led Backlit Keyboard Upgrade

I bought one of those LED backlit keyboards for a Toshiba Satellite and fit it into my Qosmio X305-Q706. There is a ribbon cable connector for the LED ribbon(it's the copper colored one).
I'm thinking either it's a defective keyboard(doubt it) or the connector isn't powered. If anyone who knows could help, I would appreciate it. [/URL][/IMG]

 

If anyone knows how I can power the copper colored LED power cable, I would appreciate it.

I'm thinking that even though the connector on the board is a perfect match for the led ribbon cable there probably isn't any instructions in the BIOS to enable it since no Qosmios come with LED keyboards.

Is there a way to power that connector say with the wiring from the touchpad LED connector?

 

were you ever able to make it work? I would like to upgrade my qosmio with a backlight keyboard.

 

i have the same problem. bought a toshiba satellite a500 with a normal keyboard. i removed the keyboard to see if i have those 2 things for the keyboard(don`t know the name because english is not my first language). Anyway , i have them so i decided to buy a backlit keyboard. Bought it , got it but the lights are not working, only the keyboard. What should i do ? I don`t have an option in bios and also even the toshiba hardware setup doesn`t have an option.

I saw on a forum that someone did the same thing for other toshiba laptop but after he installed the backlit keyboard he had both options in bios and hwsetup and the keyboard and backlit worked.

if someone have the solution please help me. the laptop have 1.5v Bios and Windows 7 64-bit (untouched,unchanged).

Thanks

PS: I know this post is old but i hope someone can help me.

 

It is unlikely you will get switchability or fade-out working but in principle it can almost certainly be made to work by a hack.

At this point I have to say
1) Have not done this - it is an IDEA ONLY
2) You may break your laptop and /or keyboard or create a dangerous situation. I cannot advise you how to do this safely
3) You can certainly forget your warranty !
4) Unless you are competent/safe with electronics/soldering at board level give this problem to your local TV repairer at the start who will have less problem working this one out.

The backlights are basically LED's in one or more groups. I see 4 cable connections in your photo - maybe another one hidden

The number of tracks on the flexible connector is less clear - maybe only 2 ?

You need to make a test kit from a power source (e.g. use 9V radio battery) and a high value resistor (suggest 47K ohms 0.5W ) Connect to two wire leads, one lead via the resistor to the battery, the other direct to the battery.

Dim the lights until you can barely see what you are doing and with the laptop off and the cable unplugged from the motherboard identify the metallic contacts on the flexible cable and try the two leads in different direction and combinations until you understand which connection/way round gives a VERY faint glow in each/all parts of the keyboard.
(the Resistor is far far too high value for normal use - but at such a high value can protect the battery and the LED circuit from wrong polarity connection /short circuits as you investigate.)

OK assuming you found where power needs to be applied in 1 or more places to get the whole keyboard to dimly illuminate make careful notes of polarity (+ and -). Then you need to try with a smaller battery and voltage, of 4 or 6V. If it still lights dimly you can run this mod from the (outer) power pins on a USB jack's connections. IF not you need to find a higher voltage e.g. 12 V on the MB using a meter

Having selected your power source and verified its polarity using the high value resistor run some permanent wiring carefully from there to the end or the copper coloured flexible lead, in such a way that everything can be insulated, kept away from fans/sharp and/or hot bits. The final stage is to reduce the resistor value in stages until the keypad is visible in the dark but not in the daylight. I would be worried if the value needed reducing to much below 500 ohms.

If the keypad powered up in 2 or more separate areas (e.g. keypad + media controls etc) then you probably need a common -ve connection and two wires with two (or more) different value resistors to the two or more different +ve connectors on the cable.

As I said this is pretty simple stuff for a TV repair shop or electronics engineer but if you are neither I really strongly say you shouldn't risk fiddling and creating a dangerous situation. Once someone has worked out what to do the process will get easier to repeat.

 

Thanks for the reply!

I've kinda given up on the idea of getting the backlighting to work but yeah, taking it to a pro would be my only option if I were to persue making it work.

I think that connector the copper colored ribbon cable is in is for a fingerprint sensor. The Qosmios with Nvidia chipsets didn't come with those and since the BIOS are separate from the models that did, it isn't powered.

 

Yep - I was abandoning the MB connector as a solution if illumination was not a factory option. As long as there is a lighting cable coming out of the keyboard there must be a way to illuminate it though and this approach aimed to find it.

The warnings though are essential given the fire and breakage risks and the ridiculous price of a new MB.

 

Any of you get your keyboard lighted? Who else added one into a Qosmio X300/X305 series and what model did the matted one come from? I only see glossy for the Satellite A500-ST5602 (or -ST5605, -ST5606, -ST6622, -ST6621) Does it screw in the same at top? If so I will order one and give it a go. I like a challange. Mine already had onboard switchable LED so only a matter of tapping into to it.

 

Ok guys I did it
there is a simple solution for it
turn ribbon cord on the contrary
you can see there 4 and 1 on the ribbon cord
look at the input on the laptop there too Posted 4 and 1
connected it and everything will work