IBM Thinkpad A21e 2000 Manual

							Checkout guide
Use the following procedures as a guide in identifying and
correcting problems with the ThinkPad computer.
Note:The diagnostic tests are intended to test only IBM
products. The use of non-IBM products, prototype
cards, or modified options can lead to false
indications of errors and invalid system responses.
1. Identify the failing symptoms in as much detail as
possible.
2. Verify the symptoms. Try to re-create the failure by
running the diagnostic test or by repeating the
operation.
Testing the computer
The ThinkPad computer has a test program called
PC-Doctor DOS (hereafter calledPC-Doctor). You can
detect errors by running the diagnostics test included in
PC-Doctor. This section is an overview of the procedure.
For details that depend on model-unique functions, refer to
“Product overview”on page 35.
For some possible configurations of the computer,
PC-Doctor might not run correctly. To avoid this problem,
you need to initialize the computer setup by use of the IBM
BIOS Setup Utility before you run PC-Doctor. On the IBM
BIOS Setup Utility screen, pressF9,Enter,F10, and then
Enter.
Note:When you initialize the computer configuration,
some devices are disabled, such as the serial port.
If you test one of these devices, you will need to
enable it by using PS2.EXE.
PC-Doctor cannot be used to test a device that is in the
docking station, even if the computer supports the docking
station. To test a USB device, connect it to the USB
connector of the computer. To test the Ultrabay 2000
device, install it in the Ultrabay 2000 slot of the computer.
To run the test, do as follows:
Note:In the following procedure, you can select an item
not only with the arrow keys, but also with the
TrackPoint. Instead of pressingEnter, click the left
button.
1. Insert the PC-Doctor disk into the diskette drive; then
power on the computer.
If the computer cannot be powered on, go to“Power
system checkout”on page 29, and check the power
sources.
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General descriptions27 
						

							If an error code appears, go to“Symptom-to-FRU
index”on page 41.
On the first screen, select the model and pressEnter.
Follow the instructions on the screen.
2. The main panel of PC-Doctor appears.
3. SelectDiagnosticswith the arrow keys, and press
Enter.
A pull-down menu appears. (Its exact form depends on
the model.)
The options on the test menu are as follows:
Diagnostics Interactive Tests
vRun Normal Test
vRun Quick Test
vCPU/Coprocessor
vSystemboard
vVideo Adapter
vSerial Ports
vParallel Ports
vFixed Disks
vDiskette Drives
vOther Devices
vCommunication
vMemory Test–Full
vMemory Test–QuickvKeyboard
vVideo
vInternal Speaker
vMouse
vJoystick Test
vDiskette
vSystem Load
vCD-ROM/DVD Test
vStereo Speaker
Notes:
vIn theKeyboardtest inInteractive Tests, theFnkey
is scanned only once. Each key should be held down
for at least 2 seconds; otherwise, it cannot be sensed.
vVideo Adaptertest supports only the LCD display on
ThinkPad. Before running PC-Doctor DOS, detach the
external Monitor.
4. Run the applicable function test.
5. Follow the instructions on the screen. If there is a
problem, PC-Doctor shows messages describing it.
6. To exit the test, selectQuit—Exit Diag.
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28ThinkPad A21e 
						

							To cancel the test, pressEsc.
Note:After executing PC-Doctor, check the system
time/date and reset them if needed.
Detecting system information with
PC-Doctor
PC-Doctor can detect the following system information:
Hardware InfovSystem Configuration
vMemory Contents
vPhysical Disk Drives
vLogical Disk Drives
vVGA Information
vIDE Drive Info
vPCI Information
vPNPISA Info
vSMBIOS Info
vVESA LCD Info
UtilityvRun External Tests
vSurface Scan Hard Disk
vBenchmark System
vDOS Shell
vTech Support Form
vBattery Rundown
vView Test Log
vPrint Log
vSave Log
vFull Erase Hard Drive
vQuick Erase Hard Drive
Power system checkout
To verify a symptom, do the following:
1. Power off the computer.
2. Remove the battery pack.
3. Connect the ac adapter.
4. Check that power is supplied when you power on the
computer.
5. Power off the computer.
6. Disconnect the ac adapter and install the charged
battery pack.
7. Check that the battery pack supplies power when you
power on the computer.
If you suspect a power problem, see the appropriate one
of the following power supply checkouts:
v“Checking the ac adapter”on page 30
v“Checking operational charging”on page 30
v“Checking the battery pack”on page 31
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General descriptions29 
						

							v“Checking the backup battery”on page 32
Checking the ac adapterYou are here because the computer fails only when the ac
adapter is used:
vIf the power problem occurs only when the port
replicator is used, replace the port replicator.
vIf the power-on indicator does not turn on, check the
power cord of the ac adapter for correct continuity and
installation.
vIf the computer does not charge during operation, go to
″Checking operational charging.″
To check the ac adapter, do the following:
1. Unplug the ac adapter cable from the computer.
2. Measure the output voltage at the plug of the ac
adapter cable. See the following figure:
Pin Voltage (V dc)
1 +15.5 to +17.0
2 Ground
3. If the voltage is not correct, replace the ac adapter.
4. If the voltage is acceptable, do the following:
vReplace the system board.
vIf the problem persists, go to“Product overview”on
page 35.
5.
Note:Noise from the ac adapter does not always indicate
a defect.
Checking operational chargingTo check whether the battery charges properly during
operation, use a discharged battery pack or a battery pack
that has less than 50% of the total power remaining when
installed in the computer.
Perform operational charging. If the battery status indicator
or icon does not turn on, remove the battery pack and let it
return to room temperature. Reinstall the battery pack. If
the charge indicator or icon still does not turn on, replace
the battery pack.
If the charge indicator still does not turn on, replace the
system board. Then reinstall the battery pack. If it is still
not charged, go to the next section.
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30ThinkPad A21e 
						

							Checking the battery packBattery charging does not start until the Power Meter
shows that less than 95% of the total power remains;
under this condition the battery pack can charge to 100%
of its capacity. This protects the battery pack from being
overcharged or from having a shortened life.
To check the status of your battery, move your cursor to
the Power Meter icon in the icon tray of the Windows
taskbar and wait for a moment (but do not click), and the
percentage of battery power remaining is displayed. To get
detailed information about the battery, double-click the
Power Meter icon.
Note:If the battery pack becomes hot, it may not be able
to charge. Remove it from the computer and leave it
at room temperature for a while. After it cools down,
reinstall and recharge it.
To check the battery pack, do the following:
1. Power off the computer.
2. Remove the battery pack and measure the voltage
between battery terminals 1 (+) and 5 (). See the
following figure:
5
Terminal Voltage (V dc)
1 + 0 to + 12.6
5 Ground ()
3.for Lithium ion battery;
vIf the voltage is less than +11.0 V dc, the battery
pack has been discharged.
Note:Recharging will take at least 3 hours, even if
the indicator does not turn on.
If the voltage is still less than +11.0 V dc after
recharging, replace the battery.
for Nickel metal hydride battery;
vIf the voltage is less than +8.0 V dc, the battery
pack has been discharged.
Note:Recharging will take at least 3 hours, even if
the indicator does not turn on.
If the voltage is still less than +8.0 V dc after
recharging, replace the battery.
4.for Lithium ion battery;
vIf the voltage is more than +11.0 V dc, measure the
resistance between battery terminals 4 and 5. The
resistance must be 4 to 30 K ohm.
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General descriptions31 
						

							for Nickel metal hydride battery;
vIf the voltage is more than +8.0 V dc, measure the
resistance between battery terminals 4 and 5. The
resistance must be 4 to 30 K ohm.
If the resistance is not correct, replace the battery
pack. If the resistance is correct, replace the system
board.
Checking the backup batteryDo the following:
1. Power off the computer, and unplug the ac adapter
from it.
2. Turn the computer upside down.
3. Remove the battery pack (see“1010 Battery pack”on
page 51).
4. Remove the backup battery (see“Checking the battery
pack”on page 31).
5. Measure the voltage of the backup battery. See the
following figure.
Wire Voltage (V dc)
Red +2.5 to +3.2
Black Ground
vIf the voltage is correct, replace the system board.
vIf the voltage is not correct, replace the backup battery.
vIf the backup battery discharges quickly after
replacement, replace the system board.
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32ThinkPad A21e 
						

							ThinkPad A21e
Product overview............35
Specifications............35
Status indicators...........36
FRU Tests.............38
Fn key combinations..........40
Symptom-to-FRU index..........41
Numeric error codes..........41
Error messages...........44
Beep symptoms...........45
No beep symptoms..........45
LCD-related symptoms.........46
Intermittent problems..........46
Undetermined problems.........47
FRU replacement notices.........47
Screw notices............47
Retaining serial numbers.........48
Restoring the serial number of the system unit 49
Retaining the UUID.........49
Removing and replacing a FRU........50
1010 Battery pack...........51
1020 DIMM............52
1030 Mini PCI adapter.........53
1040 Backup battery..........55
1050 Hard-disk drive..........56
1060 Ultrabay 2000 device........58
1070 Keyboard...........60
1080 Keyboard CRU insulator.......63
1090 Hinge cover...........64
1100 Keyboard bezel and speaker......65
1110 Speaker cable..........67
1120 Sub card............68
1130 PC Card slot assembly.......70
1140 Fan assembly..........71
1150 Diskette drive..........73
1160 Upper shield...........74
1170 System board..........75
2010 LCD assembly..........77
2020 Front bezel...........79
2030 Inverter card..........81
12.1-in. panel...........81
14.1-in. and 15.0-in. panels.......82
2040 LCD panel...........83
12.1-in. panel...........83
14.1-in. and 15.0-in. panels.......85
Locations..............87
Front view.............87
Rear view.............88
Bottom view............89
Parts list..............90
LCDFRU.............93
33  
						

							12.1-in. SVGA TFT.........93
14.1-in. XGA TFT..........93
15.0-in. XGA TFT..........93
15.0-in. XGA TFT (LG)........94
Keyboard.............95
Miscellaneous parts..........96
Optional FRUs............98
Common parts list...........99
Tools.............99
Power cords (system)........99
Notices..............100
Trademarks............100
34ThinkPad A21e 
						

							Product overview
This section presents the following product-unique
information:
v“Specifications”
v“Status indicators”on page 36
v“FRU Tests”on page 38
v“Fn key combinations”on page 40
Specifications
The following table lists the specifications of the ThinkPad
A21e series:
Feature Description
Processor Intel®Celeron®processor 600 MHz,
L2 128–KB cache
Bus architecture PCI Bus
Memory (standard) 64 MB (SO DIMM x 1)
Memory (optional) 64 MB or 128 MB DIMM card
(maximum of 256 MB)
CMOS RAM 114 bytes
Displayv12.1-inch, 16M colors, SVGA
(800×600 resolution) TFT color
LCD
v14.1-inch, 16M colors, XGA
(1024×768 resolution) TFT color
LCD
v15.0-inch, 16M colors, XGA
(1024×768 resolution) TFT color
LCD
Diskette drive 1.44 MB (3-mode), 3.5-inch
Hard-disk drive 10.0 GB, 2.5-inch, IDE interface
I/O portvExternal monitor
vLine-in
vHeadphone
vMicrophone
vMouse or keyboard
vParallel or diskette drive
vPort replicator connector
vSerial
vUniversal serial bus (USB)
connector
vRJ11
vRJ45
Internal modem 56.6 Kbps
AudiovInternal speaker
vSoftware control volume
PC Card One Type-III or Type-II or Type-I
AC adapter 72-watt type
Bay device 10-24 x CR-ROM driveProduct overview
ThinkPad A21e35 
						

							Status indicators
The system status indicators show the status of the
computer, as follows:
Indicator Meaning

1BatteryGreen:The battery is fully charged.
Blinking green:
The battery has enough power
to operate, but is being
charged.
Orange:The battery power is low. The
battery is to being charged.
Blinking orange:
The battery needs to be
charged. when the indicator
starts blinking orange, the
computer beeps three times.

2Standby statusGreen:The computer is in standby
mode.
Blinking green:
The computer is entering
standby mode or hibernation
mode, or is resuming normal
operation. This indicator does
not blink in Windows 98,
Windows 2000 and Windows
Me.
(continued)
Product overview
36ThinkPad A21e