Fingerprint scanner retrofitted successfully!

Message

ricerocket · #1 Post by **ricerocket** » Fri Nov 16, 2007 4:43 am

Well, against the recommendation of everyone on this board, I went ahead and bought a palm rest w/ fingerprint reader off a broken T43. Bought the Ultrabay guide rails and a screw kit from the parts depot, and popped everything in.

Turns out, my system already came with an Ultrabay guide rail w/ the cutout for the scanner, so I wasted $20 + shipping. Sigh. PM me if you wanna buy it off me though.

Anyways. My T43 is model number 2686-E6U. Everything was plug and play. Fingerprint option appeared in my BIOS once it was plugged in. I downloaded the software off the Lenovo site, and did the whole enrollment process. I wish I got the FRU off the palmrest before I installed it, but I didn't see any numbers until I looked hard at my old one.

Now I can login to my computer and Windows w/ one fell swoop! (swipe. haha. sorry. bad pun.

)

#2 Post by **carbon_unit** » Fri Nov 16, 2007 7:43 am

Congratulations!

ThinkPad · #3 Post by **ThinkPad** » Fri Nov 16, 2007 10:24 am

Very nice, I think I might try to do this. Did you have to do complex wiring?

ThinkPad · #4 Post by **ThinkPad** » Fri Nov 16, 2007 10:28 am

and I assume the motherboard was compatible?

#5 Post by **carbon_unit** » Fri Nov 16, 2007 11:51 am

No wiring is required, just change the palm rest. The fingerprint reader connects to the touchpad and uses the same connector on the motherboard. The notched ultrabay guide rail is the only other requirement.

ricerocket · #6 Post by **ricerocket** » Fri Nov 16, 2007 12:01 pm

ThinkPad wrote:and I assume the motherboard was compatible?

I assume so.

Who knows how these things are determined. Perhaps we can start compiling a list of model number which are compatible?

ThinkPad · #7 Post by **ThinkPad** » Fri Nov 16, 2007 12:12 pm

Would my T42p have capability to use the reader, or is this only for T60's?

ricerocket · #8 Post by **ricerocket** » Fri Nov 16, 2007 12:59 pm

I have a T43. It was available on the T42's and later, so yes, it's quite possible.

#9 Post by **carbon_unit** » Fri Nov 16, 2007 1:43 pm

The fingerprint reader is just a USB device, so is the trackpad. It just has a funky connector.

frankiepankie · #10 Post by **frankiepankie** » Fri Nov 16, 2007 2:03 pm

Are you sure the touchpad is USB?? The touchpad i ripped out of an old laptop was PS/2 (i soldered an PS/2 Plug on it, and used it at a normal PC

).

The Fingerprint is USB for sure, almost al Fingerprint readers are USB.

But i don't think the touchpad is usb.

frankiepankie · #11 Post by **frankiepankie** » Fri Nov 16, 2007 2:03 pm

Are you sure the touchpad is USB?? The touchpad i ripped out of an old laptop was PS/2 (i soldered an PS/2 Plug on it, and used it at a normal PC

).

The Fingerprint is USB for sure, almost al Fingerprint readers are USB.

But i don't think the touchpad is usb.

ThinkPad · #12 Post by **ThinkPad** » Fri Nov 16, 2007 2:29 pm

ricerocket wrote:I have a T43. It was available on the T42's and later, so yes, it's quite possible.

Ooooo, sounds like a great next project

#13 Post by **richk** » Fri Nov 16, 2007 2:32 pm

I tried it in a T42p and it wasn't recognized at all. There was no BIOS otion related to the FP or anything. I tried reflashing the bios again, etc.

awolfe63 · #14 Post by **awolfe63** » Fri Nov 16, 2007 3:53 pm

Generally, laptop touchpads are PS2.

SteveS · #15 Post by **SteveS** » Tue Nov 20, 2007 6:14 pm

Are you sure the touchpad is USB?? The touchpad i ripped out of an old laptop was PS/2 (i soldered an PS/2 Plug on it, and used it at a normal PC

I also upgraded a T43 to add fingerprint with no problems.
I don't know if the touchpad is USB or PS2, but I know for sure that the FP reader plugs into an added connector on the touchpad, and the touchpad interface is identical to those without FP reader. This would suggest that it probably is not PS2 in a T43.

You do need a version of BIOS that supports FP reader, and to install the FP driver SW from Lenovo to make it work.

#16 Post by **richk** » Tue Nov 20, 2007 7:47 pm

You need a motherboard that supports FP. I believe all T43 MBs have the circuitry, but not T42 and before (except certain models) The T42 BIOS only shows the option if you have a MB with the circuitry.

ThinkPad · #17 Post by **ThinkPad** » Tue Nov 20, 2007 10:06 pm

richk wrote:You need a motherboard that supports FP. I believe all T43 MBs have the circuitry, but not T42 and before (except certain models) The T42 BIOS only shows the option if you have a MB with the circuitry.

Is there any way to determine if the MB is compatible or not?

#18 Post by **richk** » Tue Nov 20, 2007 11:13 pm

It's been months since I looked into it, but in general. if your motherboard is original, if you don't have the reader, you don't have the circuitry. If your board was changed, see what other models use your MB.

#19 Post by **carbon_unit** » Wed Nov 21, 2007 7:15 am

From ThinkWiki: : The fingerprint reader is produced by a company called UPEK, which specializes in the manufacture of fingerprint readers. It is integrated as an USB device,
emphasis added.

However you do need the correct motherboard for it to work. See this post.

Fingerprint scanner retrofitted successfully!

Fingerprint scanner retrofitted successfully!

Who is online