WTB: CF-52 Bluetooth & Fingerprint Reader

Looking to upgrade my MK5 CF-52V with OEM bluetooth & fingerprint reader. I added both to my MK2HP and use them daily. I'm finding myself swiping my thumb on a dummy cover constantly, and I'm not a fan of keping the flap open with a USB receiver.

I found a bluetooth card on ebay, but no cable so pretty useless. I'm trying not to pull the parts out of my MK2, but I just might. Anyone have anything?

 

I had a FP reader. i will look and see if I can locate it.
BT is a lesser posibility, but maybe. I think I already sold it.

 

Thanks guys. I know the fingerprint reader will work because the one on my MK2 is from an MK1, and I already installed and used it on the MK5.
I'm not sure if the bluetooth module/wiring was ever upgraded between the different revisions, I haven't been able to find anything definitive.

Edit: I think my MK1 & MK2 had the cable for the bluetooth preinstalled. The MK5 is a NOS federal version and I had to add WWAN & WiFi to it.

 

I have the MK5 town down for a backlit kepboard install and noticed there's no header on the mainboard next to the modem for the bluetooth module like there is in my MK1 and MK2. Does the MK5 have a bluetooth header? I don't see anything glancing over, and I don't want to remove the heatsinks and shrouding to investigate further.

 

Post a photo of the main BIOS page please.

What is the exact model of the WIFI card?

What is the full model number?

 

Can't post BIOS, it's currently a pile of parts.
WiFi is an Intel card I added myself, It's a federal model with unlocked BIOS
I also added a Gobi WWAN with GPS
CF-52VDB131M

I emailed Panasonic for the service manual, we'll see if they respond. I use to do a lot of out-of-warranty work with Heartland for my previous employer with the CF-52 MK1 through MK4. I might have to find my old contact's info and see if they can give me one if Panasonic doesn't reply. I'm honestly wondering if the MK5 doesn't have the option for Bluetooth, but I'm not sure why they'd have a dummy board installed.

 

CF-52VDB131M--I have same model here with 20 hours on it.

No Wireless Win7 Intel Core i5-3360M 2.80GHz No AMT 15.4"" WUXGA 500GB(7200rpm) 8GB(4+4) No WLAN TPM No Bluetooth ATI DiscreteGraphics Smartcard No Absolute BIOS Multi-drive Toughbook Preferred

But what is the exact model of WIFI card----It matters.

Bluetooth works fine on mine. Bluetooth is on the WIFI card. CF52V does not use dedicated BT card.

WIFI card in mine is Intel 6235
Panasonic number WL12A
I pulled the card from a CF 31--probably have another card here.

CF 52's have always been very picky about WIFI cards.

I will post photos of my CF 52V shortly. I installed a third WIFI antenna where the dedicated BT card for early models went. I will be installing a Broadcom 802.11 AC card for WIFI in the future like I did in my CF 52S model. The third antenna will go to it.
But when I do that, I will lose bluetooth. I dont use bluetooth anyway, so that's not a big deal to me. 1300Mbps is a big deal though.

 

@toughasnails

Blair,
Please split off the question and information posts into a CF 52V mk5 Bluetooth/WIFI thread.
Maybe start at post #4 of this thread?

Thanks

 

CF 52V federal model
added WIFI and 3rd antenna.

 

Ahh, good to know. Right now I have a Intel WiMAX 6250 with two antennas. I have a few 3-antenna cards, and a few other cards at home. At work I have a whole bunch of older Dell laptops I can paw through to scavenge others from. A quick looks shows the Dells have Intel 5300, Intel 6300, Dell Wireless 1501, and I just found an Intel 7260HMW. I'll put the laptop back together and see if that card works because it has integrated bluetooth. I also added a 3rd antenna under the BT dummy cover, but probably will never put it to use. Just something to have if I upgrade later on.

 

Alright, so I have the laptop back together with the Intel 7260. I let Windows install the current drivers, then updated them using Windows Update. The wireless works good, in the drivers bluetooth is enabled but it's not currently working. I know the Windows Bluetooth stack is working because I was using a USB receiver in my Havis dock.

So now it looks like I only need that fingerprint reader, unless I can't get this bluetooth working. Just got the laptop back together (and I'm typing this on my MK2) so I'll play with it some more tonight. I'll install the actual Intel drivers and see if that fixes the issue.

Trying not to have this be a "This is what I did to my MK5" thread. Hell I've been a lurking member for YEARS but never posted because I was always able to source parts until now!

 

I'm giving up on the 7260, installed the intel bluetooth driver, the WiFi driver, and Proset utility. Proset utility does't exist after installation, reinstallation wants to run a repair, and there's no Bluetooth in the control panel. checked BIOS and the only option is to enable or disable the wireless and WWAN card, nothing for bluetooth. Did the pin 51 Bluetooth hardware unlock trick, no dice. Also did the pin 20 trick to hardware unlock the WiFi (not necessary since wireless was working, but wanted to rule it out anyway) and no dice. I've read how it's possible the mainboard doesn't support the type of USB interface the 7260 is expecting. I see the 6235 on ebay for less than $10, but man does it suck I need to buy yet another wireless card when I have a pile of them.

 

The CF 52 is a "challenge" to experiment with WIFI cards.

This one is more $ but is sure to work as it does in mine.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Original-P...410816&hash=item36345623c2:g:mJIAAOSw4-VbItQk

I probably have one here somewhere.

 

I just looked and these are the wireless cards I have on-hand, none of them support bluetooth
:
Asus AW-NH186H
Atheros AR5B125
Intel 5100
Intel 5300
Intel 6300
Dell DW1510

 

I do have a few Intel 6235 cards here.

 

Do you have one or two readers? How much for two fingerprint readers and a 6235 card to 05819?

 

I do not have 2 FP readers.

let me calculate a price,

 

Finally time to research prices.

One CF 52 fingerprint reader and one 6235 from a Toughbook

$75.00 paypal gift shipping included.

 

I haven't been around for a while. I took my MK1 with me, and left my MK2 & MK5 at home while I was traveling.

I've left my MK2's fingerprint reader in the MK5, and ended up purchasing a lot of 4 CF-52's with combo Fingerprint/smartcard readers. I'll be pulling all of those for my personal CF-52's, I'll have to find two extra dummy covers to replace them with before I refurbish and sell them.

I did end up purchasing and installing an Intel 6235 card. The bluetooth, again, didn't work. I installed the Panazonic drivers, the Intel drivers, and even let Windows Update install it's own drivers as well. I even tried the hardware hack as well with no success. This bluetooth ordeal is getting increasingly frustrating.

 

Swapping wifi and Bluetooth on a CF 52 is a lesson in patience.
Any Toughbook is challenging to swap wifi, but the CF 52 is one of the worst.
Was the 6235 you purchased an original from a Toughbook?

 

Doesn't matter if oem card. The Bluetooth hook isn't written into his bios.

 

How do you know this?

 

I have had a few. I also write custom bioses for toughbooks. We refurbish a large number of toughbooks a month. If person wants to send unit here to have bios reflashed to fix Bluetooth we can take care of that too. If you have one; we can fix it for you since most likely you wont be able to flash MK5 CF-52 units. They take special tools.

 

I have the exact model he has ( CF-52VDB131M) with 120 hours on it. I bought it with 20 hours.
It came without wifi / bluetooth. I installed a Intel 6235 from a CF 31 mk3 and it now has wifi and bluetooth. See my photo proof earlier in this thread.

 

Ok

 

An HP card no less. Steve, is there any way for me to check the BIOS?

 

Yes. See if the WiFi option shows up in the advanced tab. Then if you have the Bluetooth in the sub menu. If no to one or both of these then it needs to be setup in the bios rom.
Lastly you can double check in the diagnostic utility

 

Nope, the options aren't there under advanced or under the diagnostic utility. So the BIOS is basically ignoring all the bluetooth cards I've installed.
The WWAN is there which makes me happy that my Gobi modem is detected in BIOS & Windows. I've never been able to get the GPS to work though.

 

To find which COM port the GPS is using open the device manager. Go to Ports. Then it should be one of the ports besides 1&2.

 

Yeah it's in the device manager, but it does't actually do anything. I have an app called VisualGPSView that I used to troubleshoot with the Gobi & my USB GPS. The USB picks up satellites instantly and gives me position information, but changing it to the Gobi nothing happens. I didn't get a chance to do much troubleshooting or research before I left several months back. I never even tested the WWAN card in the MK5 (nor did I ever test the one in the MK2HP either).

I'm going to shoot you a PM about the BIOS issue

.