CF-29 HSPDA module

I don't think this exists yet in the used world!

Is there a part number for this unit, and more importantly, are they unlocked?! I can't imagine that these modules are interchangable between other CF-units?

I have yet to receive my CF-29 but just looking for goodies already. I suppose I can always use a PCMCIA aircard, but if I can have something built-in and not sticking out of my laptop all the better!

 

they exist... let me do some researching on synex's website...

 

hmmmmf.... I'm gonna have to do some advanced searching because all the srp's from panasonic have mostly cf-30 parts... the cf-29 hspa cards (rather they are retrofitted ones or field upgradable ones) ARE NOT compatible with cf-30's or CF-28's.

 

Yeah that's what I feared. I can just imagine how expensive that part is going to be. Buying a $200 third-party PC card is probably the better route. But noooo... the CF-29 has a custom slot for it!

 

pshsaaa! i spend $485 for my sprint evdo revA internal for my cf-30... and it was the field upgradable card that panasonic won't sell to ANYONE except authorized techs/people that were trained by panasonic... the card i got was all legal but i had to PULL A MILLION SIX STRINGS TO GET IT

 

These should be available from Heartlandsi.com... You can call to see. I think a card would be cheaper though....

Wireless EVDO Modem (Sprint) EM5625S $331.22
Wireless EVDO Modem (Verizon) EM5625V $331.22

Hope this helps...

Rick

 

damn! u beat me to the post!! lol I JUST CALLED THEM LOL!

 

I'm "Quickdraw" on some things and "Slow Poke" on others.. It depends on the day and time!

 

lol... did you review the PM i sent you about the server? the others seem to like the idea... i might be helping one other guy on here with toughwiki as well i think

 

Yes... I read them late last night. I think it's a great idea. I think you'd have a lot of volunteers from here.

 

The wireless sled setups are interchangeable between the 29 and 30. What the sled goes into isn't. That means the HSDPA module and sled from a 30 will work on the 29 so long as you have the antenna kit installed on that 29. Clear? Didn't think so.

 

In other words, I shouldn't bother hunting down an expensive board and just try to find a PC card.

However, one thing that would make it a REALLY moot point is - I would be using this on the HSPDA/EDGE/GSM Rogers network in Canada. Are the Toughbook modules locked to a carrier? I'm going to assume yes, since there's different models in the lineup for different carriers.

 

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showpost.php?p=3014915&postcount=112

This post makes it look like I can buy ANY miniPCI express card? (going into a mk4) ... that would be perfect since I don't have to buy a Panasonic part...

 

I would think that's the case (so long as you have all of the other related parts) but I don't know of anyone having used a module other than the MC5720 and MC5725. I'm sure someone here has, I just don't remember seeing anything about it.

 

Ah. So there's a carrier/sled involved that holds the mini PCI-express module in place. Can someone who has one take a photo of what it looks like? Because that may mean I can get the sled by itself, and buy something like the Sierra Wireless 8775V http://tinyurl.com/5qfogc .....


.. my CF-29 is sitting in a Canada Post delivery depot.. I can I just go and pick it up?

 

Just keep in mind the sled attaches to a mount inside the unit so if you don't have the mount already installed the sled won't do you any good. I don't remember reading whether you said you had it already set up or not. To make a unit work with a wireless modem (built in), it takes 3 major parts; the sled, the modem, and the antenna kit the sled goes into. That kit consists of an antenna that mounts on the lcd cabinet, a sled frame mount, a controller pcb, cables to connect up that pcb, and misc. parts to hold stuff in place. If you have the antenna on the case, you have the kit installed and you're good to go. If you don't have it then you're looking at more money or a different wireless option.

 

ahhh. THANK YOU ZeroFlight. That's what I needed to know.

 

This unit (in the link), won't work to my knowledge because (well at least my old cf-29 mark 3) didn't have express card slots anywhere... only mini-pci based cards... the cf-30 does. If I get a change I'll take out my cf-30 sprint card and post some pics so you can see what I'm talking about. my cf-29 never had WWAN built in (used a S720 pc card) so i can't compare it. but i was thinking that if you guys can compare what I got to what you got it would help.

~Rob~

 

JB007, I think you're not quite catching what I mean about the sleds. That's what the sled is for. The 30s have a built-in mini pci express which is already used by the wireless lan module while the 29s have the mini pci slot, that much is correct. That means the wireless modem goes in a sled which slides into the area above the battery (there's a removable bezel there) and you have a choice of a Rev A, Rev 0, Alltel, or HSDPA (from Panny). Depending on the choice, you have to get the appropriate sled. If you wanted to do the HSDPA, Alltel, or Rev A cards, you would need the mini pci express sled which should also work with canuckcam's 8775 card. The Rev 0 cards use different a sled which is neither mini pci nor mini pci express. Most of the 29s had the Rev 0 cards so a mini pci express wouldn't work on them and a new sled would be needed.

The pics attached show the sled setups from the service manuals on both the Rev 0 and Rev A. The Rev A is shown on a 30 while the Rev 0 on a 29 but they're interchangeable. You can see where they go in which isn't the mainboard but above the battery and connects to a series of cables & pcbs mounted as part of an antenna kit.

 

Right I understand that... Thats where I put my sprint card in at, above the battery. Sorry for the confusion.

 

See below for pictures of mine....









Sorry for the blurry pics... I took em with my Palm Centro phone which isn't the best...

Peace

 

JB... Is it possible for you to resize those to a smaller size? It would load faster and be easier to see.

 

sure, sorry about that. I'll do it now

 

resized them to 800x600

 

So long as the antenna kit is installed, that sled should work fine with the 8775V canuckcam was talking about.

 

Hi! My Q? is to Zero.. would you happen to know the part no. of cf-29 antena mount. I mean the rubber bump and its top lid, also the piece of metal that srewed on the panel? Thanks


Ohlip

 

I believe it's the CF-WEW29002

 

In my never-ending quest to try to put an aircard into my CF-29L without propping open the PC card door, I stumbled onto this:

http://www.evdoinfo.com/content/view/809/64/

According to the above link, the Sierra Wireless USB aircards are simply a USB adapter on an MC5725 (595U EVDO) or MC8775 (875U HSDPA) mini-PCIe card.

So this means if I buy the whole antenna/internal connector/sled kit I might actually be able to do it! I looked at this on eBay:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=270256786258 .... if I buy that (looks like a CF-29 mk2) ... can I rip out the antenna, internal cage, sled and the front panel indicators and transfer it to my CF-29 mk4? Panasonic Canada wants $500 for the four parts and $75 to install it. Plus tax.


Edit: Panasonic just told me the CF-29 mk4 and below do NOT use a miniPCI-e connector but proprietary. GAHHHHHHHH!! So those lucky ones with a CF-29 mk5 and the CF-30... you guys are good to go.

 

I have been reading though all of this I have a MK5 i got a SB555 (sled mount pcb and lcd lid with antenna). i think the sb555 is only 1XRtt not evdo what do need to put a evdo modem in (HSPDA, Sierra Wireless MC5725 or whatever) right now i still just use my blackberry over BT. I just herd that the sb555 is slow if it is not to much I would like to upgrade. Can some one let me know what all I need... last one can you add a non oem gps to ether sleds?

 

You would just need a new sled. You would pull out the sb555 sled and replace it with a newer evdo model. Now there is Verizon EVDO and Sprint EVDO for USA.

My cf-29 came with a sb555 sled and i bought a sprint evdo sled put it in and started a data plan now i can use the internet anywhere i can make a phone call.

As far as the non oem gps it would be very hard to add because of space and you would need a antenna on the sled since you would be using the lcd antenna for the evdo and most people put the gps antenna there.

-James

 

Most Sleds you can find will be evdo rev.0 which is a little slower that a rev.A sled. The rev.0 is 400-700kbps download speeds with bursts to 2.1mbps and upload speeds are 50-100kbps with bursts up to 144kbps.

The Rev.A sleds are 500-1000kbps with burts upto 3.0mbps and upload speeds of 300-400kbps with bursts up to 1.8mbps.

The mc8775 is rev.a sprint (i think)

 

So did you think it is worth the upgrade? From the sb555 to revA

 

If you want to use the internal WWAN then yes all the way.

The sb555 is 1xrtt with download speeds of 40-100kbps with burts up to 144kbps. I tried to use it but it was just too slow.

I have a rev.0 sprint card and it is pretty fast. I did not want to fork over $500 for the rev.A so i just waited for a sprint sled to pop up on ebay and i bought it. It was a rev.0 but honestly you never really connect over 2.0mbps so the rev.0 is great for downloading but if you do alot of uploading the 144kbps is pretty slow.

Now I upload things but usually they are small so it does not matter and it is pretty quick.

-James

 

I think the AT&T UMTS/HSDPA modem part for the CF-29 is CF-WEW29007CR will fit MK5 only.

 

Hey Mil3 is your not used wwan card sprint a rev.A ?

 

How/where can I check if it's rev A? I moved the whole thing from my MK2 (CF-29ETKGDKM) to to my MK5 and the Sprint modem was in the slot.

 

Mil3, what is the physical modem card on the sled? You'll most likely have to take it out, unscrew a few Philips screws on the bottom and pop the small metal shielding the actual card. The model number may be something like MC5725, MC8780, etc. The other way to do it is to have the ESN and call up the carrier and ask them what modem it is.

Officially only CF-29 mk5's have HSDPA or Rev. A modems. What we still haven't figured out (and you may be in the best position to) is whether Rev A sleds work in mk4's and below.

 

according to the toughbook config site if you took it out of your mk2 then it is cdma sprint and is 1xrtt.



-James

 

I have 2 modems, one from the mk2 seems like it's Sierra SB555 Qualcomm 3G CDMA and I broke the brown plastic that holding the data cable to the modem so I don't want to open the other one. the other one I bought on ebay $5.00 it came with original box of the modem and it says that the modem part is EM5625 Verizon EVDO. I can't tell if it's Rev A or 3G.

 

The EM5625 is a EVDO Rev.0 modem for either sprint or verizon. I have the sprint version of it and it looks like you have the verizon version.

-James

 

Are they the same? I google the EM5625 EVDO and it shows that it's also Sierra SB555 modem.

 

No the EM5625 Is much much faster than the sb555 modem. Well at least it is much much faster than my sb555 modem. I bought the sprint EM5625 and I am using it now. It is EVDO Rev.0 with download speeds of 400-700kbps with bursts to 2.4mbps with upload speeds of 50-100kbps with burst up to 144kbps

The SB555 is 1xrtt with download and upload speeds of 144kbps.

-James

 

So, I opened both modems Verizon and Sprint, they are the same. Both shows "SB555 Embedded Modem" also in the buttom it shows "QUALCOMM 3G CDMA" and on the back of the modem it shows "KESTREL REV 3.0" is that the Rev. that we are looking for? Here some pix.

Also, the module that hold that modem looks the same in both Verizion and Sprint. The part# for module that slide in to the side of the CF-29 is DFUP1301ZB(1) and the part# for the board that plug in th the modem card is DFUP1301ZB(4), so my question is can I install HSDPA modem on that board insted the CDMA modem?

 

no, heartland sells hsdpa sled kits for the 29s. the cdma and hsdpa modems use vastly different connections

 

What's sled kit? And where do you plug it ? Does it slide in to the side of the CF-29? Do you have part# or pic? Do you meen sled kit like CF-WEW29007CR?

 

it goes where the modem module was removed from by who took the pics, it above the battery, if you have a wireless modem installed already, you will just need a sled kit, if you dont you will need the wireless ready kit as well.
you will also need to buy the modem

i can get numbers to you tonight its not cheap though.

 

... and like we've said multiple times before.. the service manual does not show where to route the ribbon cables and wires for the antenna and sled cage... even if you order it, chances are you'll damage something. It took me a good hour and a bit to MOVE the wireless ready kit over to another CF-29. I wouldn't have known how to do it if I didn't already have a reference to one installed.

 

It took me 25 min to move the wireless ready kit from the MK2 to the MK5

 

it is a pita to install, and if you damage something its on you to fix or have fixed, heartland services can install this for 130 plus shipping and parts.

hsdpa sled kit is cf-wew29007

the cingular hsdpa modem is cf-kmc001

and the wireless ready kit is cf-wew29004a

 

How much will it cost if mine still under warranty?