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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: tjaart on Tue, 03 March 2015, 15:47:20

Title: ergodox right hand disconnects from usb when plugging in TRRS connector
Post by: tjaart on Tue, 03 March 2015, 15:47:20
Hi,

I am a total newbie, forgive me if I break any ettiquete rules.

I have assembled my first Ergodox this week using a PCB purchased from mechanicalkeyboards.com

If I plug in the teensy without the TRRS connector plugged in, the right hand works fine on its own.
However when I try to plug in the TRRS cable on the right hand (the left hand is still unplugged) everything stops working.
The teensy is disconnected from the USB, and does not respond when I hit the reset button.
If I reset/suspend my laptop and plug the teensy back in the right hand works again.

Any ideas what can cause this?
Title: Re: ergodox right hand disconnects from usb when plugging in TRRS connector
Post by: tp4tissue on Tue, 03 March 2015, 17:09:55
if you plug in the left hand first... THEN to the computer.. does it work?

Title: Re: ergodox right hand disconnects from usb when plugging in TRRS connector
Post by: jacobolus on Tue, 03 March 2015, 17:51:25
This is a limitation with the way the hardware/firmware is implemented. You need to plug the halves together first, before you plug them to the computer.
Title: Re: ergodox right hand disconnects from usb when plugging in TRRS connector
Post by: tjaart on Tue, 03 March 2015, 17:56:08
If I connect both together I get the same symptoms: the teensy does not connect to USB, and I cannot reset.
This may point to some fault in the soldering on the left hand?

I do not currently have a multimeter, but I will borrow one and try to find the problem
Title: Re: ergodox right hand disconnects from usb when plugging in TRRS connector
Post by: tjaart on Tue, 03 March 2015, 22:09:42
Ok I have resolved my problem.
To my shame, I was using a TRS cable instead of a TRRS cable.

I realized my mistake while reading throught the discussions on the massdrop website.
Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be an easy way to link the thread I was reading, but thanks to silverthornne for posting the picture, and to boingolover for pointing out the error.

The top connector in the link is TRRS, the bottom is TRS.

https://d3jqoivu6qpygv.cloudfront.net/img_comment/ESBS5V_20141216_062224_VHCCT.png (https://d3jqoivu6qpygv.cloudfront.net/img_comment/ESBS5V_20141216_062224_VHCCT.png)