CF52 backlit keyboard project

I finished installing an emissive keyboard in my cf52GCMBEAM. I have one brightness level. I kept it simple.

Thanks to Ohlip and Onakriss for all of their work on modding in a keyboard. I needed to increase the slot the keyboard cables go through in the palmrest. Also had to mod the palmrest for the tabs at the bottom of the new keyboard. This is because the new keyboard is thicker.
A Dremel handled this job.

We need 5volts to power the backlit keyboard. 5volts that shuts off when the cf52 is off. In Toughbook land that is called VC5. I am getting it from the smartcard connector. This was the PITA part. The connector is above the hard drive caddy and not accessible without disassembling the cf52.

THE TWO PINS ON THE SMARTCARD CONNECTOR WILL NOT HAVE 5VOLTS WHEN THE LAPTOP IS POWERED OFF. ONLY WHEN IT'S RUNNING. THAT'S WHY WE USE THESE PINS. OTHERWISE THE KEYBOARD WOULD NEVER SHUT OFF..

I don't solder ffc cables..
The emissive keyboard extra connector for the lights plugs into a 7pin 1.0mm ffc connector. .30mm thick cable. I am going to solder 2 wires to the smartcard connector and then to the 7pin connector. One for + and one for -.The keyboard will plug right in. No soldering the ffc.

The smaller copper trace in the ffc of the emmisive keyboard is 5V + or positive which uses 47mA. That means the larger trace is 5V negative or ground.

Official connector part number SFW7R-2STAE1LF

I found a connector at Digikey that the keyboard ffc fits into and is easy to solder. Part number..HFW7S-2STE1LF or 609-1108-1-ND. They are expensive though. $0.47 each.
Seal it all up with heat shrink and hot melt glue. The keyboard plugs in and out just like normal.

609-1108-1-ND


Schematic of smartcard connector


Here is onakriss's photo of the smartcard connector with the wires soldered on.
red is plus 5V, green is ground

 

Very nice job Shawn. Thanks for the pictures.

 

Very well Done! I liked this post

Bob

 

Hmmm.... I'll have to do this as well... Nice job!

 

Thank Guys......

I have one coming for a different model....It's a bit trickier to do..

 

Dude... You need to clean that keyboard AND laptop!

 

Modding first...cleaning later.......

 

Sean,

What pins on the plastic adapter from Digikey did you solder to? There are 3 pins on side and 4 pins on the other, not able to figure out which pins are postive and which are negative for the ffc cable. You say the larger trace is negative on the ffc cable.
Second, if the Pansonic backlit keyboards take 5v for lighting, I am only getting 3.3v using my multimeter on the smart card reader for pins #4 and #7. Both pins read out 3.3v but no pin reads 5v. The pin in your photo does not have any voltage according to my multimeter with the smartcard?

I ran a pair of wires over to the bluetooth antenna cable (3.3v) wired in series with the 3.3.v on pin #7 from smart card reader to get 6.5v . The backlit now glows during the day! Not sure where you are getting 5v sources from on the smartcard reader unless different models have different voltage. I do know USB hubs all have 5v since that is the maximum USB can handle.

Bought 10 of those digikey adapters for the ffc cables but never could figure out how to solder which pins for +/_ . Let me know what pins you used so I can desolder my wires from the ffc copper ends on the backlit keyboard.

Cheers,

Kegger13 [email protected]

 

It won't have 5v unless the laptop is running. Ill get the pin connections when I get home.

 

Shawn,

I had AC adapter and battery plugged in when measuring the pinouts on the smartcard. No pins registered higher than the 3.3v on my multimeter. Wonder if some smartcard hardware that Panasonic uses has different voltage. How did you find out the voltage on the pins that you used ? Secondly, I can't find any specs on the backlit OEM keyboards for specific voltage. Sharp shooting here with a bunch of questions.

Thanks,

bk

 

Plugged in and battery inserted doesn't matter if the laptop was turned off. In order to check the voltage it must be ON, as in the screen has a picture on it.

The 5 in VC5 indicates 5 volts. That's directly from the schematics from Panasonic.

This setup does not come on and off automatically. If the laptop is turned on, the keyboard is lighted. Day, Night or upside down, if the CF52 iS running the keyboard is lit.

Photo of connection

 

nice job ...
i can't see a need for more than one brightness level (i'll take the pun) .
i run my back-lit keyboard full tilt when i do run it ... even in full darkness running down the road .

 

Yes, mine are full bright always..

 

I like the connectors, Shawn is using. Well done!
I for myself use the ScrLk-key to switch on and off. The brightness of the keyboard is equivalent to the ScrLk-LED and so to the screen brightness. It's an easy darlington circuit with 2 mosfets.

@kegger: If u have no voltage @ pin10 on the smartcardreader connector, u have blown the fuse. And how do u add 2 times 3.3V with the same ground to 6.5V? This is nonsense. Just replace ur fuse and use the 5V.

 

Shawn,

Excellent photo. Thanks again for all the tutorials and advice for the backlit keyboard.

 

We are proud of our little MacGyver!

 

Must have blown fuse on all of my mk2 boards purchased on Fleebay (5 different boards) according to fellow member. If someone would be kind enough to post where the 5v fuse source is located that would be greatly appreciated?

Thank you kindly,

bk

 

"@kegger: If u have no voltage @ pin10 on the smartcardreader connector, u have blown the fuse. And how do u add 2 times 3.3V with the same ground to 6.5V? This is nonsense. Just replace ur fuse and use the 5V. "

You are absolutely Right! This is nonsense and I am an idiot. 3.3v from separate sources not the same card reader, thanks for the catch, forgot I posted something so stupid and nonsensical!


Lastly, where is the fuse located for 5v source on CF-52 mk2? I must have blown fuses on all 5 of my mk2 boards that purchased on Fleebay since every reader tests at 3.3v. No voltage on pin10 for any mk2 board.

Thanks,

bk

 

My CF-52GCMBEAM has 5v at the smartcard and is operating a backlit keyboard as I type.

I think you have blown fuses on those other motherboards. Not saying you did it..

The official schematics say that there should be 5v at the smartcard...

 

Thanks Shawn. Believe that must be the problem, blown fuse. I bought a lot of 5 old CF-52 mk2 on Fleebay. Most do not function properly i.e. corrupted BIOS, parts missing, etc.... Would you send me the schematics of the CF-52 board?

 

link expires in 48 hrs..
https://www.dropbox.com/s/w46qbifj6wcabnk/cf52%20mk1schematics.zip?dl=0

 

I would be impressed, if u could pls tell me, where u found a different power source with a different ground in a toughbook. Sounds interesting.




I think u will find the fuse F8 2A in front of the connector for the flatcable for the pcb of the smartcard connector.

 

Found old post, you were correct when I did state 3.3v from same reader, that is nonsense and not possible. Had no idea said that, combining two sources.

Onirakkiss- you can get 11 volt source or higher from any laptop if you want to by-pass the buck converter with proper wiring.

Thanks for the fuse location. Will look into changing those out in time.

bk

 

Why should I ?