GH80-1800, GH80-3003 and GH80-3700 open source PCBs

[retoid]

Thank you for clarifying that. Though my panic was more from not carefully reading the instructions.

I feel like I'm so close to the finish line on building my first board but now I'm getting an error when I try to compile and configure that says "Not every key has a unique position in the wiring matrix". I've been over this more times than I thought I would but there are a couple strands that still look messy. If you're willing can you share your hex file. Would I be able to see or upload your json file to see the layout in kbfirmware.com? In short, I'd like the answer but also I'd like to see how you got it  )

I'm sure you're just missing one or two. I had the same issue as well. When I went over it carefully again I found that a couple were not unique.
Here is my json file that you can upload to the kbfirmware.com builder. Maybe do it in another tab on your browser so as not to mess yours up. They look similar so you are almost there.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/y39o51r35lwt2qf/cherry1800retoid.json?dl=0

The way these key switches are connected is a bit confusing.

[3wisemonkeyfist]

You were right. I wasn't too far off the mark. Finally got my firmware done and got my hex file. When I plug in my pcb my computer doesn't recognize it to flash. When I plug in the board/ hit the reset button/short rst to gnd I hear it connect but only see it as "Unknown usb device (device descriptor request failed)". Have tried the google recommended steps to clear up the driver error but haven't had success getting it flashed. After searching r/mechanicalkeyboards I saw a lot of people had similar issues with other boards. I thought ok, maybe I accidently burned one of the components or something was faulty. So, I soldered a second pcb and am still getting the same error. I've gone through and updated all my drivers in windows, have tried using zadiq from a video someone shared on reddit, tried different cables, different pcs. I'm tempted to send the parts to someone else to see if they have the same experience. I am known to shock my electronics but I wear anti static bracelets when touching the components and pcbs. Could this be the issue?

[King Icewind]

Can you post an image of the USB connector and MCU solder points?

[retoid]

It's normal that your computer is not going to recognize the USB Device until the IC has been flashed.
When you open up QMK Toolbox and plug in your 1800 PCB via USB, does the QMK Toolbox output any text in yellow before or after you hit the reset button with it plugged in? It should tell you it's "Ready".

You only need to solder on and use a single USB socket also. The two others are just for different placements. But since you have all 3 on your PCB, try each connector and see if QMK Toolbox recognizes and says Ready for either of them. (I don't recall if it reads Ready, but it should say something like Device detected. Again make sure no other keyboard is plugged in while doing this.)

[3wisemonkeyfist]

Can you post an image of the USB connector and MCU solder points?

I'm sorry for the potato pics. My iphone 6 struggles. I spend my money on keyboards lol

[3wisemonkeyfist]

It's normal that your computer is not going to recognize the USB Device until the IC has been flashed.
When you open up QMK Toolbox and plug in your 1800 PCB via USB, does the QMK Toolbox output any text in yellow before or after you hit the reset button with it plugged in? It should tell you it's "Ready".

You only need to solder on and use a single USB socket also. The two others are just for different placements. But since you have all 3 on your PCB, try each connector and see if QMK Toolbox recognizes and says Ready for either of them. (I don't recall if it reads Ready, but it should say something like Device detected. Again make sure no other keyboard is plugged in while doing this.)

No matter what I do QMK Toolbox doesn't see the pcb at all. Awww, I was wondering why the bom had 3 usbs listed. Will remove the other two once its sorted, if it gets sorted. No ready, no yellow. Its blank. After googling it seems a lot of different devices have this issue. Some think its a Windows error, Windows blames the devices but I'm leaning more towards it being the usb connectors? If the board was borked it wouldn't recognize anything but it does. The error is all about the usb.

[retoid]

Hmm, maybe check your solder on the pins of the USB connections you're using on the PCB. Did you try all 3?
If there is any bridging on any of the pins on any of the 3 USB sockets it will likely cause an issue also.
Just noticed you uploaded pics, they look fine to me.

That's strange though. Did QMK Toolbox prompt you to install drivers when you first ran it? And you hit yes?
When I did this the first time I clicked no and it didn't work for me and I uninstalled the app and re-installed it and it didn't ask for drivers to be installed again. I forget what I did to get the drivers installed. But I had to have it ask me to install the drivers in order for it to work.

[3wisemonkeyfist]

Yes, I tried my two cables in all three usb connectors but no go. I will try reflowing the solder on each of the pins for my microcontroller. I don't see that any of them are connected but a few may need a bit more solder.

When I first booted qmk toolbox it didn't prompt me to update the drivers but over all my attempts I did check and update them. I will try removing qmk tool box and redownloading it to see if there was any that were missed.

[retoid]

Well shoot, I'm sorry you're have so much trouble with the very last step. You're so close to having a nice custom 1800!
What OS are you running?

Maybe this info can help?
https://docs.qmk.fm/#/driver_installation_zadig

[TEMzerozero]

This is some amazing work! Thanks Evy for publishing this design.

I love the 1800 layout and I'm really interested in getting this PCB made, but soldering SMD components is way outside my competence so I'm looking into SMT assembly with JLCPCB. It's a bit of a learning curve but so far I've generated a pick and place file from Kicad for the bottom side, edited the BOM into JLCPCB's format and added designators to match up with the PnP file, and identified alternative components for the ones not in JLCPCB's catalogue. However I'm still worried this will all end up some kind of mangled mess when it comes back. For instance the positions in the generated pick and place file don't seem to match up with the coordinates in Kicad, and most of the coordinates are negative (maybe they are supposed to be?).

Any advice here? Has anyone with more experience tried having one of these boards SMT assembled?

[Rico]

The first time I tried JLCPCB assembly PCBA, I also had components placed at crazy locations on the review.
The second time it was much better: all components placed at their correct locations with only the orientation that is sometimes wrong.

What I did this time is add an 'auxilary axis origin' in PcbNew.
You can place one easily in PcbNew: the icon to place one is on the right icon list, just after 'delete items' icon and before 'set origin point' icon.
You can place it for example at the top left or bottom left of the PCB (it does not have to be precise, it is just a reference).
You will have to regenerate the gerbers, drill and pos files afterwards.

And don't bother too much about component orientation as JLCPCB does manual inspection to check and fix thid specific problem.
But if you have OCD (like me ) you can modify the Rotation column value of such components and redo the supmission again until the results are good.
To be honnest I'd let them fix that part now that I know better how it works on their side.

[.]

Looks oddly familiar....

https://thekey.company/products/pcb-for-tkc-1800

My first experience with TKC

[Rayndalf]

Looks oddly familiar....

https://thekey.company/products/pcb-for-tkc-1800

My first experience with TKC

And probably the worst PCB for a plateless MX G80-1800 build. The bottom row is total swiss cheese and you're paying $30 more for backlighting.

[retoid]

Why is this being brought up again? Did something new happen?

[Didrik]

I recently got my hands on an 1800 pcb and have been designing a sandwich case for it in cad. Would anyone be interested in the files once I have it finished? I’ve never posted to GitHub before but there’s a first timer for everything.

[cest73]

360 or FreeCAD?

[gavingoh]

Nice to have this pcb as open sourced!

[Didrik]

360 or FreeCAD?

360. In school for engineering and managed to get a student license. This is a good little side project to learn my way around the software.