This document describes how to replace the HDD of the Phototainer with a different and/or bigger model.
The Hardware Assistant
It looks like you want to open
a very expensive and delicate
device.
Do you need some help?
All images are (c) 2003 by Tels. Photos taken with a Nikon Coolpix 5000 and post-proccessed with The Gimp. Full resolution images (2560x1920 pixels) available upon request.
Feedback of any kind is very welcome, although flames will be handled by Mr. Dave Null. Please use GnuPG with my key when emailing me.
If you are not familiar with the Phototainer, you might wish to read the following mini-review.
Warning!
Opening up the Phototainer may result in harm to the device or yourself. Only
attempt this if you are qualified to do this.
While it may sound easy, it is even easier to damage the device permanently.
You'll need to open the device up, get the old HDD out, then insert the new HDD, and close the device again.
You'll need a standard 9mm high, 2.5" laptop harddisk drive. It must contain one primary partition, formatted with FAT32.
Be warned, though, not all models work. Innoplus says, that some HDDs have a different specification from the HDD originally installed in the Phototainer. For example, newly produced Segate 2.5" HDDs require much more current than usual harddisks. The Phototainer is not able to support this kind of HDD.
There is no "warranty-void sticker", only a warning label, which reads (including the spelling errors):
WARNING!
DO NOT OPEN THE COVER OF THIS DEVICE.
NOT USER-SERVICABLE PART INSIDE!
Depending on your local law, you may have two warranty contracts, one with the dealer selling the device to you, and one with the manufacturer, Innoplus.
Innoplus has said that you void your warranty with them if you open the device, and attempt to repair, mod or upgrade it. This means if it is (newly or still) broken afterwards, they will not cover this. Be warned!
In any event, you may also void your warranty with your dealer if you open up the device. While it was ruled long time ago (in Germany at least) that opening up a PC is common and does not void the warranty (based on the idea that it is often and commonly neccessary to upgrade a lowly desktop PC), this is probably not as established for other small, integrated devices. So consider yourself warned.
You'll need three different tools. The flashlight is optional.
You'll need:
I actually used a small skalpell (please don't ask).
Place the Phototainer on a dry, clean, flat surface. Then remove the battery from the unit by pressing the two silver knobs at each side and pulling at the battery at the same time. The device is now ready to undergo the operation.
Examine the four holes at the back of the unit and check that the heads of the screws are in fact marked with a cross, each. If not, it would be a wise idea to change your type of screwdriver :)
Now start carefully removing the four screws located in the four holes. You may need to apply a firm pressure until the screwdriver locks into their heads. On my unit, one of the screws would turn, but not come out. It turned out (no pun intended) that the plastic gave way and the screw just turned in a round hole. If you can't remove all four screws, just continue with the next step.
Dat-Ei emailed me and told me that his device has one more screw behind the warning sticker. So, if you cannot open the device after removing the four screws, try to see if there is another screw. You probably need to remove the warning sticker to loose the screw. In this event, the warning label will very probably get destroyed, it is a very delicate thingy.
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Now open the case. Insert the sharp instrument into the crack near the CF card
slot. Wiggle a bit until it opens up a bit. Then insert the sharp instruments
into on of the cracks at the side.
The lower part of the device will come slightly apart now. If you left one
of the screws, it might stick it's tiny head out of it's hole, too. Grab it
and pull it out. If the screw won't come out, you might need to use the
screwdriver again.
Now use either the screwdriver or the sharp object to press at the inner side of the two buttons holding the battery like shown in the picture above. You need to do this at both sides. After that, you should be able to lift the lid, er bottom of the case off completely.
Congratulation! The first part was successfully completed. What you see now is the lid, and the harddisk in all it's glory.
The harddisk is connected at one end via a flexible connector (the orange-brownish thingy with the stripe pattern) to the board underneath. Carefully lift the HDD up and remove the connector from the mainboard.
Warning!
Do not try to remove the connector from the HDD at this point, instead open
the small black latch at the board and pull the orange flex cable out. The
black plastic side of the orange connector sticks very tightly to
the HDD and you might damage the board, or the pins on the HDD if you try
to force it off while the HDD is still dangling on the flex connector. Or
you might break the flex cable, which would be equally bad.
After you have removed the connector from the board, you need to remove it from the HDD itself.
Warning!
Be very carefully with that, since the connector
sits so tight that simple pulling it out might end in some bend pins!
To remove the connector you might either gentle pull by gripping the black plastik part (but not on the orange flex cable!) or by inserting a very sharp object carefully between the HDD and the black plastic part.
You will note that the HDD has two small black rubber blocks glued on it at the corners. Carefully remove them. You need to stick them to the HDD that you are inserting later on. If this happens to be the same HDD you just removed, you might be able to just leave the rubber blocks in place. I had to remove them for connecting the HDD to a laptop anway.
After putting them two rubber blocks into place on the new HDD, it looked like shown in the image above. Then carefully put the orange flex connector to the HDD.
Warning! Be carefull when putting the flex adaptor to the HDD and do not bend any of the pins on the HDD nor tear the flex cable!
After succesfully assembly of the HDD, put it at the main board. Lift the black small "lid" of the mainboard HDD connector and put the flex cable under it, then close the "lid" thus pressing the flex cable firmly on the mainboard.
It would be a wise idea now to insert the battery, and turn the unit experimentally on. If everything went well, it should recognize the HDD.
If something went wrong, at least you don't have to open up the device again :)
After putting the bottom case part on again and letting it snap in place, insert the four small screws and tighten them again.
Done! If you did this successfully, please send me the model and size of HDD you installed - Thank you!
Back to my hardware page.
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Tels Created: 2003-06-16 Last modified: 2003-07-13 |
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