EFI, eSATA, fingerprint reader

March 8, 2007

Posted By:  wkornewald

94 Votes

Status: Partially Implemented

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Please add EFI, eSATA, and maybe a fingerprint reader to all your notebooks!

DELL/ Status Update

Please see vida_k's comment below

94 Votes | 33 Comments | Report Abuse

MERGED IDEAS:3

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  • Jan 15, 2011     Comment Link

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    Posted By: Pje6500

    Dear all, Highly frustrating. I spent a lot of money on my E6500. I have had considerable issues with it but had always loved Dell machines and have been all i have purchased for home, family and 3 different businesses - so a lot of machines.

    I also have an issue with the fingerprint reader and Windows 7 64bit in my E6500. I still cant see how it gets fixed if Dell will not talk to Broadcom. Did it go any further?

    Also i would appreciate any advice from Dell or any of the members on the following regarding complaints issues and complaints about complaints! I am within my first 2 years of a 3 year next day service warranty and feel it is redundant as i got nowhere with the point of contact - see below. Thanks

    I had an issue where I did not receive any reply to at least 4 letters to Dell within my first year. It took over 10 months to get in touch with them and when i did it was and i complained that the letters had not been answered, i was told he was the guy responsible to reading letter and since he was the only person reading them it takes longer. Bearing in mind he had not answered even with an acknowledgment. When i said i was complaining on the poor customer service it ended up with him saying he deals with complaints also! How can i expect to have a complaint resolved when i am bringing my issue to a person that is responsible for the issue in the first place. I gave up - but now am very frustrated as have 3 years business service and feel i cant even contact dell. All i asked for was a free upgrade to Windows 7 as a repair to fix some of my issues as a way of making ammends with the poor service and for my machine to be fixed. He said he could only offer me a Portable hard drive 256GB or a speaker system! Which i have both. Does anyone have the best person to write to by email or snail mail to get this issue dealt with but as a complaint as i feel very cheated and believe that there is no excuse for that kind of service. All it needed was an acknowledgement of the first letter saying it woudl be looked at.

    Thank you very much for any advice.

    Pj
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  • Jan 10, 2011     Comment Link

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    Posted By: norbalino

    People, after all this time i have found a solution to this ugly issue!!!
     
    Use LastPass.com! 
     
    And you will nevermore remember that had this toy fingerprint device as it from DELL!
     
    P.s.: We have to waste time with things that works, not with this ridiculous devices.
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  • Nov 8, 2010     Comment Link

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    Posted By: LloydC

    Hi,

    I just got my E6410 and I was very surprised that the fingerprint reader did not show up as a Biometric reader in Windows 7. I have never seen this before? I have an old Lenovo from 2007 that have worked with Vista and Windows 7 even in the beta version.

    This is my first dell and this is the only thing that I am not happy with, but it is really irritating.

    This is really bad and disapointing. I did not beliewe it when I first discovered this. Why do they do this. It is just stupid. The software you have to use is unstable and slow. I am used to my fingerprint reader on my Lenovo and that is very much faster using the native Windows 7 driver.

    Please fix this.
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  • Sep 23, 2010     Comment Link

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    Posted By: norbalino

    Another answer from UPEK:

    ---
    Hello Norberto!

    > ...I could REM out a line of code or two in INF file of the fingerprint sensor device
    Well, I would love to have a complete information about that ;-) But frankly speaking I don't see any logical reason why to do this. Even if you modify the VID and PID list in the Broadcom driver INF file, it simply cannot start working with the fingerprint reader. It's like if you want modify your video drivers to control your printer ;-) Broadcom coprocessor and our fingerprint sensor are completely different devices, each of them requires a different driver. Furthermore, as far as I know, the fingerprint reader is not enumerated by the system at all.

    I went through the whole forum thread and the only guy who was close to some solution was the one who disassembled the fingerprint reader device. If this would be connected directly to the USB (to bypass the Broadcom controller) then the fingerprint reader will be normally enumerated by the operating system and it may work correctly. I deliberately use may, as the firmware of TCEFA1FH is designed for use with Broadcom only - it does not support some of the more advanced USB features (my understanding is that these are primarily related to error recovery). Furthermore the TCEFA1FH requires 3.3V, while standard USB provides 5V, so you will need to use some adapter to change the voltage. For "real" USB applicatons we recommend the TCEFB1. Anyway, I do not recommend you to do such hardware modifications!

    Best Regards,

    Miroslav Buran
    Technical Support Manager
    UPEK
    ---
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  • Sep 22, 2010     Comment Link

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    Posted By: norbalino

    Answer from UPEK:

    Dear Norberto!

    On Dell E-series laptops the fingerprint sensor is connected via proprietary interface from Broadcom and UPEK/Authentec driver cannot communicate with the device at all. The driver cannot see the sensor - it is "hidden" behind the Broadcom chip :-(

    If you check the VID (VendorID) of the "Broadcom USH w/swipe fingerprint sensor" device you will find out that it is not a product of UPEK, nor Authentec.

    Dell/Broadcom have not release an SDK so nobody can integrate it.

    As far as I know, Embassy Trust Suite from Wave can control this Broadcom chip. This software is also usually preloaded on Dell notebooks with this solution.

    Best Regards,

    Miroslav Buran
    Technical Support Manager
    UPEK
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  • Aug 31, 2010     Comment Link

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    Posted By: norbalino

    Please take a look at this:

    http://forum.notebookreview.com/dell-latitude-vostro-precision/413346-dell-new-fingerprint-reader-owners-must-read-broadcom-ush-issue-effecting-preciosn-m4400-m6400-latitude-e6400-others-5.html

    Re: Dell New Fingerprint Reader Owner's Must Read. Broadcom USH Issue effecting Preciosn M4400, M6400, Latitude E6400 and others
    I have the E6510 and the same problem with the fingerprint reader not being detected properly by Windows.

    I did some research below hoping to fix this problem.

    I followed the service manual here to open up the chassis and remove the fingerprint reader:
    Documentation

    Here are some pictures I took:




    It appears to be a TCEFA1
    http://www.upek.com/pdf/UPEK_flyer_TCEFx1.pdf
    "TCEFA1 supports Broadcom 58xx processors"
    "6-pin flex with USB signals, Power, Ground & Reset."

    I was hoping there would be another header I could connect the fingerprint reader to that would go directly to the motherboard and bypass the Broadcom USH but I dont see any obvious way to do that. :/
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  • Aug 3, 2010     Comment Link

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    Posted By: edzik

    Hello Everybody,

    I'm also waiting to get a driver for the fingerprint reader so it would be usable under windows 7. It is sad that Dell is still promoting the 3rd party solutions from XP era.

    So dear Dell employees...

    Why isnt here any reasonable response for the standardization idea? 

    Why the idea of HerrKaputt was "swiped under the carpet"  and merged to some old idea that has nothing to do with it? 
     
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  • Jun 15, 2010     Comment Link

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    Posted By: MSundt

    I just got a M4500 with 8GB Windows 7 64-bit.  The FIPS fingerprint reader does not work.  Fix this product!

    The Windows login screen does not always recognize there is a fingerprint reader, and, when I switch user, the system hangs. 

    Very bad.  Very very bad.
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  • Mar 3, 2010     Comment Link

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    Posted By: norbalino

    Considering the objective post of my friend @Albic, i posted a new and specific IDEA to help us. Please, Let's promote it.

    Windows Biometric Framework (WBF) driver for Latitude E Series with Broadcom USH CV w/ fingerprint readerDELL should provide a Windows Biometric Framework (WBF) driver for the device Broadcom USH CV w/ fingerprint reader that comes with DELL Latitude E Series laptops to allows using the built-in fingerprint reader with any WBF compatible applications (UPEK, DigitalPersona...) by making it recognized in the Biometric Devices Control Panel from Windows 7. In my opinion this would improve the usability of the fingerprint reader significantly.
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  • Mar 2, 2010     Comment Link

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    Posted By: Albic

    Basically this discussion is about one thing: Dell should provide a driver for the Broadcom USH which allows using the built-in fingerprint reader with the Windows Biometric Framework included in Windows 7. In my opinion this would improve the usability of the fingerprint reader significantly.

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