly dead). I did a SATA Mod before on a T43, but that means in no way that I'm an expert. I also checked the soldering spots of the AC Plug, some contacts of Display and Keyboard getting some 2-3V on the latter and full 16V on the first. So; what could I've possibly done wrong?

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Re: x41t won't turn on after SATA Mod

#2 Post by StefanKo » Tue Dec 06, 2016 4:38 am

I suspect that there is some shortcut or blown fuse.
I hope you removed the battery before doing any soldering on the board?

Did you remove the Sata-IDE bridge chip or just cut the traces?
If you removed it, did you clean the solder pads properly?
If you cut the traces, I hope you did not cut too deep.

Did you get the sata pinout right?
Maybe there is some mixup or shortcut at your sata connector.
Did you try to start the X41 without hard disk?
using an X220 (i3->i5->i7, hopefully soon FHD IPS), an X41 (SSD via (m)sata-Mod, IPS, ~100Wh custom battery);
playing with an T430u(buntu), storing a T22, X41t, T42, R61, T61p;
and taking care of the T420s (FHD IPS) of my wife

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Re: x41t won't turn on after SATA Mod

#3 Post by RealBlackStuff » Tue Dec 06, 2016 5:58 am

You may want to have a look at this: http://mikejmoffitt.com/articles/0000-t43sata.html

sudodmz
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Re: x41t won't turn on after SATA Mod

#4 Post by sudodmz » Tue Dec 06, 2016 9:24 pm

StefanKo wrote:I suspect that there is some shortcut or blown fuse.
Thought the exact same thing, but I've got no idea on how to determine the blown one.
StefanKo wrote:I hope you removed the battery before doing any soldering on the board?
Yes, to be precise, I even disassembled the laptop and took out the board (wanted to do better this time than in my t43)
StefanKo wrote:Did you remove the Sata-IDE bridge chip or just cut the traces?
I removed it.
StefanKo wrote:If you removed it, did you clean the solder pads properly?
If you cut the traces, I hope you did not cut too deep.
I think by solder pads you mean the four squares beneath the chip? If yes, lets say as good as possible (or, even better than in my t43)
StefanKo wrote:Did you get the sata pinout right?
Definitely yes, Sir.
StefanKo wrote:Maybe there is some mixup or shortcut at your sata connector.
I would say that's highly unlikely, because after soldering the cables to A+/-/B+/- that was just a piece of cake. But to be sure I checked on that, too.
StefanKo wrote:Did you try to start the X41 without hard disk?
Yes. Exact same behaviour. Nothing comes up, as if the laptop gets no electricity

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Re: x41t won't turn on after SATA Mod

#5 Post by RealBlackStuff » Tue Dec 06, 2016 11:18 pm

I think by solder pads you mean the four squares beneath the chip?
No.
He means all 64 solder points where the SATA-chip legs used to be.
Just one dirty contact there is enough to make it appear like a failure.
Been there, done that...
Those 4 big squares underneath are totally irrelevant.

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Re: x41t won't turn on after SATA Mod

#6 Post by sudodmz » Wed Dec 07, 2016 1:51 am

RealBlackStuff wrote:
I think by solder pads you mean the four squares beneath the chip?
No.
He means all 64 solder points where the SATA-chip legs used to be.
Just one dirty contact there is enough to make it appear like a failure.
Been there, done that...
Those 4 big squares underneath are totally irrelevant.
Oh THEY are definitely clean. I was extra careful when removing the chip (well, as I said, I did EVERYTHING better on this one, than on my old t43, but yet you see results at hand). Concerning the very first question: I don't suppose there is a mapping of might-have-blown fuses?

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Re: x41t won't turn on after SATA Mod

#7 Post by RealBlackStuff » Wed Dec 07, 2016 6:57 am

Check my webpage: http://theboardroom.info/ibm_list.html
Near the top is a link for a Fuse-list.

The 2.5" SATA connector (as used in a T43/p) should look like this:
Gnd/A+/A-/Gnd/B-/B+/Gnd/====/3x 3.3V/3x Gnd/3x 5V/Gnd-HDDLed-Gnd/3x 12V/

Only A+/A- and B-/B+ are connected from the SATA-chip location.
If you like you can connect the Gnd posts to Ground, I never did.

EDIT: below is for T43/T43p/R52:
3x 3.3V are soldered together, nothing connected to it
3x Gnd are soldered together and connected to "old" pin 40 (Ground) from the IDE-connector
3x 5V are soldered together and connected to "old" pin 42 (+5V) from the IDE-connector
Gnd-HDDLed-Gnd are NOT used, NOT soldered together, nothing connected to them
3x 12V are soldered together, nothing connected to it

EDIT: below is for X41/X41T:
3x 3.3V are soldered together and connected to "old" pin 42 (+3.3V) from the IDE-connector
3x Gnd are soldered together and connected to "old" pin 40 (Ground) from the IDE-connector
3x 5V are soldered together, nothing connected to it
Gnd-HDDLed-Gnd are NOT used, NOT soldered together, nothing connected to them
3x 12V are soldered together, nothing connected to it

The 1.8" SATA connector (as possibly used in an X41/t) should look like this:
Gnd/A+/A-/Gnd/B-/B+/Gnd/====/2x 3.3V/2x Gnd/2x 5V/Unused/Unused/Unused/

Only A+/A- and B-/B+ are connected from the SATA-chip location.
If you like you can connect the Gnd posts to Ground, I never did.

2x 3.3V are soldered together and connected to (+3.3V) from the IDE-connector
2x Gnd are soldered together and connected to (Ground) from the IDE-connector
2x 5V are soldered together, nothing connected to it
The other 3 are NOT used, NOT soldered together, nothing connected to them

Not sure if an X41 uses a 1.8" SATA connector.

The IDE-pinouts on the T43/T43p/R52 and X41/X41T are identical, EXCEPT:
Pin 42 = +3.3V on X41/X41T
Pin 42 = +5V on T43/T43p/R52.

sudodmz
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Re: x41t won't turn on after SATA Mod

#8 Post by sudodmz » Wed Dec 07, 2016 8:53 am

RealBlackStuff wrote:Check my webpage: http://theboardroom.info/ibm_list.html
Near the top is a link for a Fuse-list.
That could help, thanks a lot!
RealBlackStuff wrote:The 2.5" SATA connector (as used in a T43/p) should look like this:
Gnd/A+/A-/Gnd/B-/B+/Gnd/====/3x 3.3V/3x Gnd/3x 5V/Gnd-HDDLed-Gnd/3x 12V/

Only A+/A- and B-/B+ are connected from the SATA-chip location.
If you like you can connect the Gnd posts to Ground, I never did.
Never soldered them, too.
RealBlackStuff wrote:3x 3.3V are soldered together, nothing connected to it
3x Gnd are soldered together and connected to "old" pin 40 (Ground) from the IDE-connector
3x 5V are soldered together and connected to "old" pin 42 (+5V) from the IDE-connector
Gnd-HDDLed-Gnd are NOT used, NOT soldered together, nothing connected to them
3x 12V are soldered together, nothing connected to it
On my first mod, I just didn't use the 3.3V and 12V (to be precise I just used one 5V and one Gnd Connector). This time I took the ones not needed out of commission.
RealBlackStuff wrote:The 1.8" SATA connector (as possibly used in an X41/t) should look like this:
Gnd/A+/A-/Gnd/B-/B+/Gnd/====/2x 3.3V/2x Gnd/2x 5V/Unused/Unused/Unused/

Only A+/A- and B-/B+ are connected from the SATA-chip location.
If you like you can connect the Gnd posts to Ground, I never did.

2x 3.3V are soldered together and connected to (+3.3V) from the IDE-connector
2x Gnd are soldered together and connected to (Ground) from the IDE-connector
2x 5V are soldered together, nothing connected to it
The other 3 are NOT used, NOT soldered together, nothing connected to them

Not sure if an X41 uses a 1.8" SATA connector, or what the IDE-pinout is on the X41/t
On the X41 you don't have exactly the "pin" soldering points, they are more like stripes, but basically the same. At the beginning I thought of using an mSATA connector but then found out most 1.8" SSDs don't need more than 3.3V, so I decided to stick with the "normal" connector.

EDIT: read everything through, but can't seem to find that fuse list...

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Re: x41t won't turn on after SATA Mod

#9 Post by RealBlackStuff » Wed Dec 07, 2016 9:44 am

You sure you read it?

That page starts with:
Overview of known Motherboards for T4x/R5x as of: 03/15/2012

Click on link to see: How-to swap a T4x Mobo
Download this file : T4x Fuse Locations (PDF) <<<<<==========

ATI M6.. = Radeon 7000... xx-16MB
ATI M7.. = Radeon 7500... xx-32MB
etc.

I have done loadz of SATA mods, all on T43/R52 with ATI graphics, but never on an X41/t.
There were power problems if I didn't group-solder the pins as described above.

Apparently the X41/t uses 3.3V, not V5 as in T43/R52. (corrected above)

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Re: x41t won't turn on after SATA Mod

#10 Post by sudodmz » Wed Dec 07, 2016 10:06 am

My bad, found it now. Thanks a lot. Are those all fuses present on a t43, or the ones likely to blow (just askin' to determine, which one I might possibly have blown). Nevertheless I have yet one more question: how do I detect a blown fuse? I think it won't be as easy to see as in a car. Or shall I just check them all with a multimeter? Also which ones should give me any results (bearing in mind that my x41 doesn't power up at all)?

EDIT: I discovered something interesting, though I'm not sure it'll help: when I plug in the AC adapter my battery gets charged (LED indicator), but when I press the power button the LED goes dark again and I have to unplug the AC adapter and plug it back in after a few seconds (to get the charging indicator back on again)

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Re: x41t won't turn on after SATA Mod

#11 Post by RealBlackStuff » Wed Dec 07, 2016 10:19 am

Remove battery and charger.
Check all the fuses you can find with a multimeter, set to Continuity or beep, if you put the two probes together.
Put one probe on each side of the fuse and if it beeps, it's OK.

I've never blown a fuse while SATA-modding, "unclean" SATA-chip leftovers (i.e. false contacts or moved SMDs, only visible under 10x magnification) were usually the case.
Check the area around the SATA-chip, it's easy to move one or more of those tiny SMD chips a mm or two, and then you won't have a proper connection.

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Re: x41t won't turn on after SATA Mod

#12 Post by sudodmz » Wed Dec 07, 2016 10:32 am

RealBlackStuff wrote:I've never blown a fuse while SATA-modding, "unclean" SATA-chip leftovers (i.e. false contacts or moved SMDs, only visible under 10x magnification) were usually the case.
Check the area around the SATA-chip, it's easy to move one or more of those tiny SMD chips a mm or two, and then you won't have a proper connection.
And that could be a possible culprit? Fascinating. On my t43 I was rather rough and it worked though and on my x41 I tried to be precise as hell and it checked out on me. I wil do as you say and report back, though I have yet another technical question: those SMDs around the chip are more or less tied to it and now that I've taken the chip out of commission what's the deal with them? One might've thought they don't serve any purpose (anymore).

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Re: x41t won't turn on after SATA Mod

#13 Post by RealBlackStuff » Wed Dec 07, 2016 12:38 pm

I don't know which ones must be in place and which ones don't matter.
For some unknown reason my "faults" always happened on the left side of the chip, between leg-positions 33 and 48.
And you must really carefully check that you don't have ANY false (hairline-solder) contact between ANY 2 legs/solderpoints.
That's all I know.

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