Acer TimelineX 3820TG Backlit keyboard mod

How to upgrade / replace the keyboard with a backlit US 3810 keyboard.
Firstly you need some patience with this mod, there is a very tricky join to solder in order to get power to the LED backlights.

If your not good with a solder iron I recommend you don't attempt this or get someone to help that can solder this point.

I'm not responsible if you damage or brick your main board. You do this at your own risk!

I sourced my 3810T Backlit US keyboard from ebay. Just search for 3810T backlit keyboards and you will see a few sellers selling them.


Removing the keyboard: Use a plastic tool here and push in the holding tabs/clips. Careful not to force them up, but in.



Lift up the keyboard from the top to the bottom and remove the keyboard connector. As shown. Push the plastic clips on the connector upwards.



The two keyboards side by side. (The backlit keyboard is about 0.5 mm thicker.) It will require some bending of the tabs to fit in correctly.



Connectors are 100% identical. 3810T and 3820 keyboards are using the same flex cable.




Again identical with the 3810T



To make it fit, I cut out a bit of the plastic insert that fitsinside the tab area where the keyboard is held down in place. Bend these down also about 2mm. This will help when we go to fit the keyboard later on.



Cut the plastic insert in the tab area and remove it. Also bend this down a bit. (2mm aprox)



Solder on two thin wires to the LED power flex cable as shown.



Wrap the cables in electrical tape to insulate them against shorting out.



This is the area where I found the best power source. I foudn that using the USB port power 5volts is too much and the keyboard is too bright.



Here I decided to feed the cables through the plastic top cover. For this you'll need to remove all the screws under the keyboard and then from the
underside (back) of the notebook. Seek a service manual for this if unsure.



I took the ground / negative from the top left USB port and soldered the calbe here like so. (The power source is there too from USB)


Insulation tape over it just incase.


The power source, 3.5ish volts from the speaker power as shown. You could take power from the fan1 but it could have negative effects. This solder is very very tricky!! It took me about 4 goes to get.


Place the keyboard back and push the wires back into the gap shown. Placing the keybaord back is a hard task, you need to push down quite hard near the top and side clips. But it does fit. Too reduce any bending in the middle you can use some thin double sided tap along the bottom.

My keyboard doesn't touch the screen but it is close, about 1mm. I use a thin cloth between the screen and keyboard when traveling anyway to protect it.



The end result: (Photo's don't do it justice)











Edit: How to disable the back lights to save power: Go into device manager and right clicking realtek hd audio, select disable and the backlit keyboard turns off. Enabling it again it turns on No reboots required. Oh course the downside is no sound when the lights are out.

Edit: Here's how to fit the switch to it as a method of on and off.

Link: http://forum.notebookreview.com/ace...20tg-backlit-keyboard-mod-13.html#post6620058

YouTube - Acer Aspire TimelineX 3820TG keyboard backlit mod

Video of my backlit keyboard with switch as reqested....

 

Nice job hendrickson! You really are amazing!

rep for you

 

great job hendrickson

now I am waiting two things
1: 3820 laptop
2: backlit keyboard

 

Excuse my ignorance: taking the power from one speaker will lower its volume if audio is playing right? Or not?

AND the light will depend ON the volume wouldn't it?

Actually, it'd be fun to renounce to "stereo" audio and connect the speakers to the same source and then VIA software put the output on one channel while using the volume of the other channel to change the keyboard brightness!

 

No I tested this, It doesn't effect the sound volume at all or the lights. They do not flash with the sound either.

This source is a flat/stable 3.5v i think it was and always on 100% of the time the laptop is. It will turn off under sleep mode and hibernate. Unlike the USB 5v I originally used.

I have tested the laptop under full load (GTAIV) and with full volume its the same as before. No issues, I could have tapped into the fan1 power but I see this a being more risky than the audio. Last thing you want is a slower fan....

 

is there a way to change the keyboard to full chiclet like vaioz or asus u30jc keyboard

 

ah, good to know. so I understand even muting doesn't affect the light..
What about de-activating the peripheral? If you deactivate the speakers maybe it will cut the power. And maybe, just maybe, with a little software tweak an app (in the bar maybe) can activate/deactivate the peripheral automatically. Which'd be cool if you need the extra 30 mins.

Did you try to see if the missing UMTS module relative connection to the motherboard has some sort of power?

By the way, aren't you bothered at all that you screwed the warranty?

Again, great job dude!

 

Not sure, disabling the sound maybe could work. I will try it soon. But I think its on all the time.

No bothered about it. I tested the system quite a bit to make sure there were no issues. Benchmarks etc. Heat tests. Its all good.

 

Does anybody know if the tool pictured in Hendrickson's first picture can be purchased anywhere? Or something like it. It looks perfect for removing keyboards.

Bronsky

 

iPhone Plastic 2-Sided Case Opener Tool - XX1521 on eBay (end time 22-Jun-10 00:36:52 BST)

more fun with a pry-bar though

 

That looks great. I'm going to order one.

 

Good news, you can turn it off too if you want via the realtek audio in device manager. Just disable it disables the power to the speaker and led backlights.

 

see, i told you! Good, but in the end, did you or didn't you look for the umts space?

 

Hendrickson, is the backlit keyboard the same in terms of typing responsiveness? And what about the keyboard flex reported from other posters? Can you confirm that the middle of the keyboard, there is no plastic lining underneath the keys itself? It looks as if can see the top of your table

 

If anybody has a manual for the for the 3820TG, here is my thought on powering the backlit keyboard. If there is an unused plug that has power to it, all we would have to do is get the female/male of that plug from that socket and solder it to the keyboard power ribbon with a jumper wire. If we could figure this out, it would eliminate the need to soldier near any of the motherboard's components. All of the modifications would be to the keyboard itself. It could be easily installed/removed by pluging it in. As an added bonus, if the socket selected has a function that can be turned on and off within the software, it could be a switchable socket, turning the backilghting on and off.

Anybody have any ideas? Does the manual have a schematic of the motherboard? How about the power to the UMT module? Where does it come from?

Bronsky

 

Just to comment my motherboard has no UMT module or connector. The bluetooth Foxconn?? Chip was embedded into the motherboard so no separate card.

Of course the bluetooth 3 and UMT models have a separate bluetooth card and UMT card. This could be used to also power the LED backlights and control the lights on and off from the bluetooth on and off Fn + F3 short cut.

 

Your model did not have the bluetooth module and cable shown in the manual? Hmmmm. I must say I got concerned last night reading about BT 3.0 as "integrated" with the Wireless Card. I hope Acer means they just work together.

I don't have a UMT model. Is the UMT installed in an Internal PCExpress slot? Is there any chance that Acer has the power already routed to a power or plug socket to the area that the UMT module is to be installed? If I can find some kind of wiring harness, I can probaly do a power splice. I wonder if Acer uses the US protocol of Red=Power, Black=Ground?

It's funny, the two most likely places I can wire the keyboard are both new parts, not covered by the manual.

On another issue ...

Anyone considering purchasing this model from Germany might want to email them this chart.

: International Express-Delivery

Amazon DE uses UPS international shipping. It costs 30E and delivers the goods in a few days. I really don't undertand why this can't be done. I have been reading about the DHL International shipping and there have ben a lot of customers wondering where their packages are.

BTW, Amazon.De has the 3820TG. http://www.amazon.de/Acer-Aspire-38...=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=ce-de&qid=1278335566&sr=8-2 Does this mean you can order and ship it to the US?

After 3 days off, I'm starting to feel human again. One more day before I have to go back to work. Temps here are about to climb over 100F for a few days. It's going to feel like Hendrickson's neighborhood.

Bronsky

 

If anyone has a spare 3820tg keyboard (US version), I'd gladly pay for it - if it's in mint condition.

I purchased the 38020tg in Canada and received a ISO (French-Canadian) keyboard. The left shift key is the same size as a letter key and I am constantly missing it.

PM if interested.

 

They're not out yet. A few of us are buying german units and swapping 3810T KBs in them.

 

the backlit keyboard i ordered from ebay has just arrived

now all i need is the laptop... hahaha

 

NVM just remembereed you're lookin at a 4820TG. Looks like the German option for the 3820TGs may be over.

 

.................................

 

Hey guys,

If I wanted to test this keyboard to make sure it lights up properly, how do I go about doing that?

Can I use some wires and a AA battery or something?

 

what do i need to buy special electrical wires? What wire type should i purchase?

 

I tested it with a Xbox 360 controller battery. Just connected the wires to the battery and it lit up.

 

Backlit KB Project:

Installing the keyboard from the retailer. The keyboard has trapozoidal tabs that may be a bit wide to fit into the lower tabs in the keyboard tray. They had to be trimmed with a dremmel sanding wheel.

After trimming the tabs (squaring them off by sanding-off the trapizoid parts) the slots on the backlit KB need to be filed. They need to be lowered so the clips can fasten in the slots. I used a microfile and a credit card. I kept the card between the file and the keys. It protected the keys well.

Once the KB is fitted, it should lay flat and not touch the display when it is closed.

That is why you want to be careful not to file the slots too low.

Once it is fitted, it needs to be powered. In order to power it, the machine needs to be partially disassembled. Here are the steps.

Remove the keyboard by pushing back the clips holding the sides and top of the KB.

Remove all Bottom Screws.

Then remove all the screws in the keyboard tray.

With your fingernail and a credit card, softly separare the seam.

Disconnect all of the plugs and cables and take the top off.

The strongest power signal I got was the rear, left USB port.

I soldered the power wire to the power post on the USB.

Then the ground.

To make sure there was enough room to put a switch near the kensington lock port, I ran the wire down and back before cutting it.

Once the wires were measured, each side of the KB power strip was taped off and a wire soldered. The whole assembly was shrink wrapped.

The wires were fed down through to the compartment where the wireless card is located. Here, they were tied off and banded awaiting the addition of a microswitch.



And, the finished product.


To give you an idea of how great it looks, I shot a short video with my blackberry. YouTube - ‪Bronsky's 3820TG Backlit Keyboard‬‎

Bronsky

 

Awesome .

Now I wish I could even buy the 3820TG here.

 

the second unit I plan to mod with a switch like this one:

SPST Pushbutton Switch


The idea is to place the switch poking out of the kensington lock gap.

Link for the switch is here: http://www.active-robots.com/products/components/switch-relays.shtml (Thanks to Bronsky)

Bronsky in regards to the push switch you found, do you think there is enough room behind the locking gap? I can't get a clean enough picture of it and of my photos I can't see it clean enough either. I don't want to have to open here up just to see the if there is a gap big enough.

 

whoa that switch is super small...

should fit the kensington lock easily... the question is, is there is enough clearance for that button? looks like we'll have to use a pen to toggle the switch on/off lol

 

If it fits in the kensington lock, you should be able to keep the button right at the top and make it work like a normal on-off switch. I am assuming that the lock opening will need to be filed a bit to accomodate the switch. There is a slide switch too but it's bigger, at least it looks bigger. I just hope they will ship just one or two. I also thought this slide switch is worth looking at. If I'm filing anyway, I would prefer a slide switch to a press button switch. If the slide switch is small enough, I think I could make either of these look factory with a bit of work and a touch of epoxy.

It looks like I can order a speaker from MK-Electronic in Germany. I guess I'll order a few switches to see if any of them will work. I should also order the Wifi card at the same time. If you want to wait, I'll have mine open anyway, so I'll let you know how they fit.

Bronsky

 

I just ordered a few switches from that Robot place. I ordered a few different ones in case the slides will work in that space. My total for 3 or 4 switches was less than $5 but it cost me $5 to ship them to the US. At least it is all going UPS.

Bronsky

 

i will definitely wait for your results bronsky thx for being the guinea pig

did you order one of each switch, or will you be getting multiples? if you have doubles, maybe i can buy the extra from you after you figure out which will work best?

where do you plan to buy the wifi card from? i have my eye on the 6200 from Beach Audio via Amazon. $28 shipped to my door. as soon as the 4820tg pops up on amazon or tigerdirect i'll be ordering my laptop and wifi card. i already have the keyboard and ODD-hdd caddy waiting.

 

I ordered 2 of the little push, 2 of the micro slide and one other one that looks like it takes a higher voltage. If I have a spare after I'm done, I'll be happy to send one along. The robot store in the EU is amazing. Have you decided how you're going to power the backlit KB?

Bronsky

 

Gonna do something similar to yours, tap into the USB power. I like having a nice, BRIGHT keyboard... so i prefer the 5v over the 3.5v speaker route.

my question/concern is if the switches you ordered are rated properly and can handle 5v - 500mA currents. The robot store doesn't mention anything about the V/mA stuff.

 

If you look down at the Pololu standard and low voltage switches for the Orange Orangatan Robots , both assemblies seem to use the SPST switch in their assembly. The standard voltage goes from 4.5V to 20V. The low voltage goes from 2.5v to 7v. Both can handle "up to" a few amps. I would bet that little SPST can handle anything we can throw at it.

Bronsky

 

The EU robitics distributer cancelled my switch order. There are sources in the US. The slide microswitch can be purchased here. Electronic Components - Switches/Relays (Pg. 1 of 2) Products Solarbotics The Micropushbutton can be purcahsed here. Pololu - Buttons & Switches There is also a cool looking rocker switch, but I think it is too big. The switches are reordered and should be shipped today.

Bronsky

 

I ordered the push button switch. I hope it clears the lock space if not i might have to use my fingernail to push it in and out I'll let you know how i get on. I should have it next week. Still waiting on the backlit keyboard again

 

Wait till you see how perfectly the pushbutton fits in the Kensington Lock space. It looks like it was made for it.



I think I want to test it first then run the wires out the K-lock port so I can solder them outside the unit. Then put it in the K Lock and touch it with crazy glue to hold it in place. I can't believe how well it fits.

Bronsky

 

Photos not very clear is that the same push button but in the unit? So you have one now?

Crazy glue? Is that those heat glue guns?

*any chance of a clear photo?*

 

My cell phone camera sucks. I'll try for a better photo at home.




I got a delivery of 5 pushbuttons today. Yea, I just slipped one in the Kensington lock and it fits perfectly. No modification to the switch or lock opening at all (what are the odds of that?). In looking at all the switches, they are a bit different in size from unit to unit. At worst, there might be a little filing. On my unit the switch will slide into the space. Once I open my case again, I'll check it the fit a bit more. Crazy glue is just that cyanide based super glue that you only need a small drop of.

Bronsky

 

*bows down to bronsky*

that sh*t looks awesome

 

is this the one you are using?

SWT10 - SPST Pushbutton Switch Products Solarbotics

 

Looks good! Lucky guess and well done on that guess. Its the same switch I got here right? http://forum.notebookreview.com/ace...820tg-backlit-keyboard-mod-3.html#post6516750

This one ?


When do you plan on fitting it?

 

which one did you get? ur link doesn't show anything

 

@hendrickson - yep that's the one. The EU site where you bought yours cancelled my order and directed me here: Pololu - Mini Pushbutton Switch: PCB-Mount, 2-Pin, SPST, 50mA (5-Pack) It shipped the day I ordered it and was here in a couple of days.

I'm seriously thinking of trying to jury-rig my speaker and putting the switch in this weekend. We'll see.

Bronsky

 

bronsky,

does this part worry you?

"Note that this button should not be used with voltages above 12 V, and it should not be used to switch currents greater than 50 mA."

USB = 5V @ 500mA right?

Is it OK to use a 50mA switch for a 500mA current?

 

I guess I'm going to find out. If you look at the other constructions that use the same switch, they pass up to "several" amps (3000ma) through the same switch. The circuit may reduce the amperage as it passes through the switch to .05amp, but I doubt it looking at the circuits. Yes, the USB is [email protected] the switch is rated upto [email protected]. I'm willing to bet that the rating is extremely conservative. At least I hope so. If there is a problem, the switch should be the location of the failure. I can always just jump it if it fails. If it works, it will look incredible.

Bronsky

 

bronsky,

DON'T USE THAT SWITCH.

i just called pololu to see if a 5v/500mA source is OK.

after telling them what i was going to use the switch for, they promptly told me that this switch requires the user to CONSTANTLY KEEP YOUR FINGER on the switch to complete the circuit.

for our purposes, we need a toggle / rocker / slide switch that will stay ON until we turn it off.

 

... oh well. Thanks. At least we know the size. Did you ask if they had any rocker or slide switches that size? Or if they knew of any?

Bronsky

 

They don't have any that size, and directed me to DigiKey Corp. | Electronic Components Distributor | United States Home Page (apparently this website is some kind of mega super supplier lol)

im browsing digikey.com as we speak but damn this site is huge... thousands of switches lol