Face U/MX-mini U replica knowledge base

andrewjoy · 17 Sep 2014, 11:38

Pah thin client , get an E10K next to your desk !

Keycaps look nice not sold on that spacebar tho

i need to get me some PBT RBG mods

DanielT · 17 Sep 2014, 11:58

andrewjoy wrote: ↑ Keycaps look nice not sold on that spacebar tho
i need to get me some PBT RBG mods

The spacebar is crazy, my wife loves it

I have also a black one but that is reserved for another special project. It's hard to get Cherry profile space bars, and I don't like mixing profiles.
The photo is crappy, have only an iPhone, but it looks better in real life, the Cherry WoB's are in mint condition, no shine at all, and a pleasure to type on.

andrewjoy wrote: ↑Pah thin client , get an E10K next to your desk !

Actually is no longer a thing client, 4GB RAM, HD 1080p hardware decoder, SSD, is quite fast and silent. Don't know what an E10K is ... (searched on google seems to be an amplifier )

matt3o · 17 Sep 2014, 14:33

I just installed the first PCB. Soldering is generally very bad. Lots of cold and dirty solder points. I guess we get what we pay.

The keyboard is not 100% working. Some keys are faulty (sometimes they work, others they don't). Sometimes the KB just stops working and I have to unplug and replug it.

I'll look into it, but so far it really doesn't impress me.

PS: the flash utility works in VM.

DanielT · 17 Sep 2014, 14:47

This is strange, the quality of my PCB's is very good, all elements are soldered ok, the solder pads were clean. Maybe the boards were assembled in batches, the boards that arrived last seemed to have problems. I assembled one and AlinH assembled one and there were no issues.

matt3o · 17 Sep 2014, 14:56

I'm pretty sure I'm from the second batch. I can take pictures, but what I see is definitely not very nice... and BTW it doesn't work so I'm pretty sure it's not very nice

Now I have to check all the SMD solder points... one by one...

The switches are fine (brand new and tested).

HzFaq · 17 Sep 2014, 15:02

Yeah, I've been using mine (albeit, just for playing games and browsing internet, nothing too strenuous) for a week without any problems...I certainly haven't had any random stops, the worst thing I've had is the backspace/space issue (mentioned here) which I'm pretty sure now is down to the swtich rather than the keyboard.

DanielT · 17 Sep 2014, 15:21

matt3o wrote: ↑I'm pretty sure I'm from the second batch. I can take pictures, but what I see is definitely not very nice... and BTW it doesn't work so I'm pretty sure it's not very nice Now I have to check all the SMD solder points... one by one...

The switches are fine (brand new and tested).

I'll take some photos of the PCB, I was really impressed with the quality, and hearing this is clear there is a QC issue.
I will start soldering the second PCB and see if there is a problem or not.
I used only old switches.

Laser · 17 Sep 2014, 15:30

Yes, my PCB also looked pretty nifty done (that's why probably all works flawlessly)

chzel · 17 Sep 2014, 15:38

haven't assembled mine yet, but soldering is quite good, a bit dirty with flux but nothing bad. I am sure I was first batch
quick potato-through-10x-loupe pics:

Spoiler:

macmakkara · 17 Sep 2014, 15:47

mine was also good without any problem and looked good. now im just having little problem with spacebar switch but thats because i don't have any lube on it...

Laser · 17 Sep 2014, 16:40

macmakkara wrote: ↑mine was also good without any problem and looked good. now im just having little problem with spacebar switch but thats because i don't have any lube on it...

When i mounted the stabs, I tested the spacebar and it was also stiff - in the end the cause proved to be the wire ... I had to replace the default ---____---- bent wire with a straight one, and this proved to fit; but its ends were actually slightly touching the stabs internally and made the exact amount of friction to make the spacebar stiff and not announce itself as cause

. Cause: the wire was from a 0.25u shorter spacebar/stab mount; Solution: just slightly departed the wire ends.

matt3o · 17 Sep 2014, 16:52

if I slightly bend the PCB it works back again. it is surely a bad contact somewhere, but checking all of them is quite a task. I hope it's not on the controller.

andrewjoy · 17 Sep 2014, 17:41

DanielT wrote: ↑n E10K is ... (searched on google seems to be an amplifier )

Sun enterprise 10000

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun_Enter ... rise_10000

DanielT · 17 Sep 2014, 18:46

andrewjoy wrote: ↑
DanielT wrote: ↑n E10K is ... (searched on google seems to be an amplifier )

Sun enterprise 10000

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun_Enter ... rise_10000

OK

I admit I refused to think at this one near my desk, mainly because I would end up sleeping with my dog outside if I bring such a beast at home

andrewjoy · 17 Sep 2014, 18:54

yeh and the fact that you would need about 50 amps to just bring up one side of it

chzel · 17 Sep 2014, 19:13

matt3o wrote: ↑if I slightly bend the PCB it works back again. it is surely a bad contact somewhere, but checking all of them is quite a task. I hope it's not on the controller.

You could apply flux to the pcb, and uniformly heat it up with a heat gun (trying to reflow the connections without singeing the board or melting the USB-ofc without switches in place)

matt3o · 17 Sep 2014, 19:48

I was able to get all keys working but 'U' doesn't register, no matter what... very frustrating. I'll do one last check then I'll desolder all switches.

chzel · 17 Sep 2014, 19:59

did you try to piggyback the diode with a through hole one?

matt3o · 17 Sep 2014, 20:00

chzel wrote: ↑did you try to piggyback the diode with a through hole one?

yes gonna try that, but it's weird since if I bend the PCB slightly, it works.

chzel · 17 Sep 2014, 20:26

any chance of a pic?
if you have a DMM try a continuity from A to B. Should have continuity. At least mine works (it's first letter!!)

Spoiler:

In a bit i will have the other side figured out!

matt3o · 17 Sep 2014, 20:27

so it seems it was a faulty diode. I changed the U diode with the ISO one and now it seems to be working. I'll use the keyboard for a couple of days and see how it goes.

some work on custom keyboards is understood, but I've been quite unlucky with this sample.

chzel · 17 Sep 2014, 20:33

Nice!
If there is NO troubleshooting, there is NO fun!
we are tinkerers, not assembly line workers!

macmakkara · 17 Sep 2014, 20:51

Mine didin't have any problems :/ Glad that you got it working. I just have problems withs my switches because some of them are sticky. Need get some krytox and lube them and also change springs at same time.

beltet · 17 Sep 2014, 22:14

MrMen wrote: ↑I know about the time, it was more about electronic spec.

Storlek(Size) 1,8 Ømm
Drivspänning(Voltage) 3 - 3,5 V
Ström(Ampere) 20 mA
Styrka(Power) 5800 mcd
Spridningsvinkel (Spread) 30 °
Färg(colour) vit(white)

Sorry for a late answer.

matt3o wrote: ↑so it seems it was a faulty diode. I changed the U diode with the ISO one and now it seems to be working. I'll use the keyboard for a couple of days and see how it goes.

some work on custom keyboards is understood, but I've been quite unlucky with this sample.

glad you got it working!

chzel wrote: ↑Nice!
If there is NO troubleshooting, there is NO fun!
we are tinkerers, not assembly line workers!

Thats true!

HzFaq wrote: ↑Screw size I got from the OP here, M2-4mm, just searched on ebay for some. I think I got 50ish for a few quid.

I have the pexxon alu case for £40 and I had to use 6mm long screws. Otherwise the screw didnt take. But on one place I had to use 4mm beacuse the 6mm was to long...
Can be good for them with the same case as me.

plasticchair · 17 Sep 2014, 22:58

Finished my soldering session.
Kind of unhappy as of now but I'm sure the board will grow on me once I take care of the flaws.

matt3o · 17 Sep 2014, 23:54

hope this hasn't been already covered but... does your keyboard wake the computer from sleep?

chzel · 18 Sep 2014, 00:00

No, it doesn't!

matt3o · 18 Sep 2014, 00:06

this is quite a deal breaker for me. I'll try the not-NKRO firmware

scottc · 18 Sep 2014, 00:10

matt3o wrote: ↑so it seems it was a faulty diode. I changed the U diode with the ISO one and now it seems to be working. I'll use the keyboard for a couple of days and see how it goes.

some work on custom keyboards is understood, but I've been quite unlucky with this sample.

matt3o wrote: ↑hope this hasn't been already covered but... does your keyboard wake the computer from sleep?

chzel wrote: ↑No, it doesn't!

Wow, this is ridiculous... If I'd known about these shortcomings in advance, I would've just bought some other PCB.

I'm not blaming Tinnie, but these PCBs seem to be pretty dud. I hope mine is in better shape.

Muirium · 18 Sep 2014, 00:13

The no-wake part is worse news, as that's a fundamental problem with the firmware. I didn't exactly tell you so, but the Flash dependency part of these PCBs primed me to expect hokey behaviour from the start. All the better to work around, of course, if someone likes a challenge.