intern microfon in cf29

does anybody have an cf-29mk5 with an intern microfon? in my wasn't a mike under the right hinge. today i killed an old pioneer-mobilephone and switched the electret-mike into my toughbook with a screened lf-cable to the free 3pin connector on the board under the hinge. the left and middle pin is ground and the right pin is signal and voltage. it works really good. i tested it with skype .
by the way; where can i get the schematic of the 40-connector cn-18 to use the usb on it?

if pictures are necessary it's possible to upload.

so long

 

I send a copy to modly, I don't know if he got it already. I already hacked the usb line on CN(18) but the power is still on even if the computer is off. I try to trace the line to see if it can be switch it off

BTW, nice mod..... can you post a photo coz I want to install a mic too on my unit.


Ohlip

 

here are the pictures. hope, they speak for themselves.











if there are questions to this job, ask me.
if u have the pinout of cn18 from a cf29, contact me please.

 

Good job! I think maybe we need to add a link to this to the FAQ...

EDIT: Oh, poo. We don't HAVE a CF-29 FAQ...

mnem<~~~ Skype, hype... I can't afford FREE nowadays... LOL*

 

I see the pictures and I am not really understanding what the modification that you did does and why it was necessary or desirable. Can I ask for an explanation for the less technical?

 

Hi! You mean to say you soldered the cable into the connector? why don't you use a plug into the connector?

BTW, its nice but I wonder why?

ohlip

 

@kingstu: my cf-29 has original no built in microfon, but the holder, the hole in the hinge and the connector on the board is there.
all u need is an mini-electret-microfon, in my case from an old mobilphone.
now i can use my laptop for voip or as voice/noise-recorder.

@ohlip: yeaph, ur right and im so sorry that i done this , because i had no connector in this size and i must finalize the laptop for my girlfriend till may. so i can't wait for the right connector.

 

I will use only two conductor, I have already a mini mic and a 3 pin plug, so probably this weekend coz I am busy right now. I want to install mic coz i usually use skype with my brother and sis. from other country to save a bet of money rather than the landline phone.


ohlip

 

What a GREAT hack! You definitely get rep for this! I have a bunch of old cell phones and parts to. (I used to hack cell phones too) I will be ading this later this week.

I agree that you should try to use a connector rather than soldering. I am sure I can find one in an old parts CF-28....

Well Done!!!

 

Are you trying to tell me something?

 

*Looks down, stirs floor with one beclawed toe*

Ummm... I think... yeah. When I started here the CF-28 Mk3 WAS pretty much the top of the food chain, as they were still quite pricey and the CF-29s were out of the reach of most of us poor sods who - lets face it - have been tinkering on the CF-28's because we WANTED the features that were available built into the CF-29s.

Now, we have several regulars with CF-29s and they have dropped down to such prices that even *mnem* might soon be able to afford one if he gets lucky.

So I think maybe, yeah - it's time to sticky a FAQ thread on the CF-29s and start keeping our collective knowledge of them in one place, for the same reasons we did with the CF-28.

mnem
thank you for your support

 

Well sir... I'll make you the same deal I did Modly... Make it up and I'll plaster it upat the top of the forum where it will stay for all eternity. (Or until the large asteroid hits... whichever happens first)

If you need any help... Lemme know!

 

Does anyone know the part number for the correct connector?

 

On an defective graphiccard with fan is such a connector. u can snip off the plug from the fan and soldered to the mic-cable.

 

Thank you for the suggestion. Unfortunately, I do not have a dead video card with a fan on it.

 

You left out a few things on your mod here. Like which pins did you solder to? Which parts did you solder on the mic? (I have the same exact mic out of an old Motorola phone... I assume the center is positive.)

Can you be a little more specific in your instructions?

 

TB -

On any two-pad condenser mic, the case/shield is B-/GND, and you can see a trace leading from one solder pad to the case. The other will be B+ and signal out. SOME condenser mics actually have three pads; but they are generally clearly labeled as to at LEAST which one is B+; the pad connected to case is again B-/GND, and the w/o label or labeled S or Sig is signal out.

mnem
So just HOW did they condense a whole Mike into that tiny little button? And furthermore... are we really CERTAIN Mike WANTED to be condensed?

 

Thanks mnementh. u sad it right. And aditionally to them who not know what to connect with which part:

Mic with 3 pads:

• shield from the mic to the shield of the screened cable and this on pin2 -the middle pin on cn23 if the TB is in front of u.
• B- from the mic to one cable inside the screened cable and this on pin1 -the left pin.
• B+ from the mic to an other cable inside the screened cable and this on pin3 -the right pin.

Mic with 2 pads:

• shield from the mic to the shield of the screened cable and this on pin2 and pin1 -the middle pin and the left pin.
• B+ from the mic to one cable inside the screened cable and this on pin3 -the right pin.

The diameter of the mic should be aproximatly 5.5mm and max 3.5mm thick.

The plug is a 3pin plug 5mm wide.

The screened cable is an LF-cable diameter 1.7mm and 8cm long. U need an stereo-version for a mic with 3 pads or an mono-version for the 2 pad-mic

Hope this helps and if not, ask again please.

 

Okay... I looked at CN23 on the schematic and it shows two pins leading to ground and the third going elsewhere... Which two pins in the plug are the grounded pins????

 

TB -

Lookong at the photo, it appears that the he has leftmost pin(s) connected to shield, and the rightmost is connected to signal/B+ (With laptop facing you as if you were using it).

You can verify this as follows:

With your notebook OFF, test for continuity to chassis ground with your VOM. It looks like the two leftmost pins will be GND.

With your notebook ON, test for B+ with your VOM. It looks like this will be the rightmost pin, voltage typically varies from 1.5V-9V depending on application.

If you're using a plug w/pigtail, look for the wire that has a positive voltage with respect to chassis GND (with laptop ON) this will be signal/B+ to the mic. One or both of the others will be GND.

mnem<~~~ Making Microphone Mechanism Manipulation Marginally More Manageable*

 

Look at the screen of the toughbook. ur sitting in front of it.
Under the screen are the hinges.
In the right hinge is the hole for noise to the mic.
Under the cover under the keyboard is cn23 located, like shown in the pictures above.
The left pin is B-, the middle pin is shield, the right pin is B+ (signal and power).
U can also test which pin is ground, if u use an highimpedance-multimeter. Toughbook must be without any Powersource. Check troughput between the metal of the pcmcia-cover an the pins of the connector. If it is zero ohm, there should an intern connection to ground.
And u can test, which pins is signal - so had i found, that this is the internal mic-connector- with an small screwdriver, which u touch on the middle of the front with ur finger, to send some frequence (powernet frequence 50Hz/60Hz and the harmonic of this) and click the mic in the sound control on (mute off). if u heare the noise (brumm) when u dip on a pin - there is a audio-input

 

O -

There was a reason I didn't suggest this at first - with the unit on, there is a good chance of shorting out the B+ supply from the MB. This is much less likely when probing with the end of a VOM, as there is less potential area for exposure. We don't know if this circuit has over-current protection other than a fuse; and even if so, it may SHARE a fuse with some other component which would ALSO cease functioning, causing some confusion and additional diag time.

mnem
*OHMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM*

 

first: i hadn't seen, that u posted the correct answer to TB
second: "...there is a good chance of shorting out the B+ supply from the MB...." ---u're right.
but third: if u look at the schematic---even if u shortened the pins, there is no problem for the components.
and forth: everyone, who operate inside an electronic-component should be carefull and have some knowledge about the logic and electronic in such devices, especially in an cost expensive toughbooks

All what i do and post is done with fun and a little bit brain for myself (or better for my girl, it's her laptop) and as a think to other to try the same (with the knowledge how).
Does anybody understand, what i mean or could u please translate it into the right words? To read an english text is simplier than to write an own.

 

Doh.... Talk about a brain fart.... I didn't even think about using a multimeter....

Now I am looking for the connector I need. I could swear I had a ton of those... But I have a ton of the two pin connectors.

Double DOH....

<heads off to the corner to hold gum against the wall with his nose>

 

Here... ya forgot this...

*Tosses TB the conical hat*

Woops... sorry... that was a traffic cone. Here ya go!

*Tosses TB the OTHER conical hat*

MUCH better!

mnem
You are aware sir... that Mr Toughbook there... has Global Tracking AND a sidearm?

*ScuttleScuttleScuttle*

 

Ok! I am done with my mic.... installation on cf-29. I just used two pin of the three pin plug connector. Used only pin1 and pin 3 just leave pin 2 with NC. It works perfectly.


ohlip

 

I understand what you write. Your english is not perfect, but it is better than some people I know that were born here.

Thank you for sharing your modification.

 

Also on the process I switched the complete lcd of 1.4 to 1.6 and it also doin fine.

 

ohlip.... Do you mean that you used a two pin plug on the three pin connector or that you had the 3 pin connector and you ony used the two outboard pins? (It sounds like the latter) Just want to make sure.

 

I have 3pin plug, just to clarify but i only used two of the pin 1&3. Sorry about that.



ohlip

 

No... you said it right... I was just hoping you made it work with a two pin plug... That's all I can find. I'll try Radio Shack tomorrow for the corrrect pin.

 

TB -

If you have TWO of the correct style 2-pin connectors, there's no reason you can't just carve them up with a razor to make the equivalent of one 3-pin connector. Been dere, dunnat...

mnem
Mike sez Hi!

 

Nobody knows the part number and/or where to get the appropriate connector?

 

For an update: The internal microphone of cf-28 is a perfect match for cf-29. It has also three pin plug connector and uses only two pin as I posted before.

To TB...If you have a junk upper enclosure of cf-28 you will find the builtin microphone on it.


ohlip

 

If you go to Digi-Key's site... You can ask for a catalogue. It just came in... It is about 6 inches think!

 

ohlip... Thank you...I just found one on a scrap upper receiver and will do that mod later this week!

 

Is there a way to disable the internal mic without disabling the external mic port in the back? Or would I need to add a switch of some sort for that?

For example, if I wanted to connect it to a tape deck or record player or whatever, either to play tapes with the speaker or to record some music off an LP or something, without picking up ambient noise such as people talking or whatnot?

For all I know, it may do that automatically in hardware when something is plugged into the ext mic port, or it may be a software option hidden somewhere, or it may require a manual switch to be installed somewhere, I really don't know.

 

if u plug in an plug in the audio-jack, then the internal mike is disconnected through the switch in the jack and u will record only the signals from the external source.

 

Yup... Also... I think there is something in the BIOS about the internal mic too.

 

LP's.... Tape Deck's.... *Looks around* Did I get sucked into some interdimensional time shift portal here?? *Looks at TB* DID YOU DO THIS!!

 

Hi,
did anyone ever come up with a part number or commercial source for the mike connector?

This is one of the mods on my list for my CF-29, but after going through every bit of electronic junk I can find (and that's a LOT...), I've not found a matching connector..

Robert.

 

I know what you mean... I had to steal one off of a parts unit CF-28...

I would imagine that digikey would have the part number and or description.

 

I usually look on the dead old laptop computer when I need something like that. The internal mic. socket has three pin but only use two at both side. The center pin is empty. I've mostly seen this type of pin connector on a two speaker system cable of laptop like toshiba and others.


ohlip

 

Got 'em!

The connector part number are:
(Housing) JST SHR-03V-S-B
(Contact Inserts) JST SSH-003T-P0.2

The make 'JST' is Japan Solderless Terminals.

I bought my parts from Farnell, the order codes are:
Housing: 167-9109
Inserts: 167-9142
(These both come in packs of ten, but they are very cheap).

These appear to be the same series as the adjacent screen connector (and others in the Toughbooks?), possibly useful if anyone needs replacement parts for repairs.

The inserts come on a strip; I advise leaving them on this until after you have crimped the wire in, they are so small it's almost impossible to handle them seperately. I crimped them with fine-nose pliers, then snapped them off the carrier strip and put a tiny amount of solder in the joint as I don't trust a crimp done without the proper tool.

I also got the actual mike insert from Farnell, the one I used is a
KINGSTATE KECG2742TBL-A, Order code 150-2744
This is shown as 6mm diameter by 2.7mm thick, it's a nice 'snap fit' in the rubber block.

I had to clean the hole in the rubber housing with a small burr in a dremel, when I tried with a normal drill bit the hole just closed up again when the drill was removed.

I used an offcut of the very thin coax from a cut-down wifi flag antenna for the link cable.

It works great and is very sensitive, however I only get one channel when recording in Audacity - I assume this is just the way the signal routing works in the CF-29..

Robert.

 

So, is this to say I can take the entire microphone assembly from CF-28 and transfer it to a CF-29? Or just the connector?

I would very much prefer to hack a built in mic for Skype, mainly because I do not want to have to carry the extra clutter of a headset. I thought the later CF-29s had them until I tried to use it.

 

Robert... Thanks for looking up the part numbers! I will order some of those on my next Farnell order!

Wrym... Yes... It should transfer right over if you have a known, working mic...

 

Wrym..as Rick said, it is the whole assembly of mic. from cf-28 that you can install in to the cf-29.


ohlip

 

If anyone in the UK (or Europe?) wants a mike connector and pin inserts, I had to buy ten so I have some spares.

No cost, just a postage-paid return envelope.
PM me for contact details.


They are not expensive in themselves, but there is a minimum order charge which is awkward if you don't need any other items.

 

I stumbled across this site a while ago on a random Google; if you look at about the middle of the following page, you'll see a listing for some condenser mics with leads/plug. I'm not familiar with this particular bit of tinkering, but they look like they might be ready to go for it based on what I've heard.

http://www.sciplus.com/category.cfm/subsection/17/category/166

Take a look at the product photo; it has pretty good detail.

EDIT: If you look a little further down the page, they also have some uber-tiny 1/4" dia. condenser mics just 50c for two!!! HEH!

mnem
*Sneaks off to Google himself*

 

RJ... You are TOO nice!