Panasonic CF-53 backlit keyboard

I bought 3 CF-53 but I did not get backlit keyboards. So I went online and bought 3 Emissive Backlit Keyboard for CF-53 MK1. I pulled out the factory keyboard (disconnected the 2 cables) and installed the new backlit keyboard (connected 3 cables). All the keyboard functions work except the backlit (FN 12). When I hold FN key down, the drop down menu shows up with F1 to F10 and they all work. Is there something I need to do on the machine (power, etc) to get that to work?

Thanks in advance for ALL help!

 

Don't know the CF-53 but the connectors are probably the same as other models.
The connector may be fitted wrong-way-round, see the thread "CF-29 backlit keyboard issue" - it has a photo that may help you.
Might be best to confirm first though

 

I checked the thread and looked at the picture and it appeared to make sense. I flipped the third cable (the long one) and still no light. Still only shows F1 to F10.

 

I've only installed emissive keyboards in a couple of CF-29's and there are only 4 brightness levels + off on those. No on-screen display and I don't know if there should be, haven't even considered it. Don't remember installing any drivers or having to enable anything but it has been a while.
Someone will be along soon who knows but until then maybe check/default the bios, check device manager, check Panasonic drivers list, check for new hardware, check information viewer etc.
LED's themselves are polarity-safe. With any luck connecting the lead wrongly (?) won't have hurt anything else.
Oops. Have you already tried just pressing Fn & F12? That's how the 29 works
I skimmed over "F1 to F10" in your first post without noticing... thought we were expecting 10 levels.

 

There was a Hong Kong seller with emissive keyboards that had 3 cables and looked OK but it said in the fine print that the backlight didn't work. If you tried the (brown narrow) power cable in both orientations and it still doesn't light up, then maybe it's time to send it back for a refund.

 

Just wanted to share...we also both 3 CF-53's without the backlit keyboards and was able to successfully swap in backlit keyboards by flipping the brown, narrow flat ribbon cable around and plugging it in. Worked fine after that.

 

hey,

I realize this thread is old, just did this swap last night. ZERO info out there how to do it so and all searches CF-53 only come to this thread which I thought I will update for the next person:

1. long time Toughbook owner 10+ years on now
2, old battered cfy I forget which model, then a toughpad small one, which I don't like, now in the last week a CF-53 to replace it.
3. totally missed that the backlit keyboard was an integrated option, ordered it without, realized afterwards
4. ordered the part - backlit keyboard from Panasonic after seeing some you tubes how to replace them

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8fJNXEq-fk CF-52

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHxMKqPhPTM CF-53

Not so simple !

Panasonic sent me PDF instructions how to do it, lacking the most critical part....

Steps.

Per the above:

1. unscrew the 3 screws where the power button is.

2. at the back what looks like the hinges, per the video for CF-53, push them inwards carefully, you will feel it give and click -- massage them

3. thereafter the right side (facing the screen), side will pop up/out, carefully keep lifting it till you get to the power button, on this machine the left side "hinge" was very stubborn and the plate would not pop out. If you can pop it out to the power button still okay...

4. from here you can remove the keyboard, it is heavily taped down so start slowly lifting it up, try to use a lot of square surface, instead of peeling it back. once unstuck it will pop out, normally also at this point, the left hinge should be able to be popped out if originally stuck.

5. unscrew the assay cover, very straight forward, be aware of the little sticker on the right, side, retain that, just undo the two screws and lift it up and pull backwards to un stick it.

6. the clicks holding the ribbons appear to be daunting, but look closely and use a tweezers or something small and pointed, it is a matter of pushing them backwards, to the right of the computer if you are facing the screen. Fairly obvious style clips if you have installed GPU's and RAM.

7. Once undone remove the keyboard and unpack the new one.

8. new one has the same ribbons plus an extra long thing one. Here it is fairly obvious which goes where, the two original are different sizes on the backlit keyboard, the third (power) is long and thin and there is only one other terminal where it could go.

NOTES:

this is important and where I got screwed up:

insert the shortest one first, the closest terminal to the handle.

for the power ribbon, you have to fold it over at the terminal so that the copper contact is facing upwards and reveals 1 2 lead it out towards its terminal, then fold it so that the copper contact is upwards, you will see the number 1 and 2. Lock it in. Then install the 2nd larger original contacts.

Note Carefully:

here I thought I was done:

1. put back the assay cover
2. put back the keyboard'
3. put back the cover
4. screwed it all down
5. installed the battery
6. powered it on

NOTHING.



Looked up on google maybe I have to switch it on, various other brands have FN + Z, FN + whatever, there is an FN button that looks like it might be the keyboard switch, hammered that several times.

NOTHING.

Undid everything thought maybe the ribbons and contacts where not inserted properly and far or deep enough. Reset them all. Clued on to not repack everything and fired it all up loose and as is. Nothing.

Though the contact for the power was the wrong way round, reinstalled it without flipping it over so that the copper contacts were at the bottom. Fired it up nothing !

Now what.

Google some more see small mention of BIOS. Once or twice mentioned on other forums with other brands about replacing keyboards. Hmmm.

Go into the CF-53 BIOS and hunt around, lo and behold there is a section (I forget where - towards the last settings)

' unhide'...devices or something like that, there is a list of things like radio, backlit keyboard and several others that state ON but are all 'grayed' out - hit select for unhide or show hidden devices (things) hit enter save and exit.

SUCCESS !

very very lame though, so much so so unbright I wondered if I had installed the power ribbon backwards why is the lighted keyboard so invisible. redid all of that again, and if installed incorrectly i.e. with the copper contact facing down, then no power to light the keyboard, if flipped over and the copper contact facing upwards with 1 and 2 visible, key board lights up. So no nothing wrong with the keyboard, just not as bright as my previous other backlit key board, 4 clicks on FN + F12 is the brightest. It works. And that's it, sure it will work in a no lit room our outside but in a dimly lit room or space, okay. Nothing to write home about.

Lot of crap on the key board NUMLK which are integrated in the keys takes some getting used to and if you start typing like a hacker, you inadvertently hit numlk.

TL;DR

1. twist power ribbon over and insert with copper contact facing upwards and will say 1 and 2
2. enable SHOW HIDDEN or UNHIDE... in BIOS even though backlit keyboard states on (it is actually grayed out

That's it !

 

Welcome to the Panasonic Toughbook forum

Thank you for this, hopefully this will help the next guy who needs to install one.

 

I have never heard the need to enable a backlit keyboard in the BIOS on a Toughbook before.....
Thanks for the info.

 

I will have to check this out on my 53...

 

Welcome to the forum and thanks for the info. An excellent contribution!

 

Thanks !

On review let me clean and clear up what I wrote, I see some details and words are missing. Wrote it on the fly after a rough night and from memory.

1. CF-Y2 was my original, bought it back in 2004 when it came out. Been everywhere done everything. Only things wrong 1 new battery at some point and new power supply in all the years. Interesting story that in the Caribbean for work, for 2 weeks on a tiny yet sophisticated island. 2 days in, the rancid stench of electrical fire/smolder. Look around I see wisps of white smoke emanating from the power cord plug into the lappy. Oh boy ! Pull it out examine it, can see it is split and frayed. What to do, 12 more days in the middle of no where, no tools nothing. Pull out the old Swiss Army snip it examine it, figger no way I can McGyver it. Phone downstairs any electronic shops around here, yes two actually one loca handy man shop and one owned by East Europeans. Now I wonder what will I be ripped off to even get this thing fixed in the middle of no where. Phone them up half-heartedly say don't suppose you got a Panasonic Model No. xyz power pack for a Toughbook would you.....one minute..Why yes we do ! What. Rush over there taking the old one, let me see, no frickking way OEM nice light tan card board box, model no exact. power rating exact identical piece of equipment.Give it to me. USD90. Though I had won the lottery ! Get back home forgot about it for a while remembered, decided to look up the part all of USD25. Oh well.

I am reminded because I see on this new CF-53 they have infact reinforced the exact same area where my old one wore out. Good to see, bit late though !

Anyway:

1. The section in the BIOS is in the MAIN MENU under CONCEALED MODE CONFIGURATION (see below). Not sure why I thought is said HIDDEN and UN HIDE

2. Select that and you enter CONCEALED MODE (see below), here it lists the devices but default the whole menu is DISABLED. Even though each device says ON. It is grayed out. Just select CONCEALED MODE [ENABLE] and you are good to go.

3. Also below, the 3 steps to remove and access everything. The word I forgot originally was the TILT COVER.

4. For the power ribbon I should use the word folder over instead of twist, it is configured to do so.

5. Don't forget to remove the sticky tape cover when installing the new keyboard to lock it al in.

6. Suggest to do a run through before doing that and repacking everything to make sure it is working.

7. As mentioned is really very dim in a well lit room while working on it, so much so you may not even notice it is working, just shield or cup a couple keys with your hand you will see blue light glowing under the keys which will mean it is on and working. Or dim your lights.

8. Whole thing should take 5 minutes to do knowing all this now. Took nearly 30 minutes fumbling around for me.

9. Panasonic wanted 175 USD for installation. After seeing that original CF-52 video and it taking the guy all of 4 minutes. Said forget it.

There are you.

MAIN MENU

http://oi58.tinypic.com/2z5jfxz.jpg [FULL SIZE]



ENABLED

http://oi62.tinypic.com/2h6wygw.jpg [FULL SIZE]



OPEN

http://oi61.tinypic.com/2zqu0xz.jpg [FULL SIZE]



INSTALL

http://oi62.tinypic.com/2j607d1.jpg [FULL SIZE]



DONE

http://oi57.tinypic.com/jhq4px.jpg [FULL SIZE]

 

Can you direct me to the CF53 mk4 service manual???

I have a severe issue and that manual would really help..

 

I can't. They just gave me those three pages when I ordered the part is all.