Adding an LED to my Das

[Melvang]

The purpose of this thread is to document and photograph the process I am going to go through to add an LED to to my Das Keyboard which as most of you may know does not support key switch LEDs.

First off the basics.

Measured the thickness of the leads on a brand new LED.

Positive leg measured out to .0205 and negative leg measured out to .0211.  All measurements are decimal inches as I do not own a metric micrometer.  Micrometer used is a L.S. Starrett No. 230 with .001 direct read and .0001 as a veneer scale on the thimble. 

Borrowed a pencil type hand drill from a co-worker with a small assortment of small drill bits.  Bit sizes range from 0.213 down to 0.02244.  The largest bit that fit through the holes in the switch measured to 0.1019 and the smallest that did not fit measured up to 0.1059.  Now the for the LED holes in my Phantom (not done building) the largest that fit measured to 0.1107 and the smallest that does not fit measures to 0.1127.

Now time to disconnect my Das and get the PCB out of the case and start drilling.  Pics will follow.

Melvang

Edit:  This is going to be rough typing the rest of this on rubber domes.
Edit 2:  Corrected the smallest bit that does not fit in LED hole on Phantom

[Melvang]

Just got back from The Shack and realized that I forgot to get the female plug that is going to get mounted to the keyboard itself.  Going to use RCA plugs for the cable from the pc to the keyboard.

Melvang

[Melvang]

Well got the all the soldering done that can be done without taking my Das apart.  Here is some images for you guys.

Image 1 is the connections i chose to use.
Image 2 is the stuff that I bought today.  The drill bit is a 15/64.  It seemed to be a 1/4" thread so I went the next size up.

[esoomenona]

Images of the pencil drill and all the other tools!

[Melvang]

Will do as soon as i get my keyboard popped apart and what not.

[Melvang]

Das Breach successful.  Only broke one tab

[esoomenona]

Only broke one tab

You're a better man than me.

[Melvang]

So far so good just did a small test run and the mobo HDD activity LED puts out about 3.5 volts or so and the LED is listed at 3.2 so i should be ok there.  Now just need to break the traces the rest of the way that I drilled through and solder a jumper across and solder my LED in.  And drill the hole for the connector

[esoomenona]

I hope you're taking pictures of all of this, bro.

[Melvang]

I hope you're taking pictures of all of this, bro.

Of course I am

I get the feeling that this type of mod doesn't happen to often around here.

Melvang

[Mugen]

Looks good, any specific location you are trying to add the LEDs?
Let me know if you need any help or have any question, i finished my mod yesterday, added LEDs to the F5-F8 and Esc switches, i think it turned out pretty good:






Didnt use any of those cables youre showing though, just some simple coated electric wire, a few resistors LEDs and good old soldering.
Cheers.

[Melvang]

Looks good, any specific location you are trying to add the LEDs?

I am re-routing my HDD activity LED to my ESC key with the skull keycap posted earlier.  Hence for all the cabling.  Not really any more questions as I am in the final test/assembly stage.

I don't know who is more nervous with anticipation, you guys or me.

Melvang

PS don't worry I will have a wall of photos.

[Leslieann]

I am re-routing my HDD activity LED to my ESC key

Awesome idea!
Too bad I have systems to contend with.
I made a small box on my desk to house the power and hdd LED's, power switches, USB and Sata ports.

When I first saw you were trying to add lights, I thought maybe you were just adding backlights, in which case EL wire would probably have been easier. Considered doing that to my Filco.

[CPTBadAss]

Oooo sexy. I like the build log man!! I really like how you're really following through on the stuff you're asking about in the Questions thread. Keep it up

[Melvang]

Well I got good news and bad news. 

Good news

All the keys still work and the LED flashes with the HD activity.  Man I don't think I can go that long without MX switches again.  Posted all the previous posts with a spare rubber dome board.

Bad news

I don't have time to post pics.  Have to go pick up my son and daughter from school/daycare.

Melvang

[gnubag]

Well I got good news and bad news. 

Good news

All the keys still work and the LED flashes with the HD activity.  Man I don't think I can go that long without MX switches again.  Posted all the previous posts with a spare rubber dome board.

Bad news

I don't have time to post pics.  Have to go pick up my son and daughter from school/daycare.

Melvang

well that is why I have more than one board working at anytime

[Melvang]

Yeah just have the one mechanical keyboard because I haven't finished my Phantom yet

[WhiteFireDragon]

@Melvang and Mugen - I love seeing creative mods like this. There needs to be more hacking like this, and less buying here on geekhack.


Mugen, what are the LEDs at the F5 - F8 correspond to?

[Mugen]

@Melvang and Mugen - I love seeing creative mods like this. There needs to be more hacking like this, and less buying here on geekhack.


Mugen, what are the LEDs at the F5 - F8 correspond to?

Well i played around with it quite a lot, routed them to different options like the Fn+key combination, at some point I had them lit up when all 3 original board LEDs were activated buy it looked a bit like a Christmas tree >_<
At the end i decided that i want both the cluster and Esc key to be permanently lit (that and the lack of a better, more useful option) and there's a switch drilled (indented) in the back of the board to turn them off, similar to this one https://www.sparkfun.com/products/97
If you have any recommendations im always looking to try some new stuff.


Melvang - looking forward to those pics! this sounds really cool!

[Melvang]

taking PC down right now to do final install on the PC side wiring will take a vid of the flashing HDD LED under my esc keycap and post to ewwtube if i can figure that one out.  Would be my first post to that site.

Melvang

[Melvang]

Hey guys large post incoming I am going to apologize in advance for the out of focus pics as they were taken with my phone.  I didn't see the need to haul my wifes Canon 7d downstairs for this.  Sorry for the delay in getting this updated but had some RL stuffs to take care of.

Melvang

[Melvang]

Alright guys here is the big post all of you have been waiting for.


My Starrett micrometer


the precision drill I borrowed from a co-worker.  He uses it at work to clean oxy-acetlene torch tips

Some of the tools used.  Not going to post a pic of the soldering equipment just a standard Weller unit from Sears.  Pretty standard stuff there

[Melvang]

Holes drilled with said drill bit.  I believe the bit used was 0.1107 inches


LED leads from the back side.  And as you can see it the one lead went right through the one trace and very close to the other trace.  Time to break them and re-route.

[Melvang]

Here you can kind of see that i broke the traces and re-routed the trace by simply installing a jumper from one connection to the next.

[Melvang]

Here is the hole I drilled in the case.  I missed the mark a touch and had to slot the hole a touch.  Had the hole to close to the bottom of the case and couldn't get the nut to thread on.  Turned out fine though with the slight flange on the bottom of the jack it covered the entire slot.


Shot of the RCA jack that I used here.  had to be soldered in place cause I didn't think the whole process through and already had the wire soldered to the board.  That was a MAJOR PITA.


Here you can see both ends of the wire i soldered in. 

If anyone was wondering for wire i used 24ga single strand speaker wire

[Melvang]

Here it is back together and plugged in.  Actually managed to catch a flash of the LED. 

Video to follow in the next post after i get it on ewwtube.

[Melvang]

And here is the ewwtube video

[esoomenona]

Looks good! It's a shame the light is hard to see with the cap right side up. I'm sure it's easier to see in a lower light scenario. Good job, Melvang.

[Melvang]

Thanks moose.  The next project for this will be to rotate the switch 180.  Going to take WFD's advice that he posted on the ewwtube page of just rotating and then bending the prongs out.  Then run the wires from the pins to the trace through the old holes

[Mugen]

What LED do you have there? are you getting your power from the USB 5v or from the cable? if from the cable whats the voltage and current?

[Melvang]

What LED do you have there? are you getting your power from the USB 5v or from the cable? if from the cable whats the voltage and current?

The power for the LED is coming from the mobo headers for the HDD activity LED pins.  The LED's are the same as the ones I used in my Orbweaver.  3mm blue round top 3.2volt 2000mcd

[turtle]

what kind of wire did you use to give the led power? I bought some "hook up wire" the flexible kind from radio shack.. wondering if it was the same as the one you guys used. thanks

[Melvang]

what kind of wire did you use to give the led power? I bought some "hook up wire" the flexible kind from radio shack.. wondering if it was the same as the one you guys used. thanks

I have some of that but for this project I used 24ga single strand speaker wire

[turtle]

Hook up wire should work? I haven't tried it yet. Probaly will do the mod on the poker when the acrylic case comes in

[Melvang]

I would think that it would work I just used speaker wire so I had both strands attached.  Plus I wanted the smaller wire gauge.

[Melvang]

More pictures to follow after I rotate the switch 180 degrees.  Going to take the advice from whitefiredragon that he posted on the actual YouTube clip.

[Mugen]

What LED do you have there? are you getting your power from the USB 5v or from the cable? if from the cable whats the voltage and current?

The power for the LED is coming from the mobo headers for the HDD activity LED pins.  The LED's are the same as the ones I used in my Orbweaver.  3mm blue round top 3.2volt 2000mcd

What type of LEDs? diffused or clear?

[Melvang]

754-1596-ND   Part number from Digi Key

[kinruan]

this is what i am doing to my keycool just for testing. it works well, LEDs have power from USB and i add on some diodes to lower the voltage. U can also try using a drill to make these holes on the PCB for bottom of switches bigger, so that u can have stitches going though the PCB with switches and make up wires under PCB.

[TheFlyingRaccoon]

this is what i am doing to my keycool just for testing. it works well, LEDs have power from USB and i add on some diodes to lower the voltage. U can also try using a drill to make these holes on the PCB for bottom of switches bigger, so that u can have stitches going though the PCB with switches and make up wires under PCB.

Wow this is awesome. Can you post a picture of the complete wiring and list the leds and resistors you used? I am interested in trying to recreate this for my keyboard.

[nubbinator]

this is what i am doing to my keycool just for testing. it works well, LEDs have power from USB and i add on some diodes to lower the voltage. U can also try using a drill to make these holes on the PCB for bottom of switches bigger, so that u can have stitches going though the PCB with switches and make up wires under PCB.

Is that between the PCB and plate?  I was thinking of trying something like that with my GH60, but don't know how viable it is.

[The_Ed]

That is most definitely between the PCB and plate. It hides the wires because of that too. The only downside I can think of is that the LEDs aren't held snugly in place.

[kinruan]

this is what i am doing to my keycool just for testing. it works well, LEDs have power from USB and i add on some diodes to lower the voltage. U can also try using a drill to make these holes on the PCB for bottom of switches bigger, so that u can have stitches going though the PCB with switches and make up wires under PCB.

yes it is, which is super tough, I recommend u drilling holes on PCB and every led is in parallel connection. Power is from USB which is 5v higher than led needs
Is that between the PCB and plate?  I was thinking of trying something like that with my GH60, but don't know how viable it is.

[kinruan]

this is what i am doing to my keycool just for testing. it works well, LEDs have power from USB and i add on some diodes to lower the voltage. U can also try using a drill to make these holes on the PCB for bottom of switches bigger, so that u can have stitches going though the PCB with switches and make up wires under PCB.

Wow this is awesome. Can you post a picture of the complete wiring and list the leds and resistors you used? I am interested in trying to recreate this for my keyboard.

Sry those are all I have, see the third one, it is like that way parallelly connecting every led.  But I don't recommend this way since it destoried the feeling of typing. U would better drill holes on PCB and make some jump between broken wires,

[Melvang]

Updated video is currently uploading to youtube right now.  Will post a link as soon as it finishes loading.

[Melvang]

And here is the ewwtube video