The grandfather of all handhelds is a small pocket computer, built into a rough trade case small enough to fit into a suit pocket. It is based on the HD6303X microprocessor and runs on a standard square 9V battery. It has many built-in functions like save/retrieve data, a calculator, a diary, timekeeping, alarms, etc. Unlike nowadays hendhelds, even programming is easy with OPL, which is a language quite similar to BASIC. It was made from the mid eighties to early nineties, and over 500,000 of them were produced, many of them still doing their duty.

What different types are there?

The three main types are the CM, XP and the LZ. There is another version of the XP which has more memory, which is sometimes called the LA. Similarly there is a second version of the LZ with more memory which is usually called the LZ64 (or sometimes the LP).
There are also versions of the organiser made for commercial use, called POS (meaning Point of Sale). They do not have the built-in organiser functions, but only run programs. The POS 200 has only a numerical keyboard, whereas the POS 250 has the full standard keyboard. Both are basically XP's. The POS 350 is an XP at heart, but amazingly with 96K of RAM. Finally the POS 432 and POS 464 are basically POS versions of the LZ and LZ64 respectively.

Here are the ROM/RAM/Display sizes for all the basic versions:

The XP/LA has several improvements over the CM. The most important of these are that it can use rampaks and larger datapaks. Multi- lingual versions of the XP/LA were developed which support 11 languages. Older organisers were available in languages other than English, but this meant that a different machine had to be produced for each language. The multi-lingual XP on the other hand could be switched to any of the 11 languages it supported. These multi- lingual machines have a 64K ROM to store all the messages in all the languages.
The LZ/LP in turn has improvements over the XP. It has a 4x20 character display instead of the 2x16 display of all earlier versions, and also has a better character set (due to the fact that the standard 44780 display controller has been replaced by a customised 66780 chip). The LZ also has more menu options, including better file handling options, a notepad, international dialling codes and times, a calendar, etc. There are also some new commands and functions in OPL. All LZs support exactly three languages.

Can I make a POS organiser act like a normal organiser?

Psion has not discarded the organiser functions (except of INFO on the POS350) from the ROM built into the POS. So Jaap has made a software patch that activates the sleeping resources of your POS. The only drawback is that you have to have a normal organiser to install the software (if you fail at that point, post a message to the chatline!).

Is there an on-line manual?

Yes there is! You can access The Organiser II LZ Operating Manual from this site. Also Boris has written 'A Brief Look at the Organiser II CM/XP' which contains enough to get you started with the CM/XP versions. He has also written the OPL Reference Guide.

Where can I get technical support?

Well, here!!! The Psion Organiser II Homepage offers lots of information (constantly growing) and a chat&helpline. !!! out of order !!!
PSION GB has discontinued technical support for the Series II. This was the main reason why this site was founded in October 1996. Apparently some national Psion offices and some resellers still offer support (PSION Germany is quite good).

Was there ever a Psion Organiser Series 1?

Yes there was! We have a couple of pages about the Psion Organiser Series 1.
In short: It had a similar shape to the series II except that it was black and it had only one line on its display. Datapaks from the series 1 also work on the series II (but series II packs won't work on the series 1). These datapaks were generally only 8 or 16K.

And are there Series 3, 4, or 5?

After the Series II, Psion made the Series 3 (with models 3, 3a, 3c and 3mx).
Series 5 and recently series 7 followed.
There is no series 4 because apparently the number 4 is considered bad luck in some far east countries.

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HARDWARE

What hardware peripherals were available for the Series II?

Apart from the different Paks described below, the most important hardware is the Comms Link which is an RS232 serial communications link that allows the organiser to be connected to a PC, or any standard hardware device. There were many other things made for the organiser to make it more useful in the workplace. These included a mains adapter, a barcode reader, a swipe card reader, a printer and a pager device, all made by Psion themselves. Third party hardware included everything from a parallel link to global positioning systems and ultrasonic distance measurement devices.

What are a Data-, Ram-, Flash- and Programpaks?

These are small boxes containing a memory chip that can be plugged into the organiser. The organiser has two slots available for them. Datapacks contain an EPROM chip and need a Formatter to be cleared. Rampaks contain a RAM chip, Flashpaks an EEPROM chip, both can be cleared by the Organiser itself. The usage of Paks is explained in detail on the Packs page.

Be warned: The internal battery of a rampak is not rechargeable, so rampaks with an empty battery (according to Psion PLC their batteries last at least 5 years) will lose all data as soon as they are removed from the organiser or the organiser is without battery. Many rampaks of the organisers around are out of battery by now! Never store important data on a rampack if you don't know its age!

Hint: Its not difficult to replace the battery if you have basic soldering skills.

Can I use a ProgramPak as DataPak if the program is no longer needed?

A program pack with an EPROM can be erased just like any other datapack by using a formatter. This will remove the program and its protection, and allow the pack to be used like a normal datapack.

Can I make a DataPak eraser myself?

You can make an eraser for about 25UKP - buy a cheap flourescent pocket torch (about 5UKP). Then go to your local MAPLIN store and buy a spare tube for their UVPROM eraser about 20UKP. Those blue looking UV tubes that you get with Banknote checkers will NOT work. Fit the tube to the torch and away you go - just don't look at it too long when it's on. Incidentally I found that the clear plastic cover needed to be removed for the device to work. You can erase 6 datapaks at once with this!
(This tip was posted by Bob Northern < ranorthe@amazon.shu.ac.uk>)

Where can I buy hardware?

New Hardware: Farnell Electronics have organiser periphals on stock. A couple of other companies selling Series II stuff are listed on the links page. Another possibility is to check the resellers list at PSION's homepage although many of them have forgotten that the Series II ever existed.

Used Hardware:

Try eBay!
Even with postage to the United Kingdom they should be quite a bit cheaper than new ones. One recently went for $50.00, around 30 pounds on eBay, but also "included" a Psion Organiser II LZ and a 32k Rampak. (You'll have to go on the eBay site often, and keep watching for them.)

We also received this tip:
You may want to consider buying Datapaks from the "Morgan Computer Co." They have an auction twice a week and have occasionally been putting up "2-128k Datapaks" on each auction. The bidding is in increments of 2 pounds and sometimes no one even bids on them. Often they go for 2 pounds. The auction is at: http://www.morgan-auction.co.uk/

org2.com had a own auction page. You could buy and sell any Psion II related items there, without the need to pay commission. Another good idea was to to check the chatline regularily.
Sorry, this isn't org2.com any longer. Please be patient, help is on the way.

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SOFTWARE

What software was available for use with the Series II?

There are three types of software. Software produced by Psion themselves include Pocket Spreadsheet, Finance Pack, Maths Pack, Concise Oxford Spelling Checker, Data-Organiser, and Formulator.
Third party software supported by Psion includes Portfolio, Pure Finance, Travel Pack, Games Pack, File Pack.
Finally third party software not supported by Psion includes amongst many, many others Personal Finance, Top Finance, Pro Finance, Filemaster, Assembler, etc etc.
Psion also made software for use on PC's in combination with the organiser, including the Comms Link software, the Developer Kit and the Diary Link.

What is the Developer Kit?

This is a DOS PC program that emulates the organiser. It also allows full screen editing of programs, and has many debugging features. Several useful small utilities are included for making and reading datapaks. It does not support the use of machine code or user defined graphics.

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POWER

How do I change the battery without losing data?

The data in pack A: is held in RAM, which means that without electricity, the data will be lost (data on Datapaks and Rampaks will not be lost however). It is possible to swap batteries fast enough that there is enough charge to keep the data, but this is not very reliable (don't get paranoid: it works 99.9%). The best thing to do is to connect the organiser to a mains adapter while you carry out the switch. Nevertheless, here are a few tips on how to swap batteries without an adapter:

• Switch the organiser off.
• Open the organiser, removing the case and battery cover.
• Remove rampaks (if you trust them), just in case.
• Put the replacement battery as near as possible, and in the correct orientation.
• As quickly as possible flip out the old battery and insert the new one.
• Be careful not to touch the ON key while you swap batteries, as this would drain power.

How do I attach the organiser to a mains adapter?

What you need first is a way to connect an adapter plug to the organiser. The Comms link and Psion printer each already have an adapter socket, and separate adapter connection boxes were available also. If you have any of these you can plug an ordinary 9V DC adapter, preferably at least 150mA. The standard Psion adapter gives about 175mA. It seems that the organiser is fairly flexible in this regard as you can attach it to a car battery (12V) with no problems.

Can I make a mains adapter connection myself?

Unlike a Comms link, this is relatively simple to make, as there is no software and little electronics involved. The standard adapter box simply connects the two lines from the adapter socket directly to two pins in the top slot, though the + line does go through a diode first. This diode serves two functions, it ensures that if the polarity of the adapter is accidentally reversed it will not damage the organiser, and stops the battery leaking its energy when the outside voltage drops. The top slot has two rows of 8 pin holes. If you hold the organiser normally, the - and + lines are connected to the 5th and 6th pin respectively, counting from the left in the nearest row of pin sockets. You can take a look at the pictures on the hardware project page to see what I mean. Even though I believe this information is correct, we will not be held responsible for any damage that may result if you attempt this, especially because the organisers are very easily damaged by this kind of project.

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COMMSLINK

How do I link the organiser to another computer?

You need a 'Comms Link' which is a cable that plugs into the top of the organiser and has a (25 way 'D' female) serial connector on the other end. It plugs into any COM: port of a PC (you might need an adapter like the ones that come with mice), or can be used with any apparatus that uses the RS232 communications standard. Note that the link has built-in software for the organiser itself.
To get the most out of the Psion to PC link, use the CL.EXE program which is part of the PCTools package (there is also a Mac package). For details see the Comms Linkpage at this site.

How do I use the Comms link with a PC?

Connect the organiser via the Comms Link to the PC. The link must be in com port 1 or 2 of the PC (You may have to remove the mouse or modem to do this!) Run the CL program on the PC. If the CommsLink is connected to COM2, you have to enter CL 9600,2, but for port 1 entering CL will do. The CL program should now switch on the organiser automatically. If not, then the link may be connected to the wrong port.
Choose the COMMS menu option on the Psion. If this option can not be found press ON/CLEAR once or twice until it appears near the end of the main menu. Choose the SETUP option. Press the down arrow until you get to the PROTOCOL parameter. Press the left or right arrow until it has value PSION. Press MODE, and choose EXIT.
Now the TRANSMIT/RECEIVE options will allow you to send/receive procedures and files to the PC.

If all fails, you can still use any terminal program to send/receive. In this case, set PROTOCOL to XMODEM on both sides.

How do I connect the organiser to a modem?

You need a 'Comms Link' which is a cable that plugs into the top of the organiser and has a (25 way 'D') female serial connector on the other end. It is designed to plug directly into a PC, so you will need a 'null-modem adapter' to connect it to the modem. A 'null-modem adapter' looks exactly like a gender changer but is wired differently!
Usually this is all you need for cabeling, although Psion recommends to cut the lines 6<-->20 and 20<-->6. The reason is that DSR (6) and DTR (20) are connected internally and this fact might stop the modem from operating.
If your planning to transfer files, set PROTOCOL to XMODEM as described above.
In some cases you will have to experiment with different HAND(shake) settings to get the connection functional.

Can an external device (e.g. modem) turn the organiser on?

Setting the DSR-line high automatically wakes the organiser, so if you set the modem to auto-answer and make it raise its DTR line (which ends up as DSR on the other side), the organiser is able to work unattended. If your modem is not configurable to raise DTR on incoming calls, you might also wire RI(ng) to DSR.

Can I use the organiser to control robots etc.?

If the external device (robot, etc.) is contolled by a serial cable, you will need the Comms Link (see above). A parallel link has also been produced but it is designed only for one way comunication and is very hard to get.

Can I make a Comms link myself?

No. Physically connecting wires to the top slot of the organiser is relatively easy, but this is not what makes up a serial link. The organiser needs complicated software to access and control communications through the cable. Furthermore, it is easily possible to damage the organiser's hardware by attempting this. The main reason for these difficulties is that the top slot is in many ways just like the datapak slots at the side (which is how the communications software is loaded in the standard comms link), and therefore very intricate.

FILES

What format do the transmitted files have on the PC?

Datafiles become files with an .ODB extension. These are ordinary text files, where each record is put on one line and tab characters (ASCII 9) are used to separate the fields of the record.
Procedures become files with an .OPL extension. These are ordinary text files, containing the OPL source that was typed in. No tab character must be in a .OPL file as the Comms Link software will report an error when uploading it back to the organiser.

What about other types of files?

Using the comms link command XTSEND:(TO$,FROM$,TYPE%) other file types can be sent, and received again by using XTRECV:(TO$,FROM$,TYPE%). The parameters TO$ and FROM$ are the filenames on the PC and Psion receptively, and TYPE% is the file type. Here is a list of available types:

As well as these, there are file types 8 to 15, which have extensions OB8, OB9, OBA ... OBF. These are not used by Psion, though various commercial programs do make use of these.

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Why does my organiser click every so often?

The organiser must keep track of the time even when switched off. The hardware is such that it can only be off for 34 minutes (actually 2048 seconds) before it needs to switch on again to update the internal clock. So every 34 minutes it switches on, does the timekeeping, and immediately switches off again. The organiser always clicks when it switches on.

Can the organiser cope with the year 2000?

The LZ can, but the CM and XP models cannot.
There are some ways to fix this problem:

• The easiest workaround is to set the clock to one of the years 1916, 1944, or 1972 which are leap years with the same weekdays as the year 2000.
• It is also possible to use the OPL instruction POKEB $20C5,100 to manually set the clock to the year 2000. Normally this address holds a value between 0 and 99 denoting the current year. When the year is then displayed it will look strange (either 19:0 or 1910) but the weekdays are correct. The year would have to be updated the same way every new year.
• The best thing to do is to install Jaap's y2k-patch which is discussed at the Year 2000 page.

What are UDG's and how can I use them?

UDG's are user defined graphics, i.e. characters of which you can completely determine the shape yourself. There are 8 of these, and they have character codes 0 to 7. See the OPL-Reference for details. An important point to consider is that on the older CM/XP organisers (before version 2.6) the UDG shapes are lost every time the Psion is switched off. Therefore the automatic timeout must be avoided, or you can redefine the UDG shapes when the organiser switches on again. The LZ does not have this problem. Another important thing to be aware of is that if a UDG is redefined, all instances of that UDG character already on the screen are immediately changed as well (this feature can be used to display small animations).

How can I disable or change the auto-switchoff?

Normally the organiser switches off after not being used for 5 minutes. The command POKEB $7C,0 disables this feature, and POKEB $7C,255 enables it again. The standard switch-off time can be set by POKEW $20CD,T% where T% is the length of time in seconds (default is 5 mins=300 secs).

My organiser just says 'TRAP' and some letters and numbers. What can I do?

This is a TRAP error. This occurs when the processor encountered an illegal machine code instruction, in other words, the machine has crashed. This often happens when developing a machine code program, but it occurs in other situations as well. For example one cause is excessive static electricity.
The only way to return the organiser back to normal is by performing a cold boot: i.e. remove the battery, press the ON key to get rid of all remaining electric charge in the machine, and then replace the battery again. You will of course lose all information in pack A: (time, diary, and alarm settings, and any files or programs in pack A:). There is a slight chance to avoid data loss: remove the battery for a very, very short time. If you are lucky, the organiser will only boot warm, but don't count on that!
Thankfully the TRAP error is not very common when using the organiser normally.

My organiser says "PACK?" or something that I don't understand and I can't access the main menu. What can I do?

If your organiser is a POS model, you'll have to convert it to a normal organiser. If not, the organiser is currently running a program. Try pressing the Escape sequence (ON followed by Q). If that won't help, you will have to perform a cold boot by removing the battery and pressing ON while the battery is not fitted. Of course you will lose all data in main memory (pack A:) by doing so!

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