Fix: Filco Majestouch2 Camo Fn/Windows Key Swap Tutorial

[bigbozza]

EDIT: Started as a Help Wanted thread but I figured out a working solution (cowboy hack).
Pics below.

Hi there Geekhack, first post and one that should (hopefully) help a bunch of users!!

I recently bought the Filco Majestouch2 Camo and didn't look closely enough at the whole Function (Fn) Key situation. I need my Windows key: Without it I feel useless. It's rather awkward to take your hand off the mouse to use the Right Windows Key and it's VERY awkward to try and do most commands with one hand.

Anyway, my proposal is to simply cut the tracks on the back of the keyboard for the Fn keys (I won't ever use them) and rewire with a fine gauge over to the RWin key. In my mind it's 2 small cuts and 2 fine wires and done.

I've done quite a few console mods in my time, sometimes up to 30 odd wires, but that was all to a plan!! I haven't seen any diagrams of the back of any Majestouch2's PCBs and I guess i'd like a little advice from some more experienced modders on what to cut and where to solder rather than possible bricking my new keyboard

I'm happy to be a guinea pig here if it means that a lot of upset users get a chance at a much more useful keyboard!
So yeah, I guess i'll stop typing now, bust open the keyboard and post some photos!!

[WhiteFireDragon]

I've seen plenty of pics of a Filco PCB, you'll just have to search for them. Splicing the traces and wires to reroute isn't considered one of the easier mods. You won't brick the whole keyboard, but you do risk losing that one or two key that you're trying to mod.

[WhiteFireDragon]

Here's a pic of the whole PCB from one I took several weeks ago. I also have one disassembled so I can take a more clear shot if you need.

[Index]

You might just want to contact bpiphany for his atmega filco daughterboard. It basically makes ur filco programmable.

Here's the thread about it:
http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=35065.0

[bigbozza]

Thanks for the input. Like I said, i've done plenty of tricky soldering in my time, I was just hoping to get someone who knows what they are looking at to give precise instructions.

To me this looks like a bunch of potential solder points and some difficult to discern traces/tracks.

[link_tree]

wow I never realized the Camo edition had an FN key...

[bigbozza]

left

[bigbozza]

right

[bigbozza]

Welp my curiosity got the better of me and it's already done.

Pics to follow, so happy I got that working!! No cuts necessary at this stage so I imagine Fn might still try to work... might.

[bigbozza]

Hokay!

Bit of a cowboy move but I figured out on my second solder what the right points are. This is a very quick hack job with a torn apart ethernet cable for copper because I couldn't find kynar 30awg wire. And because I haven't cut any wires going back to the controller you can still (kind of use the Fn key as intended if you press a play function at the same time.

Also every once in a while it doesn't do anything. I'd say it's working 85% of the time at the moment but confident with thin wiring (less resistance) and cutting the corresponding Fn traces so they go nowhere, it would be a 100% mod.

Hope this helps someone down the road. If I get round to redoing it properly i'll bump this post with pics.

[bigbozza]

Addendum: I can confirm this mod works 100% of the time when doing a key combination. Not sure why but if you use it like most Win + Left right up down E R L etc it works every time, which is really my main use for this mod. It also works first time every time for the first press of the Windows key. I tested originally by bringing up and down the start menu in quick succession and counting how many times it was unresponsive in doing so. It wasn't perfect but leads me to believe that the software was bugging out, because no matter how many times I hit Win + any other key it works like a charm!!


Very happy!

EDIT: After further testing again, it is sometimes not working when pressed alone. Key combinations are still perfect.