geekhack
geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: SaucyGames05 on Wed, 02 September 2020, 15:14:59
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Okay so I am fairly new to the world of keyboard making and I am getting confused so easily. I want to implement smd leds on my pcb for my next build. I am going to be using a Pro Micro as my controller for the keyboard. I am going to build both a numpad and a 60% which i want to implement smd leds both on. I have no idea where im going with the design of the pcbs. If anybody has any ideas on how i could do this that would be great.
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You're going to need to be a bit more specific about what you're asking for.
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So I wanted to add rgb leds (for backlighting) to my design for my numpad and keyboard. As of now, to save money, I might just hand wire everything for the numpad. Regardless of that I don't know how I would implement rgb leds to the keyboard matrix and how i would have it be controlled and powered by the pro micro (color changing stuff as well). I'm most likely going to use TH rgb leds for the numpad since im most likely going to hand wire them but i know the pinout for both smd and TH are similar. My question is how would I implement the rgb leds in the keyboard matrix for the backlighting with the pro micro?
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There's a bunch about LEDs on the QMK page but basically they daisy chain (serial), each one progressively numbers itself automatically (making it easy to race track) and allows the use of only 1 or two pins on the controller to control them, power also daisy chains. It's surprisingly easy to add them, so long as you aren't trying to build them into the PCB then the traces become difficult, also be sure to use the right ones. Everything's on the QMK documentation page.
As for the tenkey, companies offer premade pcbs just for that for cheap, sorry, I don't have any names offhand, but there's a bunch of them.
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Recently I use sk6812 3535 strips.