Melody96 sending incorrect keys after desoldering three switches

[thfoster]

This is my first mechanical keyboard, a Melody96.  I soldered all the switches into place and tested everything.  Worked great.  Flashing hex files worked fine too.  Finally get my keycaps in and realize that I've soldered my left alt, left win key and caps lock in the wrong set of thru holes.  I desoldered  those three switches and LEDs, moved them over and resoldered.  Chaos.  Most of the keys aren't responding.  Those that do are mostly on the bottom row and don't return the correct key.  The space bar triggers Ctrl, Alt and Shift at the same time.  And through some strange twist, the up arrow turns the brightness down on my laptop, my windows tablet and even my Android phone.  No clue what that key press is actually sending.  I've desoldered the three switches I moved assuming that I did something wrong but the problem persists.  I can put the board into programming mode with space+b with no problems and can flash a hex file with no errors.

So what the heck did I do wrong here?  Please help!

[Sup]

picture of the soldering you have done??

[thfoster]

http://imgur.com/a/lgC2r3w

[suicidal_orange]

I see a couple of possibly damged in-switch LED pads but nothing that would mess up the matrix, and even if you completely ruined both pads on all the switches you moved you should only break the rows and columns they are in so the whole top right part of the board should be working.  Did you definitely not change the firmware after moving the switches before testing?  I only ask because if you're using the default keymap the only way to change backlight is if the FN key is pressed, which it isn't.  Unless a stray blob of solder got over there when you were moving the switches which seems unlikely as you've done a very clean job...

Clutching at straws is there any damage visible on the other side of the board?

[thfoster]

I see a couple of possibly damged in-switch LED pads but nothing that would mess up the matrix, and even if you completely ruined both pads on all the switches you moved you should only break the rows and columns they are in so the whole top right part of the board should be working.  Did you definitely not change the firmware after moving the switches before testing?  I only ask because if you're using the default keymap the only way to change backlight is if the FN key is pressed, which it isn't.  Unless a stray blob of solder got over there when you were moving the switches which seems unlikely as you've done a very clean job...

Clutching at straws is there any damage visible on the other side of the board?

Thanks for taking a look.  No I didn't flash anything between moving the switches.  Can't see much of the other side except for the area where I removed those three switches due to the plate.  I only flashed the default hex because I was afraid I had done something that had damaged the ATmega32u4 but as I said it will space+b into programming mode with no problem, QMK detects the mcu and will flash with no errors.  My first though was that something had to be shorted out somewhere but I can't see anything that's shorted unless its hidden under the plate on the opposite side of the board.  But I don't know how that would have gotten under there.

[suicidal_orange]

Of course, the dreaded plate.  Should have noticed the empty PCB mount holes...

Lets start at the other end - which keys do work?  Probably easiest to screenshot Aqua key test.

[thfoster]

Of course, the dreaded plate.  Should have noticed the empty PCB mount holes...

Lets start at the other end - which keys do work?  Probably easiest to screenshot Aqua key test.

I'll list the keys that do actually do something.  If it's not listed, it doesn't light anything up in the key test.

F2: Ctrl
F4: Right Alt, Right Win, Numpad 9
F7: Ctrl
PgDw: Left Ctrl, Left Alt, Left Shift
~: Left Ctrl
1: Left Ctrl
5: Left Ctrl
6: Right Ctrl
0: Right Alt, Right Ctrl (Right Ctrl shows grey like it's still pressed even after releasing the key.  Only changes after clearing the test)
=: Left Shift, Left Ctrl, Left Alt
*(on Numpad): Left Shift, Left Ctrl, Left Alt
-(on Numpad): ~, Right Alt, Right Win
E: Right Alt, Right Win, Right Shift, Right Ctrl (shift and ctrl remain grey after releasing key)
+(on Numpad): Left shift, left Ctrl, End
A: Left Shift, Left Ctrl
J: Doesn't trigger a key in test, but sends Window Key Code 255 (0xFF)
Enter: Left Shift, Left Ctrl, Left Alt
4(on Numpad): Left Shift, Left Ctrl, Left Alt
X: Left Shift, Left Ctrl, Semicolon
V: Left Shift, Left Ctrl
M: Space, Right Alt, Right Shift, Right Ctrl
Period: Left Ctrl
/: Left Shift, Left Alt, Numpad 0
Up arrow: Left Ctrl and for some reason it turns the brightness on my laptop down.
Numpad 1: Left Ctrl
Numpad 2: Right Alt, Right Win, Numpad 9
Numpad Enter: Right Alt, Right Win, C
Space:  Right Alt, Right Win, Right Shift, 1
Alt: Left Shift, Left Ctrl
Down Arrow: Right Ctrl
Right Arrow: Left Ctrl and also turns down my brightness
Numpad 0: Left Ctrl

All other keys don't appear to send anything.

[thfoster]

If it helps at all, the RGB backlighting comes on when the keyboard is plugged in.  I can't control it but it's on.  And the num lock LED will light when I trigger numlock from my laptop keyboard.

[suicidal_orange]

I have to say that looks like you're using the wrong firmware - the default keymap doesn't have right alt or control mapped to any key so there's no way it should send those keypresses, and from the multiple codes per key it's like the diodes/scanning aren't matched either.

Where did you get the board and firmware?

[thfoster]

I have to say that looks like you're using the wrong firmware - the default keymap doesn't have right alt or control mapped to any key so there's no way it should send those keypresses, and from the multiple codes per key it's like the diodes/scanning aren't matched either.

Where did you get the board and firmware?

I bought the board on Aliexpress.  It worked out of the box and  I even flashed a custom keymap build in the QMK configurator which worked great.  After moving the switches and everything started going crazy I flashed the default hex file for the Melody in QMK toolbox.  I'm going to try and build a keymap in configurator again and see what happens.

[thfoster]

Just for laughs I made a keymap with only one key assigned in it.  Numpad 1.  I flashed that hex file and not surprisingly the keyboard did nothing.  Nothing registered in key test.  So I tried to put the keyboard into programming mode with Shift+B.  Wouldn't do it.  Had to use the reset button on the back of the PCB.  Then I made a full layout in configurator and flashed that.  Most of the keys still don't work and the ones that do send mostly ctrl, shift, alt etc.  But I can put the board into programming mode with Space+B again.

So the microprocessor is recognizing the correct keys but isn't sending them???

[suicidal_orange]

Went away and came back for a fresh look, this still makes no sense.  The matrix is too big for EasyAVR so I can't throw something together to confirm it's the firmware rather than the hardware...  Being as 'B' doesn't ouput B when pressed I'm not sure how setting it to B makes it magically work as the boot key - either that should happen pre-keymap loading regardless of mapping or it should work when a B is pressed wherever it is on the board

[thfoster]

I have to agree.  Nothing about this makes any sense.  I've reached out to the seller on Aliexpress and he requested some images of the pcb.  Waiting to see what he says whenever the sun comes up in his part of the world.

[thfoster]

Vincent on Aliexpress messaged me this morning.  Told me to clear the eeprom in QMK and then flash again.  Worked like a charm.    Totally confused but whatever works.

[thfoster]

Still have to solder the three switches back in.

[suicidal_orange]

That's strange but as you say - whatever works.  Nice to hear there is some support on Aliexpress too, I thought it was just for buying cheap stuff and wouldn't have expected any.

Board looks great, I like 1800ish layouts

[thfoster]

That's strange but as you say - whatever works.  Nice to hear there is some support on Aliexpress too, I thought it was just for buying cheap stuff and wouldn't have expected any.

Board looks great, I like 1800ish layouts

Thanks for all the input and suggestions!