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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: Hogesyx on Wed, 29 October 2014, 03:01:24

Title: Alternate Layout Firmware for Poker II
Post by: Hogesyx on Wed, 29 October 2014, 03:01:24
While looking for a fix for LED state not behaving as per stated in the manual, I came across this firmware on pcwaishe[Chinese Forum].

Original Thread (http://www.pcwaishe.cn/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=534633)

WARNING:
ISO USERS HAS REPORTED MIX RESULTS AFTER FLASHING.
DO NOT FLASH UNLESS YOU HAVE AN WORKING ISO FIRMWARE BACKUP
(WHICH I DON'T HAVE)


Remarks:
Poker II comes with 4 dip switch, thus allowing 16 different combination.
1) Toggle mode switches shifted from fn+right shift to fn+left shift
2) Pn mode switches sfhited from fn+right ctrl to fn+left ctrl
3) Keys highlighted in RED are the one modifiable by the dip, do note that Win key is Left Win
4) DIP order are flipped(see picture)
[attachimg=2][attachimg=1]
[attachimg=3][attachimg=4]

Download:
Firmware File (http://pan.baidu.com/s/1xPnfg) (The file you want is Poker II 独立方向键 固件v0.5.bin)
English Firmware Flasher and guide from Vortex (https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=50245.0)

Instructions:
1) Download the firmware file as well as the bundle from Vortext
2) Rename the firmware file a non unicode file name(eg custom_dip_0.5.bin), as the tool does not supports unicode
3) Follow the instructions in the Vortex bundle but use the file you prepared in step 2.
4) On successful flashing, hold fn+r for 12 seconds(or 9 left space bar LED flashes)
5) Do remember your fn and pn are no longer fn and pn anymore, change the DIP settings based on the above chart.
Title: Re: Alternate Layout Firmware for Poker II
Post by: Oobly on Wed, 29 October 2014, 14:31:35
This is quite awesome. Increases the flexibility of the Poker a whole lot (although it's pretty damn flexible already without this)!
Title: Re: Alternate Layout Firmware for Poker II
Post by: Tiramisuu on Wed, 29 October 2014, 16:12:47
Not sure how this is better.   
Title: .
Post by: esoomenona on Wed, 29 October 2014, 16:30:53
.
Title: Re: Alternate Layout Firmware for Poker II
Post by: spiceBar on Wed, 29 October 2014, 20:08:59
While looking for a fix for LED state not behaving as per stated in the manual, I came across this firmware on pcwaishe[Chinese Forum].
...
...
...

I do not have any Windows computer.

How do I flash the Poker 2?
Title: Re: Alternate Layout Firmware for Poker II
Post by: Hogesyx on Thu, 30 October 2014, 12:59:13
Don't look like Ikbc has flasher for other platform. Maybe try flashing in a vm?
Title: Re: Alternate Layout Firmware for Poker II
Post by: dorkvader on Thu, 30 October 2014, 13:05:51
While looking for a fix for LED state not behaving as per stated in the manual, I came across this firmware on pcwaishe[Chinese Forum].
...
...
...

I do not have any Windows computer.

How do I flash the Poker 2?

This is why I keep a windows FLP (lightweight build of XP) box around: there's lots of windows on KB tool. If you need help acquiring an old, cheap computer, and a copy of windows, I can help.
Don't look like Ikbc has flasher for other platform. Maybe try flashing in a vm?

You are probably better off installing it to a flash drive.
Title: Re: Alternate Layout Firmware for Poker II
Post by: ideus on Thu, 30 October 2014, 13:40:19
Does this firmware could be flashed on a Poker X? Thank you in advance for any feedback.
Title: Re: Alternate Layout Firmware for Poker II
Post by: kebby on Thu, 30 October 2014, 13:46:04
Any idea whether this works on an ISO layout Poker 2?  Is there any talk of this coming to the Pure Pro or does it have anything similar?
Title: Re: Alternate Layout Firmware for Poker II
Post by: spiceBar on Fri, 31 October 2014, 00:27:01
While looking for a fix for LED state not behaving as per stated in the manual, I came across this firmware on pcwaishe[Chinese Forum].
...
...
...

I do not have any Windows computer.

How do I flash the Poker 2?

This is why I keep a windows FLP (lightweight build of XP) box around: there's lots of windows on KB tool. If you need help acquiring an old, cheap computer, and a copy of windows, I can help.
Don't look like Ikbc has flasher for other platform. Maybe try flashing in a vm?

You are probably better off installing it to a flash drive.

I could keep a Windows XP partition on one of my linux boxes, but I would use it less than once a year, so I wanted to avoid it.

I have a Windows XP image I can run in a VM, but I don't trust it would work reliably for flashing a firmware. I think it's a recipe for bricking the keyboard. I'll not be the one to tell you if it really bricks it because I'm not going to try anyway. :)
Title: Re: Alternate Layout Firmware for Poker II
Post by: tehj0shi on Fri, 31 October 2014, 12:00:52
Any idea whether this works on an ISO layout Poker 2?  Is there any talk of this coming to the Pure Pro or does it have anything similar?

I tried it on my poker II de and it acted all strange and would then just stop typing. So I am not even sure it works at all.
Title: Re: Alternate Layout Firmware for Poker II
Post by: kebby on Fri, 31 October 2014, 16:35:07
I tried it on my poker II de and it acted all strange and would then just stop typing. So I am not even sure it works at all.

Thanks for subjecting your precious Poker 2 to testing. I believe Caekys stated on reddit that he had tested it so that might be a problem with the ISOs then... or just your Poker 2.
Title: Re: Alternate Layout Firmware for Poker II
Post by: spiceBar on Fri, 31 October 2014, 21:15:11
I tried it on my poker II de and it acted all strange and would then just stop typing. So I am not even sure it works at all.

Thanks for subjecting your precious Poker 2 to testing. I believe Caekys stated on reddit that he had tested it so that might be a problem with the ISOs then... or just your Poker 2.

Last time an official firmware has been released, people have reported lots of problems. So it could just work on the ISO model, but maybe it's a bug in the firmware or a problem with the flashing process.

I think I'm going to stay away from this because I don't really need to reclaim those two keys anyway.
Title: Re: Alternate Layout Firmware for Poker II
Post by: Coreda on Fri, 31 October 2014, 21:20:22
The single most annoying feature of the Poker II? The Fn+Shift layer that turns on without any indication. Perhaps not the right thread for it, but wow, the number of times I've unwittingly enabled that mode while using the Caps-as-Fn+WASD combo and wondered for several seconds why certain keys weren't working...
Title: Re: Alternate Layout Firmware for Poker II
Post by: jackalope on Sat, 01 November 2014, 03:47:00
Nice work
Title: Re: Alternate Layout Firmware for Poker II
Post by: spiceBar on Sat, 01 November 2014, 05:44:48
The single most annoying feature of the Poker II? The Fn+Shift layer that turns on without any indication. Perhaps not the right thread for it, but wow, the number of times I've unwittingly enabled that mode while using the Caps-as-Fn+WASD combo and wondered for several seconds why certain keys weren't working...

The LED at the left end of the spacebar lights up, as far as I remember, when you activate this Pn mode.

But it's true that this key combination is a bad choice.

Keyboard manufacturers, most of the time, have no idea what they are doing. Except Matias.

That's why we need full programmability now.
Title: Re: Alternate Layout Firmware for Poker II
Post by: kebby on Sat, 01 November 2014, 06:05:59
Last time an official firmware has been released, people have reported lots of problems. So it could just work on the ISO model, but maybe it's a bug in the firmware or a problem with the flashing process.

Do the ISOs use the same firmware in general?
Title: Re: Alternate Layout Firmware for Poker II
Post by: Coreda on Sat, 01 November 2014, 17:05:05
The LED at the left end of the spacebar lights up, as far as I remember, when you activate this Pn mode.

Sorry, my mistake - Fn+Space. The light displays with Fn+Shift, but nothing for Fn+Space, which makes no sense as it's very easy to hit during typing (they're actually both too easy to mistakenly activate).

That's why we need full programmability now.

Absolutely. I saw a screenshot of GON's GUI for reprogramming his boards, looks decent.
Title: Re: Alternate Layout Firmware for Poker II
Post by: dinoxor on Wed, 05 November 2014, 15:15:00
Quick question,

if your fn pn no longer becomes fn pn, then what do they become now?

Thanks,
Title: Re: Alternate Layout Firmware for Poker II
Post by: Hogesyx on Mon, 10 November 2014, 03:10:56
Last time an official firmware has been released, people have reported lots of problems. So it could just work on the ISO model, but maybe it's a bug in the firmware or a problem with the flashing process.

Do the ISOs use the same firmware in general?

Doubt so, judging by the fact that simple variation requires a different binary. I am updating my post to warn ISO users, thanks to tehj0shi for testing.

Quick question,

if your fn pn no longer becomes fn pn, then what do they become now?

Thanks,

They will become whatever you set your DIP with.
Title: Re: Alternate Layout Firmware for Poker II
Post by: tehj0shi on Mon, 10 November 2014, 11:07:04
Just a quick update for any adventure seeking to tickle the last bit out of their poker II, I reflashed it with the firmware Vortex-JC posted and it works great again... But I really wished this firmware would work :-( maybe other Poker II ISO rockin' typist will have better luck...
Title: Re: Alternate Layout Firmware for Poker II
Post by: Hogesyx on Wed, 12 November 2014, 02:36:09
Just a quick update for any adventure seeking to tickle the last bit out of their poker II, I reflashed it with the firmware Vortex-JC posted and it works great again... But I really wished this firmware would work :-( maybe other Poker II ISO rockin' typist will have better luck...

Glad you got it working again.

btw: "Meat Brother" posted a new firmware recently as well, which supports breathing LED. I have yet to test it so I am not sure if it is based on the alternate firmware or the original firmware.

http://pan.baidu.com/s/1hq7UpRe
Title: Re: Alternate Layout Firmware for Poker II
Post by: tehj0shi on Wed, 12 November 2014, 11:14:45
So I just tested it seems to be working so far even on my ISO. Very cool I just have not figured out the DIP Switches yet they seem not to be exactly like the picture above. Anyways I did get caps to be FN somehow and this was always a dream of mine so to do this via Hardware. Very cool!
Title: Re: Alternate Layout Firmware for Poker II
Post by: Hogesyx on Thu, 13 November 2014, 09:29:28
So I just tested it seems to be working so far even on my ISO. Very cool I just have not figured out the DIP Switches yet they seem not to be exactly like the picture above. Anyways I did get caps to be FN somehow and this was always a dream of mine so to do this via Hardware. Very cool!
Maybe it follows the original dip configuration? Is your win key the caps lock now?
Title: Re: Alternate Layout Firmware for Poker II
Post by: kebby on Wed, 10 December 2014, 14:25:51
I can confirm that this works on my ISO Poker II as well so the first problem must have been a fluke. :) I guess there is no way at all to use Fn and Pn if you set the keys this affects to something else?

This is definitely a nice alternative for me as I disliked the lack of a dedicated Menu key on the Poker II. In terms of being able to just swap around the default keys, the v60 Mini still seems to be more flexible though.
Title: Re: Alternate Layout Firmware for Poker II
Post by: zshang on Wed, 10 December 2014, 14:36:14
But I still can't swap CapsLock and L_Ctrl ?...
Title: Re: Alternate Layout Firmware for Poker II
Post by: kohi on Fri, 12 December 2014, 16:09:06
ooh didnt know about this. breathing mode works too o: v cool
Title: Re: Alternate Layout Firmware for Poker II
Post by: kebby on Wed, 07 January 2015, 08:32:46
How is the breathing mode activated?
Title: Re: Alternate Layout Firmware for Poker II
Post by: kohi on Wed, 07 January 2015, 11:50:52
How is the breathing mode activated?

just flash the breathing mode firmware using the same program to update firmware, and then fn+v twice. first fn+v should be regular LED mode, and second fn+v should be the breathing mode. :thumb:
Title: Re: Alternate Layout Firmware for Poker II
Post by: ChumtheWaters on Sat, 21 February 2015, 15:40:24
So I just tested it seems to be working so far even on my ISO. Very cool I just have not figured out the DIP Switches yet they seem not to be exactly like the picture above. Anyways I did get caps to be FN somehow and this was always a dream of mine so to do this via Hardware. Very cool!
Maybe it follows the original dip configuration? Is your win key the caps lock now?

I tried the breathing LED as well and couldn't figure out the dip switches. If somebody more intelligent than me could take a stab at it I would greatly appreciate it. I have a funny feeling it won't let me get the combination I'm looking for. If I could get breathing mode to work with the same key swaps I have using the alternate setup I would be so stoked. I use 0101 right now which is the following:
Caps=FN
Win=Win
LAlt=Pn
RAlt=Alt

Edit: Switched to and am currently using the Breathing LED setup now. I'm not sure how the programmable layer works in this (having trouble doing things I would normally do with the default firmware). It seems PN+Commands don't work but they work fine in the Pn Lock layer.

Title: Re: Alternate Layout Firmware for Poker II
Post by: dinoxor on Tue, 31 March 2015, 16:28:07
Finally got this to work and it's great!

used the 0001 layout mapped all of my pn layers as follows:
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v433/Quanggoesquacker/keyboard%20layout_zps9kcz53j4.png)

Didn't realize that the pmode and toggles now uses the left ctrl and shift key.

Thanks again Hogesyx, I no longer need to rely on AutoHotKeys when carrying my poker II around!
Title: Re: Alternate Layout Firmware for Poker II
Post by: dinoxor on Wed, 01 April 2015, 12:08:56
sorry for constantly reviving a dead thread but everyone should note that the ESC key no longer is the default

esc = `
fn+esc = esc
shift+esc =  ~

:[ oh well nothing AHK can't fix