geekhack
geekhack Projects => Making Stuff Together! => Topic started by: litster on Sun, 29 April 2012, 02:07:09
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People are receiving KMAC DIY kits. I think a thread to collect all the info, tips, and tricks would be help to all KMAC DIY folks. I will start with a few pictures of the PCB.
Top:
[attach=1]
Bottom:
[attach=2]
Parts:
- - Cherry MX switches, plate-mount or PCB-mount
diodes:
SMD: (http://www.mouser.com/images/fairchildsemiconductor/images/inhouse_mmsd4148_t.jpg)
http://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Fairchild-Semiconductor/MMSD4148/?qs=GXJjH%252bIVz3O2ghAmZxStYXW3%2fiTmBAG2 (http://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Fairchild-Semiconductor/MMSD4148/?qs=GXJjH%252bIVz3O2ghAmZxStYXW3%2fiTmBAG2)
Digikey has MMSD4148 and many variants. They should also work but I have not tried. I only used the one from mouser.com. use other diodes at your own risk.
Or through-hole diodes:
Mouser: http://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Fairchild-Semiconductor/1N4148/?qs=%2fha2pyFadugGtrAjJwCYGI3HvinoiCRK2mHek8%252bo6Ms%3d
digikey: http://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/1N4148/1N4148FS-ND/458603
These diodes are the same diodes I used on my Phantoms and MX Mini. I didn't use these with KMAC. Links provided here are for reference only.
LED datasheet: [attach=5]
I use part number 645-521-9901-802F (http://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Dialight/521-9901-802F/?qs=%2fha2pyFaduhezgLw1rty1x4KQ%252bWO2Mln%2fpYTEr0ynYH5rE5F6SnVdQ%3d%3d) at mouser.com
March 31st, 2013:
Latest KMAC Keymap program. This is a standalone version and doesn't require an account or a password:
http://go9.co/iLJ
November 14th, 2012:
New KMAC Keymap Program: http://go9.co/fqx
New KMAC Korean Manual: http://go9.co/fqs
New KMAC video: Not a valid vimeo URL
[OLD]
New KMAC Keymap tools (https://dl.dropbox.com/u/2386102/keyboard/KMAC%20Keymap.zip)
Old KMAC Keymap tools, kept for reference (http://dl.dropbox.com/u/2386102/keyboard/KMAC%20Keymap.zip)
Project KMAC User Manual V1.2 Korean Edition (http://dl.dropbox.com/u/2386102/keyboard/PROJECT%20KMAC%20PROGRAM%20v2.pdf)
Soldering instruction, in Korean:
http://www.kbdmania.net/xe/3706757 (http://www.kbdmania.net/xe/3706757)
Program Instruction, in Korean:
http://www.kbdmania.net/xe/3791549 (http://www.kbdmania.net/xe/3791549)
[/OLD]
KMAC PCB manufacturing videos:
It is possible to use SMD diodes on KMAC PCB instead of through-hole diodes.
[attach=3]
[attach=4]
Mouser.com has it:
(http://www.mouser.com/images/fairchildsemiconductor/images/inhouse_mmsd4148_t.jpg)
http://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Fairchild-Semiconductor/MMSD4148/?qs=GXJjH%252bIVz3O2ghAmZxStYXW3%2fiTmBAG2 (http://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Fairchild-Semiconductor/MMSD4148/?qs=GXJjH%252bIVz3O2ghAmZxStYXW3%2fiTmBAG2)
digikey has it as well, but mouser.com is cheaper.
Solder pads for SMD diodes already have solder on them, because they are originally prepped for machine soldering. To hand solder, I will need to remove solder from one of the solder pads with wick first.
Video of how to hand solder SMD diode to KMAC PCB:
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Nice! Can't wait to see more as you progress. If I have anything to contribute I'll post it here. =)
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do the tops and bottoms get removed from the PCB? the top would appear that it has to be removed to allow for clearance on the usb connector, but that it's cut to support the bottom of the connector still (a very cool design if that's correct).
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Yes, I believe the top and bottom need to be removed.
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KMAC PCB manufacturing videos:
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So, it is possible to use SMD diodes on KMAC PCB instead of through-hole diodes.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]50126[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH=CONFIG]50127[/ATTACH]
Mouser.com has it:
(http://www.mouser.com/images/fairchildsemiconductor/images/inhouse_mmsd4148_t.jpg)
http://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Fairchild-Semiconductor/MMSD4148/?qs=GXJjH%252bIVz3O2ghAmZxStYXW3%2fiTmBAG2
digikey has it as well, but mouser.com is cheaper.
both solder pads for each SMD diodes already have solder on them, because they are originally prepped for machine soldering. To hand solder, I will need to remove solder from one of the solder pads with wick first.
I could just solder through-hole diodes, but I already did that a couple time on Phantom. So I will give SMD a try next week when my diodes are here. I hope I won't ruin my KMAC :-)
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You are a brave man litster!
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the line between brave and stupid is fine. We will see which side of the line I am on :-)
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As far as SMD goes, those are big. You'll have no trouble at all if you've been soldering anything. Just need to hold the bugger down so it doesn't float on the solder.
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Received my diodes from mouser today. Did a couple of them. Wasn't too hard. The printing on the diodes are too small and too faint to really see. I used a magnifying glass with a flash light to read it. Also used a multimeter to confirm the black strip.
Since the diode pads are already prepped, I had to use wick to remove solder from one of the pads before I can solder. I may do a video later.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]50589[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH=CONFIG]50588[/ATTACH]
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Video of soldering one diode onto KMAC. 1080p available.
In the video, I didn't do a good job removing the solder from the pad.
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all the links and attachments are broken after forum software migration. I will have to fix them later.
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You should teach people how to clip the cherry stabilizers. I took nearly 2 hours to figure out how to put the damn thing together. The pictures didn't help me.
Well, finally, my finished KMAC with Linear 55g!
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Here is a video on how to clip your Cherry stabilizer to get rid of the mushy feel. After this mod, my modifiers feel just as good as Costar's.
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Here are the two KMACs I built:
KMAC winkey Titanium with Dolch double shots + Hashbaz's Dolch Moogle + Hashbaz's Red Cherry font Enter + the mystery keycap I just received.
(http://geekhack.org/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=21911.0;attach=2574;image)
This is a KMAC winkeless Silver with 2 sets of Cherry dye sub keycaps. One set is just plain black on beige Cherry dye sub. The other set RGB dye sub with some special print caps.
(http://geekhack.org/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=21911.0;attach=2576;image)
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Hey litster - can you tell me the specs for the LEDs you used? i want to make sure to get the right ones.
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I chose some LEDs that are not very bright. If you use caps with an LED window, these are good enough. If you use regular caps, then you will want LEDs brighter that what I picked. I only soldered LEDs for caps lock and scroll lock. I didn't install LEDs to the function keys and WASD.
Green: http://www.mouser.com/Search/ProductDetail.aspx?R=WP710A10SGCvirtualkey60400000virtualkey604-WP710A10SGC
Blue: http://www.mouser.com/Search/ProductDetail.aspx?R=VAOL-3LSBY1virtualkey59300000virtualkey593-VAOL-3LSBY1
Red: http://www.mouser.com/Search/ProductDetail.aspx?R=WP710A10ECvirtualkey60400000virtualkey604-WP710A10EC
Orange: http://www.mouser.com/Search/ProductDetail.aspx?R=WP710A10EDvirtualkey60400000virtualkey604-WP710A10ED
Yellow: http://www.mouser.com/Search/ProductDetail.aspx?R=WP710A10YTvirtualkey60400000virtualkey604-WP710A10YT
White: http://www.mouser.com/Search/ProductDetail.aspx?R=521-9901-802Fvirtualkey64500000virtualkey645-521-9901-802F
I bought 10 of each, but I only used white. The other should work, too. I just didn't solder them on to any keyboard.
Basically you want T-1 size 3mm, around 3.5V forward voltage. The white ones I am using now is 1100mcd brightness. You could use something dimmer if you use windowed caps. If you use regular caps, you might want something brighter. Also some people are getting creative with UV LEDs. :)
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very cool, thank you :)
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New files added to the first post.
KMAC Keymap tools (http://dl.dropbox.com/u/2386102/keyboard/KMAC%20Keymap.zip)
Project KMAC User Manual V1.2 Korean Edition (http://dl.dropbox.com/u/2386102/keyboard/PROJECT%20KMAC%20PROGRAM%20v2.pdf)
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I thought there was an English version of the manual as well?
Pretty sure I had it at some point, might be on my old computer I will look tonight.
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yeah, I think there was an English version, but it was for the older firmware version. This one is new. Maybe it will be translated to English later.
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Ah ok that makes sense, I guess I will be waiting for that lol
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New KMAC Keymap tools (https://dl.dropbox.com/u/2386102/keyboard/KMAC%20Keymap.zip)
First post's link also updated.
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Okay, forgive me for being a complete newb to this but what are the diodes for exactly?
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you need diodes if you want 6 or more KRO. Diodes allows electricity flow only in one direction. Without diodes in the matrix, either ghost keys maybe registered when more than a couple of keys are pressed at the same time, or only 2 keys are registers when you have 3, 4, or more keys are pressed.
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Diodes are one way doors for electricity. What they do is allow you to detect what switches are closed and know those are the only switches closed. Otherwise some switch combinations make it seem as tho other switches are closed when they aren't actually.
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I won!
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Get off my lawn!
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Ha! Thanks guys. I've just received a pm that I snagged a KMAC, so I'm sure you can understand my excitement with being able to get this DIY project working. Which means...
...lots of questions...
thankfully you guys are the bees knees... so....
how do you know where on the board to solder these diodes? And how many do you need on the board?
Also... I'm curious as to how to get led lights working on this board. I know you have to buy the lights but how do you get them working on the board.
Now, I'm new to soldering but I'm eager to learn and I want to do this on my own. However, I also don't want to destroy the board. Do any of you guys have any advice for me that would help me along the path to success once I start building this board?
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This is kinda OT, but not worth a new topic:
When are the KMAC mini's avaiable? and for what price?
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I have a piece of one on my desk, so part of the answer is... They were already available... perhaps you can get one now if you try?
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They might still be available. The ones listed are the silver winkey, I'm not sure if it's the mini. Check with Sherryton. :)
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Yep got myself a silver winkey kmac fro sherryton. Please educate me as well. what was the talk of leds?
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Im going to have to come up with everything i need now as i seem to be getting just a few bits and having to source the rest.
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I just want to clarify that you really only get 2KRO without diodes. There are always going to be combinations of 3 keys that doesn't work. There are also going to be a lot of combinations that work, but it is the worst case that counts.
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Whats recommended through hole or smd diodes?
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My question is about leds. Can I put one on any switch or only certain ones. Also, anyone know a good place to buy leds?
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My question is about leds. Can I put one on any switch or only certain ones. Also, anyone know a good place to buy leds?
if u want red buy with me im buying the brightest red i can find and i sure hope it can go on all keys.
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My question is about leds. Can I put one on any switch or only certain ones. Also, anyone know a good place to buy leds?
if u want red buy with me im buying the brightest red i can find and i sure hope it can go on all keys.
I'm not sure on my colours yet, but I think I want some aqua/UV like EK had on his KMAC numpad.
Where you buying yours from?
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My question is about leds. Can I put one on any switch or only certain ones. Also, anyone know a good place to buy leds?
if u want red buy with me im buying the brightest red i can find and i sure hope it can go on all keys.
I'm not sure on my colours yet, but I think I want some aqua/UV like EK had on his KMAC numpad.
Where you buying yours from?
check the dox thread should have a semi part list leds should be listed that site have a pretty good way to select them. http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=19227.0
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LEDs are wired for caps lock, scroll lock, function keys, and WASD. I only installed LEDs for the lock keys.
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LEDs are wired for caps lock, scroll lock, function keys, and WASD. I only installed LEDs for the lock keys.
thanks much noticed that more now looking at the pcb i assume then need resistors for 5v?
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My question is about leds. Can I put one on any switch or only certain ones. Also, anyone know a good place to buy leds?
if u want red buy with me im buying the brightest red i can find and i sure hope it can go on all keys.
I'm not sure on my colours yet, but I think I want some aqua/UV like EK had on his KMAC numpad.
Where you buying yours from?
now nowing where their going id go uv as well as long, i always want the brightest i can find though.
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I posted the question a couple of pages ago but it must've gotten lost in the sauce...
Where do the diodes go on the board and how many are needed?
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I posted the question a couple of pages ago but it must've gotten lost in the sauce...
Where do the diodes go on the board and how many are needed?
One per switch, and it should be quite obvious... Although I must admit I didn't have a look at it =)
Ok, so either through hole and internal to the switch, or SMD and on the back of the PCB beneath each switch.
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Whats recommended through hole or smd diodes?
Functionally the same, but if you're going to do it by hand, I would think through-hole would be easier. SMD was meant for pre-assembly at the factory I think. No reason why you can't do SMD yourself though.
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Once you get the hang of it, these SOD123 (I presume) diodes are quite nice to do by hand. In this case through hole would also require you to open each switch to insert diodes (if you don't already have switches with them included). And open ~100 switches is a real pain =P You could probably do a half-dodgy version soldering through hole diodes from the back with their leads precut to just go into the pad holes.
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Well most of these guys are opening switches for stickers, lube and whatnot... A little diode isn't going to add much time.
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You could use through-hole diodes without opening switches by soldering the diodes onto the back of the PCB and solder the diode legs flush to the switch-side od the PCB.
SMD diodes work best though.
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Can anyone who has made one of these come up with a complete list of parts needed and possibly the parts that they recommend? I would be eternally thankful!
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- switches
- stabilizer clips
- stabilizer wires
- diodes
- LEDs (optional)
- keycaps
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87+ switches (spares!)
87+ diodes, 1n4148 or some form of fast switching diode that fits either the SMD footprint or the thru-hole. Those round SMD ones can be a ***** cuz they rollin.
20 3mm LEDs (Caps, LCtrl, WASD, Most of the F-row) flat top, no shoulder (also called column) will require no mods. It's not hard to cut shoulders off though, but sanding 20 domed LEDs flat can be painful on your fingers and I don't recommend trying to do it any other way.
4 2x Cherry PCB mount stabs
1 spacebar Cherry PCB mount stab (6.25x or 7x depending on your keycap set)
1 set of keycaps to fit your layout (offset caps is possible, mod-row is kit dependent)
bling the switches however you want, stickers, grease, TLC. I recommend paying close attention to your choice in LED light out put (mcd) since they all get the same amount of power and it can be disappointing to be blinded by blue and have the red/amber/yellow sedate and laid back.
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I added links to LED and diode parts (SMD and through-hole) on mouser.com and digikey.com, as well as LED datasheet, to the first post on this thread.
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- switches - i have both vintage 62g blacks and ergo clears
- stabilizer clips - can these be costar or must they be cherry? if cherry can anyone hook me up with some?
- stabilizer wires - can these be costar or must they be cherry? if cherry can someone hook me up with some?
- diodes - the ones lister posted are correct right? http://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Fairchild-Semiconductor/MMSD4148/?qs=GXJjH%252bIVz3O2ghAmZxStYXW3%2fiTmBAG2
- LEDs (optional) - ???
- keycaps - dont have thinking of getting a custom blue set from imsto
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The holes on the PCB only accept Cherry mounted stabilizers.
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Lots of great information, everyone. It looks like my list of things to buy is quite long as of now. Where can I get the cherry pcb mount stabs and the cherry stabilizers? If anyone has any to spare, let me know. Also, can anyone recommend a good soldering kit? I've never soldered anything before and I'm kind of worried I'm going to mess something up. Any suggestions on a way to practice before going straight to soldering on the board?
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Lots of great information, everyone. It looks like my list of things to buy is quite long as of now. Where can I get the cherry pcb mount stabs and the cherry stabilizers? If anyone has any to spare, let me know. Also, can anyone recommend a good soldering kit? I've never soldered anything before and I'm kind of worried I'm going to mess something up. Any suggestions on a way to practice before going straight to soldering on the board?
Hakko 888 is what i use. If you dont want to solder I can do it for you i did a few phantoms for people.
edit: changed all yo u to you lol dont know what happened there
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If you have never soldered anything before, I say you pay someone else to do it for you. alaricljs is very good at this. If you do it yourself, you are going to make mistakes and may ruin your KMAC. You should buy some cheap solder projects from Radio Shack for practice.
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I decided to go with the leds you posted lister am i going to need any resistors for them or are they already on board?
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Where can I pick up some cherry plate mount stabilizers? oops looks like i need pcb mount was reading all the posts.
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I decided to go with the leds you posted lister am i going to need any resistors for them or are they already on board?
- switches - i have both vintage 62g blacks and ergo clears
- stabilizer clips - can these be costar or must they be cherry? if cherry can anyone hook me up with some?
- stabilizer wires - can these be costar or must they be cherry? if cherry can someone hook me up with some?
- diodes - the ones lister posted are correct right? http://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Fairchild-Semiconductor/MMSD4148/?qs=GXJjH%252bIVz3O2ghAmZxStYXW3%2fiTmBAG2
- LEDs (optional) - ???
- keycaps - dont have thinking of getting a custom blue set from imsto
yes, lister, please help TheProfosist!
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my bad litster sorry about my herp a derp ness that is not an excuse but i am the guy that constantly types yo u lately
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No resistors are needed for the LEDs. Think about it, there is no place to solder resistors on to the PCB, unless you want to solder a resistor inline with each LED.
As I wrote in the first post, that mouser SMD diode part is the part I used in my KMACs.
If I have to guess, the keyboards you use are all broken in some way, especially the comma and period keys. You shift keys don't work most of the time as well.
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TheProfosist:
I'm sending you a PM.
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If I have to guess, the keyboards you use are all broken in some way, especially the comma and period keys. You shift keys don't work most of the time as well.
You are correct and are the first to say something on this forum about that. Also besides that my typing style is atrocious.
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TheProfosist:
I'm sending you a PM.
Sounds good.
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You are correct and are the first to say something on this forum about that. Also besides that my typing style is atrocious.
Ha, your keyboard is fixed!
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You are correct and are the first to say something on this forum about that. Also besides that my typing style is atrocious.
Ha, your keyboard is fixed!
I wish it were that easy
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I have a piece of one on my desk, so part of the answer is... They were already available... perhaps you can get one now if you try?
Are we talking about the tenkeyless KMAC or the mini?
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Also, can anyone recommend a good soldering kit? I've never soldered anything before and I'm kind of worried I'm going to mess something up. Any suggestions on a way to practice before going straight to soldering on the board?
There is not much to soldering, but it does require at least $50 investment in equipment. I built/modded a few keyboards, and I shot a video for one of them. I'll upload the video tonight on youtube, and you can see how easy it is. Litster also posted a video in the OP of the SMD soldering, but those require a tad more precision than through-holes.
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I have a piece of one on my desk, so part of the answer is... They were already available... perhaps you can get one now if you try?
Are we talking about the tenkeyless KMAC or the mini?
The mini... have the plate/PCB from someone else's board. I have built ~5 KMAC 87s.
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I think I found myself some leds: http://tinyurl.com/8mk7dey
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At 7000 mcd, one is going to blind you.
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At 7000 mcd, one is going to blind you.
Would that be the case even under a keycap?
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Silver KMAC's silver plate may do a better job reflecting light than titanium KMAC's titanium plate. I guess you will find out and let us know :-)
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Also, that's $11 worth of LEDs or you can go to ebay (http://www.ebay.com/itm/100-pcs-3mm-10000-mcd-Round-Red-Superbright-Led-lamp-/200715407673?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2ebb921139) and get them for way cheaper and have a ton of leftovers for resale or friends... They claim 10kmcd,which is a bit much but they are definitely going to be stupidly bright.
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Silver KMAC's silver plate may do a better job reflecting light than titanium KMAC's titanium plate. I guess you will find out and let us know :-)
Correct! Thanks for all the help so far. Would you happen to know where I can get some cherry PCB mount stabilizers?
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onlinecomponents.com
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I have a question about diodes. I have a whole bunch of vintage blacks, believe they still have diodes in them. Maybe they don't, can't check as they are not with me right now. But say I was going to install these in my KMAC, would I be able to use the diodes already in them, or should I buy all new diodes?
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I would recommend new diodes since they are so cheap (penny a piece or less) and then you don't have to worry about fixing any bent or broken leads and making sure that they're not dead.
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I would recommend new diodes since they are so cheap (penny a piece or less) and then you don't have to worry about fixing any bent or broken leads and making sure that they're not dead.
Was going to say the samething, but you beat me to it.
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Yea was just looking at the prices and much better to get new ones. Thanks guys.
Now the hardest part of building a kmac....choosing my led colours....
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For stabilizers, you can find their part numbers here: http://www.cherrycorp.com/english/switches/key/mx.htm (http://www.cherrycorp.com/english/switches/key/mx.htm)
2x/2.5x/2.75x PCB-mount stabilizer: G99-0742
7x PCB-mount stabilizer: G99-0745
6.25x PCB-mount stabilizer: doesn't exist, need to make your own with 1/16" piano wires.
I don't know where you can find them. Mouser and digikey don't have it in stock. Last time I had to buy plate-mount Cherry stabilizers to test with the Phantom prototype, I had to buy from onlinecomponents and newark, neither shipped all the pieces to me, both missing the metal bars, and one of them only sent me the base, no inserts. I think both onlinecomponents and newark have the same fulfillment center.
octpart can tell you where else you can find these parts. You can try other vendors. http://octopart.com/partsearch#search/requestData&q=G990742
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If I order from http://canada.newark.com/jsp/search/productdetail.jsp?SKU=98B1432&CMP=AFC-OPG&CMP=AFC-OPG will each order come with both inserts and the metal bar? So I would need 4 of them? Or since you have issues with them getting it right, order several extras.
Also to make the 6.25 stab, could I order the 2x kit, and just put in the piano wire? Although I think I'd post a wtb before it comes to that.
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When I did the stab GB, I ordered PCB mount from onlinecomponents and received all necessary parts.
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When I did the stab GB, I ordered PCB mount from onlinecomponents and received all necessary parts.
That's good to know! Thanks. Did you do any 6.25x stabs? Just wondering if I should make my own or try to find a set.
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Yeah, there were about 20 of them. The majority was 7x.
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Yeah, there were about 20 of them. The majority was 7x.
Sorry to be a nag. But could you point me where to get some? Or to get the parts.
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I'll assume you mean the wires... I bought 1/16" steel wire from Tower Hobbies and a Dubro wire bender (also available there, but I've had it for some time now).
I still have spare wire and bubble mailers ;)
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I'll assume you mean the wires... I bought 1/16" steel wire from Tower Hobbies and a Dubro wire bender (also available there, but I've had it for some time now).
I still have spare wire and bubble mailers ;)
Any chance the wire is bent ? lol I'm sending a pm!
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I chose some LEDs that are not very bright. If you use caps with an LED window, these are good enough. If you use regular caps, then you will want LEDs brighter that what I picked. I only soldered LEDs for caps lock and scroll lock. I didn't install LEDs to the function keys and WASD.
Green: http://www.mouser.com/Search/ProductDetail.aspx?R=WP710A10SGCvirtualkey60400000virtualkey604-WP710A10SGC
Blue: http://www.mouser.com/Search/ProductDetail.aspx?R=VAOL-3LSBY1virtualkey59300000virtualkey593-VAOL-3LSBY1
Red: http://www.mouser.com/Search/ProductDetail.aspx?R=WP710A10ECvirtualkey60400000virtualkey604-WP710A10EC
Orange: http://www.mouser.com/Search/ProductDetail.aspx?R=WP710A10EDvirtualkey60400000virtualkey604-WP710A10ED
Yellow: http://www.mouser.com/Search/ProductDetail.aspx?R=WP710A10YTvirtualkey60400000virtualkey604-WP710A10YT
White: http://www.mouser.com/Search/ProductDetail.aspx?R=521-9901-802Fvirtualkey64500000virtualkey645-521-9901-802F
I bought 10 of each, but I only used white. The other should work, too. I just didn't solder them on to any keyboard.
Basically you want T-1 size 3mm, around 3.5V forward voltage. The white ones I am using now is 1100mcd brightness. You could use something dimmer if you use windowed caps. If you use regular caps, you might want something brighter. Also some people are getting creative with UV LEDs. :)
Ok... I've been looking at leds today and trying to figure out which color combination I'd like to get. Some of the links above have a very low mcd, like 45, and some of them have a much lower than 3.5V forward voltage. I just want to make sure I get the right thing. Since I'd like to get different color combinations, I'd like for them to all be the same luminous intensity. Also, what can we do with the UV LEDs. This intrigues me...
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^put on uv reactive caps, get stoned, and listen to chill jams :D
I'm doing my F row in UVs, supposedly 2000 McD according to the eBay seller.
Perhaps some uv paint is in order!
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^put on uv reactive caps, get stoned, and listen to chill jams :D
I'm doing my F row in UVs, supposedly 2000 McD according to the eBay seller.
Perhaps some uv paint is in order!
Ah cool... so these are basically little black lights... that's just too awesome to pass up...
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I noticed the UV lights are listed with Wavelength/Color Temperature instead of Luminous Intensity of the other leds. I don't see anything about the intensity of the UV lights on mouser. Is higher Wavelength/Color Temperature better? If so... this is what I've found...
http://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Bivar/UV3TZ-400-30/?qs=sGAEpiMZZMs4quMj8r4lmj9W7mDN7MN7sdLwJveiS5s%3d
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Link goes to error. Dunno if it's the link or my phone. I've been looking at these LEDs and it shows all the details about them.
http://item.mobileweb.ebay.com/viewitem?itemId=290768285828&cmd=VIDESC
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only think that I would worry about with the UV lights would be how they effect the keycaps over time.
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The ones I have been using are only 400-600 MCD which means they are pretty dim and not that bright at all barely noticeable under CC's, and they shine through as the color of the CC. I'd say anything around 2000 would be pretty comparable to the red/green/blue ones people usually get.
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only think that I would worry about with the UV lights would be how they effect the keycaps over time.
Hmm interesting. Although being under a cap, don't think it would be too bad.
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Link goes to error. Dunno if it's the link or my phone. I've been looking at these LEDs and it shows all the details about them.
http://item.mobileweb.ebay.com/viewitem?itemId=290768285828&cmd=VIDESC
Link is valid, it should be working okay. But yes, it doesn't having anything about luminous intensity/brightness for the UV led lights... strange... maybe there's something I'm not seeing... I'm going to take a look at the Ebay link momentarily...
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Ive been thinking has anyone done any major programming on their KMAC the reason I ask is I am interested in making my layout into reality (it relies on layers).
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v519/TheProfosist/GeekHack/GH-sub-mine/FilcoTKLLayerDefaultTEMP3.png)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v519/TheProfosist/GeekHack/GH-sub-mine/FilcoTKLLayer1TEMP3.png)
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curious as well, i have a few modifications to the layout that i will need to carry out
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^ and ^^. Did you guys update to the latest firmware that just came out?
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^ and ^^. Did you guys update to the latest firmware that just came out?
umm I dont even have my KMAC yet :D , should be shipping this week...
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WOW, you didn't know ... All shipments of KMACs have been discontinued, indefinately. :) Seriously, enjoy the board. You WILL like it.
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WOW, you didn't know ... All shipments of KMACs have been discontinued, indefinately. :) Seriously, enjoy the board. You WILL like it.
Wait what? I thought Kmac 2 was still coming out?
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WOW, you didn't know ... All shipments of KMACs have been discontinued, indefinately. :) Seriously, enjoy the board. You WILL like it.
wonder where mine is coming from then? cause m00nshake got one also and im building it for him...
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WOW, you didn't know ... All shipments of KMACs have been discontinued, indefinately. :) Seriously, enjoy the board. You WILL like it.
wonder where mine is coming from then? cause m00nshake got one also and im building it for him...
And me and esoomenona as well. Maybe just extras from the last shipment?
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WOW, you didn't know ... All shipments of KMACs have been discontinued, indefinately. :) Seriously, enjoy the board. You WILL like it.
wonder where mine is coming from then? cause m00nshake got one also and im building it for him...
And me and esoomanona as well. Maybe just extras from the last shipment?
:cries: I was too slow on the titanium :cries:
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WOW, you didn't know ... All shipments of KMACs have been discontinued, indefinately. :) Seriously, enjoy the board. You WILL like it.
wonder where mine is coming from then? cause m00nshake got one also and im building it for him...
And me and esoomanona as well. Maybe just extras from the last shipment?
:cries: I was too slow on the titanium :cries:
^ Me too, me to :( Oh well, silver be shiny like da sunnn
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WOW, you didn't know ... All shipments of KMACs have been discontinued, indefinately. :) Seriously, enjoy the board. You WILL like it.
wonder where mine is coming from then? cause m00nshake got one also and im building it for him...
And me and esoomanona as well. Maybe just extras from the last shipment?
:cries: I was too slow on the titanium :cries:
^ Me too, me to :( Oh well, silver be shiny like da sunnn
Well Im still very happy I snagged one all, now to try and get some Zinc caps for it!
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^I believe the zinc order is still up from Feng!
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^I believe the zinc order is still up from Feng!
yep yep its just that i need a extra num row that ill use for my numpad and its not and option and fend hasnt gotten back to me yet. Looks like I just missed the titanium spacebars though so ill have to snag one used or wait for the aluminum spacebar groupbuy whic I dont think will match as well.
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^I believe the zinc order is still up from Feng!
yep yep its just that i need a extra num row that ill use for my numpad and its not and option and fend hasnt gotten back to me yet. Looks like I just missed the titanium spacebars though so ill have to snag one used or wait for the aluminum spacebar groupbuy whic I dont think will match as well.
I got a sandblasted titanium, kind of wish I had gotten a shiny one now. Oh well, may not even go metal on the kmac. Can't wait for round 4(lord knows), and put some retro love on it :)
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^I believe the zinc order is still up from Feng!
yep yep its just that i need a extra num row that ill use for my numpad and its not and option and fend hasnt gotten back to me yet. Looks like I just missed the titanium spacebars though so ill have to snag one used or wait for the aluminum spacebar groupbuy whic I dont think will match as well.
I got a sandblasted titanium, kind of wish I had gotten a shiny one now. Oh well, may not even go metal on the kmac. Can't wait for round 4(lord knows), and put some retro love on it :)
Care to part with it?
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^I believe the zinc order is still up from Feng!
yep yep its just that i need a extra num row that ill use for my numpad and its not and option and fend hasnt gotten back to me yet. Looks like I just missed the titanium spacebars though so ill have to snag one used or wait for the aluminum spacebar groupbuy whic I dont think will match as well.
I got a sandblasted titanium, kind of wish I had gotten a shiny one now. Oh well, may not even go metal on the kmac. Can't wait for round 4(lord knows), and put some retro love on it :)
Care to part with it?
Oh not yet, if ever lol. I have many boards to try it with, and many arrangements.
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^I believe the zinc order is still up from Feng!
yep yep its just that i need a extra num row that ill use for my numpad and its not and option and fend hasnt gotten back to me yet. Looks like I just missed the titanium spacebars though so ill have to snag one used or wait for the aluminum spacebar groupbuy whic I dont think will match as well.
I got a sandblasted titanium, kind of wish I had gotten a shiny one now. Oh well, may not even go metal on the kmac. Can't wait for round 4(lord knows), and put some retro love on it :)
Care to part with it?
Oh not yet, if ever lol. I have many boards to try it with, and many arrangements.
alright :(
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Anyone made one yet?
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Erm, there have been quite a few of them built.
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^I believe the zinc order is still up from Feng!
yep yep its just that i need a extra num row that ill use for my numpad and its not and option and fend hasnt gotten back to me yet. Looks like I just missed the titanium spacebars though so ill have to snag one used or wait for the aluminum spacebar groupbuy whic I dont think will match as well.
I got a sandblasted titanium, kind of wish I had gotten a shiny one now. Oh well, may not even go metal on the kmac. Can't wait for round 4(lord knows), and put some retro love on it :)
Care to part with it?
Oh not yet, if ever lol. I have many boards to try it with, and many arrangements.
alright :(
Get aluminium instead!
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Erm, there have been quite a few of them built.
From this guide? Looks pretty hard.
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Just some soldering:)
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.
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Should be the pins for direct programming access if you should mange to kill or otherwise get rid of the boot loader.
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.
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*shakes fist at esoomena* darn you getting the only titanium one
Nice also just got my KMAC as well will be posting some pics of the kit tonight
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.
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not seeing any real color difference more of a texture difference though.
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Just got my KMAC today!
head over to my DIY thread for pics http://tinyurl.com/chv4cq7
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.
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http://imgur.com/a/JFYbk (http://imgur.com/a/JFYbk)
Here is my album. Pictures not too great, but it's what I have...
darn you and your titaniumness
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.
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Mmmm, so titaniumy.
:( :cries: :(
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So i discovered this when trying to remap keys.
You get kmac layout, kmini layout and kpad layout xml files with corresponding temphex files.
My initial action when editing source is to copy it and work on a copy... unfortunately kmacs.exe does not generate a temphex file, only a real hex file.
SO if you change the name of the layout xml file you won't be able to generate hex for it... so make a backup of both and edit the original :)
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Poking my head in here...I'll be building a few KMAC-y things soon...
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So i discovered this when trying to remap keys.
You get kmac layout, kmini layout and kpad layout xml files with corresponding temphex files.
My initial action when editing source is to copy it and work on a copy... unfortunately kmacs.exe does not generate a temphex file, only a real hex file.
SO if you change the name of the layout xml file you won't be able to generate hex for it... so make a backup of both and edit the original :)
thanks for the helpful info
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learn more about this thred.
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learn more about this thred.
?
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Started my own DIY thread http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=37065.0
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I was asked why I had to remove solder from one the pads for each SMD diode location in order to solder the SMD diodes in place. In my original post I didn't explain that very clearly. So here is a better answer.
How I soldered SMD diodes onto my KMACs is specific to KMACs and may not be needed for other keyboards that support SMD diodes.
On KMACs, both solder pads for each diode location is prepped with solder. Unless you can melt solder on both solder pads at the same time, you can't solder the SMD diode flush to the PCB surface because the other un-melted solder will keep your SMD diode tilted to one side.
I removed solder for one of the pads with wick or solder sucker pump. After that, I get ready to solder the SMD diode in place by melting soldere on the other pad. Once solder is melted, I slide the diode in place and make sure it is flush to the PCB surface. Then I just add solder to the other side to lock it in place.
Hope this helps.
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How do you guys get it into DFU mode for programming?
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How do you guys get it into DFU mode for programming?
Interested in this as well!
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So i discovered this when trying to remap keys.
You get kmac layout, kmini layout and kpad layout xml files with corresponding temphex files.
My initial action when editing source is to copy it and work on a copy... unfortunately kmacs.exe does not generate a temphex file, only a real hex file.
SO if you change the name of the layout xml file you won't be able to generate hex for it... so make a backup of both and edit the original :)
I didn't change anything inlude the file name, but still couldn't generate a HEX file ... Anybody could help me out? T_T
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How do you guys get it into DFU mode for programming?
I got a English doc indicating how to Enter the DFU mode and load a HEX file. But I just couldn't generate a HEX file by the kmacs.exe....
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Thanks! That helps a ton!
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Hold Caps lock while plugging in the KMAC.
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alaric, you need to write us a KMAC wiki!
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Dude, I only just figured this out last night!
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Then your KMAC wiki is one day late. Get on it! :-)
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I have been looking for that DFU mode forever. Is it the same on the KMini? And what about the KPAD?
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I did this on a KMini, they run the same firmware it's just the layout that is different.
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What about the KPAD? I would assume that it is the top button? Granted, there is few enough buttons that it wouldn't take long to figure out by guess and check.
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thanks a bunch with the DFU mode was able to program my KMAC!
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Dude, I only just figured this out last night!
How in the he77 would you ever "figure" that out?
John
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Multiple pieces of info from different sources all put together. It's a puzzle... blech.
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He77? I thought it was H-E-Doublehockeysticks!
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Maybe many of you already known this, but some still may not. As it took me about 2 hours to figure out, I think I should write this down for whom have KMAC winkeyless with LEDs installed to TURN THE LEDS ON/OFF.
So here we go:
1. Download the New KMAC Keymap tools as provided in litster's OP.
2. Download Flip application via URL provided in the How to upload to KMAC.docx (Thanks to feng ^^), and install it.
3. Follow the How to upload to KMAC.docx to generate you own HEX file and upload to you KMAC winkeyless. Some IMPORTANT points to be aware of here:
- Extract the New KMAC Keymap tools to a directory without any space in the name, e.g. C:\KMAC, otherwise, it can't generate a HEX file correctly.
- When starting the KAMCS.exe, you are first required to use your KBDMania account to login. (The login window is in Korean...)
- Assign one of the keys except the Esc as Fn, in my case it's my right alt. please also keep in mind that once the key is assigned as Fn, the original function of that key will never work again.
4. Once the new key map file (a .HEX file) successfully uploaded to your KMAC winkeyless, you can use your new Fn key + Esc to turn on/off the LEDs installed on your board, and you will surprisingly find that LEDs in different areas, i.e. ASDW LEDs is viewed in one area, can be controlled separately. Congratulations ;D
Please let me know if you have any questions regarding to the above, I would be happy to be helpful. ^^
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Thanks for the help ZcHuer took SmallFry and I a while to figure all this out before you posted this.
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Haha~~I was working on this till 1am last night. ;p
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Haha~~I was working on this till 1am last night. ;p
Well glad that you got it figured out I forgot how long it took SmallFry and I but is was over a weekend.
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Yeah, twas a pain in the arse.
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Yeah, twas a pain in the arse.
Sorries
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Yeah, twas a pain in the arse.
Sorries
Lol! No worries! I had fun!
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I found last night that the FN key is the DFU key on the KPAD. I'll have to upload the KMAC manual that I translated, it lost all the formatting but is completely usable and quite helpful if used side by side with the Korean manual. *makes mental note to upload English KMAC Manual*
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That should be realy great ;D
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It is just Google Translated, however, it gets the point across well enough. You just need to use them side by side.
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For you guys that already built this, are there resistors in the matrix for the LEDs, or the fact that they're in series provide the correct resistance for the circuit?
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Here is the translated manual that I did in Google Translate...not the best, but helpful if used side by side with the KBDMania manual. It most importantly to me told me the DFU keys for the KMAC's is the Caps Lock key and for the KPAD, it is the Fn key. Also included is the syntax for macros on the KMAC's which is pretty handy.
Here...be kind to my Dropbox. (http://db.tt/CXWOkPIt)
I'll upload it to a better place later unless somebody will do it for me, not quite sure how the attachments in front are hosted.
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****, I don't have a kbdmania account. Is that the one that you need a korean phone number for, or am i thinking of otd?
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no ph # needed, but there is a spot for one
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New KMAC Keymap Program: http://go9.co/fqx
New KMAC Korean Manual: http://go9.co/fqs
New KMAC video: Not a valid vimeo URL
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What's new in it? Just support for the new KMACs? (Haven't looked at the files yet)
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yea want to know as well and can i import my xml files into to edit?
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Is there a password?
Hmmm, why does it log you in to to kbdmania? Has anyone checked if this application is doing nefarious stuff?
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The program requires you to have KBDMania account to log into the program. I haven't had any problems over here making the HEX files etc. Profosist, how is your layout working?
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The program requires you to have KBDMania account to log into the program. I haven't had any problems over here making the HEX files etc. Profosist, how is your layout working?
great now that i fixed a few things after testing my account is working fine as well.
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Awesome now I can turn off the freaking led's at work... Nice Job
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You could always do that. Though, glad you found it. You can also change the brightness.
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You could always do that. Though, glad you found it. You can also change the brightness.
brigness control doesnt seem to work on my board, or maybe my leds are just too bright in the first place...
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Which LEDs did you pick, and do you have the specs for them? I just ordered some white, red, and purple, not sure how it's going to turn out.
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I order 14000mcd green kingbright's http://tinyurl.com/bbdpham
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I picked up a KPAD and was wondering what its all capable of doing since i already have a numpad on my KMAC and want to put it on the left side of my keyboard. Also dones it have different led modes or just on/off? Also the links for the new software seem to be dead i cant get to them...
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The links for the new software are dead could anyone that already downloaded them please send them to me?
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YGPM
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YGPM
Thanks a bunch was much harder to program anything but the KMAC with the old version
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anyone know why the KMAC software is limited to 12 macros?
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That's the way they wrote it.
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That's the way they wrote it.
:( I cant macro all the keys on my KPAD
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Thanks for this thread and all the contributions.
I've been able to program my Kmini after playing around with the manual and software. I'm really happy!
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Thanks for this thread and all the contributions.
I've been able to program my Kmini after playing around with the manual and software. I'm really happy!
How do you like it?
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Thanks for this thread and all the contributions.
I've been able to program my Kmini after playing around with the manual and software. I'm really happy!
How do you like it?
I really enjoy it. Those MX Brown switches feel smooth as butter.
Also being able to program the layout you need is just fantastic.
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Thanks for this thread and all the contributions.
I've been able to program my Kmini after playing around with the manual and software. I'm really happy!
How do you like it?
I really enjoy it. Those MX Brown switches feel smooth as butter.
Also being able to program the layout you need is just fantastic.
agreed i just wish they had a few more things in the software
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Bahh, I want to build something quite badly, either one of these, a phantom or a gh60. Wish I had paid for a protoboard...
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Thanks for this thread and all the contributions.
I've been able to program my Kmini after playing around with the manual and software. I'm really happy!
How do you like it?
I really enjoy it. Those MX Brown switches feel smooth as butter.
Also being able to program the layout you need is just fantastic.
the switches are brown with 55g's. The problem is that I did not have any lube at the time. It would feel even better with lube. I recommend you adding it when you have time!
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Latest KMAC keymap software. This standalone version doesn't require any login. I was going to attach it here but the zip file is too large for GH. So go to the link directly.
http://go9.co/iLJ
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Latest KMAC keymap software. This standalone version doesn't require any login. I was going to attach it here but the zip file is too large for GH. So go to the link directly.
http://go9.co/iLJ
I've also uploaded the keymap software to my dropbox.
That might be a little bit faster than the direct link. :)
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/2386102/keyboard/kmac/standalone_20130217.zip
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Oh god finally found this thread. Got my KMAC reprogrammed finally! That PDF was money even though I couldn't read it. It had pictures and English for the buttons you press.
Caps->Control
LControl -> Windows
Scroll Lock -> LED toggle.
Woo hoo!
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Latest KMAC keymap software. This standalone version doesn't require any login. I was going to attach it here but the zip file is too large for GH. So go to the link directly.
http://go9.co/iLJ
I've also uploaded the keymap software to my dropbox.
That might be a little bit faster than the direct link. :)
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/2386102/keyboard/kmac/standalone_20130217.zip
I think the following video will be helpful to understand how to change KMAC keymap and apply the modified keymap file to KMAC.
- Not a valid vimeo URL- KMAC manual : http://go9.co/fqs
I'm afraid the manual is Korean version other than English one but i think the pics in the manual will also give you some tips.
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Have someone tried this on windows 8.1? or even windows 8?
I cant get the flip running , I can click on it but nothing happened
thus I cant make any changes
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Have someone tried this on windows 8.1? or even windows 8?
I cant get the flip running , I can click on it but nothing happened
thus I cant make any changes
Does Flip start up and not connect to the KMAC or does Flip just not run at all?
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Have someone tried this on windows 8.1? or even windows 8?
I cant get the flip running , I can click on it but nothing happened
thus I cant make any changes
Does Flip start up and not connect to the KMAC or does Flip just not run at all?
It does not run at all, i made some changes on the key and as ive seen in the video ive to run flip in the end
But when I press the flip button, nothing happened (no flip window appear)
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Start it manually.
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Start it manually.
How do I start it manually?
I see no flip application included in the downloaded file
:(
Edit: Nvm found it :P
problem is, currently I'm at the stage when you chose the 'usb' icon on flip, and according to the video I have to choose the option 'usb (ctrl+u)'
I've selected ATmega32u4 as my device
but when I chose the option 'usb (ctrol+u)' I got an error of atilibusbdfu.dll not found
any idea?
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Does anyone know whether I can use 0805 SMD diodes with KMAC?
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My KMAC came with diodes already installed.
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Got a KMAC 2 PCB here. Got it all soldered together, went to plug it in. Windows says the USB device is not recognised, but then it says it successfully installed the drivers. Caps LED on the KMAC comes on. Then I saved the hex file, etc. using the KMAC program. I then unplugged it and plugged it back in while holding caps to put it in programming mode, but this time I get no messages from windows and it doesn't show up as a device in device manager like it should. I'm unable to load the hex file using flip, as it cannot find a USB device. Worth noting that I have cut up this PCB quite a lot and I've connected it through USB using the pinouts not the USB connector. I wouldn't be too surprised if it's broken, but I'm hoping there's a fix to this.
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Install the ATmega DFU drivers from the Flip install. Find my old thread
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I received an assembled WKL KMAC a while back and noticed some troubles with KRO, but really procrastinated in figuring out the issue because I didn't have any Allen wrenches to open it up. (I only just received a set of them today, and it looks like 5/64" works.) I have the "KMAC WOW 1.3" PCB version.
Basically, the issue is that I'm not properly getting more than 2KRO. More specifically, I'm getting this one particular strange issue with alpha keys where if I hold down 2 characters on different rows but on the same "column", then hit a different character on one of those same rows, an extra keypress of the related-column-key of the row not typed is registered. (This is probably confusing, but read on.) It's a little problematic due to my typing style/speed.
For example, if I'm typing the word "just" really fast, there's a chance I'm registering both "J" and "U" simultaneously while I'm hitting the "S", the "W" comes in and I get "juwst". Or if I'm really on a roll on typing fast, then as I'm hitting "T", the "G" can come in quickly too and I can get "juwstg". (This is hard to screencap on keytest applications since I have to hit the PrtSc key while typing, but on a QWERTY layout you can see the relation between "W"/"G" and "S"/"T" respectively.) Additionally, modifiers can get really weird - like RAlt being registered when hitting spacebar, or Ctrl+Right Arrow combo not registering, and so on.
That said, the LED keys - WASD, F1-F12, Esc, Caps Lock, etc. - did seem to be fine and get 6KRO when isolated from any other problem key.
Because it was a KRO issue, I thought whoever built this might have just not soldered on any diodes, but I found some interesting things going on when I finally opened it today. It first looked to me like there was both SMD and through-hole diodes soldered on, ...
(http://i.imgur.com/Tneuctl.jpg)
... But it seems as though what's in each switch is a jumper wire. My Google-fu is a little weak in finding out reasoning behind a choice like this; if I was building this from scratch jumper wires wouldn't even cross my mind and I'd just do either SMD or in-switch/through-hole diodes (and not both).
(http://i.imgur.com/ZfjKyn4.jpg)
Before I get my hands messy with anything, I'm just wondering if there's any manual-soldering solution to this, or if it's just some kind of debouncing problem that can be solved through firmware adjustments. Anyone have any thoughts?
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LOL, that looks like a bad build. The jumper in the switch effectively by pass the diode. 2KRO is what you get then. To fix it, you would need to remove all the switches, open up all the switches, remove the jumper inside each switch, and solder the switches back on to the PCB again.
Someone f**ked up.
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Nice.. :| Thanks for the heads up though.