IBM Portable Personal Computer 5155: Making a diagnostics disk and running it

Finding the original IBM Guide to Operations for the IBM 5155 Portable is not an easy task, however, getting a digital copy can be easy by downloading the .pdf here. This will give you the file
IBM_5155_Guide_to_Operations_6936571_JAN84.

Along with this book you'll need the diagnostics floppy as well. This can be accomplished if you have a working PC with a 5.25 floppy drive that can format a 360K disk. First, download the disc image from here. This will be file 5150_5155_5160_diagnostics_2.05.zip.

Inside the zipped file, you'll find three files:

1) 1502367 disc image file

2) DISKCOPY MS-DOS application

3) README

The README file is as follows:

==========================================================================

  DIAGNOSTICS FOR IBM PC AND XT - VERSION 2.05  (IBM part number 1502367)

==========================================================================

NOTE: Diagnostics, not Advanced Diagnostics

USING DISKCOPY.COM TO CREATE A FLOPPY

---------------------------------------

NOTE: DOS only  (not a DOS box in Windows)

NOTE: Command line syntax can be obtained by using the /? option, e.g. ( DISKCOPY /? )

Example:

To make a diskette in A: from an image file named 1502367.IMG, do:

1. Find a vintage computer that has DOS.

2. Copy files from this ZIP into a directory on C: drive of that computer.

3. Insert 360K floppy into A:

4. DISKCOPY 1502367.IMG A:

First, I took a normal double sided double density floppy and formatted it at 360k on my 1.2mb floppy drive using Windows 3.1.

Once I formatted the disk, I followed the README file instructions and entered a DOS command line with the following: DISKCOPY 1502367.IMG B: In my case, I was copying to my B: drive, NOT the A: drive used in the README example.

Once completed, I now have a IBM Diagnostics v.2.05 that will work on my IBM Portable PC. The disk must be inserted in drive A: and booted like a DOS startup disk.

Here, I chose to run diagnostic routines one at a time. These routines tested my installed hardware.

This revealed that I do indeed have a math coprocessor installed. It also ran tests on my keyboard and monitor.

The floppy drives were also tested by using a scratch disk.

Following the test routines in the Guide to Operations book will confirm whether the tests are correct. After running the entire diagnostics routine on this system, everything appears to be working correctly.

IBM Portable Personal Computer 5155: Swapping out disc drives and case

I have two IBM 5155 Portables that I am going to swap out parts to make into a single working machine.

The first unit [A] doesn't have a keyboard and gives a 601 error. Using the keyboard from the other 5155 unit [B], it's discovered that the two floppy drives are not working.

The unit [B] has a screen that is malfunctioning. Attaching an external IBM 5154 monitor does not provide an image. The floppy drives appear to be working.

My first inclination is to test the on board video card in unit [B]. It may be faulty.

Opening the case, reveals a heavily shielded interior.

Inside unit [A] is a Color Graphics board.

Inside unit [B] is an EGA Wonder video card. 

By swapping back and forth, it's discovered that the EGA Wonder card does not want to work with either units and the Color Graphics card does not repair the monitor issue on unit [B].

The course of action, is to remove the mother board and monitor system from unit [A] and place them into the unit [B]'s cosmetically better case. 

 The floppy drives from unit [B] are good and are retained in the front panel assembly.

After re-assembly, the unit now boots from a DOS disk.

The system appears to be working well, though there is an odd issue with Microsoft's Flight Simulator 1.0. There is a screen displacement to the right on both the built in monitor and an external IBM 5154.

The 5155 does not have vertical or horizontal adjustment controls. It does, however have the ability to change the screen placement from left to right using a IBM Diagnostics Disk. Booting the Diagnostics disk and whilst in the menu section, using the F8 key will move the screen RIGHT and the F7 key will move the screen LEFT. 

This did not help with the flight simulator, and since this appears to be an issue only with this software, I'm assuming the 5155 is OK. 

Next blog will show how to make a Diagnostics disk and run the routines on the IBM 5155.

IBM Portable Personal Computer 5155

IBM reportedly spent 36 million dollars on their ad campaigns for the personal computer. Utilizing the iconic figure of Charlie Chaplin as a character in their print and television advertising, the campaign was wildly successful. An interesting paper IBM's Charlie Chaplin: A Case Study written by Jane Caputi is worth a look. It examines the role of IBM in society and how it toggles with the artistic outlook of Chaplin.

I've been interested in obtaining an old IBM from this time period and with careful thought, decided on finding this particular model.

I found one locally that was missing it's keyboard and cosmetically in fairly bad shape. Yet it booted up to a 601 Error (no keyboard). This was as far as I could go with it.

I found another one on eBay that has a monitor issue. It was in great cosmetic shape, with keyboard and the original blue IBM canvas case.

My goal is to transfer the working components into the cosmetically better case.

Specifications:

Processor Intel 8088

Speed 4.77 MHz

RAM 256-640K

ROM Unknown

Storage 2 360K 5.25" built-in floppy drives

Expansion 7 slots of varying length, some used in the basic configuration.

Bus ISA

Video CGA 9'' amber screen which could display texts and graphics. 

I/O Parallel, Serial

OS DOS 2.1

Weighs about 30 lbs.

For an in depth review, read the PC Magazine article Inside the PC Portable by Bill Machrone:

The IBM Portable Personal Computer was introduced on February 1984. It was discontinued in April 1986. Fall 1984, this machine sold for $ 3020.00. That would be $6,783.53 in today's dollars!