Backlit Keycaps

[Sxcerino]

Hello!

I was wondering if there was a way to modify my keyboard to have backlit keys like the images below.

i[dot]imgur.com/pGECp.jpg
i[dot]imgur.com/hpfc3.jpg

I tried searching for a guide but wasn't able to find one =/

Any help with be appreciated! Thanks!

I have a cherry mx g80-3494.

[dorkvader]

http://i.imgur.com/pGECp.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/hpfc3.jpg

Image #1 has clear keycaps (which you can buy online)
Image #2 appears to have a clear clickclack keycap, which are handmade, and you probably won't be able to get.

Now once you've settled the keycap issue, you can modify your keyboard with backlighting, but there aren't holes for LED's on the PCB of the keyboard, so the easiest way would be to replace it. If you had a plate mounted keyboard, you could just solder to the leads and wire everything up to the microcontroller of choice (teensy looks good), but if I recall correctly, the keyboard you have is PCB-mounted (no plate).

Really, the easiest thing to do would probably buy an already backlit keyboard, like the razer blackwidow, the Noppoo choc pro, ducky shine, or the new Race keyboard.

If you just wanted one backlit key, you could probably wedge an LED into the switch (there is a slot for it), and run wires to an internal switch/battery or some such.

[Sxcerino]

Darn, kinda wanted a a select few keys to light up, not all or a few.

Looking at my switches, like you said there seems to be a space under the switch (a hole with the letter A beside it, although there seems to be a transitor or something under it), how would go about to add an LED to that little hole. How would the wiring work? Is it possible to wire it and add to the usage of  keyboard power source, i.e. PS2, just like the NUMlock lights?

Thanks for the help, much appreciated.

[dorkvader]

Oh, that'd be a diode, for nkey rollover. You can replace it with an LED, and it'd still work, but I don't think they carry enough current to light it up. In your case, you'd have to desolder the switch, and especially the diode, add the LED, and wire it to a power source. You can tap into the PS2 power, and have a current limiting resistor for the LED's.

For a 2.6V LED (blue, I think) that you want to be 5 mA of current (from a 5V power supply), you'd need a 560 ohm 1/8W resistor.

Edit: I'll put more info here later, once I think of useful things to consider.

[dorkvader]

I have those!

See this thread.

http://geekhack.org/showthread.php?22671-ClickClack-Keys

You should raise the price again.
---
@ the OP: If you're just wanting lightable capslock,etc., it would be even easier: take out the existing LED, and wire it into the LED-hole in the switch. Make sure you jumper the diode (preferable with another diode, but you'd have to put it under the PCB). If you go with the same colour LED, you wouldn't even have to worry about replacing the current-limiting resistors.

[Sxcerino]

Hmm, from the 2 pictures, can you tell if the keyboard is plate mounted?

[Sxcerino]

So Im guessing there's no guide to walk through something like this?

Im scared of breaking something (everything) without steps or diagram >: [

Thanks for the replies!