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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: bkgrnd on Tue, 27 August 2024, 21:28:16

Title: What am i doing wrong?
Post by: bkgrnd on Tue, 27 August 2024, 21:28:16

i just started handwiring a 40% keyboard, got the rows and columns wired with some solid copper wire, and now i connected the rows and columns with some wires to a pi pico,
using GPIO pins 0, 1, 2, 3 for rows and 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 for columns
im using a 3rd party tool called POG (https://github.com/JanLunge/pog) , made by jan lunge for my firmware. everything went smooth until the part where i had to define my keymap. none of the columns worked apart from the last 12th column but it returned giant numbers like 012312638317364793 and stuff like that. im very new to handwiring, so sorry if the issue is very easy to find.

thanks in advance

-bkgrnd

Title: Re: What am i doing wrong?
Post by: bkgrnd on Tue, 27 August 2024, 21:30:49

i forgot to add, the wires are soldered to where the switch pins contact the rows and columns, and im VERYYYY certain thats one of the issues, but its 5am and im very sleep deprived so i cant be bothered to do this again for today.....

Title: Re: What am i doing wrong?
Post by: zegonix on Wed, 28 August 2024, 05:22:25

first i would check for shorts, then that all the diodes face the correct direction and rows and cols are connected to the correct pins.
(stating the obvious, experience shows, that not everyone checks those before searching for help.)

Title: Re: What am i doing wrong?
Post by: bkgrnd on Wed, 28 August 2024, 05:58:13

i did check for shorts using a multimeter before starting to wire the rows and columns to the controller, and im not using diodes since i want to see how bad the side-effects of no diodes are  ^-^
there arent any shorts/bridged pins on my pico and everything seems to check out. later today ill solder the wires for the microcontroller in the middle of the copper wires since when i was testing the first few columns thats how i had them wired.

cheers

Title: Re: What am i doing wrong?
Post by: zegonix on Wed, 28 August 2024, 06:57:58

as long as you don't activate more than one switch at a time it would work without diodes i guess.. still, don't. also when checking connectivity with a multmeter, measure the resistance and don't use the beeper function. the beeper activates for resistance below a certain value (usually 50 ohm i think), but 80 ohms little enough to still activate a mcu input, as the resistance of input circuits are usually very high. if have got just wires than the beeper is probably good enough, but when using a dev kit you won't know unless you check the schematic.

Title: Re: What am i doing wrong?
Post by: bkgrnd on Wed, 28 August 2024, 09:35:53

im going to desolder the wires and solder them in the middle of each row and column. wish me luck lel

Title: Re: What am i doing wrong?
Post by: bkgrnd on Wed, 28 August 2024, 10:57:46

after soldering the wires to the middle,  almost all of the keys work, im sure ive bridged something but ill fix this later since i havent slept :\

Title: Re: What am i doing wrong?
Post by: bkgrnd on Wed, 28 August 2024, 18:05:28

ITS ALIVEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
*ahem* the keyboard works now, i just have to fix up the case since my microusb cable doesnt EXACTLY fit, but other than that its done.

Title: Re: What am i doing wrong?
Post by: wjrii on Wed, 28 August 2024, 22:26:07

Any ideas what the true issue was?  Also, now we need pics of the working board!  :)

Title: Re: What am i doing wrong?
Post by: bkgrnd on Thu, 29 August 2024, 18:32:41

Its alive my people.
Problem was that i hadnt soldered the rows properly to the controller.
I really love this thing, im still learning how to git gut at typing on it but its beautiful.
only problem is my skill issue at typing on ortho boards lul
ALMOST FORGOT, HERES THE FINISHED KEEB

Title: Re: What am i doing wrong?
Post by: wjrii on Thu, 29 August 2024, 18:39:48

Quote from: bkgrnd on Thu, 29 August 2024, 18:32:41

Its alive my people.
Problem was that i hadnt soldered the rows properly to the controller.
I really love this thing, im still learning how to git gut at typing on it but its beautiful.
only problem is my skill issue at typing on ortho boards lul
ALMOST FORGOT, HERES THE FINISHED KEEB

Show Image (http:// (Attachment Link) )

Awesome.  My first hand-wire was an "MIT" Planck with an extra column.  Ortholinear didn't quite capture my imagination, but it was a super fun build, and it's so satisfying when this "thing" you make yourself works just as well as store-bought electronics.

Title: Re: What am i doing wrong?
Post by: bkgrnd on Fri, 07 February 2025, 12:58:52

Round 2..
I recently (2 weeks after building it) spilled some water on it, and the controller doesnt work anymore + i got some diodes
Its time to revive my boy and make him better than before + give him a new case and keycaps