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Wyse 3235LE: Hardware 

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Part No: 902024-22. Manufactured December 2003.

Specifications

Unlike a lot of thin clients this one is packaged to sit flat on the desk surface.

This model uses exactly the same circuit board as that used by HP/Compaq in the Evo T20. For details on what you can do with it please see that section.

The 3235LE is described by Wyse as as being "Legacy Free". What this actually means is that it has no serial ports, no parallel port and no PS/2 ports for keyboard and mouse. Also there is no standard PC BIOS. However the hardware components are standard. The basic specs are:

Processor
   Type
   Speed
National Semiconductors Geode GX1
300MHz
Memory
   Flash
   RAM
32MB (fixed)
64MB (expandable)
Video
   Chip
   Max resolution
CS5530A
1280 x 1024 16-bit colour
Ports
   Network
   USB
   Serial
   Parallel
   PS/2
10/100
4 x USB1.1
none
none
none
Power
   Plug
   Off
   Running
4-pin 5V
~9W
~12W
Dimensions
H x W x D (mm)194 x 43 x 157

The embedded operating system is Windows CE .NET

Power Supply

power Unlike the Evo T20's these are usually sold along with their power supply. The power unit is specified at 5V and 4A (see picture right). The power supply connector (DP-003-R) is not one that's readily available on the high street. However an on-line search found me a UK supplier - Toby Electronics - for those who want to fit the right connector to an existing power supply. (Search for "DP Valcon 7.5 Amp Cable Mount Power Plugs")

Plugging in the Wyse 3235LE (32F/64M) into a mains power monitor shows an input drain of ~9W when the unit is supposedly off, rising to about 12W when the green LED is on and it's doing something.

As you can see from the label the connections on the plug are:

Pin 1&4:+5V
Pin 2&3:NC
Shield:GND

Expansion

inside If you take the top off the 3235LE you (may) have the opportunity to increase the amount of flash and RAM. To remove the top cover unscrew the four feet from the bottom and then gentle lever off the top cover starting at the front. Note there is a metal shield under the top cover and this is a friction fit onto the lower metal cage. It is this you need to slide off, not the plastic cover as that is fixed to the shield. This reveals the circuit board (see photo right) and you'll find a SODIMM socket and a Smart Media socket. On my 3235LE these were unpopulated.

The SODIMM socket takes 144 pin PC133 SODIMM SDRAM memory. You'll find suitable memory advertised on ebay by people who've upgraded their laptops. A 128MB SODIMM can be picked up for £1 plus about the same again in postage charges. I believe the maximum memory supported is 256Mb. (So far I've only added 128Mb SODIMMs).

I've inserted an old 16MB Smart Media card that I have in the Smart Media socket and the system has recognised it. (With the original software loaded you can see this by going to Control Panel/System. It appears as Device 3). To date I haven't actually tried to program/use it. Unfortunately it looks like Smart Media cards of any reasonable size are not dirt cheap unlike Compact Flash cards.

Modifications

If you've got a soldering iron tucked away somewhere you can dig it out and add a backup battery to the Real Time Clock chip to prevent it losing the time and date every time the 3235LE is switched off. I haven't done this as yet. Details of how to do it can be found on Karl Mowatt-Wilson's Evo T20 website.

 


Any comments? email me.    Last update September 2009