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geekhack Projects => Making Stuff Together! => Topic started by: bcredbottle on Mon, 06 July 2015, 14:31:16

Title: How the heck do I open this thing?
Post by: bcredbottle on Mon, 06 July 2015, 14:31:16
I bought an Alps KPX-17 keypad. However, it requires a floppy drive and a parallel port. Instead of buying an adaptor and floppy drive, I was thinking of just hard wiring the thing. The only problem is I can't get it open. As you can see, the screws are partially hidden underneath the edge of the case, and so can't be reached by a screwdriver.

(http://i.imgur.com/c3ioCiP.jpg?1)

Here's an angled show actually showing them:

(http://i.imgur.com/lwxYZng.jpg)


And there are no screws on the outside. Just this  square hole:

(http://i.imgur.com/BSLIp3X.jpg)


The case seems to be held together by adhesive.

So, how the heck do I open this thing?
Title: Re: How the heck do I open this thing?
Post by: CPTBadAss on Mon, 06 July 2015, 14:35:03
Did you check underneath those rubber feet and the sticker for screwheads?
Title: Re: How the heck do I open this thing?
Post by: nubbinator on Mon, 06 July 2015, 14:35:27
It looks like there are clips on the side holding the top part on and you have to pop them to remove the top to get to the screws.  It's hard to tell with the pictures though.  There may also be screws under the rubber feet.
Title: .
Post by: esoomenona on Mon, 06 July 2015, 14:36:09
.
Title: Re: How the heck do I open this thing?
Post by: bcredbottle on Mon, 06 July 2015, 14:37:32
It looks like there are clips on the side holding the top part on and you have to pop them to remove the top to get to the screws.  It's hard to tell with the pictures though.  There may also be screws under the rubber feet.

Clips? Which picture do you see them in?
Title: Re: How the heck do I open this thing?
Post by: CPTBadAss on Mon, 06 July 2015, 14:39:10
Third picture that square hole looks to be a tab you can try to push against to pop the top off.
Title: Re: How the heck do I open this thing?
Post by: nubbinator on Mon, 06 July 2015, 14:39:30
Isn't that an indent with a clip toward the backside of the case in the second pic?
Title: .
Post by: esoomenona on Mon, 06 July 2015, 14:41:49
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Title: Re: How the heck do I open this thing?
Post by: nubbinator on Mon, 06 July 2015, 14:50:54
Isn't that an indent with a clip toward the backside of the case in the second pic?

I think that might just be a reflection of the switch you're seeing.

Apparently I can't count.  I meant the third picture. 
Title: Re: How the heck do I open this thing?
Post by: bcredbottle on Mon, 06 July 2015, 16:34:10
Hot dog! You guys were right! The screw heads were right underneath the rubber feet.

Shots of the interior:

I thought that was a piece of wood b/w the PCB and the plate.

(http://i.imgur.com/q8wLpvf.jpg)

But then I saw this:
(http://i.imgur.com/1VljgfE.jpg)

And now I don't know what to think.
Title: .
Post by: esoomenona on Mon, 06 July 2015, 20:54:37
.
Title: Re: How the heck do I open this thing?
Post by: bcredbottle on Mon, 06 July 2015, 21:40:30
Wooden PCB. 2vintage4me

But seriously is that thing really wood or am I crazy?
Title: Re: How the heck do I open this thing?
Post by: Hak Foo on Mon, 06 July 2015, 23:41:09
Probably just ugly PCB material.

That unit looks very similar to the old ALPS-switch Genovation numpads.  You can always remove the PCB, hard-wire the switches, and run it to a Teensy or clone, as I did.
Title: Re: How the heck do I open this thing?
Post by: bcredbottle on Tue, 07 July 2015, 05:42:23
Probably just ugly PCB material.

That unit looks very similar to the old ALPS-switch Genovation numpads.  You can always remove the PCB, hard-wire the switches, and run it to a Teensy or clone, as I did.

I think that's the plan. Can I use the same hard wiring kit on Alps as MX? I've never hard wired before