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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: JoeUser on Thu, 31 December 2015, 22:12:13

Title: Are Kailh RGB switches interchangeable with MX Cherry RGB switches?
Post by: JoeUser on Thu, 31 December 2015, 22:12:13

I want to replace some of my Kailh RGB switches on my Thermaltake Poseidon RGB keyboard with some MX Cherry RGB switches...are they backwards compatible at all? That's all, thanks!

Title: Re: Are Kailh RGB switches interchangeable with MX Cherry RGB switches?
Post by: Blaise170 on Fri, 01 January 2016, 00:17:36

The switch leads are the same but the LEDs are different. You'll have to use the Kailh RGB LEDs in order to use Cherry MX switches.

Title: Re: Are Kailh RGB switches interchangeable with MX Cherry RGB switches?
Post by: falkentyne on Fri, 01 January 2016, 00:55:35

Are you sure about that?
These are Surface mounted diode (SMD) LEDs, either 5050 or 3528 LED's.
The switch doesn't activate or wire into the LED's.  The LED's are controlled by the PCB.
Replacing the LED won't do anything.  What matters is if the switch cutout for the SMD LED is in the same position on the Cherry or the Kailh switches or not.

Sometimes the SMD is on the bottom side (which may require reversing the switch) but I don't know anything about that; that's rare.

I do know that some switches that have clear housings for the LED's to shine through but don't have the small rectangular hole for the SMD to have space underneath the switch can still fit right on top of the SMD LED.  People with Vod Ray (ZHUQUE) hot swappable switches who switched the stock switches for Gaterons that didn't have the small hole under the switch were still able to mount them. 

You're best off just trying.

There's some pictures and reviews of SMD (non RGB) LEDs taking different switches.
http://imgur.com/a/itRYM

http://trauring.org/a-keyboard-with-swappable-switches/

While this may not be Kailh or Cherry MX RGBs, since Gaterons are Cherry MX RGB pin compatible, hope this will at least lead you in the right direction.

Good luck!

Title: Re: Are Kailh RGB switches interchangeable with MX Cherry RGB switches?
Post by: Blaise170 on Fri, 01 January 2016, 02:14:04

The Kailh RGB LEDs are four pin non-SMD. You can swap in Cherry switches but the PCB won't have the holes for an SMD LED.

Title: Re: Are Kailh RGB switches interchangeable with MX Cherry RGB switches?
Post by: JoeUser on Fri, 01 January 2016, 13:10:24

So, basically, I'm just **** outta' luck?

Title: Re: Are Kailh RGB switches interchangeable with MX Cherry RGB switches?
Post by: Blaise170 on Fri, 01 January 2016, 15:01:39

Like I said, you can use Cherry switches, you just can't use the Cherry LEDs.

Kailh:

More

(http://www.kailh.com/upfile/image/56.jpg)

Cherry:

More

(http://assets.hardwarezone.com/img/2013/12/Cherry_MXRGBRed_News.jpg)

From the diagrams you can see that Cherry RGB switches do not have an LED cutout, however regular Cherry switches will work with the Kailh LEDs (actually not positive about that).

Title: Re: Are Kailh RGB switches interchangeable with MX Cherry RGB switches?
Post by: ZooMas on Fri, 01 January 2016, 18:55:54

You could switch out your Kailh's to Greetech switches because those use 4 pin RGB LED's as well  :thumb:

EDIT: After what the comment below me said, I looked a bit, and seems like Gateron switches would work as well because they have the 4 holes needed for non-SMD RGB LED's.

Title: Re: Are Kailh RGB switches interchangeable with MX Cherry RGB switches?
Post by: garfi3ld on Fri, 01 January 2016, 20:09:23

Zealio switches support 4 pin RGB LEDS, you could switch to those as well