FS: CF-28 Backlit Emissive Chicklet Keyboard

1) CF-28 Backlit Emissive Chicklet Keyboard

2) Used (Like New Condition, No Worn Through Keys)

3)

4) $65 or would consider trading for a good CF-18 battery

5) Paypal ONLY

6) USPS Priority 2-3 day (Free Shipping)

7) http://feedback.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewFeedback2&userid=eurozx3focus&ftab=AllFeedback 100% Positive eBay feedback

8) Hey guys I've had this laying around for a while and all I have are 29s not so I don't really need it. You need to have a CF-28 MK2/MK3 with an existing sensor and inverter. This is for the keyboard only. Will not work on CF-28 MK1
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Attention Buyers: Please do not offer less than what the original poster asked for unless they specify "Best Offer". If you have a question about the price of an item please private message the original poster.

 

Anybody, need this gone asap, I HAVE to buy a CF-18 battery, will now be OBO

 

Will this drop on my CF-28 with the rubber back lite KB? Not sure if it is MK1/2 or 3 or even 4, how do you tell?
Rick H...

 

Look in your BIOS for the version it is running. V1 is MK1; V2 is MK2 and so on. Another member posted this and it is very helpful. Works on 29's also; not too sure about 30's or the other TB lines.

 

Well according to your signature you have a CF-28PXXXXX which is an MK2. The answer is just because you have a rubber one that lights up not for sure. The rubber emissives use a 2 ribbon connector and does not require the PCB inverter. You will have to take off the keyboard you have and see if there is another unused small connector for a 3rd ribbon. Someone might be able to post a pic. If it does have it you're good to go

 

The 3rd wire connector is there even if the other parts required are not. Look under the antenna cable cover on the bottom of the machine. You should find a pcb shaped something like Texas. If its not there the emissive keyboard will work, but it will not light up.
CAP

 

Thanks for the clarification Capt

 

Connor, will this keyboard work in a CF-27 mk2? If so, I may be interested.

 

I think it would work but not light up, for full functionality it needs a CF-28 with the PCB and inverter listed above

 

Okay never mind then.

 

oooook then. Still up for grabs guys, need this gone to buy the battery

 

Anyone....need this gone accepting all offers via PM

 

Hey,
Do you still have your keyboards for sale?

Thanks
Keven

 

Kevin... I have about 10 of them.. Need one? PM me and we'll go from there....

 

Nice my thread totally got jacked

 

Sorry... He waited for 2 days.... I just tried to help him out...

 

No hard feelings, business is business we all help each other out

 

Will this work on a 29? if so im interested

Rune

 

I dont believe so, sorry

 

I though that I saw in a thread that it does, I might be interested as well. I have a 28 that is going to be a gift for my Mother-in-law and it has the multi-color keys with backlight right now, as well as a customer with a 29 that wants a backlight.

Toughbook (Rick) can you clarify??? I think it was your post in the previously mentioned thread!?!?

Beau

 

No the cf-28 lighted keyboard requires an inverter board that produces high voltage ac and a light sensor to work
These were available on cf-28's only and had a small hole in the hinge cover to allow the sensor to adjust for lighting conditions
The keyboard will work as a normal keyboard only without the extra hardware
The correct keyboard for the cf-29 or cf-30's need only a low voltage dc power source on the third keyboard connector that plugs in beside the the other two


Alex

 

The CF-28 emissive will NOT work on the CF-29. To even work on the CF-28 you must have the needed inverter and sensor. To see if you have the light sensor... Look into the hole above the F4 key... Do you see a light blue glass with a sensor below? If so... Remove the 4 screws on the bottom cover and see if you have the little inverter shaped like Texas. If you do you have a 50% chance of it working with the emissive keyboard... As they made two types of inverters. Now obviously if you are replacing an emissive with an emissive it will work... But the 3 cabled rubber and the CF-29 emissive keyboards will work in the CF-28 if the correct inverter is used. But not the other way around.

 

any chance you have the needed sensor, and inverter? I bought connors keyboard without doing my homework apparently.

 

If he did, I'd already have it... I bought two of those KBs from him last month.

mnem
Still looking for Ms Lightbar...

 

You see them come up on ebay from time to time. I don't have any or(actually) they most likely would have been sold over a year ago. I still have 8 emissive keyboards left. But no inverters or sensors...

 

Unfortunately I dont have any 28s left over to pull from, can you still order those parts from heartland?

 

As I recall... They do not make them any more. I tried the inverters with a part number I had taken right of the PCB... It wouldn't match anything they had in the system.

I'm still thinking there must be a way to fabricate something to just make the keyboard light up at a medium level so you could see at night... Have it stay on all the time or mount a switch.... It can't be that hard to do. But it being for CF-28s and me only having 8 keyboards left... The motivation to do this is just not there for me.

 

Yeah, that's why I was thinking of trying to cannibalize the backlight circuitry from an old cellphone... I don't really care if it's adjustable, like Toughbook sed.

mnem
Why pizza?

 

Just a step-up transformer isn't it?

 

Naah... a DC-DC or DC-AC converter; if it's cold cathode emissive, need to get 65-90V to run it. The hard part is figuring out the right amount of current to limit it to so you don't fry the substrate.

mnem
Mmmm... fried substrate sandwiches...

 

With gravy?????

 

Not having the tech expertise of you guys, this is WAG, but is the voltage in/out of a backlight inverter in the range of what you need and if so could one be adapted to use as a power source?

 

Trooper -

No - they typically run 900-1200V. Lightning in a bottle. Would smoke a EL panel if it didn't self-destruct first due to current overload.

No, backlight inverters are not good as a power source either; they produce only microamperes of current at very high voltage.

mnem
Squeeeeee!

 

Yes... and for dessert CELLULAR PEPTIDE CAKE... with mint frosting!

mnem<~~~ Driiiiiifting OT again... ~~~<<<

 

I came across this thread/forum while searching "CF-18 backlit keyboard". I'm sitting here staring at this thing while reloading and OS and I started thinking again how nice it would be to have one that is back lit.

So, does anyone have one for sale? Mine is the MKII model. It's one of the surplus ones from SGS Australia that were on ebay for a while if that info helps any at all. I read through the posts here but I'm not 100% clear whether or not this PC has everything that's need to drive the EL back lighting.

Sorry for noob questions. This is my first Toughbook and I'm addicted. We have the CF-29s at work and after using these the "normal" PCs just seems to suck now.



Casey

 

Hi Casey and welcome to the Toughbook forum! You can easily add the compatible rubber keyboard with backlit keys to any CF-28. The "emissive" backlit keyboard with chicklet style keys needs special extra circuitry to light up its keys, which most CF-28's don't have.

You might consider getting a nice CF-29 with backlit keys ...

But I'm an amateur, let's hear from the real experts

 

Casey..first, welcome to the forum. To answer your Q? There is only one backlit keyboard for cf-18 which is the rubber one. Its fully sealed from dirt, water and dust but you must prepare how to use it. It is hard to type in but in a long run it will be fine if you use to it regularly. The rubberize keyboard for cf-18 is also same one used on cf-19, remember that. Its hard to find but it show up on ebay ocassionally. keep your eyes open.


ohlip

 

There is one on ebay right now if you do a search for "CF 18 backlit keyboard". The price on the thing is pretty crazy. I have a rubber backlit kb on my CF19 and have gotten used to it. When I first tried it I HATED it. I was going to swap it out for a regular kb but decided to give it a whirl. Nowadays its like I'm typing on a normal keyboard.

 

Casey, welcome aboard and here is another possiblity for the rubber keyboard on the CF-18. I have one and yes you can type on it just like a regular board but it does take practice. The fact that the keys are smaller is more of a problem than the rubber style. The way I got mine was through a parts unit. I found one without the HD/caddy/battery for about $150 and I pulled the rubber keyboard to use on my good CF-18. Plus, I bought another parts machine and the two combined have gone together to make a good 1.2 with GPS and Bluetooth! Keep your eyes open for a parts machine (or even a working machine with a rubber board...you can always swap and sell!)

 

Thanks for all the replies. I assumed nobody ever replied because I never received an email or anything for some reason so I haven't been back since this evening. I need to go check my profile setting I guess.

I did see the one on ebay but man that's more than I can spend right now. I'm hoping to run across one someday for a bit less than that so I will continue to keep an eye out for one. Also, if you guys run across one or have one you end up wanting to sell please keep me in mind. I go by kilgore8 on ebay and I have 100% feedback with 200 or so transactions. I have references from other boards as well if ever needed. I would love to add the internal GPS too but I better take it one step at a time I suppose.

 

I just picked one up on ebay advertised as working but with a damaged backlighting connector but I figure I can work around that somehow.

My question now is whether or not the computer has the inverter circuitry to drive the backlighting or is that contained in the keyboard itself? Is it simply a plug and play thing with no other parts needed?

EDIT: I just remembered this is a thread about the CF-28 not the 18 sorry for hijacking.