Soldered all the switches, some don't work

[asgeirtj]

Hey

I'm building my lz rv.  I've just soldered all the switches but there are some that don't work.

Don't work: 1,2,3,4,numlock,/,*,-,left alt, first key above numpad, ~

Keys that are mixed up: insert is delete, delete is home, end is page up, page up is end. esc is 1. 2nd key above numpad is 2, 3rd key above numpad is 3.

http://imgur.com/a/wTxCa here is an album of all the solder job and a screenshot from elitekeys switch hitter.

Please help

edit:   soldering setup:  weller wes51, kester 44 rosin core  63/37, .02"

I've soldered many boards but I've never encountered something like this before.

[asgeirtj]

Some better pictures

[SpAmRaY]

What switches are you using?

Have you tried testing switch activation with a multimeter?

Is it possibly a firmware or keymap issue?

I'm on my phone so I could be missing something obvious in the photos.

[asgeirtj]

I'm using zealios.  Don't have a multimeter I'm afraid.  It's not a keymapping issue I think, I have the jigon software and the keys are mapped correctly.  Don't know if it's a firmware issue, and if it is how do I fix that?  Someone told be to try reflashing it, how do I do that?

It uses leeku jigon software.

[specw4r]

It is also strange that the squared brackets symbols next to P are printed reverse on the board... many of the joins have bubbled the surrounding PCB .. was that a square tip you used on the iron ?

[asgeirtj]

It is also strange that the squared brackets symbols next to P are printed reverse on the board... many of the joins have bubbled the surrounding PCB .. was that a square tip you used on the iron ?

I used a chiseled tip

[MJ45]

Without a meter you could try to jumper the switch pins with wire, paperclip, tweezers or anything conductive. That will tell you if its a switch or a pcb issue. Get your self a multimeter even a cheap one is better than none, they come in handy for more than just keyboards.

[quasistellar]

Is that the paint bubbling up around the solders or flux or?

[asgeirtj]

Is that the paint bubbling up around the solders or flux or?

It's just flux residue

[asgeirtj]

Without a meter you could try to jumper the switch pins with wire, paperclip, tweezers or anything conductive. That will tell you if its a switch or a pcb issue. Get your self a multimeter even a cheap one is better than none, they come in handy for more than just keyboards.

I've tried switching the switches, it's definitely not a switch issue.

[asgeirtj]

So I assembled the whole thing for the **** of it.  I played some around with the JigOn software, managed to map a few keys, only thing you have to do is select the new key and do update - all, right?  Well then I did "something" and the keymaps went away and it's stuck on default settings even though I try to do the same thing again.  And also, spacebar stopped working all of a sudden, don't know if I did something in the software or that the pcb must be faulty, really must be the latter one. 

Here is a pic of the board, please help make this board great again #nokeyboardleftbehind.

[suicidal_orange]

Have you tried bypassing the diodes with something conductive?  Could be a bad batch sprinkled over the board randomly.

[asgeirtj]

Have you tried bypassing the diodes with something conductive?  Could be a bad batch sprinkled over the board randomly.

is there a guide somewhere on how to do that? I'm not very familiar with diodes and their function (the diodes were soldered by lifez)

[xtrafrood]

Did you check the PCB with Switch Hitter before you soldered?

[asgeirtj]

Did you check the PCB with Switch Hitter before you soldered?

Nope, don't really know how to check if the keys work without soldering them first.

[SpAmRaY]

Did you check the PCB with Switch Hitter before you soldered?

Nope, don't really know how to check if the keys work without soldering them first.

With diodes soldered plug the PCB into the computer and open a program like switch hitter or aquakeytest you can use tweezers or a paperclip and touch the contacts where the MX switch pins go and it'll show as a key press in the aforementioned program.

[suicidal_orange]

Have you tried bypassing the diodes with something conductive?  Could be a bad batch sprinkled over the board randomly.

is there a guide somewhere on how to do that? I'm not very familiar with diodes and their function (the diodes were soldered by lifez)

The diodes are attached to the lower right pins in your pics so to bypass them you need to touch something conductive from the upper left pin to the right side of the diode.

[asgeirtj]

Update:  I bought a multimeter so I could analyse the issue.

I found out that 5 was not connected to 4, fixing that fixed 1,2,3,4 and ~.  I also found out that ~ was not connected to -, fixing that fixed numlock, /,*,-.  Makes sense.

So i'm left with these keys that simly don't work: left alt and spacebar (yes I know I didn't mention spacebar in the OP but it suddenly stopped working, underlining the weirdness with this pcb, also my bindings in the JigOn software reverted to default and I can't change them anymore)

All the jumbled keys (keys that work as other keys) still have the same problem.  (I figured out that the keys above the numpad work as intended, they are configured like that in jigon and the upper leftmost key is prtscr which I didn't notice)

I contacted LifeZ and he said that the problem was that there a 1x cold solder joint on the controller.  I think I have ascertained that all solder joints on the controller are working (all of them beeped) however there are 4 of them which I can't follow the trace to the end so I don't know about them.  Is my best bet just to reflow them ? and if yes, is it ok to do it with a chisel tip and solder? seems pretty likely i will make a bridge accidentally (I don't have pure flux, do I need to go buy flux for this job?)

Lastly, does it make sense that this is a controller problem ? (2 nonworking switches and a few jumbled switches)

[suicidal_orange]

Doesn't sound like a cold joint to me, that would take out a whole row or column just like a break.  The controller looks to be factory soldered so I would rule out everything else before touching that.

I'm still waiting to have the pleasure of using Jigon but the jumbled keys behavior is what I'd expect if you aren't using the right matrix with matching physical layout in your mapping tool - do you get to chose or does it auto-detect what board you have?  Can you override?

I don't think your problem is physical anymore, if you get the jumbled keys to work as expected and still don't have left alt it will be worth looking again but until then I suggest you put the soldering iron down

[Signature]

Were the smd presoldered? Otherwise it could be a diode soldered incorrectly

[SpAmRaY]

I also say check jigon again. Try and flash a default layout then try changing it again.

I had some weird issues where it wouldn't let me swap ctrl and caps lock until I flashed it a couple times.

[SKD]

So I assembled the whole thing for the **** of it.  I played some around with the JigOn software, managed to map a few keys, only thing you have to do is select the new key and do update - all, right?  Well then I did "something" and the keymaps went away and it's stuck on default settings even though I try to do the same thing again.  And also, spacebar stopped working all of a sudden, don't know if I did something in the software or that the pcb must be faulty, really must be the latter one. 

Here is a pic of the board, please help make this board great again #nokeyboardleftbehind.

Show Image

Sorry for being off topic. I am really interested in this build. I can read that that it's a Reverse L3 by Leeku Lifezone but I googled and and couldn't really find a place to buy them. I found his blog http://lzlife.tistory.com/ but not a shop. I recently built a 60% and purchased a separate numpad but I find it much more preferable to have the numpad on the left hand side while keeping my right hand on the keyboard or on the mouse. This seems to be exactly what I'm looking for!  :eek:

[asgeirtj]

A little update, there was a diode to the right of left alt which was soldered the wrong way around, i turned it around and now left alt works.  Spacebar is still not functional.

Doesn't sound like a cold joint to me, that would take out a whole row or column just like a break.  The controller looks to be factory soldered so I would rule out everything else before touching that.

I'm still waiting to have the pleasure of using Jigon but the jumbled keys behavior is what I'd expect if you aren't using the right matrix with matching physical layout in your mapping tool - do you get to chose or does it auto-detect what board you have?  Can you override?

I don't think your problem is physical anymore, if you get the jumbled keys to work as expected and still don't have left alt it will be worth looking again but until then I suggest you put the soldering iron down

The jumbled keys could actually be a weird mapping, actually the home,end,pgup etc cluster is totally weird in the jigon software:


So it's well possible, probable that the jumbled keys are because of a weird mapping, but it's weird since I thought this cluster was the same worldwide.  But the thing is,  I can't fiddle around with it and try to change it, since like I said before the mappings suddenly stopped working for me.  I assembled the whole board and ran the Jigon software and was able to have some fun with it and change some keys, then out of the blue (I didn't do anything to the pcb, the board was assembled) the keymapppings reverted to default and I can't change it back.

I use the "connect" button in the software and then I change the keys and then I press update all like so:


however the changes are not applied to the board, when I press connect again I see the mappings revert to default in the gui in the software.  The software doesn't ask me what keyboard I have I just assumed it realised that by itself. 

http://kbdlab.co.kr/index.php?document_srl=2702787&mid=board_sw

Here is the link to the Jigon software.  I used the loadfw.bat file in the L3FW_160422.zip to reflash.   (L3 Trade shows All-xxx PCBs) file (which should be correct since the pcb name is reverse l3).  I hope I'm not doing something wrong.

Were the smd presoldered? Otherwise it could be a diode soldered incorrectly

smd probably presoldered, lifez did the diodes.  Are you then talking about a diode soldered the wrong way around or diode with a cold joint?

I also say check jigon again. Try and flash a default layout then try changing it again.

I had some weird issues where it wouldn't let me swap ctrl and caps lock until I flashed it a couple times.

Well, now when I try to flash it I get this error:



TLDR; The remaining problems with the pcb:  Spacebar doesn't work, Some keys jumbled, possibly mapping related but the Jigon mapping doesn't work. 

[suicidal_orange]

What does the disconnect button do?  Might not want to flash if it still thinks it's connected...

[asgeirtj]

What does the disconnect button do?  Might not want to flash if it still thinks it's connected...

Doesn't do anything I'm afraid, at least the board doesn't disconnect.  Do you think there may be a flip key like on duck's boards which I need to use?

[suicidal_orange]

What does the disconnect button do?  Might not want to flash if it still thinks it's connected...

Doesn't do anything I'm afraid, at least the board doesn't disconnect.  Do you think there may be a flip key like on duck's boards which I need to use?

Well it sure sounds like it's stuck, until I've got a board to play with I'm just guessing though.

[asgeirtj]

What does the disconnect button do?  Might not want to flash if it still thinks it's connected...

Doesn't do anything I'm afraid, at least the board doesn't disconnect.  Do you think there may be a flip key like on duck's boards which I need to use?

Well it sure sounds like it's stuck, until I've got a board to play with I'm just guessing though.

Any way to unstuck it?

[asgeirtj]

So I plugged it into a different usb plug and that allowed me to be able to reflash it again, I don't get that error anymore.  But still no luck with remapping.  Also after reflashing a few times the board just inputs endless characters endlessly now and is unusable.  I've had this happen a few times before and always have to unplug and plug it in again to fix it.

[suicidal_orange]

Supposedly holding U while plugging it in forces USB mode - I have no idea what that means but worth a try?

[asgeirtj]

I just got sent a new pcb with diodes not soldered.  I got some of the standard black diodes which fit this board but I also got some white smaller diodes with the package which say "108" on them if I recall correctly, do I need to use them on this board?

[asgeirtj]

I just got sent a new pcb with diodes not soldered.  I got some of the standard black diodes which fit this board but I also got some white smaller diodes with the package which say "108" on them if I recall correctly, do I need to use them on this board?

821 is the correct term, there are pictures of the pcb further up the post

[asgeirtj]

I realized they were resistors, I don't need them as I don't use leds   Soldering the board with a new pcb now (thanks Leeku!), hoping for the best.

[asgeirtj]

Well this is awkward, so I soldered the board and every key was working.  Life was good.  I entered the Jigon software and started to program my keys, putting caps lock as ctrl and all that good jazz.  I also dejumbled the navigation cluster (home, end, etc) and everything worked perfectly.  And then BAM, like last time suddenly my bindings were reverted back to default... AND like last time space stopped working!  Why the hell does this happen? 

Right now, like last time, there is no way to get the bindings to work, the programming does not work anymore on this keyboard and the spacebar does not work!  It does not work to disconnect and connect the keyboard physically.  It does not work to change the USB port on the computer.  It does not work to reflash the board through this http://kbdlab.co.kr/?module=file&act=procFileDownload&file_srl=3632263&sid=cb61357962e7820fb69468ec03ca5a1e (this i s definitely the correct file right? I just run the loadfw.bat file right?)  I have done it about 10x.

What the hell am I supposed to do??!

[asgeirtj]

I realised that the problem was that the keyboard had suddenly changed layers.