Backlit keyboard project

[Shawn]

I am ready to install an emissive keyboard in my cf52GCMBEAM. I am planning to have one brightness level. I want to keep it simple.

Thanks to Teo for all of his work on modding in a keyboard. From what has been posted, I will need to increase the slot the keyboard cables go through in the palmrest. Also have to mod the palmrest for the tabs at the bottom of the new keyboard.
A Dremel will handle this job.

We need 5volts to power the backlit keyboard. 5volts that shuts off when the cf52 is off. In Toughbook land that is called VC5. I am getting it from the smartcard connector. This is the PITA part. The connector is above the hard drive caddy and not accessible without disassembling the cf52. I am going to solder 2 wires to the connector, one for + and one for -.

I don't solder ffc cables..
The emissive keyboard extra connector for the lights plugs into a 7pin 1.0mm ffc connector. .30mm,.33mm thick cable. I am going to solder the wires to the smartcard connector and then to the 7pin connector. The keyboard will plug right in. No soldering the ffc.

The smaller copper trace in the ffc of the emmisive keyboard is 5V + or positive which uses 47mA. That means the larger trace is 5V negative or ground.

Official connector part number SFW7R-2STAE1LF

I found a connector at Digikey that the keyboard ffc fits into and is easy to solder. Part number..HFW7S-2STE1LF or 609-1108-1-ND. They are expensive though. $0.47 each.
I will then solder the 2 wires from the smartcard connector to this ffc connector. Seal it all up with heat shrink.
The keyboard will plug in and out just like normal.
I want to disassemble my cf52 only once.
Am I missing anything?

I will post photos of the finished project.

609-1108-1-ND


Schematic of smartcard connector


Here is onakriss's photo of the smartcard connector with the wires soldered on.
red is plus 5V, green is ground

[teo]

Shawn! Is your unit a GUN model? I ask coz on that model there is an extra connector across the LCD/inverter connector for the two red led that illuminate directly down to the keyboard. It has 12 pin and the one I used for emissive keyboard are pin 7(Ground) and pin 8(3.3volts, BPLWN) that can be control on the keyboard. What you need is a regulator to step up from 3.3Vdc to 5Vdc.

And you are right! Palmrest area need to trim a bit for Cable ribbon as it is bit out of the slot to slide in the cable. Nice work btw.

Sorry! Guys, I'm out in a while coz I had a bit of accident on my day job. Instead of modding a Toughbook, I mod my hand, Lol... Its a bit deep but ok, see picture.

teo

[mklym]

Man, that is nowhere near as nice as your Toughbook mods! Maybe think about stinking to modding Toughbooks.
Hope it heals up quick and proper.

[Shawn]

Teo, Ouch....


My unit is a CF52GCMBEAM. There is an extra connector in that area. I need to take a photo of it.

I found this photo on the web. It's of a cf52 mk3 with the original led backlight.
Is the 12 pin connector with 3 wires the one you mean?

[Shawn]

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[Shawn]

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[teo]

Yup! That's the connector that I am talking about.

teo

[teo]

Man, that is nowhere near as nice as your Toughbook mods! Maybe think about stinking to modding Toughbooks.
Hope it heals up quick and proper.

Man! Its morethan an inch deep sideway. Happened during the filleting work as those fu...ng fish are frozen. I thought my hand still fish, Lol....


teo

[SHEEPMAN!]

Looks like Morgan needs to learn to install led's in LCD....until you get better. (semi-private joke)

Ouch, hope it heals soon. You and Azrial are twins now. I hope you are not left handed.

Get well,

Jeff...onirakkiss doing neater work now...lol see early NBR GPS thread...

[mklym]

Haha