One of two done. Test run complete. Still blinks off my Pixel!
xFD + [redacted silly chemical] + forceps + time =
DISCLAIMER: Do not attempt to implant an xFD.
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I thought, one of these days I should join a keyboard forum. Now, it appears I already have. This community is awesome.
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Indeed a good solution
I didn’t broadcast that, because I didnt want people to use that to then install a cheap (fragile) “xFD”.
We are nearing 20,000 posts in this thread, so the chance of somebody seeing it, is probably pretty low.
And if they read this far, they probably realised it is a bad idea.
They are probably more likely to figure it out on their own
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Fixed 
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Well … Not anymore 
I got the switches in today, installed them and it worked for 2 minutes then in the middle of testing the key map, one side decided to stop reading any keys, and doesn’t even want to go into boot … still output the addressable LED which is wiered …
This is not going well …
Any idea what the issue is?
Sounds like one side is stuck in a empty layer
Speaking of Gen1a/Gen2 goodness:
Picked up a Gen1a Blue Bambino recently, but it wasn’t just a Gen1a. As far as I can tell, it’s a ZUID!
So, if you have a Gen1a version and you’ve been wanting to do Gen2 direct write on it, it might be worth checking yours
No such luck on the FauxFob though
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Maybe, but not going into boot is worrying …
Plugging it in today and the right side still doesn’t go into boot, but I got most of the functionality back.
I pulled the big guns this morning and checked the health of the diodes and they’re all good 
This is what I got (blue tape is the keys that don’t work.
On the left I randomly get the keys to register once in a while. The switch close …
On the right, the h key is not working, can’t figure out why … It doesn’t go into boot, but it work-ish minus “h” for now …
You have a bent pin.
Switches work in a grid so check the top or bottom of that row and it’s likely one of the switch pins at vent and grounding out to the ground plane
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i removed all teh switches and inspected them, they are all good. Also i can see the pin from teh back side. and i dont get anything when shorting the socket from teh back side either 
I am wondering if i could have a dead connection in the hot swap socket?
Do you have a cold solder joint somewhere? Do all the traces on the board look undamaged?
Easy to check, just bridge the socket solder pads with a wire
It would either be a dead diode or reversed, a pin that’s jumping the ground plane in the switch matrix. Or a broken trace to the ECU that would kill that line or the ECU has a cold joint on that trace
That’s why I pulled the v-i grapher, all diodes have a good response 
The PCB looks in good shape, but doesn’t mean there isn’t a bad trace somewhere …
I’ll pull the schematic and reflow that column.
I’ll also re-build and flash the firmware now I understand the process a bit better
Edit:
I re-built and flashed it, it worked for 10 seconds and went back …
I reflowed the diodes and sockets, no go …
I did the same on the right side, no go either …
Then i noticed i missed s solder on the jack pin, soldered it and now it works 
I dont get why the solder on the optional jack plug is making a whole raw die and 1 switch on the other side, but so far so good
The right side is still not going into boot mode, so it still got the old firmware 
the keycaps got delayed a week, so ill have to wait to really put it to work.
2 of 2!
Thinking I’ll make the display piece out of these… They may not be a NExT or an xMagic in size or function, and they are not implants, but they will certainly do if only as an explanation of how the real things do look.
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now you need a field generator to make em pop.
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I was thinking the same thing
I was looking at your “Field Generator DIY” for the project. This would solve the HF xFD, but I’d still need a solution for the LF one.
Once i get a good functional LF repeater i can do a Generator easily. it would just be swapping the 13.56mhz crystal oscillator with a 125k one and ill make some 125k antenna’s to add to it. The problem is the antennas atm. I have one that has promise. i just need to order it. been crazy busy with work and the kids. In fact im supposed to be dropping a release to DT club soon.
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