Replacing a Sharp Zaurus SL-5500 Internal Battery
I found my old Zaurus SL-5500 today hiding in a drawer in my desk, it has been months since I had touched it last. I find little use for it anymore as it is something of a relic of the past. PDA’s just aren’t as nerdily stylish as they once were. The Zaurus was a sleek, sexy, and powerful Linux PDA in a time where PalmOS and Windows Mobile were the dominant PDA Operating Systems. The Zaurus’ Linux framework allowed for a vast amount of software and user contributions to be made to the community at a very low cost — generally free. The Zaurus boasted an ability to read both SD and CF cards and benefit from a variety of devices such as modems, WiFi cards, cameras, etc. designed to fit in the CF card slot.
One major chink in the Zaurus’ design was an internal (backup) battery. This battery dies after a few hours without power in the main battery. When the backup battery loses its charge, the Zaurus loses its ability to retain data after its primary battery dies.
I have posted the following images to assist in the end user’s attempt to replace this internal battery. The backup battery is a CR2016 and may be purchased at many department stores, electronics stores, etc. The Primary battery is an EA-BL06.
Basic Instructions:
1. Flip the reset switch to open the battery cover and then remove the battery cover.
2. Unscrew all screws visible on the Zaurus including the screws on the side of the sliding keypad.
3. Remove the sliding keypad; this can be accomplished by gently derailing the metal rails under the plastic and separating the keypad from these rails.
4. Separate the external casing on the Zaurus to open it.
5. Remove the two larger screws from the SD card board attached to the main board opposite the screen side.
6. Remove the SD card board from the main board and turn the SD card board over.
7. Remove the black plastic cover from the component board.
8. Separate the battery from the two contacts very gently as these contacts must remain intact.
9. Replace the battery (CR2016) face down between the contacts; some electrical tape may help the battery to stay in place.
10. Reassemble the Zaurus.
