23rd January 2022 23rd January 2022 By Bzzz In project clx-6220fxclx-6250fxcr2032laser printermemory expansionpaper trayrepairrtc batterysamsungtutorial

Samsung CLX-6200FX series RTC battery replacement (#P41)

Tutorial time! We don’t have a tutorial category yet? Well, it’ll be a project then…

Let’s just skip all the YouTube tutorial BS with two-minute intros on volume 9001 and thanking their sponsors entirely, and get to the point:

You got a Samsung CLX-6200FX series printer (6220 and 6250 – probably also their predecessors 6200, 6210 and 6240) that wants you to set the date and time on every power cycle, and you’re fed up with it? Great, Samsung wasn’t a dick about servicing, so here’s what you need:

* One new CR2023 3V lithium primary cell
* A small Philips or flat head screwdriver
* An ESD strap or a grounded piece of metal nearby
* The damn printer
* Enough space to access the back of the printer (no need to lift it)
* Ten minutes of free time

Same procedure by the way for adding or replacing extended memory, see below for details.

Here’s what you do:

Unplug everything from the printer except for the secondary paper magazine (if fitted). Move the colossus to where you can access the back freely. Remove the three deeply recessed self-tappers from those locations, starting with the bottom one:

If you feel the urge to clean the printer, now’s the perfect time to do that.

Remove those two M3x6 screws from the metal back plate of the service hatch. If it doesn’t come off with the last screw, pull top-right, it’s secured in place with the two slots on the bottom and on the left.

We’re already in, so once you’re sure you hold no static charge, remove the coin cell from the center of the PCB. This coin cell holder has a large clip on the bottom that can be moved, but depending on PCB revision YMMV. Don’t fucking drop the cell inside the printer

Insert new CR2032 coin cell and reverse the dismantling process. The hatch can be a bit fumbly to fit, slide it in from top right and make sure all four clips fit before adding the screws. For the plastic cover, rotate screws backwards at first to find the old threading, since you don’t want to form a new one and wear out the material.

Move back in place, fit all cables, and marvel at the new scratches on the desk that the 40kg behemoth left when you moved it across. All set!

Bonus remarks:
The original battery was really empty, it’s only been putting up the date warning for about a month or so. Given this monster was made in 2011, it’s probably dead from self-discharge instead of real use. Look at the residual voltage, the RTC must be basically running from the whiff of an oily rag at 44mV left. (shout-out to Supermicro for fully depleting identical batteries within four months on their X8DTL server board, see #P21 for details)

Note that, according to the manual, batteries must only be replaced by authorized service techs (insert clown smiley here…) – while adding or replacing the memory module on the same friggen board can be performed by any muppet capable of removing five screws. Maybe that’s the reason why nobody posted a tutorial for this printer series on the interwebs..? Anyway, here’s mine, so that topic is covered now.

Speaking of the memory expansion: Probably all generic DDR2 UDIMM notebook memory will do, although it will be capped at 512MB by the printer firmware, so no need for larger modules. I’ve been running a random 1GB module for years now, absolutely no need to buy an original Samsung part. Mine’s labelled 1GB 2Rx16 PC2-5300S-555-12, Hynix part number HYMP112S64CP6-Y5 AB.

Oh, and if you fancy the secondary paper tray (the original inconvenient 250-ish page unit is a joke at THAT device size), maybe check eBay for those, part number S6250A/SEE. I’ve picked up mine four years ago at 1€ plus shipping…