Here's another probably unimportant question about obsolete technology... Hey all, I have a couple socket-7 boards with RTC (real time clock) modules (the kind with the integrated battery, which go into a socket on the board). One has a Dallas DS12887, the other has a Houston HT12888A. http://www.mcamafia.de/mcapage0/dsr... Following these genius instructions, I was able to "revive" the DS1287 in my 286. My next mini-project is doing the same to the DS12887 I have in the socket 7 board. However, I have a problem...there is NO documentation for the Houston RTC modules out there, and they are not pin compatible. I have found references to this information which DID once exist...but all links I find are now dead / go to holding pages. Someone, somewhere, knew how to do the same mod on the Houston chips, but the info is now gone. I call out to you, Computing.Net, to please check through your old information and ask knowledgeable people you may know about this. The Houston chip is in a board I want to turn into a submerged PC (just for fun of course) but I want the CMOS settings to be able to be retained. Thanks!

I seem to have solved my own problem in the course of a couple minutes. I am posting this to help anyone else looking for the info: The "Houston Tech HT12888A REAL TIME 9639A1 16869V" RTC module can be opened by tugging on its outer shell with pliers...I did this completely by accident. The button-cell battery is on top of the actual chip under that plastic cap, and can be de-soldered, then wire leads to a new external battery can be soldered to the old battery's location. Experience proves this is NOT possible on Dallas chips; they are completely filled with a hard adhesive substance which must be carved/chipped away. Cheers