geekhack
geekhack Projects => Making Stuff Together! => Topic started by: trenzafeeds on Sun, 19 July 2015, 21:06:00
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Hey everyone, it's my first time building and I haven't a clue what I'm doing. I'm looking to build from a Winkeyless PCB, and I'm just wondering if there's any super easy guide that will walk me through everything, including what I need to buy.
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Exciting thing your first build :)
For a working keyboard you all you need is:
PCB with controller - the controller part are small, fiddly SMD so not good for beginners to hand solder, so go with the soldered option.
Diodes - 1n4418 are the hand solderable ones so get them. The pcb has this symbol for them, -|>|- the black bar on the diode goes this side of it.
Switches - you need some :))
Stabilisers - Winkeyless are 7 long, Winkey are 6.25. Most modern boards/keysets use 6.25, if you have one you're going to use measure it against the letter keys and you'll know which you want.
Case - optional, but probably a good idea...
If you're not sure which holes to put the switches in put keycaps on them and put them in the PCB, then you'll know. Most are obvious.
If you want LEDs there are two options.
The in switch LEDs (backlighting) are hand solderable, smaller than switches and diodes but you should be fine with thin solder. Again, they have to go in the right way but you can't tell which for sure until you have them in your hand to look at. Google "LED polarity" and check against the pics you find which is + then match the PCB.
The resistors are SMD though, so get them soldered.
The RGB LEDs go under the PCB to create the glow, looking at the B.87R they look to be hand solderable but they will be even harder than the in switch ones, so depending on your experience you might want to get them soldered.
Hope that helps :)
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Exciting thing your first build :)
For a working keyboard you all you need is:
PCB with controller - the controller part are small, fiddly SMD so not good for beginners to hand solder, so go with the soldered option.
Diodes - 1n4418 are the hand solderable ones so get them. The pcb has this symbol for them, -|>|- the black bar on the diode goes this side of it.
Switches - you need some :))
Stabilisers - Winkeyless are 7 long, Winkey are 6.25. Most modern boards/keysets use 6.25, if you have one you're going to use measure it against the letter keys and you'll know which you want.
Case - optional, but probably a good idea...
If you're not sure which holes to put the switches in put keycaps on them and put them in the PCB, then you'll know. Most are obvious.
If you want LEDs there are two options.
The in switch LEDs (backlighting) are hand solderable, smaller than switches and diodes but you should be fine with thin solder. Again, they have to go in the right way but you can't tell which for sure until you have them in your hand to look at. Google "LED polarity" and check against the pics you find which is + then match the PCB.
The resistors are SMD though, so get them soldered.
The RGB LEDs go under the PCB to create the glow, looking at the B.87R they look to be hand solderable but they will be even harder than the in switch ones, so depending on your experience you might want to get them soldered.
Hope that helps :)
Awesome! This will a help a lot during the buying stage, which I'm trying to do atm because WK is having a sale. Thanks a lot!
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WhiteFireDragon has a great video up on YouTube going over a build. It is super helpful to understand a build process. Some stuff is Phantom specific, but for the most part you can apply the process to any build.
You can find it here --> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdLAdci6p-w (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdLAdci6p-w)
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Diodes - 1n4418 are the hand solderable ones so get them. The pcb has this symbol for them, -|>|- the black bar on the diode goes this side of it.
Also, did you mean 1n4148?
And just to clarify: I don't need resistors?
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Diodes - 1n4418 are the hand solderable ones so get them. The pcb has this symbol for them, -|>|- the black bar on the diode goes this side of it.
Also, did you mean 1n4148?
And just to clarify: I don't need resistors?
Yes, 1n4148, he just mistyped it. And you only need resistors if you are going to use LEDs. Their purpose is to limit the electric current allowed to flow through the LEDs so they don't burn.