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Better LEDs for self built keyboard (self.askelectronics)

submitted 1 year ago by Aduentix to c/[email protected]

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I've tried to build a corne chocolate, but I've been facing some issues with the LEDs that they're using. For some reason, they have chosen to use "normal" surface mount LEDs (SK6812MINI) instead of reverse mounting ones with legs (e.g. SK6812MINI-E), and suggest bridging them with solder. See this before and after soldering from the original guide.

So I'm wondering if any of you know about some reverse mount LEDs, that would work on this board. Note that like 6 of them are mounted facing the other way, for "underglow". I'm not really interested in that, but the data lines aren't separate for the backlight and the underglow, so I'd have to bridge with a wire, which is meh.

I know I could modify the PCB design, but I don't feel too confident it will work after me doing so.

I'm open to suggestions :)

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[–] tbe 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Hm, aren't the reverse-mount LEDs that you mentioned an option? The pinout seems to match after having a quick glance at the (Chinese) datasheet. E.g. from here: https://www.lcsc.com/mobile/product-detail/Light-Emitting-Diodes-LED_OPSCO-Optoelectronics-SK6812MINI-EA_C5378731.html

[–] Aduentix 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

I might very well be wrong here, since I'm not used to looking at these datasheets at all, but https://datasheet.lcsc.com/lcsc/2304171800_OPSCO-Optoelectronics-SK6812mini_C2886570.pdf specifies, that (bottom view) top left would need to be VDD and bottom right GND. Which I don't think the SK6812MINI-E satisfies (I'm assuming I also need to look at the bottom view).

[–] tbe 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

By having a closer look I’d say the pinout in general matches but the "wings" aren’t attached in a suitable position, they would have to be rotated 90°:

It seems "top" is in both cases the end where the light shines out, so the are both basically mounted top down.

[–] Aduentix 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

So their sugessted LEDs are mounted like this, right:

To which, this is the pinout.

And this is the pinout for the reverse mount LED:

While true, that the pins are sort of correct when rotated 90° counter-clockwise, they wouldn't line up with the pads on the PCB anymore... sorry if I'm being a bit dumb, but I don't see how this is going to work.

[–] tbe 1 points 1 year ago

Yeah it actually won’t work, I initially thought it would but after having a closer look, it won’t.