Blueberry iBook Clamshell (1st Gen)

[AphoticD]

Hello,
have you solved that diode issue with the DC-in board yet? I'm also working on a non firewire blueberry iBook G3 and got the same symptoms - the D1 was blown. I've replaced the diode and the supercap but that didn't make any difference even for me. I've even rebuilt the battery and to my surprise, it also stopped charging and it's stuck at 0% now 😂. I don't have a TiBook tho...

I was never able to resolve it. I even bought another Blueberry clamshell unit, which was sold cheap as "untested, parts-only", which works fine, but has the same behaviour where it will only charge while sleeping. So, I have accepted this is how things are going to be.

In terms of the battery. I have repeated the trick where I had the Titanium charge it from absolute zero successfully. For some reason, the Titanium charger has been able to successfully revive my completely dead iBook clamshell batteries.



Here I am powering a 65 watt Titanium logic board, with DC-in and the charge connector, then left it like this to charge for a few hours (not running) and the original, non-rebuilt, iBook clamshell battery came back to life. The bulk of the original battery housing does not fit into the battery bay like it did with my naked rebuild in the earlier photo (a few posts back).

Maybe the charge board from another 65 watt capable PowerBook G4 (or maybe even iBook G4?) could also work? I haven't tested any other config as this Titanium logic board was my most convenient to setup.

 

[AphoticD]

Hi guys, I'm trying to open up my aftermarket clamshell battery to jump start and it seems to be very well glued together. Do you have any opening tips? I'm slightly worried about using a hacksaw.

It was very stubborn. I used a stanley knife to (carefully) cut through the seam.

 

[kupouzar]

I was never able to resolve it. I even bought another Blueberry clamshell unit, which was sold cheap as "untested, parts-only", which works fine, but has the same behaviour where it will only charge while sleeping. So, I have accepted this is how things are going to be.

In terms of the battery. I have repeated the trick where I had the Titanium charge it from absolute zero successfully. For some reason, the Titanium charger has been able to successfully revive my completely dead iBook clamshell batteries.


View attachment 1743169
Here I am powering a 65 watt Titanium logic board, with DC-in and the charge connector, then left it like this to charge for a few hours (not running) and the original, non-rebuilt, iBook clamshell battery came back to life. The bulk of the original battery housing does not fit into the battery bay like it did with my naked rebuild in the earlier photo (a few posts back).

Maybe the charge board from another 65 watt capable PowerBook G4 (or maybe even iBook G4?) could also work? I haven't tested any other config as this Titanium logic board was my most convenient to setup.

I was never able to resolve it. I even bought another Blueberry clamshell unit, which was sold cheap as "untested, parts-only", which works fine, but has the same behaviour where it will only charge while sleeping. So, I have accepted this is how things are going to be.

In terms of the battery. I have repeated the trick where I had the Titanium charge it from absolute zero successfully. For some reason, the Titanium charger has been able to successfully revive my completely dead iBook clamshell batteries.


View attachment 1743169
Here I am powering a 65 watt Titanium logic board, with DC-in and the charge connector, then left it like this to charge for a few hours (not running) and the original, non-rebuilt, iBook clamshell battery came back to life. The bulk of the original battery housing does not fit into the battery bay like it did with my naked rebuild in the earlier photo (a few posts back).

Maybe the charge board from another 65 watt capable PowerBook G4 (or maybe even iBook G4?) could also work? I haven't tested any other config as this Titanium logic board was my most convenient to setup.

Thanks. Maybe it has something to do with our diy chargers. Are you using a 24V or a 19V charger? Btw, I've just found that 8H diode on some Powerbook G4 DC board and it's marked DZ1 on this PCB so it sould be a zener diode. But who knows.

 

[AphoticD]

Thanks. Maybe it has something to do with our diy chargers. Are you using a 24V or a 19V charger? Btw, I've just found that 8H diode on some Powerbook G4 DC board and it's marked DZ1 on this PCB so it sould be a zener diode. But who knows.View attachment 1743229

24v 45w - I also have a few original yo-yo adapters which result in the same behavior.

 

[mac72]

I know this is a necropost but maybe this is still useful for other users with that DC board problem.
I get a clamshell tomorrow and will check this on that machine, too..I 'll try to overclock the 300 Mhz also.

the OP AphoticD posted his original faulty DC board with the smoked Zener diode on page 1:



now compare how this board looks compared to an original one ( second pic), the electric ( conductive) silver foil moved/slipped from its original position and touched one leg of the diode at its left corner ( first pic, red arrow).

This caused the short of the diode, I´m pretty sure. To resolve the ongoing battery charging problems I just would recommend buying a replacement part of the small DC board.

 

[mac72]

...

Here's my resistor circuit now for anyone interested in overclocking an original clamshell to 366Mhz:

View attachment 742977

I'll try that with my 300 Mhz Clamshell, too.
Do you really think it is a good idea to just replace the old resistors with solder blobs ( R7/8/9/11)?
I mean, all the original R values read '103' which means 10 ohm with three zeros, making them 10kOhm.
When you just bridge the pads with solder or wire, you would practically short them.
Yes, they are tiny and I'll do have to order some solder stuff first before attempting this..

 

[AphoticD]

I'll try that with my 300 Mhz Clamshell, too.
Do you really think it is a good idea to just replace the old resistors with solder blobs ( R7/8/9/11)?
I mean, all the original R values read '103' which means 10 ohm with three zeros, making them 10kOhm.
When you just bridge the pads with solder or wire, you would practically short them.
Yes, they are tiny and I'll do have to order some solder stuff first before attempting this..

Thanks for sharing the R value info, that makes good sense.

I’ve used the solder blob technique to change the PLL multipliers like that on a few different PowerPC Macs with success.

YMMV, but this iBook is still running cool at 366MHz even years later.

If you are concerned you could certainly buy the correct resistors to match the originals.

My understanding is the circuit simply needs to be made for the PLL register. I have even heard you could use a graphite pencil to draw in the circuit, but haven’t tried this myself.

 

[B S Magnet]

My understanding is the circuit simply needs to be made for the PLL register. I have even heard you could use a graphite pencil to draw in the circuit, but haven’t tried this myself.

I have confirmed the graphite bridge works. This became a lazy “undo” for me once I removed the resistor for the PLL multiplier pads when trying to determine if my 466 could be bumped up to 533 or better. It didn’t, but I ruined the resistor, so I pulled out a pencil. It’s as if I never removed the OEM resistor in the first place.

 

[mac72]

I have confirmed the graphite bridge works. This became a lazy “undo” for me once I removed the resistor for the PLL multiuplier pads when trying to determine if my 466 could be bumped up to 533 or better. It didn’t, but I ruined the resistor, so I pulled out a pencil. It’s as if I never removed the OEM resistor in the first place.

so, just bridged it, good..if my 103 breaks I'll try that..

 

[mac72]

it worked, resoldering R10 up to position of R9

I now wonder, how the bus speed could be maybe changed to 100?🤓

 

[B S Magnet]

it worked, resoldering R10 up to position of R9

I now wonder, how the bus speed could be maybe changed to 100?🤓

View attachment 2200055 View attachment 2200056

Generally speaking, from what few reports have ever been posted by modding folks over the last 23 years or so, most of the successful overclockings of the iBook clamshells have been with the Rev. A and B models, which have both the lower base clock speeds and also the PPC750L CPUs in them. I have been ill-able to track down much in the way of successful overclockings of the Rev. C models (whose PLL multiplier jumpers are a different set and, despite being documented as well from that person in Japan back in 2000–01, appears to be a trickier ask for the PPC750CX on that otherwise-similar logic board).

Congratulations on giving your Rev. A a nice, healthy, 33 per cent boost! 🎉

 

[mac72]

Generally speaking, from what few reports have ever been posted by modding folks over the last 23 years or so, most of the successful overclockings of the iBook clamshells have been with the Rev. A and B models, which have both the lower base clock speeds and also the PPC750L CPUs in them. I have been ill-able to track down much in the way of successful overclockings of the Rev. C models (whose PLL multiplier jumpers are a different set and, despite being documented as well from that person in Japan back in 2000–01, appears to be a trickier ask for the PPC750CX on that otherwise-similar logic board).

Congratulations on giving your Rev. A a nice, healthy, 33 per cent boost! 🎉

ok, and how could this actuallybe done, overclocking the bus to 100Mhz..I mean, where/how on the board..
of course its a risk, with the bus you also overclock the RAM.

 

[B S Magnet]

ok, and how could this actuallybe done, overclocking the bus to 100Mhz..I mean, where/how on the board..
of course its a risk, with the bus you also overclock the RAM.

As I understand it (limited as that is), the logic board’s clock speed is set at 66MHz in the northbridge design and cannot be changed; only voltages to the CPU itself (the PLL multiplier), can be changed. To wit, the clamshells can accept up to PC-133(MHz) sticks, but the RAM will actually be downclocked and running at 66MHz, not 133MHz, because this is what the northbridge is set to run.

 

[LightBulbFun]

As I understand it (limited as that is), the logic board’s clock speed is set at 66MHz in the northbridge design and cannot be changed; only voltages to the CPU itself (the PLL multiplier), can be changed. To wit, the clamshells can accept up to PC-133(MHz) sticks, but the RAM will actually be downclocked and running at 66MHz, not 133MHz, because this is what the northbridge is set to run.

*ahem* I have an iBook G3 that says otherwise

Details can be found here

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/replacing-the-pearl-in-the-clamshell-diy-ibook-g3-clamshell-g4-cpu-upgrade.2105654/page-2?post=25826174#post-25826174

 

[mac72]

yes, but yours is a G4 now


on a G3, you'll have to undo all previous CPU modifications.
as far as I understand it, the japanese instruction says on a stock 366 SE a 100Mhz bus speed is set by just moving up the R65 to the R64 position..but thats a HUGE jump to 544Mhz.
For my 400Mhz mod I already have replaced the old heat pads to Arctic TP-3 ones, and I also use 512 MB 133Mhz RAM, but I think this would really need a very stable G3 and a better heatsink I guess.

( edit: pic below is a 300 Mhz)

 

[reukiodo]

Not a 1st gen, but if R65 -> R64 would switch 66MHz bus up to 100MHz bus in the 466MHz SE, what resistors would I swap to change the 7x cpu multiplier down to maybe 6x or even 5x ?

I'd gladly take a bus bump over cpu, assuming the rest of the iBook can handle running stable at 100MHz.