Once I was done gawking the clever magnetic attachment mechanism of the Acer SW5-012, it's time to get back to trying to get it to run. The machine was able to power up on its remaining battery power for a little bit, but now it needs more juice. Since I was given this computer in nonfunctional "as-is" state, the AC power adapter was not part of the package.

Disinclined to spend any money on this machine, but willing to spend time, I went online to look for information about the AC adapter. Unfortunately there appeared to have been several similar but different computers sold under the "Acer Aspire Switch 10" name. And while it's unclear if all of them use the same AC power adapter, the adapters were consistently stated to be an unit that outputs 12V DC.

This is great news as I have many ways to deliver 12V DC among my collection of tools and parts. But I have no plugs on hand that fits the existing power socket. I examined the power connector to the motherboard and saw four wires. A continuity check confirmed that it's a simple positive terminal and ground terminal, with a pair of wires electrically connected for each. None of the wires are electrically distinct from power, so I don't have to worry about data handshaking signals that are involved in charging certain other laptops.

Armed with this information, I removed the existing 12V power socket and the associated bracket. I cut the wire connecting the socket to the motherboard and soldered a JST RCY connector in its place.

Acer JST RCY adaptation

This type of connector is popular with remote-control aircraft and frequently used to carry roughly 12 volts (3-cell lithium rechargeable battery) at up to 3 amps. I reassembled the tablet, connected a 12V power source, and was reassured by illumination of the charging activity light. After a few hours, the tablet was charged up and ready to go again. Success!