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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: Mattr567 on Mon, 16 November 2015, 16:54:07

Title: Backlight Green Alps in V60 MTS PCB?
Post by: Mattr567 on Mon, 16 November 2015, 16:54:07
I was wondering if it was possible to have backlight Alps in the V60 MTS.

Alternatively, is it possible to have a Duck Eagle PCB in a V60 case? I know for a fact that backlight Alps does work in the Eagle.

Title: Re: Backlight Green Alps in V60 MTS PCB?
Post by: ctm on Thu, 19 November 2015, 20:56:25
V60 PCB does have holes for LED, but I am not sure how to put a LED there because it's blocked by the switch and no ALPS switch has LED holes like Cheery AFAIK. Here is how the PCB looks. I just learnt that some linear ALPS do have holes for LED. Then I would say it's likely that V60 PCB will work. I will test the PCB later to see if the firmware supports LED.
Title: Re: Backlight Green Alps in V60 MTS PCB?
Post by: jbondeson on Thu, 19 November 2015, 21:05:01
Looking at my yellow alp with an LED it looks like the PCB is setup correctly. No idea if the controller is programmed properly though.

You do need to make sure you get appropriate LEDs that fit in the alps housing.
Title: Re: Backlight Green Alps in V60 MTS PCB?
Post by: njbair on Thu, 19 November 2015, 21:05:57
I've wondered the same thing. The Matias switch housings are clear so light can shine through, but there's no space underneath to mount an LED as far as I can tell.
Title: Re: Backlight Green Alps in V60 MTS PCB?
Post by: jbondeson on Thu, 19 November 2015, 21:07:53

I've wondered the same thing. The Matias switch housings are clear so light can shine through, but there's no space underneath to mount an LED as far as I can tell.

Tactile and clicky alps can't use LEDs because the LED is where the tactile leaf is. I believe that linear Matias shells I believe have the LED hole.
Title: Re: Backlight Green Alps in V60 MTS PCB?
Post by: njbair on Thu, 19 November 2015, 21:12:28
No, Matias boards apparently use an LED underneath the switch. They used to use a linear switch under Caps and Numlock so they could stick the LED through there, but people were returning the boards because they thought that switch was defective since it didn't click. So that's why when they made their own switches they made them clear.

Source: https://m.reddit.com/r/MechanicalKeyboards/comments/1wknkm/i_am_edgar_matias_designer_of_matias_keyboards/cf2vuwk
Title: Re: Backlight Green Alps in V60 MTS PCB?
Post by: ctm on Thu, 19 November 2015, 21:16:54
No, Matias boards apparently use an LED underneath the switch. They used to use a linear switch under Caps and Numlock so they could stick the LED through there, but people were returning the boards because they thought that switch was defective since it didn't click. So that's why when they made their own switches they made them clear.

Source: https://m.reddit.com/r/MechanicalKeyboards/comments/1wknkm/i_am_edgar_matias_designer_of_matias_keyboards/cf2vuwk
How does LED under switch work? Even SMD LED has some height, right? I think it will interfere with the housing of the switch.
Title: Re: Backlight Green Alps in V60 MTS PCB?
Post by: njbair on Thu, 19 November 2015, 21:18:09
No, Matias boards apparently use an LED underneath the switch. They used to use a linear switch under Caps and Numlock so they could stick the LED through there, but people were returning the boards because they thought that switch was defective since it didn't click. So that's why when they made their own switches they made them clear.

Source: https://m.reddit.com/r/MechanicalKeyboards/comments/1wknkm/i_am_edgar_matias_designer_of_matias_keyboards/cf2vuwk
How does LED under switch work? Even SMD LED has some height, right? I think it will interfere with the housing of the switch.
That's what I'm saying, I don't know how it works. But there it is, right out of the mouth of Mr. Matias.
Title: Re: Backlight Green Alps in V60 MTS PCB?
Post by: ctm on Thu, 19 November 2015, 21:24:49
No, Matias boards apparently use an LED underneath the switch. They used to use a linear switch under Caps and Numlock so they could stick the LED through there, but people were returning the boards because they thought that switch was defective since it didn't click. So that's why when they made their own switches they made them clear.

Source: https://m.reddit.com/r/MechanicalKeyboards/comments/1wknkm/i_am_edgar_matias_designer_of_matias_keyboards/cf2vuwk
How does LED under switch work? Even SMD LED has some height, right? I think it will interfere with the housing of the switch.
That's what I'm saying, I don't know how it works. But there it is, right out of the mouth of Mr. Matias.
If it's a Cheery compatible ALPS PCB, I think this method can be used http://duck0113.tistory.com/35, but I don't think this works on V60 PCB unless you drill holes under each switch on the PCB.
Title: Re: Backlight Green Alps in V60 MTS PCB?
Post by: njbair on Thu, 19 November 2015, 21:29:42
No, Matias boards apparently use an LED underneath the switch. They used to use a linear switch under Caps and Numlock so they could stick the LED through there, but people were returning the boards because they thought that switch was defective since it didn't click. So that's why when they made their own switches they made them clear.

Source: https://m.reddit.com/r/MechanicalKeyboards/comments/1wknkm/i_am_edgar_matias_designer_of_matias_keyboards/cf2vuwk
How does LED under switch work? Even SMD LED has some height, right? I think it will interfere with the housing of the switch.
That's what I'm saying, I don't know how it works. But there it is, right out of the mouth of Mr. Matias.
If it's a Cheery compatible ALPS PCB, I think this method can be used http://duck0113.tistory.com/35, but I don't think this works on V60 PCB unless you drill holes under each switch on the PCB.
This makes sense. I'd have to think the Matias boards are using a drilled out hole of some kind.

Man, that's the first time I've lusted after a Duck board. I want that thing!
Title: Re: Backlight Green Alps in V60 MTS PCB?
Post by: ctm on Thu, 19 November 2015, 21:40:38
Alternatively, is it possible to have a Duck Eagle PCB in a V60 case?
I think the PCB will be fine, but the problem is the plate. V60 case is quite different from Poker cases. It has 4 screws that are screwed in from the back of the case into the plate. So if you put a Poker style PCB+plate into V60 case, there will be no place to secure the screws. You can either try modding V60 case, or use V60 stock plate and Duck PCB together, if you really want Duck PCB in V60 case.
Title: Backlight Green Alps in V60 MTS PCB?
Post by: jbondeson on Thu, 19 November 2015, 23:06:17
No, Matias boards apparently use an LED underneath the switch. They used to use a linear switch under Caps and Numlock so they could stick the LED through there, but people were returning the boards because they thought that switch was defective since it didn't click. So that's why when they made their own switches they made them clear.

Source: https://m.reddit.com/r/MechanicalKeyboards/comments/1wknkm/i_am_edgar_matias_designer_of_matias_keyboards/cf2vuwk

You are right I was thinking of the Matias Tactile Pro keyboard that had linear's with LEDs on lock switches which was designed before the new clear housings.

I had assumed he left LED holes in for the new linear's since they have room.

On the subject of the V60, the LED holes do look like they are in the correct position for non-Matias in-housing LEDs.
Title: Re: Backlight Green Alps in V60 MTS PCB?
Post by: ctm on Sat, 21 November 2015, 11:33:25
I tried measuring voltage on the PCB, but did not get anything (might be I wasn't measuring the right spots). I also asked KBP and they said V60 Matias and V60 Cherry run the same firmware, so I think it's very likely that backlit will work on V60.