CF-29NTWGZBM questions

Hey all been around for several months and just can't say enough about how helpfull you guys have been. To the questions.

This CF-29NTWGZBM has the smartcard reader installed above the battery bay. I have noticed that the bottom slot on the PCMCIA slot is not active. When I plug a card into the slot it lights up then goes blank. Does the smartcard reader use some or all the resources from the bottom slot? Also what kind of uses does the smartcard slot have? And last for the smartcard reader. This appears to be pretty indepth as fars as disassembly goes. (Tried to remove two screws and remove to see if it affected the PCMCIA slot.)

The only other issues I am having is the old touchscreen. It has the famous cursor jumping all the way right and appears to have some sort of delamination. Are all CF 29 upper LCD asemblies compatible between marks?

Other than that this thing is in great shape it looks almost new.

Again Thanks to all for the wealth of information.

 

My NTWGZBM and LAQGZBM both have card readers in the bottom PCMCIA slot. Do you have pictures of yours? My NTWGZBM has a sled that I have not identified yet above the battery. Also it has four screws in the palm rest plastic visible from above.
See Azrial's thread re: sd reader and ready boost.
I use my sd reader for maps and photos(images).
The top halves are interchangeable between marks. Correct me if I'm wrong someone. I couldn't find the post on a quick search. I may edit this is I find the info.
Jeff

 

Gork,
Thanks for the reply. I don't have pictures of this yet but will work on it and post soon. This has the SD card reader just below the two PCMCIA slots but the one I am refering to is just above the battery where the WWAN sled and OEM GPS usually goes. It takes a credit card with the chip in it???
Orion90

 

When you find out we will both know. I haven't had it long enough to figure it out.
Sounds like mine. Are there four screws on top? All they do is hold a metal strip. I got that far.

 

CF-29NTWGZBM DESCRIPTION:
Intel Pentium M 778 1.6 GHz LV (Centrino), 13.3" XGA Touch Screen, 512MB RAM, 80GB HDD, Intel 802.11a+b+g WLAN, Win XP Pro SP2, SmartCard Reader, TPM1.2 Security Chip, Floppy Disk Drive, No Optical Drive

From GemPC Twin - The innovative smart card interface:

"GemPC Twin provides an unrivalled, cost effective and secure way to enhance your smart card based applications. This is especially relevant for corporate security, Internet shopping and online banking services where confidentiality is a must."

You will find Smart Card readers in units for military or other high security-necessary or -desired applications.

If you're not going to use it, do you want to get rid of it?

Screen protector coming loose, perhaps?

AFAIK, "Yes."

 

The LA QGZBM doesn't show to be SmartCard Reader-equipped:

CF-29LAQGZBM DESCRIPTION:
Intel Pentium M 778 1.6 GHz LV (Centrino), 13.3" XGA Touch Screen, 512MB RAM, 80GB HDD, Intel 802.11a+b+g WLAN, Win XP Pro SP2, Emissive Backlit Keyboard, Floppy Disk Drive, No Optical Drive

 

Good info on the smart card reader thanks topcop. I am not sure if I want to get rid of the reader yet until I figure out the inactive PCMCIA slot. I will keep you in mind.

screen protector does not seem loose but kind of spongey to the touch.

 

Look for a mk-1 as a first choice for the replacement touchscreen
Very few problems with them ,unlike mk3 to mk5 units


Alex

 

Did you try the tooth pick trick for the screen? see the 29 faq for more on that.

My mk1 has a semi-permanent touch issue similar to yours. i think my cable is bad. seems to be temperature related (when it gets too warm, the touch looses accuracy, and when too hot, just jumps to one side)

I believe what Topcop meant, is that your unit wasn't shipped with the reader installed from the factory, and that someone may have added it (and/or screwed up or pulled power off the pcmcia in an incompatible way?)

 

Tomcat Thanks for the info. I may have a source for a Mark 1 Touchscreen replacement.

Gork I have included some pictures of the smartcard reader installed above the battery for reference.

 

No joy on the toothpick idea. This unit appears to have been used in a clean room. If I had not looked at the hours (4076) I would have thought it was brandnew.

The CF29-NTWGZBM is the one that has the smartcard reader installed as a factory option. I believe the CF-29LAQGZBM that Gork refered to may have been added later on.

 

Exactly right !

 

Yup! "W" = SmartCard Reader, while "Q" is sans SmartCard Reader.

 

Coulda fooled me. Or am I confused again. SD reader and Smart Card reader are not the same perhaps. Ignorance is bliss.
Blissfully yours,
Gork!
EDIT A little reading and I am up to speed on the difference. Feel free to critique my ignorance at will. Sorry for the confusion. Maybe if I went to a city some day I would see some of this fancy pancy stuff.

 

Success. I was able to get the touchscreen to work!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am not sure but I think it was possibly in the touchpad. I noticed that in the panasonic handwriting program that there was no option to select touchpad mode. It was greyed out before. After taking the bottom off to see what the guts looked like and puting it back together it started working and the option to for touchpad mode was no longer greyed out in panasonic handwriting. The only thoughts I have on this is it had some crud that some how became dislodged in touchpad or maybe the connections got wiggled around.

Next step is to replace the cooling pads they looked a little worn. Off to study that processs some more.

 

Sorry for the confusion on my part. Maybe this will make up for it.
I have used the 1.5 mm on four units and only use arctic silver if I pull the bottom again. It has worked dramatically well.
http://forum.notebookreview.com/panasonic/512706-cf-29-cooling-mods.html?nojs=1#links

Jeff from under his rock.

 

I have a Mk5 in mint- condition. Screen is blemish free. So, I'll show my ignorance. How do I tell if it has a great condition tough screen or great condition screen protector? If it is missing the screen protector is it a good idea to put one on? Panasonic about as good a source as any? Thanks

 

@ Kardan

You should be able to see the scratch sheet if it's installed as there are gaps of 1/8" or 1/16" on the sides

 

Start off by posting your system's full Model Number; such as: CF-29xxxxxxx .

Yes.

This is the favorite one of the members of this forum:

Screen Protector Panasonic Toughbook CF-29

 

Model is CF-29NTWGZBM.
Looks like a small gap between outermost surface and edge of bezel frame but can't "pick-up" the corner with a toothpick so not sure it really is a replaceable item. When I gently touch the screen it gives but isn't "squishy" as the screen protector has been described elsewhere here in the forum.
I guess I'll order one of the recommended ones (I'll probably need it eventually even if I aleady have a good one) and compare it to what I have.
Now I have to do some "driver diving" to see if I have the current one. The touch pad works but you have to swipe your finger across it 3 or 4 times to move the cursor from top to bottom. Touch screen barely works with a finger but seems fine with a stylus. I've only had this unit a few weeks so it probably wouldn't hurt to compare exactly what drivers it has installed to what Panasonic says are the last ones for a Mk5.
Thanks for the tips.

 

They are tough to remove , if you see that small gap it is the scatch sheet btw

 

Thats a easy fix . Go to control panel / mouse / pointer options and set your pointer speed. I set mine at about 3/4 and it goes from top to bottom in one swipe across the pad

My guess you have it set very low.

 

What mk do you have? My CF29 mk2's touchpad is painfully slow. I am currently using a program called mousespeed3 to make it responsive enough to be usable.
I have tried every possible setting on the Panny drivers with no real joy.
Next step has been to find different Fujitsu drivers, but Panny lists it as 2.0xxx and Fujitsu lists the newest as 1.xxx. That's for the PS2 touchpad/touchscreen.

 

Definitely touchscreen equipped:

CF-29NTWGZBM DESCRIPTION:
Intel Pentium M 778 1.6GHz LV (Centrino), 13.3" XGA Touchscreen, 512MB Base RAM, 80GB HDD, Floppy Disk Drive, No Optical Drive, Intel 802.11a+b+g WLAN, Win XP Pro SP2, SmartCard Reader, TPM1.2 Security Chip

Title: Mouse Driver/Touch Pad Driver/Touchscreen Driver
Model Number: CF-29[ N/P](Mk5) CF-29[ N/P]xxxx Bx
Operating System: Windows XP SP2
Language: English
Release Date: 04/04/2006
File Name: mouse_29_5_d050515.exe [374.2 kb]

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