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The same keys on my PCB are not working again after fixing it?

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Madzuka:

So I posted a few days ago about this issue on r/mk. I just built my first soldered keyboard (Stellar65) at a local soldering workshop/class, and the first time I tested it, everything worked fine. I brought it home and the entire third row, as well as the “\|” and Pgup key stopped working. I posted a photo of the pcb and someone pointed out it could use more solder. So I added more, and tested it again and everything worked.

I’ve been using this board for a few days without any issues. Now suddenly the same exact keys are no longer working again. The only thing I did before they stopped working was unplug the board and I took off my space bar to readjust it and put it back on (now I regret doing that lol). I’m very confused on what the issue could be. Why are the same exact keys working, then not working, then working again, then not? I’m brand new to soldering/troubleshooting, so I don’t have any tools like a multimeter to find out the issue. Any tips or ideas would be great :(

Photo of the pcb (before resoldering) https://imgur.com/gallery/7Y4pSJi
Photo of the keys that keep dying https://imgur.com/gallery/ZdNQboI

suicidal_orange:
Sounds like you have a problem with the connection from that row to the controller chip.  Usually you can check in the firmware what's connected to what but this doesn't seem to be included in QMK and VIA, while friendly for programming, is a bad thing when it goes wrong.  The other option is following the traces but it's a black PCB and I can't even be sure if the diodes or non-diode pins are connected across the rows, the only possible clue is D26 being in a strange position with an extra trace which looks all kinds of wrong, but that in itself doesn't say much.

You could ask the vendor/GB runner/whoever for a schematic or pinout or the QMK firmware, if that fails your only option is carefully poking the pins on the chip shorting them to a switch until you get the desired outcome.  I can help with that but hopefully you don't need to.

Madzuka:

--- Quote from: suicidal_orange on Tue, 01 June 2021, 06:44:35 ---Usually you can check in the firmware what's connected this doesn't seem to be included in QMK and VIA

--- End quote ---

If it helps at all the name of the pcb is Nebula65, I tried looking up the board too as Stellar65 and it didn’t show up. Since I have no idea how to any of the stuff you just described lol, I’ve been in contact with the vendor as well so hopefully I can figure out what’s going on :( realllly don’t want to desolder everything if I don’t have to... :-X

Madzuka:

--- Quote from: suicidal_orange on Tue, 01 June 2021, 06:44:35 ---Sounds like you have a problem with the connection from that row to the controller chip.  Usually you can check in the firmware what's connected to what but this doesn't seem to be included in QMK and VIA, while friendly for programming, is a bad thing when it goes wrong.  The other option is following the traces but it's a black PCB and I can't even be sure if the diodes or non-diode pins are connected across the rows, the only possible clue is D26 being in a strange position with an extra trace which looks all kinds of wrong, but that in itself doesn't say much.

You could ask the vendor/GB runner/whoever for a schematic or pinout or the QMK firmware, if that fails your only option is carefully poking the pins on the chip shorting them to a switch until you get the desired outcome.  I can help with that but hopefully you don't need to.

--- End quote ---

& now it’s working again! I’m using it to type this right now. It has to be a connection issue then? I really hope it doesn’t do this again  :'( maybe as long as I don’t mess with anything lmaoo. I’m using the keyboard on my iPad with a usb dongle, it might sound silly but just throwing that factor out there. Don’t know if that could also be causing the problem. Haha

suicidal_orange:
The Nebula68 is in qmk so we're good to fix it if it breaks again.  Hopefully not :)

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