My KBTalking/Vortex One (Basically a Vortex branded specialty keyboard made by some dude in Taiwan) w/ Cherry MX Greens was undergoing a cleaning when I spontanously discovered it had the ability to be modded to support proper numlk and scrolllk LEDs (it lacks them, to my constant irritation). Here's the photo log as I did it:
So I was cleaning my keyboard for the first time (look at all those beautiful, hard to get MX greens, eh?)
What's this? Are those actually terminals for Num Lock, Caps Lock, and Scroll lock leds? Why the heck aren't they using them? Do they work?
We've got to get in there and investigate! (Cleaning can come later) These screws should do!
Yep, it lifts right out!
Back of the PCB reveals it's a generic development board for keyboard modders of sorts. Very simple, everything is labeled. And a quick multimeter tests confirm that those ARE indeed functional status LED controls!
Ok, so this keyboard appears to work by opening the negative terminal (left) as appropriate to power the status leds. Current is applied from the right. In theory, obliterating the LED ground/negative contacts with a razer blade should disable the leds on num lock and scroll lock. Then we just jump them with jumper wires to the switched status led grounds. Then they only turn on when the num lock or scroll lock function is on, as appropriate, becoming proper indicator lights!
That's a lot of talk. I could fry my keyboard... maybe I shouldn't do this...
Too late!
Yes, I solder like a pregnant walrus that assembles PSUs in a Deer-brand PSU factory. Who cares, I have bad hands ok? Lets see if this works!
All LEDs on, ok, that's like normal (and very pretty):
Let's try turning them all off now by tapping them once, and see if the status updates"
It does! Now lets put the pretty thing back together and see if it still works!
Ok, all on, lets try them off now again:
Still working! Let's try everyone off but numlock to test that they are independent.
They are!
tl;dr: I just did my first mechanical keyboard mod and I feel awesome. No, it may not be entirely sexy (my soldering may even be ugly) but it's awesome and I think it belongs here.
