Can I add a fingerprint reader to my T42?

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primedude · #1 Post by **primedude** » Sat Jan 01, 2005 12:19 am

I have a 2378FVU, which does not come with the fingerprint reader. I was playing around with the hardware maintenance manual and the part ordering site and I see I can order a new palm rest with the fingerprint reader for $143. I may consider ordering this after I get my tax refund if this will be usable by my T42. If I install it and obtain the drivers for it, will it work alright? I assume it uses the same interface connector as the touchpad, but I could easily be wrong on this count.

Anyway, I'd like to know if it'll work with a minimum of difficulty. Will it? Thanks for your help.

#2 Post by **BillMorrow** » Sat Jan 01, 2005 3:15 am

i think it'll take more than just the palm rest with the fingerprint reader..

there has to be some ""smarts" someplace..

let us all know how it turns out..

AssPenny · #3 Post by **AssPenny** » Sat Jan 01, 2005 4:02 am

The real question is "where does it connect to?". If a standard t42 has that connector, i wouldnt see why it wouldnt work. But i dont know what the connector is, someone needs to post a pic. I would also like to know.

primedude · #4 Post by **primedude** » Sat Jan 01, 2005 7:11 pm

I checked the HMM again and both palm rests connect through the same connector. I wouldn't be surprised if the fingerprint reader is an entirely software-controlled device located on the same bus as the touchpad. I can't see any reason for it not to work. However, before I drop $150 on the new part, I'd like to try to find out if anyone else has tried this trick.

My guess it that it'll work, though, and I may take a chance somewhere down the road. I'll let you all know if I do.

gazingwa · #5 Post by **gazingwa** » Sat Jan 01, 2005 7:39 pm

Sorry, I don't know how it would connect, I just saw that you had an FVU, was wondering are you satisfied with it, I am able to pick it up on the Mastercard Site for 1574. Wondering what you paid and if you think that is a good deal.
Thanks,
David

BTW, This is my first post on this list...... yay.... I've been on the mailing list for a couple of years though.

primedude · #6 Post by **primedude** » Sat Jan 01, 2005 7:55 pm

gazingwa, I'm extremely happy with it. I paid about that as well, through the shareholder's purchase program, though I bumped up the warranty to three years and added ThinkPad protection. I also added some RAM and put in a 60 gig, 7200 rpm hard drive. So it's not really too close to a stock FVU, but at that price, it's definitely a great value with lots of upgrade potential.

If there's anything specific I can answer for you, let me know.

AssPenny · #7 Post by **AssPenny** » Sat Jan 01, 2005 8:32 pm

If it has the same connector, i would bet it would work too. All the finger biometric divices i have installed have been usb and then all software controlled. I might have to try this out. Do you have a link to the part?

Leon · #8 Post by **Leon** » Sat Jan 01, 2005 8:39 pm

for those seriously considering this,,,,, wouldn't a call to IBM support put an end to the speculation?

gengar · #9 Post by **gengar** » Sat Jan 01, 2005 9:04 pm

Leon wrote:for those seriously considering this,,,,, wouldn't a call to IBM support put an end to the speculation?

I'm not necessarily sure if they would be forthcoming with such information. Even if it does work, they may not say so. Also, most IBM support peons won't know anyway, and they seem very reluctant these days to transfer to supervisors.

I'm also interested in the fingerprint reader... but like everyone else, I don't want to shell out $143 if it won't work

primedude · #10 Post by **primedude** » Sun Feb 27, 2005 4:47 pm

Just thought I'd bump up this old thread and see if anyone has discovered an answer. I personally suspect that it'll work fine (the touchpad assembly and the touchpad/fingerprint reader assembly use the same interface, and you can download the drivers for the fingerprint reader), and if no one else gives it a shot before then, I may try out the experiment when I get my tax refund. But if there's a good reason not to try, I'd like to know that as well

baraider · #11 Post by **baraider** » Sun Feb 27, 2005 5:18 pm

You can do it, cut his head off.

("Quote from Waterboy"-Sneider)

I was looking at the FVU and the aspect of adding the finger scanner later if i need...finally i bought the M3u and glad i did so

rssb · #12 Post by **rssb** » Sun Feb 27, 2005 5:30 pm

there might be a small chip somewhere on the mother board which controlls it, because the finger print palm rest did not work on T41,

dont know how much different are the T41 and T42 motherboards.

The fingerprint reader goes into the touchpad, and then a same connector comes out on to the motherboard ( exactly identical, same number of pins, size etc... )

May be there is something in the bios which controls it, depending on model, motherboard make etc .. ?

dvorak · #13 Post by **dvorak** » Mon Feb 28, 2005 10:13 am

I'm also rather interested in this, is the BIOS different? I doubt they made changes to the motherboard, as it would result in many new motherboard sets to be made (R9600/7500/GL etc with and without some special chip).
If the connetor is the same, chances are it's up to the BIOS to use it/other software.

Shinchan · #14 Post by **Shinchan** » Mon Feb 28, 2005 1:32 pm

I am also interested to know if its just BIOS setting not enable...

Does anyone know if the palm rest for the T42 also will fit a T40 or its just complete different?

Kenn · #15 Post by **Kenn** » Mon Feb 28, 2005 5:35 pm

I have to put in a negative vote here. Just because the connector is the same doesn't mean that the hardware is - those pins could go anywhere, and I'm betting that at least some pins on the standard connector are not used (which is common industry practice when it comes to adopting standard connectors for components). I think there should be a chipset on the system board that handles the reader logic.

Also, I believe the ultranav and keyboard are PS/2 devices, so it's unlikely that the reader is anything such as a self-contained USB device.

However, I'm very interersted in being proven wrong on this point

rssb · #16 Post by **rssb** » Mon Feb 28, 2005 6:22 pm

The palm rest is physically same dimensions, and screw locations, so fit wise it is ok.

Even the BIOS Code for these model T40,T41,T42 is the same, they contain video bios, starting from M6 to M10 , fingerprint module, security modules etc...

So as kenn suggested, it is highly possible that there is a chip on the motherboard, which is absent in earlier models,

But if we look at the usb thumbdrive scanners, or any other pcmcia scanners, they come with thier own chip in such a small package, so it is definitely a possiblity they could have it just on the palmrest, and since the connector is the same, ( esp if the earlier models have some unused pins, ) these new pins are active and routed to a particular location where the signal makes sense when compared to earlier motherboards.

edelrc · #17 Post by **edelrc** » Mon Feb 28, 2005 6:36 pm

....in the other hand, it is a common practice in the marketing world that a wide spectrum of products are released with different external options at different prices, but their inner electronics capabilities are all the same. It is a matter of economies of scale and attempts for market segmentation.

It could well have been that they took longer to release these finger thingy for testing the software but the electronics were ready with the first releases of T42. I wouldn´t loose all hope just yet, and that connectors looks the same is a good sign indeed.

rssb · #18 Post by **rssb** » Mon Feb 28, 2005 6:57 pm

yeah as edelrc said, the T42's might be ok, T41's and T40's might not be the same....

if some could check out between T42's ( with and without finger print readers ) and let us know it would be great

It makes more sense to market different products by adding things on, rather than having fundamental differences, this the case with 14" and 15" motherboards, they are same but 15" have a interposer card added on 14" ...

primedude · #19 Post by **primedude** » Mon Feb 28, 2005 9:32 pm

Here's what I'm thinking. Because some models of the T42 include the fingerprint reader, and because installing both the fingerprint reader and the touchpad-only versions of the palm rest are covered as part of the exact same procedure in the hardware maintenance manual (and both connect, apparently, to the same part/connector/motherboard), it makes me thinks that all the electronics needed to run the fingerprint reader are in the reader itself, and software takes care of the rest.

I'm no expert, though, so I expect I'll have to take the leap one of these days and buy one and resell it if it doesn't work out.

primedude · #20 Post by **primedude** » Mon Feb 28, 2005 9:42 pm

Actually, now that I do a bit more research, I'm fairly sure a fingerprint sensor will NOT work with a TP with which it was originally installed. I checked the ThinkPad parts list (http://www-1.ibm.com/support/docview.ws ... &loc=en_US) and, unsurprisingly, the motherboards are completely distinct. (Check item 15 on the list.)

Perhaps it's still worth a shot, but I'm afraid I'm not going to be the one to find out. Ah well. My T42 is in pretty good shape, maybe I'll sell it and look into getting a new one

Can I add a fingerprint reader to my T42?

Can I add a fingerprint reader to my T42?

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