Repairing Ducky Zero

[onelivesleft]

I'm trying to fix up a Ducky Zero.  A couple of the keys don't work: F3 & F7.  I figured the switches were damaged so desoldered them, cleaned/checked them and replaced them, but that hasn't fixed the issue.  I've checked the connections on the board: when the key is pressed the two pins form a circuit, including another point on the board:  when F3 is pressed D80 goes on, which is the same behaviour as F2 (where D17 goes on).  The same happens with F7 & D81, and F6 and D55. 





That's the extent of my capabilities though; I don't see any obvious broken tracks, and I don't even see where it goes after that.  Anyone got any ideas how I should proceed?  The PCB is a Ducky K108D - are there schematics anywhere?  My fear is I need access to the other side of the PCB, which would entail de-soldering the entire board... I'm not exactly ecstatic about doing that

Any help appreciated.

[ihateregister]

Can't help much, could it be the MCU pins are fried from ESD damage? Not sure how you would fix that. Are those light emitting diodes?

[suicidal_orange]

Can't help much, could it be the MCU pins are fried from ESD damage?

Good thinking but no, if you fry a pin you lose lots of switches not just two


@OP - F3 and F7 are both connected to the same pin on the controller so sounds like you have broken a trace or two on the other side of the board.  You can see the traces from the right pins to the diodes (marked Dxx) so it's the left pins affected.  To fix this solder a wire between the left pins of F3 and F7 and another from either of them to the left pin of the switch for T and you should be good

[onelivesleft]

You're awesome!  That worked perfect.

I have a follow up request, but it's more hassle so feel free to decline. I see you have a ducky zero in your footer: my one came without any feet.  I was going to 3D print some, but ideally I'd like to make them exact.  Any chance you could take a photo of the feet and mark the dimensions/angles?

If it's too much trouble then don't worry about it, you've already made this a viable project.  Thanks!

N.B. Are there docs somewhere which describe which keys go where? Like, how did you know to wire them to the T key?

[suicidal_orange]

Ducky uses a Filco matrix, not that I knew that when I spent hours checking with a multimeter before reincarnating mine )  Any other board would not have been so easy.

I've just popped off a foot and can safely say you won't be printing one that's just like the original as it's a sculptural masterpiece - have a look at these really bad pics and note the shiny bits which show what's bent where.  Even the two pins where it clips in are not parallel, the edges are slightly lower.  I guess the designers were really bored doing the rectangular case...



I'll have to get my calipers from work and find an ... angle measure thing(?) but will definitely get you measurements as well as better pictures.  Feel free to remind me next weekend if I'm slacking, I'm stupid due to illness and incapable of multitasking so may well forget

[onelivesleft]

Wow. Well, OK then!