YAEIDT (yet another 'ergodox is dead' thread)

[AKmalamute]

I did exactly nothing but pick the keyboard up to play fallout:NV. When I did so, I noticed the omnipresent numlock LED was off. Also, I soon discovered the keyboard didn't type. I tested it a bit, and found that if I disconnected the left half, the right half would be noticed (windows "hardware added sound" -- plus, it would type) but if the two halves were connected, Windows would not notice that a thing was plugged in.

Some of you may know I'm using a phone cord instead of a TRRS cable, and its true the cable was a bit squished by the stainless steel case. So I desoldered the too-short jack, and cut a longer cord and soldered it into place, and using an inline coupler, found that nothing had changed.

There hadn't been any trouble with the it before, but I redid the not-great I/O expander pins, tried again, and got nothing unless that half was unplugged.

I'm new to electrical work at this level. What do I even test for / look at? Why did it die suddenly, and how do I resurrect my full ergodox keyboard?

[AKmalamute]

bad logic, that's how. Just tested with a multimeter, and the in-line connector reverses the wires. When I chose which wire went where, I assumed the in-line went straight through. So I reversed the wires on one side, but the connector was re-reversing them.

Okay, new topic: first, for those who direct-wire their "TRRS" which wire goes where, just to make sure I'm visualizing it right?

And second, is this the behavior you'd expect of reversing the i2c cable: that it'd confuse the whole freakin' keyboard so Windows would ignore you? I'm hoping that's a yes, because it means I might have my Ergodox back tonight ...

[berserkfan]

The stuff I'm reading about the ergodox makes me relieved that I went with a ghetto ergodox instead. Two POS keyboards together make a good enough ergodox.

[AKmalamute]

So - no. I reversed the RJ11 coupler, and it still behaves as it did before. No LEDs or windows 'you added hardware' sounds if the two halves are connected. But if you unplug the left hand, the right hand lights up.

So, I'm assuming the I/O expander died. I never put that 'optional' resistor on -- would that perhaps have kept it from frying itself, assuming that's what happened? More when I have put my backup expander on, I guess.