Removing CF-30 Keyboard

Hi,
I was trying to remove the CF-30 keyboard to see what kind of WiFi card is installed (I'm thinking to upgrade it because the 4965 does not support hosted network...) but I got stuck and I need some help.
I saw a nice video on youtube explaining how to remove the keyboard and everything seemed quite simple, but when I removed the four screws at the top of the keyboard and the top piece, I found out that the keyboard will not move forward as shown in the video.
My keyboard (the one with the backlit, if it matters) seems to be glued on the bottom and there is no way to move it in any direction, forward or upward. I don't see any evident further locking point either.
Did I miss something? How should I proceed? I would like to avoid to break my new second-hand toughbook in the first two weeks of ownership Thanks!

 

What is wrong is they use double face tape to hold it down. It will come...just take it slow

 

Uh... ok, I thought something like that, but it seemed quite strange to find pieces fixed with double tape on a laptop like this... I will try again, thanks!

 

I use a 1 inch putty knife with a little pressure and it should pop right off

 

Hi,
I am in the same situation, regarding the WIFI Card that doesn't support hosted network, with which card will you exchange your 4965?
actually, I have a 4965AG (cf30WSAXAM, Mk2), and I thought that the 4965AGN would support hosted network, but unfortunately not. I am looking for a 5100 which certainly support (I have one installed in a CF-H1), but I want to be sure that il will be compatible with my CF-30 Mk2.
BTW, I removed my Keyboard this morning, the double face adhesive is difficult to reach, so you have to pay attention to not bend the keyboard when lifting it, then exchanging the wifi card is very easy to perform
regards,

 

Hi! I also have a 5100 on my other notebook and it works fine with Connectify, so I was thinking to buy another one for the CF-30. My doubt is the format of the card, because I saw that there is a full size and a half size PCIe card, so I was trying to see which one was the right one before buying it. Anyway, I was also thinking on the 5300... since I'm changing it, why not change it with the newer model?
About the keyboard, do you think that after removing the tape, it is necessary to put it again or it will remain in place by itself?

 

Hi,
regarding the format, the actual card is a full size, Half size can be installed using adapter
( Half Size TO Full Mini PCI E PCI Express Adapter I9 | eBay)
but it appears that the physical installation is not the most complex part of the job: all the cards are not compatible with all the laptops.
By reading on this forum or others, I have understand that it can be a real nightmare that only expert could solve (and unfortunately, I'm not an expert...) that's the reason why I try to know if someone has a good experience with a 5100/5300 on a CF-30 Mk2 running Windows7.
regarding the Keyboard, it was not necessary to replace the double face adhesive, some glue was still in place, and the keyboard was fixed without difficulties
best regards
Olivier

 

I have used Wiha screwdrivers and also credit cards to carefully pry up the emissive and rubber keyboards. You MUST be careful and inspect the edges of the keyboard when you remove it... EVERY time!

Do this next time you swap/remove one... On the emissives and silicones... They have a seal around the bottom edge. In the early days I would be a little more forceful than I am now. Then I realized that I was tearing this seal an compromising the integrity of the keyboard! If you do split the seal... You should be able to fix it by wiping some RTV silicone into the split and letting it cure. The same is true for torn keys on silicone keyboards. With a little black RTV and a toothpick... You can fill the split and use the toothpick to adjust it back in place. Then you can wipe off the excess. You may need to reposition the split or tear after you wipe.

 

Ok, thanks! I have just bought a full size 5300 for 15 euro ( Intel WiFi Link 5300 5300AGN Wireless 802.11ABGN WLAN Mini Card 533ANMMW | eBay ), in a couple of weeks I will be able to tell you if it works on my CF-30 mk2!

 

Good suggestion, thanks!
In my case, I think that the tape is only on the top side, but I'm not sure.
I'm really surprised by the presence of this tape, I thought it was just on some refurbished model like mine, but it seems that it is a quite standard procedure... I wonder if it is really necessary, I think that I will try to put back the keyboard without the tape and see if it moves.

 

I pull the hinge covers and slip a long wide blade screwdriver in there. Pry down gently and wait for the adhesive to give way. If you bend the keyboard it can be gently straightened in most cases.

Stock CF-30 keyboards have slots and pins....possibly backed up by tape. I prefer the tape.

For stock pin and slot boards Toughasnails wide putty knife would shine as the the keyboard needs to be moved away from you a tad.

 

I will try to avoid bending Thanks for the suggestions!

 

Use the tape... You can also use Scotch Double Sided tape. Panasonic calls for it on the emissive and silicone keyboards. It helps hold everything in place. The standard Chiclet style is taped to the metal screen with the pins that need to slide toward the LCD to be removed.

 

I bought the same one at same site
let's share our experience as soon as we receive our product

 

So, just to be sure to understand correctly... May I lift the keyboard when I try to remove the tape or do I have to slide it toward the LCD because it is kept in place by pins? Of course I have to take care of the cable, but I don't understand if there is something else keeping it down.

 

Just the tape is holding it there.

 

Great, thanks! I will let you know if I destroy my keyboard

 

The only keyboards that have the pins are the standard keyboards. The plastic emissive and silicone illuminated both have tape. The standard keyboard has pins because it is so thin it needs to be taped to a base (with pins) to fill the gap.

 

The standard CF-30 keyboard uses both tape and pins.



There are two pins on either end of the keyboard and tape between them holding it down.
Open the laptop with the screen down flat. With the bezel and hinge covers removed, slide a
putty knife under the top edge and slowly pry up and when it pops loose slide the keyboard
towards the screen.

 

Hi gpc,
I received my 5300 today, but bad news, it doesn't work
I installed it, but at start no device was recognized
I'm disapointed, sure, I had to search more information about the compatibility of that card and my CF-30
please keep me informed with your experience
best regards
Olivier

 

I will let you know what will happen with my card...

 

Just install a newer version of the drivers from Intel. The Panasonic ones do not support the newer cards. I had a 6250 in my CF30 mk2.

Please see the other thread on this subject.
http://forum.notebookreview.com/panasonic/742228-wifi-adapter-compatibility-cf-30-mk2-hostednetwork.html

 

Hi, I have received the 5300 and I have installed it.
No problem in recognizing it, Windows just found the new hardware and installed its driver... BUT! it is not working. It seems that it is off. I can see it on the computer peripherals and on the network resources, it says that it is correctly working, enabled, etc, but it doesn't show any network available. Windows troubleshooting says that wi-fi capabilities of the PC are turned off (of course, I have checked the switch and it is on...).
I'm trying to download the new drivers and I will let you know!

 

...ok, Intel test says that hardware radio is OFF... maybe I have to try the pin 20 mod... let's go back to get the screwdriver...

 

...and here we go! Up and running! Taping the pin 20 solved the issue.
It puzzles me a little, because also the other card should have been using the same pin for power down, so I guess it is just some software issue which prevents to set the correct voltage at the pin. So, now I have the WiFi always on, I guess. I may have some problem on an airplane...

FYI, this image clearly shows which one is the pin 20:

 

yes, it's a BIOS whitelisting. I've tried a generic Intel 6250 and a Lenovo 5100 and they didn't work (30mk1).

 

I see. Have you tried to isolate the pin 20? According to what I have read on internet, it is a standard pin for every WiFi PCIe card...

 

if you asked me, I didn't. I want to retail full functionality (i.e. working radio OFF/ON button). Also, i'm not very fond of the idea to put same tape/nail polish on the pin, and then have to clean it off of the MiniPCIe slot.

 

The tape solution is very clean, because the tape is on the card pin, not on the socket. It was a common solution for overclocking the old PIII, I remember from loooong ago...
Anyway yes, not being able to turn it off is a bit annoying. Maybe it is possible to disable it completely through the BIOS? I think to have seen this solution for some other laptop. Otherwise, is there a list of allowed wifi cards with the standard BIOS?

 

Hi gpc,
I finally installed a 6250, but I had to do the pin20 mod, using the tape, now I hope that the tape will be heat resistant (I used a common transparent adhesive tape)
I would prefer to find an allowed wifi card, with hostednetwork capability, but it appears to be difficult to find...

 

Hi sagitta, I'm glad you did it!

 

There is another way but if it does not work the card might not work in another laptop...take all the gold off of pin 20. The first mod I did I used tape and the next one I did I used a sharp knife to take all the gold off. The tape should be fine , mine has been like that for a long time now.

 

Hi Blair, I found it easier just to cut the tiny track to the pin. Also easy to resolder if the pin should be needed another time.
Use an even sharper knife... like a scalpel with a 10A blade... and the best magnifier available. A USB microscope is OK if it's mounted right. In a pinch I've taped 3 pairs of spectacles together... those of us with enough nose can do this

I still have an old stereo microscope that I used when I repaired cameras. For any of you folks doing a lot of close work with hand-held tools who don't already have one - these are the business. Good work piece support (ideally a mic. drive travelling stage but a cross vise will do), adjustable lights and most of all good wrist/tool supports were well worth however much time they took to set up.

Fiddliest job I remember was soldering single strands of copper to bridge each of a whole bunch of cracked conductors in the middle of an irreplaceable 0.5 pitch FFC. Had to scrape away the polyester coating on one side first obviously and reinforce it later. Pretty sure I could manage 0.25 pitch with enough time to set it up - maybe.

Sometimes would use a small sewing needle ground down to an edge and held short in a pin vise for jobs where a scalpel blade was too big.
Sewing needles make handy medium-fine probes for your meter and scope BTW. The right size of spring wire added to a probe tip as an extension doesn't bridge adjacent IC pins when it slips.
Square off just the point of a standard probe tip, drill a 0.3-ish hole into it, insert spring wire, crimp in a vise. Make a sleeve for the tip - it'll be sharp!

We knew how to bodge things up in the 1990's...