RS96 won't start

[asgeirtj]

I have a RS96 III that suddenly won't start, it's showing a yellow light on the LED, I've tried reflashing it and restarting the computer. Seems to have happened after I got electrically zapped when touching it.

[yui]

I have a RS96 III that suddenly won't start, it's showing a yellow light on the LED, I've tried reflashing it and restarting the computer. Seems to have happened after I got electrically zapped when touching it.

if you are lucky you only corrupted the firmware, meaning that if you can find a way to flash it it may come back to life (did your re-flashing error out? or did it go through?), if you are not you may have killed the controller outright, although to do that you must have built up a large static charge, if you have carpet or a synthetic cloth chair and move a lot in it maybe try to ground yourself on something.

[asgeirtj]

I think the flashing went through, I did it through tkg.io

[yui]

I think the flashing went through, I did it through tkg.io

i am quite unfamiliar with tkg, never used it. but if flashing went through that mean that something else is wrong, although that also mean that the cpu is working, at least partly, some board to have io extenders to control part of the switch and LED matrices so maybe that went fry? or maybe there are an ESD protection that fried and need replacement, or maybe the controller IO got fried

[asgeirtj]

one thing that's weird, normally the leds are green on the board, now the are yellow, as if to indicate some error (the color is magente when in flash mode)

[yui]

there i will really not be able to help you, i do not have one of those board and so i can only give rather generic advice in case it helped, sadly seems higher than my level on this one, just hope someone with experience with this comes to help

[asgeirtj]

Is it allowed to bump?

[asgeirtj]

Do you guys think it would be worth it to change the Atmega32u4?

[suicidal_orange]

Usually a shock corrupts the firmware or kills one of the pins which stops a group of keys working.

Changing the chip is not an easy job but if it did get zapped and die that might be your only option.

[asgeirtj]

Is it possible to just buy a new pcb for the keyboard somewhere? Redscarf III 96

[Sup]

Is it possible to just buy a new pcb for the keyboard somewhere? Redscarf III 96

For that keyboard nope maybe aftermarket mechmarket. Still the chance would be pretty small.

[asgeirtj]

Could it be possible that the USB thing is just broken and I could try installing a new one? Should I try to solder a new controller? I know how to solder switches but is this much more difficult?

[suicidal_orange]

The USB port could be damaged but it would be strange for the two end pins (power) to work while the middle two (data) don't, if that's what happened the computer wouldn't respond with the 'device attached' noise when you plug it in and nothing would show in device manager (Windows) or lsusb (Linux)

As to replacing the chip just look how small the legs are - if you have to ask you're not capable of doing it.  You could remove the chip and wire the PCB to a Teensy if there's room in the case and you have some time (not too much time as it's a DIY PCB so you know what's connected to what) which would maintain the original feel and sound of the board.

[yui]

in the usb connector the data pins are shorter, and often also thinner, so easier to lift and/or damage, even the usb micro on my phone has much smaller and weaker pads for the data than for power, so maybe not quite impossible but unlikely.