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TOSHIBA T5200

Info, mods, pics, tips etc

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Models

Model Type Comment
PA8054U T5200C or T5200/200 (200MB HDD) model
PA8052U Plasma, 100MB
PA8052EA Plasma, 100MB No search results on google for this but it definitely exists (I have one!)
PA8050U Plasma, 40MB
PA8050E Plasma, ??

T5200 vs T5200C - differences

  • Both machines are identical except for the display assembly (and LCD/PDP converter). The displays should be swappable (but has anyone ever tried??)
T5200 T5200C Part Comment
image Display Color LCD has 2 dials instead of one
image Display T5200C display is more matte than the plasma
image image Display/lid Lid is fatter on the T5200C
LCD display is smaller than the plasma (10.4" vs 11.5")

๐Ÿ“– Maintenance Manual

http://www.minuszerodegrees.net/manuals/Toshiba/Other/Toshiba%20T5200%20-%20Maintenance%20Manual.pdf

๐Ÿ”Œ Power Supply

P/N: 5200-0010

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Components

PC001, PC002: 0N3105

BIOS

Accessing the BIOS

  • Hold down Esc while powering on the system to force an error, then hit F1
  • Alternatively, launch TEST3.EXE from MS-DOS

BIOS Variants

  • Note the "05" up top right, and the ability to choose plasma font set on the other variant!

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BIOS chip

  • Chip could be from AMD or Texas Instruments

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๐Ÿ”‹ CMOS Battery

  • I replaced mine with a 3V CR2032 battery (with battery holder) and diode (if you're worried about the machine trying to "charge" the battery).

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Memory (RAM)

  • 1MB of RAM is soldered on the RAM board - the system will run just fine with no SIMMs installed
  • 6x 40-pin SIMM slots (proprietary and impossible to find ๐Ÿ˜ฅ) and 1x 30-pin parity slot (optional)
  • Apparently a maximum of 16MB is supported (but I've only seen up to 14MB)
  • SIMMs appear to be the same type as used in the Toshiba T8500 desktop PC and Acer 735C
  • You can skip the RAM check/count on boot by hitting SPACE

Memory board

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SIMM variants

Front and back of 4 different modules:

image image

Others I've seen online:

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RAM Mod

Here are details on a mod to add 8MB of RAM using a standard 72 pin 8MB Parity SIMM. (Requires at least 2MB of proprietary SIMMs already fitted)

Use this info at your own risk, don't blame me if you damage your T5200!

https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?f=46&t=57998&start=20

https://www.vogons.org/download/file.php?id=45121&mode=view

You might be able to use a 16 bit ISA memory expansion board for memory below 16MB but that might not work and would be very slow even if it did.

Each pair of SIMM slots has a single label on the component side so there are 6 slots but only 3 labels (IS17, IS16 & IS15 - ignoring the short 30 pin slot). The middle pair is IS16 and one slot I have referenced as "A" and the other as "B" although they are not labelled

Web links:

https://www.iclocator.com/rfq.html/-5405EDC5-0471-4E05-9AC9-37B072077022?pagename=rfq&e=33oueXFqWRA

https://old.pinouts.ru/Memory/simm_40pin_pinout.shtml

https://forum.vcfed.org/index.php?threads/creating-a-bmp-image-thats-viewable-in-windows-3-1.66758/

Motherboard/Mainboard

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CPU

  • 132-pin PGA Intel i386 DX @ 20MHz

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CPU Upgrades

You can fit a 33Mhz or 40Mhz upgrade CPU in the T5200, it will just run at 20Mhz unless the CPU has built in clock doubling. The hardware mods improve the performance of some of the upgrade CPUs but aren't essential and the CPUs will work if you plug them in without any mods albeit with reduced performance.

Brand Model Comment SysInfo benchmark score (higher is better)
Intel i386 DX @20MHz Stock CPU 21.2
Texas Instruments TXI486DLC/E-33GA
Texas Instruments TX486DLC-40BGA
Texas Instruments TX486DLC-40GA (Note, installs sideways) 23.9
Texas Instruments TI486DLC/E40BGA
Cyrix Cx486DRx2 20/40GPL
Texas Instruments SXL2-50 32.1 (stock, 54.3 using custom BIOS that allows it to run at 40MHz https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?f=46&t=57998#p643529
Cyrix Cx486DLC

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Math Co-Processor

  • Optional i387

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Hard Disk Drive (HDD)

  • BIOS only supports 3 types of Conner drives, available in 40MB, 100MB and 200MB (rarer) capacities

  • Replacement drive must match one of the 3 approved conner HDDs - it must match the CHS setting in the BIOS and its model number must start with CP (Conner Peripherals).

Pic Make Model Capacity Seek time (ms)
image Conner CP-344/CP-3044 40MB
image Conner CP-3104 100MB
image Conner CP-3204F 200MB

HDD upgrades/mods

XT-IDE option

  • An ISA card with IDE connector/SD card slot/CF card slot

image

https://conventionalmemories.com/wiki_cm/CF_adapter_for_Toshiba_portables

https://conventionalmemories.com/wiki_cm/3inONEder_for_Toshiba_portables

https://texelec.com/product/lo-tech-xt-cf-lite-rev-2/

  • Set the IO_ADDR to 300H
  • Prepare a CF card (install MS-DOS in VirtualBox, convert the VDI to .IMG, use Win32DiskImager to write to the CF card

Options:

  • fire up the T5200 and go in to the BIOS setup and see what hard drive options you have - write them down - and buy a matching Conner CP series IDE drive.
  • write the AT version of XTIDE to a boot ROM and configure it in a network card, set the T5200 to no hard drive, and install any generic IDE hard drive.
  • find another Conner IDE drive and ask someone on here to hack the ROM, then burn the new ROM and replace the one on your motherboard (or maybe get away with drive overlay software)

Drive Overlay software is a program that sits in the boot sector and reconfigures the drive before DOS starts.

๐Ÿ’พ Floppy Disk Drive (FDD)

  • 26-pin (non-standard) FDD connector, which carries data + power
  • These drives are prone to failure, and rarely work anymore
  • โ„นRecommend the floppy drive mod below which involves hacking a ribbon cable to allow a standard 34-pin floppy (or Gotek USB floppy emulator) to work
Pic Make Model Note
image Toshiba ND-356S-A
Citizen 0SDA-32C

Floppy mod

How-to: https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=642629#p642629

Gotek USB floppy emulator (pictured):

image

  • Adapters like this may also work:

https://floppyemulator.com/products/34-26-pin-flat-cable-adaptor/

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Display

๐ŸŸง Orange Gas Plasma Display (T5200, T5200/100, T5200/200)

  • Display Area: 9.1"W x 6.8"H; 11.5"

  • Model: Panasonic MD480T640PG3

  • diagonal Resolution: 640 x 480

  • Gray scales: 16 Contrast: 100 : 1

  • 34 pin plug

  • T5200 and T3200SX have the same displays, VGA 640x480, 16 shades of intensity.

VGA / Video Card / HRGS

  • Board: FH3HR4 / FH3HR3

image

  • Capacitors C2 and C4 are 16v 47uF and do not appear to be related to the plasma display

  • C2 does not appear to be related to the plasma display (maybe it's for the VGA port?)

  • R127 and R134 (SMD resistors on rear) do not appear to be related to the plasma display

  • "You dont really need a video driver for your Paradise PVGA1 (?) because these Toshiba models do have - although indeed having one of the first Paradise SVGA compatible chipsets - only 256kb of video RAM, iirc. which means youre limited to a max of 640x480x16 at max, if I am not mistaken."

I/O card

  • System will NOT POST without this card present

  • Display will NOT power on without this card present

  • System will emit 4 short beeps and 2 long beeps if card is not installed

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๐Ÿ” Combination Lock

Fans / Cooling

  • 3x 4cm x 2cm 12v dumb fans

ISA slots

  • One 16-bit (top)
  • One 8-bit (bottom)

Rear Expansion Slot

  • Connection is ISA but in a non-standard layout
  • Often unpopulated, but modems were the most common expansion. I've also seen parallel ports.
  • The interface connector for the mainboard is made by KEL and 3m makes compatible connectors as well. Part numbers: KEL 8801-060-170L-F or 3M P50-060S-RR1-EA
Image Expansion card Comment
image Modem MultiTech MT224TL 2400/1200/300-BPS, INTERNAL CARD MODEM FOR TOSHIBA T3100, T3100/20 & T5100 COMPUTERS
image Toshiba Expansion box connector
image Expansion box card ?
image ConventionalMemories' 3inOneder card An XT-IDE card that replaces the HDD with a CF card, includes a soundcard and gameport (https://old.reddit.com/r/retrobattlestations/comments/n8ilxg/all_the_features_my_toshiba_was_missing_on_one/)
image LAN card
image CF XT-IDE card by ConventionalMemories
image Modem Holmes Microsystems Inc
image Arctic Systems SynPhonix speech synthesizer
image image Modem Toshiba modem (8-bit?)

Modem

image

Issues

there is a single line vertical artifact on screen.

Quite often in these screens this may be a "cold solder" ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soldering#Electronics ). You can try to check these "fat" solders on top of the screen - every now and then one of them can be repaired.

Capacitors

Converter board (plasma)

Number Voltage Capacitance
C00 ? ?
C202 ? ?
? 250V ?
? 25v 100uF

Converter board (Colour LCD - T5200C)

Number Voltage Capacitance
C2 25v 22uF
C17 10v 1000uF
C1 35v 330uF
C14 35v 330uF
C6 25v 820uF

Plasma display board

Number Voltage Capacitance
C2 250v 3.3uF
C6 ? ?
C7 ? ?
C9 16v 47uF
C10 ? ?
C15 16v 47uF
C32 16v 47uF
C36 250v 3.3uF
C37 250v 1uF
C38 250v 1uF

VGA (HGRS) card FH3HR4

Number Voltage Capacitance
C2
C4

Motherboard

Number Voltage Capacitance
C1
C2
C11
C299
C12

Power Supply

Software

|-|-|-| |name | details | other | | LXPic | | lxpic /c /g8 /y |

Media appearances

  • Toshiba ad, 1990, Australia:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPWLVBK-W3Y

  • An ad featuring the T5200 amongst a lot of women's legs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rmI2FAk5Ic

FAQs

What's the max resolution (external monitor)?

How does the A/B/PRT switch work?

How to change combination lock code?

Why are many games/MS-DOS "letterboxed", leaving the top and bottom of the screen unused?

Can you use another video card?

Yes, you can plug in any ISA video card (not sure if this disables the plasma/onboard VGA card though?)

Can I upgrade the video RAM?

Maybe? I believe the internal display's video RAM is on the mainboard. You might be able to replace the RAM chips for external display on the HGRS board.

Can it run DOOM?

Yes. But very slowly ๐ŸŒ. Upgrading the CPU will help, and I recomment FastDOOM - a port of DOOM that's optimised to be as fast as possible on old machines: https://github.com/viti95/FastDoom/

Note: DOOM 2 has a hard RAM requirement (8MB I think)

๐Ÿ–ผ๏ธ Photos

  • I've taken a bunch of nice, big photos of the guts of this machine here:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/ahrCAmGZybXRYxjD6

๐Ÿ”— Links

http://www.le-grenier-informatique.fr/pages/les-telechargements/utilitaires.html

https://xtideuniversalbios.org/

https://forum.vcfed.org/index.php?threads/toshiba-t5200-100-with-cp30174e.52335/#post-641502

๐Ÿช› DISASSEMBLY

๐Ÿ”ฉ SCREWS

  • Screen - bottom/hinge: 2x 10mm
  • Screen - top (under rubber pads) 2x 8mm
  • Plasma frame: 4x 10mm

Accessing RAM/CPU/FPU/BIOS/PC Speaker

  • Remove 4x 8mm screws from base, along front of machine
  • Wiggle keyboard to release it
  • Remove 2x 10mm screws to remove the keyboard plate

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