Micro Controller Replacement Firmware Service - Your paperweight to USB

HerbalNekoTea

26 Mar 2022, 03:55

TL;DR : I offer service of converting dead/unknown vintage keyboard/typewriter to USB only using a PNG of the PCB with shittons of nice aftersale 1 on 1 service included.

Hello Deskthority, i am HerbalNekoTea and i am mostly on discord. A couple years ago, i purchased some vintage keyboard with unknown protocole and then some with micro controller that died on me. Some friend gave me generic guideline for how to do MCU Swap (Micro Controller Swap) on vintage keyboard or electronic word processor that got either dead one or unknown protocole one. This way, i learned to map any keyboard and make a firmware with only a PNG picture of the back of a PCB of a vintage keyboard. Those firmware required a teensy 2.0++ or a pro micro.

I am currently offering the service for converting vintage keyboard or typewriter with dead or unknown protocole micro controller toward USB using the same PCB that the original keyboard used. All you need's the equipment to desolder the original controller chip and solder the teensy 2.0++ or pro micro according to the plan i would be giving. I became a GIMP expert using layers to hide other layers so it make the job super easy for anybody to double verify and double check everything. The service include full firmware (pay when it's done to receive the firmware or most of the file for it, if there's a need to wait for the controller, i will be exporting a temporary file to be able to simply edit and recompile it), the source code so you can reuse it later. 3 months ordering wait period for when the job's done for you to order your own pro micro or teensy 2.0++ from China or somewhere else, once you receive it, we can have 1 on 1 voice call for finishing the job (or by text) so your keyboard's totally finish on your side and working. Once your keyboard's working, there's a 3 months free post sale service for any remapping or customization that you would want. I normally need to take a couple more hours to rewrite the code to latest QMK to be able to have the LED working and other new scancode value added later which's included and shall be done very quick. Finally, once those 3 months expired, there will be a $15 cost for any remapping value for another months period (in case you sell your board, which's also transferable for no additional cost).

I charge the following price for the service, with only the need of a PNG at first of the back of the PCB :

-Free evaluation from the PNG before any job start.
-$120 USD for any regular PCB design that won't get super confusing
-$50 USD extra for any super confusing layout like SMK keyboard, some later alps which use Low Common Profile are super confusing too, etc. That why the free evaluation's for.
-Pay only when the job's done before delivering of the first alpha of the firmware
-Free 3 month delivery wait for your hardware and 3 month post sale support. Any longer time's $15 fees for 1 months only when needed (Store normally give you 30 days return, it's kinda the same principle but more generous, i will totally forget you if that take too long).
-Builk order are possible if you got multiple board needed for it.

Please note that i only do binary type of switch, no hall effect, optical, magnetic reed, capacitive switch, since i have no idea if they are doable since QMK need extra code for analogue switch, but just for the lols, if you want me to try making a firmware for it, i can do one for $50 that somebody will have to complete if it's not working for you.

I shall try completing each job in 72h, since this is my first public post about it on deskthority forum... Please denote there's high chance i get smash by a high queud of people just like you wanting their keyboard converted to USB, so please denote that the lead time's unknown, but i will be updating each client about their queud position everytime one's done, mainly on first part. Thank you for your understanding. I have been doing this for some friend for a while on discord of a certain vendor in the vintage scene and for myself for a solid 2 years now. If you want to contact me faster, please contact me on discord at HerbalNekoTea#0573 my dm are not closed, so no need to send friend request, but it do help. The work will be send has a 7z package once it's done and for any future itteration, everything will be open sourced on my github later on when done (i do a commit once in a blue moon).

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