Quick question about KBC Poker LEDs

[daerid]

Do they have to be wired in a certain way? I just modded my Poker Brown to Ergo Clear, and apparently I broke the LEDs (except for Escape Lock, that one still works). It's possible that I didn't do a good enough soldering job (my tip was having a hard time staying tinned), but I just wanted to make sure that it wasn't because I wired them backwards or something like that.

Thx in advance

[alaricljs]

No knowledge of the Poker here, but LEDs themselves are directional.  It's a diode at the core.

[DaemonRaccoon]

Either you mounted them backwards or didn't get enough solder on them. Did you mount them with the cathode (flat side) facing right (that's the right way)?

FUN FACT: Cherry MX have an 'A' on the anode side and a '.' on the cathode side.

[daerid]

Either you mounted them backwards or didn't get enough solder on them. Did you mount them with the cathode (flat side) facing right (that's the right way)?

FUN FACT: Cherry MX have an 'A' on the anode side and a '.' on the cathode side.

I figured as much. However, when I pulled the LED's out, both leads were the same length and I couldn't tell them apart. Are you saying that one lead will be flat, and the other round?

[REVENGE]

I figured as much. However, when I pulled the LED's out, both leads were the same length and I couldn't tell them apart. Are you saying that one lead will be flat, and the other round?

You can probably just take a AAA or something and test the leads manually, I can't imagine any damage would occur at those voltage and current levels.

[DaemonRaccoon]

I figured as much. However, when I pulled the LED's out, both leads were the same length and I couldn't tell them apart. Are you saying that one lead will be flat, and the other round?

The LED housing/lens (whatever it's called) should have a flat cathode side, unless these are some really cheap Chinese parts.

[alaricljs]

the best battery choice for testing leds is a 3v lithium coin cell like the CR2032 since it fits nicely between the leads.

[sordna]

I would be scared of frying a chip if I tried that on an LED that's still soldered to the PCB.

[daerid]

I'm definitely going to pull them out first.

Just a refresher: anode = + and cathode = -

Correct?

[DaemonRaccoon]

I'm definitely going to pull them out first.

Just a refresher: anode = + and cathode = -

Correct?

Correct.

[Philth]

Why mess with soldering on a PCB-mounted cherry switch? I thought that was one of the advantages to PCB-mounted switches: Easily swapped without having to solder anything:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLBXxzmuA_Q&feature=related

(Correct me if I'm wrong)

[alaricljs]

Except that an LED holds down the upper half of the casing if one is mounted in the switch.

[daerid]

Except that an LED holds down the upper half of the casing if one is mounted in the switch.

This. Normally, switch/stem swapping on a PCB mounted board is no problem, if not for the LEDs

[The Solutor]

Do they have to be wired in a certain way? I just modded my Poker Brown to Ergo Clear, and apparently I broke the LEDs (except for Escape Lock, that one still works). It's possible that I didn't do a good enough soldering job (my tip was having a hard time staying tinned), but I just wanted to make sure that it wasn't because I wired them backwards or something like that.

Thx in advance

The longer terminal is the anode

the flat side is the cathode

looking inside the led the bigger terminal is the cathode

Use a lithium batterry yo quick test them, like the  2032 installed in most mainboard as backup

[Roguemaster8]

I just got the same board from daerid in a trade and want to pick up where he left off, are the leads just opposite of where they should be?

Off topic, but the Poker has a lovely ping sound my other keyboards lack .

[sordna]

LEDs are (light emitting) diodes, so they will only work in one orientation. Don't worry about the anode/cathode terminology, if your board has an LED that doesn't work, swap it around. Sometimes LEDs die of course, it happened on one of my Kinesis Advantage but Kinesis was kind enough to send me a couple for free so I replaced the bad one myself. Anyawy, with a loose LED you can try out the proper orientation by bringing its leads into contact with the proper points on PCB before soldering it (the keyboard must be connected of course, and you must arrange for the LED to be lit up (by hitting caps lock or whatever for the particular LED position in question).