Dedicated media keys

[QueenCanadia]

Hi! My project this summer is to create dedicated media keys for my Dell Studio laptop. It turns out that Dell decided no one uses the Function keys anymore, and so repurposed my F7-F12 keys as media keys, with Fn as a toggle. There is also the option, in Win7, to default to F keys first or Media keys first. I hate this. I had media keys on my old laptop, and I really miss them.

I bought a USB numpad (some cheap generic whatever) and took it apart - so it is down to the membrane and the controller. My plan is to attach pieces of the membrane above the F keys to act as touch keys (like on HP laptops). Since the screen closes on top of this area, it has to be completely flat. I'll remap the keys via the Windows registry (via this method), and I plan to convert the external USB into internal using parts from an old desktop fan and then disconnect the webcam. The laptop only has 4 USB ports - 3 external including an eSata.

And now I'm stuck. My problems are as follows:

1. The controller board is bigger than will fit into what I can only describe as "a newer, smaller version of PCMCIA." Width is fine, but the little blob capacitor things are too tall to fit.

2. Can I safely remove the huge LED that indicates NumLock position without damaging keystroke recognition?

3. How do I pare down the membrane to just seven pads without destroying its functionality? Further, will bending the membranes damage the wires?

Thanks! Any links/resources are greatly appreciated!

[microsoft windows]

If you want media buttons, get a tape player.

[ch_123]

Hi! My project this summer is to create dedicated media keys for my Dell Studio laptop. It turns out that Dell decided no one uses the Function keys anymore, and so repurposed my F7-F12 keys as media keys, with Fn as a toggle. There is also the option, in Win7, to default to F keys first or Media keys first. I hate this. I had media keys on my old laptop, and I really miss them.

I bought a USB numpad (some cheap generic whatever) and took it apart - so it is down to the membrane and the controller. My plan is to attach pieces of the membrane above the F keys to act as touch keys (like on HP laptops). Since the screen closes on top of this area, it has to be completely flat. I'll remap the keys via the Windows registry (via this method), and I plan to convert the external USB into internal using parts from an old desktop fan and then disconnect the webcam. The laptop only has 4 USB ports - 3 external including an eSata.

And now I'm stuck. My problems are as follows:

1. The controller board is bigger than will fit into what I can only describe as "a newer, smaller version of PCMCIA." Width is fine, but the little blob capacitor things are too tall to fit.

2. Can I safely remove the huge LED that indicates NumLock position without damaging keystroke recognition?

3. How do I pare down the membrane to just seven pads without destroying its functionality? Further, will bending the membranes damage the wires?

Thanks! Any links/resources are greatly appreciated!

1. Any pics?
2. Yes
3. Again, pics of the membrane could be good here.

And pay no heed to the resident retard above

[Findecanor]

There is a Num Lock key on your keyboard? Is there a numpad on the keyboard? Do you need it? And even if you use the numpad, do you use the + - * / keys?
I would look for software solutions first before trying any hardware hack. The keys of the num pad do not emit the same scan codes as the other numerical keys, so I think that you could use a program such as AutoHotkey to map these to be your media keys without any difficulties.

[ch_123]

Num Lock on laptops is usually seperate for the inbuilt keyboard and any external ones.

EDIT: I have been reliably informed that this is not the case for a lot of laptops.

[EverythingIBM]

Hi! My project this summer is to create dedicated media keys for my Dell Studio laptop. It turns out that Dell decided no one uses the Function keys anymore, and so repurposed my F7-F12 keys as media keys, with Fn as a toggle. There is also the option, in Win7, to default to F keys first or Media keys first. I hate this. I had media keys on my old laptop, and I really miss them.

I bought a USB numpad (some cheap generic whatever) and took it apart - so it is down to the membrane and the controller. My plan is to attach pieces of the membrane above the F keys to act as touch keys (like on HP laptops). Since the screen closes on top of this area, it has to be completely flat. I'll remap the keys via the Windows registry (via this method), and I plan to convert the external USB into internal using parts from an old desktop fan and then disconnect the webcam. The laptop only has 4 USB ports - 3 external including an eSata.

And now I'm stuck. My problems are as follows:

1. The controller board is bigger than will fit into what I can only describe as "a newer, smaller version of PCMCIA." Width is fine, but the little blob capacitor things are too tall to fit.

2. Can I safely remove the huge LED that indicates NumLock position without damaging keystroke recognition?

3. How do I pare down the membrane to just seven pads without destroying its functionality? Further, will bending the membranes damage the wires?

Thanks! Any links/resources are greatly appreciated!

Multimedia keys? People use those? I certainly don't:


Throw the yucky dell out and get a thinkpad:

[ch_123]

And pay no heed to the resident retard above

Ignore the second one while you're at it =] Other people here are actually helpful.

[QueenCanadia]

Numlock: there is no dedicated numlock on the keyboard. There aren't Fn+UIO for 456, even. It appears to be Dell's attempt at moving forward, et c. However, there's a Numlock On Startup control in the BIOS that I can set.

AutoHotKey: I prefer a raw registry hack, but I've heard of the program.

New PCMCIA?: 3/16" high, 1-5/16" wide, 2-7/8" long = dimensions of the plastic placeholder. Only the height is a problem.

There is no built-in numpad on my laptop. This picture right here is basically the keyboard, but obviously without the media keys at the top, and the Fn+__ keys are significantly different: no numpad of any kind, "Numlock" replaced by dedicated eject key, screen brightness is on F4/F5, and there is no Sleep function of any kind, anywhere.

(Pic of membrane et al forthcoming.)

[QueenCanadia]

Completely unrelated, but since this is a keyboard forum, this is the final state of my Dell Inspiron 6000, retired to media server/backup as of March, 2010:

http://www.samanther.com/xp/inspiron6000kb.jpg

(N64 and BF1942 keys... and also total remaps after the backspace key stopped working and then fell off. All markings in Elmer's Painters.)

[EverythingIBM]

Completely unrelated, but since this is a keyboard forum, this is the final state of my Dell Inspiron 6000, retired to media server/backup as of March, 2010:

http://www.samanther.com/xp/inspiron6000kb.jpg

(N64 and BF1942 keys... and also total remaps after the backspace key stopped working and then fell off. All markings in Elmer's Painters.)

The thread for ugly computers is here.

[QueenCanadia]

I think you mean ExpressCard for your "new PCMCIA". It's the PCIe incarnation.

Thanks! Shows how often I buy computers...

[talis]

3. How do I pare down the membrane to just seven pads without destroying its functionality? Further, will bending the membranes damage the wires?

Thanks! Any links/resources are greatly appreciated!

You have to be a bit careful bending the membrane, as any kinks in the area of the contact points may create a permanent key press.  How much you can bend it, and where depends on the membrane (and you have to experiment with).

It's quite possible to cut the membrane and re-connect any broken traces as long as you don't damage the contact points.  I use something like this to re-draw traces when cutting down membranes.  It isn't perfect, but with a bit of practice and testing/touch up, its quite possible.  The only problem is the ink tends to be thicker then the stuff they screen print on in the factory, so its much harder to replace contact points using it (again, they tend to make contact even if the key isn't pressed).  You also want to leave yourself some extra room on the cut edge, in case you need to route some extra traces.

[ch_123]

I think you mean ExpressCard for your "new PCMCIA". It's the PCIe incarnation.

Last I heard they were called "PC Cards"

Truth be told, these standards change so often that no one really follows them. Still PCMCIA in my heart...