[FIXED IT] Copper contractor came off pcb, need some tips

[burn1nsun]

I made a thread yesterday about the same thing, but the Enter key, which I managed to fix because the pok3r pcb has 2 enters, I know I was told to check out another thread, but I want to know strictly and a bit better before I do anything and make anything worse.



But I disovered that my caps lock is messed up as well:

Top:


Back(It looks a lot worse than it is I think, the black and brown stuff should be like a soldering paste type of thing):


Could someone make something in paint demonstrating what should I connect to where? (I know I sound like a dumbass, but I really want very specific info for this )

Thanks in advance!

[suicidal_orange]

Wow, what a mess of components - couldn't you have broken a letter key so it was obvious what's going on? )

Please can you take a pic of a bigger area as I'm not sure if SDx means switch diode (as in keyswitch) or the Dx are for switches and SDx are for the dipswitches.  Although if one of those dipswitches swaps what caps lock does maybe it's connected...

Don't worry it's fixable, but I have to go to work now so will be back if no-one else has fixed it by tonight

[burn1nsun]

Wow, what a mess of components - couldn't you have broken a letter key so it was obvious what's going on? )

Please can you take a pic of a bigger area as I'm not sure if SDx means switch diode (as in keyswitch) or the Dx are for switches and SDx are for the dipswitches.  Although if one of those dipswitches swaps what caps lock does maybe it's connected...

Don't worry it's fixable, but I have to go to work now so will be back if no-one else has fixed it by tonight

Right now Im not home, but I got these 2 pictures on my phone, maybe they will help http://m.imgur.com/a/NUp2t

Also maybe google has pcb pictures, Im on my mobile and a hurry rn, so I cant check rn :[

[burn1nsun]

Wow, what a mess of components - couldn't you have broken a letter key so it was obvious what's going on? )

Please can you take a pic of a bigger area as I'm not sure if SDx means switch diode (as in keyswitch) or the Dx are for switches and SDx are for the dipswitches.  Although if one of those dipswitches swaps what caps lock does maybe it's connected...

Don't worry it's fixable, but I have to go to work now so will be back if no-one else has fixed it by tonight

Alright, where do you like want pictures? I think I can only get them from the bottom, because I would need to desolder switches to get them on top

[neverused]

Can you clean the flux off with isopropyl alcohol so that we cash see the pcb better?

[burn1nsun]

I cleaned it and got a bunch of pictures: http://imgur.com/a/whGva

[KHAANNN]

Here is what I would do:

Trace the thin path that leads to the contractor, it's very thin

Slowly remove the coating above the thin wire, but not the surrounding wire's, just that wire

Get thin cables from a DC motor, any thin wire could work (Optional: dip that wire into solder flux, apply a small amount on the exposed wire, very small)

Heat a soldering iron, get a small amount of solder on it

Get the wire and the exposed area soldered together with some micro movements

Insert the switch, solder the wire to the switch

So it's doable, but you need precise movements

[hasu]

I'm curious about your tools, what soldering iron and paste are you using?

I think proper tools helps you.

[neverused]

The hole on the left circled in green goes to the diode to the right of it.  The hole on the right is probably connected on the back side to other switches in the column.  Use a multimeter to find which it is connected to and solder to the corresponding spot.  Someone with this same pcb could trace out that column for you.

[suicidal_orange]

I've looked and looked at these pics but got nowhere, I also found this closeup of the area on keychatter and it suggests that neverused was incorrect - the end of the diode suggested appears to be connected to dipswitch 4 rather than the switch pin (I was trying to work out the other pin as I agreed with him!) and neither pin is connected to anything on this side of the PCB.



Reading the manual it seems that the caps lock key needs to be connected to switches 3 and 4 in the block so unlike a standard matrix I don't think it's going to be as simple as connecting the switch to the keys near it, at least if you want to keep those switches working.

I think you need the help of someone with a working pok3r and a multimeter to work this out and I would change the thread title to try and lure someone willing and able in.

[tp4tissue]

你那个锉刀，把边上的包皮磨掉。 看到铜就可以焊 

[neverused]

I've looked and looked at these pics but got nowhere, I also found this closeup of the area on keychatter and it suggests that neverused was incorrect - the end of the diode suggested appears to be connected to dipswitch 4 rather than the switch pin (I was trying to work out the other pin as I agreed with him!) and neither pin is connected to anything on this side of the PCB.

Show Image

Reading the manual it seems that the caps lock key needs to be connected to switches 3 and 4 in the block so unlike a standard matrix I don't think it's going to be as simple as connecting the switch to the keys near it, at least if you want to keep those switches working.

I think you need the help of someone with a working pok3r and a multimeter to work this out and I would change the thread title to try and lure someone willing and able in.

He's right. I referenced other switches in the picture, but I think getting someone else with the same pcb to trace it out is the only way to go.

Also, I can never stress enough to learn proper solder/desolder techniques. Watch the eevblog videos, get an old simple piece of electronics and practice removing and replacing the components, and take time to learn.

[burn1nsun]

Alright, thanks guys, Ill see what I can do soon

[burn1nsun]

Also does anybody have a pok3r willing to try this out?

[suicidal_orange]

Also does anybody have a pok3r willing to try this out?

The chances of anyone who bought a 60% rather than building one reading a thread with this title are slim, but if you modify your first post and change the title to something like "Pok3r and multimeter owner needed" you might get lucky

[burn1nsun]

Also does anybody have a pok3r willing to try this out?

The chances of anyone who bought a 60% rather than building one reading a thread with this title are slim, but if you modify your first post and change the title to something like "Pok3r and multimeter owner needed" you might get lucky

Done

[burn1nsun]

I think I need to take it to someone who does soldering professionally so he could connect the very small wires with eachother, because I don't have the correct tools to do it probably

[suicidal_orange]

The actual repair won't be that hard, you'll either be soldering a couple of wires between the switch pin and the end of a diode or one of the pads the black dipswitch block is soldered into.

The hard part is knowing what should be connected to what, and for that you need a helpful pok3r owner

[burn1nsun]

I think I can check that via wires or some metal pole, I actually tried doing that before, but I failed due to having dip switch 3 on I think, right now I can't check it sadly

[KHAANNN]

I think I can check that via wires or some metal pole, I actually tried doing that before, but I failed due to having dip switch 3 on I think, right now I can't check it sadly :(

Why everyone is suggesting you need a pok3r owner is because you currently have a disconnected keyboard

To easily connect it, you need a reference pok3r, so you can check that pok3r, and find exposed connections that you can solder/bypass the switch to

One of these exposed connections is the nearby diode, if you are lucky, the other one will be a nearby switch connection, if you're not lucky, it will be a terminal of the microcontroller

You can take your time, inspect the PCB, grasp how it all works (it's actually quite simple once you understand the basic logic http://pcbheaven.com/wikipages/How_Key_Matrices_Works/)

Or you can find someone to do this for you, it should be simple

So if you're resourceful in real life, just find someone to do this for you, it will be easier, I'm not very resourceful in real life, I hate looking for people to do my work for me, so I would end up doing it myself

Another challenge is the keyboard case and the wiring, if wires go through where the case presses the PCB, your PCB won't stay even

Anyway, you got more than enough facts and suggestions, this will be all from me :)

[burn1nsun]

Alright, thanks, also I think the wires won't be a proble, because there is a gap between the case and pcb

[Oobly]

Show Image

The hole on the left circled in green goes to the diode to the right of it.  The hole on the right is probably connected on the back side to other switches in the column.  Use a multimeter to find which it is connected to and solder to the corresponding spot.  Someone with this same pcb could trace out that column for you.

No, it doesn't. The traces for both pins are on the opposite side of the board. The pin he mentioned actually connects to D17, the other diode in the picture. You can see the pulled up trace on the top of the board goes to the little via by that diode. The other pin has a trace which goes downwards, but I can't see under the plate in the pic to see exactly where it goes to. It may be best to scrape the actual trace there and try to solder a wire onto that which is long enough to reach to the switch pin on the other side of the board, but it's a small area to solder to and may prove difficult. Also, the switch will only be held in place by the plate once installed, so that could be an issue when changing keycaps.

Not to be too critical, but in essence the OP has pretty much ruined the board due to (very) poor desoldering technique.

A few tips about soldering:
1. heat the metal contacts with the iron, then add the solder to the joint and iron, then remove the iron once you see the solder has flowed where it should and properly "wet" the contacts.
2. don't leave the iron in place for too long, as this can loosen the copper from the board or damage parts.
3. use alcohol to clean off excess flux after soldering / desoldering.
4. use a good solder sucker when desoldering plated through-hole contacts on double sided boards.

As an interesting side-note, it looks like the production Pok3r boards DO have full support for LED's, including having the resistors in place, just like the pre-production samples. This is very good news :D

[burn1nsun]

Show Image

The hole on the left circled in green goes to the diode to the right of it.  The hole on the right is probably connected on the back side to other switches in the column.  Use a multimeter to find which it is connected to and solder to the corresponding spot.  Someone with this same pcb could trace out that column for you.

No, it doesn't. The traces for both pins are on the opposite side of the board. The pin he mentioned actually connects to D17, the other diode in the picture. You can see the pulled up trace on the top of the board goes to the little via by that diode. The other pin has a trace which goes downwards, but I can't see under the plate in the pic to see exactly where it goes to. It may be best to scrape the actual trace there and try to solder a wire onto that which is long enough to reach to the switch pin on the other side of the board, but it's a small area to solder to and may prove difficult. Also, the switch will only be held in place by the plate once installed, so that could be an issue when changing keycaps.

Not to be too critical, but in essence the OP has pretty much ruined the board due to (very) poor desoldering technique.

A few tips about soldering:
1. heat the metal contacts with the iron, then add the solder to the joint and iron, then remove the iron once you see the solder has flowed where it should and properly "wet" the contacts.
2. don't leave the iron in place for too long, as this can loosen the copper from the board or damage parts.
3. use alcohol to clean off excess flux after soldering / desoldering.
4. use a good solder sucker when desoldering plated through-hole contacts on double sided boards.

As an interesting side-note, it looks like the production Pok3r boards DO have full support for LED's, including having the resistors in place, just like the pre-production samples. This is very good news :D

Thanks for the info. Actually I didnt solder/desolder that part but I can take the blame haha.

Sorry if this is too needy, but I am cery paranoid about touching the pcb now, if you could demonstrate it via paint,  would be great. (To scrape what trace and where to solder the wire on). I just want to be 100precent sure

[Oobly]

On the top side of the board, there's a trace that leads downwards, under the plate. You need to carefully scrape some of the solder mask off the copper and get some solder on it, then try to solder a wire to it. Then run the wire around the side of the PCB under the plate, so you can get it to the pin on the other side of the board when the switch is installed. Be carefull not to scrape / solder to the ground plane copper area.

1. scrape and add solder to trace
2. solder wire and feed around PCB
3. install switch
4. solder both wires to switch pins
5. solder other wire end to D17

[burn1nsun]

Thank you so much dude,  I don't know when I can start fixing it, but I will definitely update you people on it

[burn1nsun]

Oh my god.
I (Mostly my father) fixed the board, basically there was a trace broken deep under the plate where you couldn't see it at all, I don't know how but somehow we managed to get a 1-pli thick wire stuck to it, so we brought it from the board and since it wasn't isolated, we isolated it with some electric tape, so it would stay stuck too, because its really fragile and connected it to the switch pin, here are some pictures: http://imgur.com/a/KBYED the funny thing is, the wire we used was so thin you can't even see it on the photo haha.
Also the ESC key led is actually the caps lock led, its a double colored led, if you turn it one way it will be blue, the other way red, I put it there because I will use my caps lock as control anyway, so it will never be lit. Sorry for ****ty pictures once again, I'm on a streak of taking bad pictures and I don't want to break it.