Disassembly

Disassembly of the Cherry MX Board 1.0 TKL is an involved process, as is usually the case with two-piece plastic case keyboards. Begin by removing six Phillips head screws that are towards the bottom on the back before using a thin, flat object to carefully pry off the top panel piece. It is highly likely that you will break some of the plastic interlocking tabs here, so only do this if you absolutely must. Once done, the top panel lifts off, and we can confirm it is made out of ABS plastic as seen above.


Further disassembly requires the removal of several specific keycaps, which now provides access to nine countersunk Phillips head screws on the front. A precision screwdriver comes in handy here, and removing all screws provides enough room to separate the PCB piece from the bottom case panel by enough to loosen the keyboard cable off the internal USB connector. The bottom panel is also made out of ABS plastic and configured to accommodate the keyboard feet.


The remaining piece houses the PCB, switches, and a steel plate for added structural integrity. The switches are soldered through the plate and on to the PCB, making them hard to remove with de-soldering. The PCB is black and appears to have been finalized towards the end of 2017. Solder quality is good, although there are for some unknown reason as many as four internal USB connectors on the PCB. Only one, marked with ground/positive/negative, is actively used as it is where the keyboard cable hooks into.


Powering the MX Board 1.0 TKL (with backlighting) is a Vision VS11K06A USB microcontroller. There is not much information on it online, and there is also a dedicated Vision VS12L02A LED driver to aid with the backlighting on the keyboard. These are the exact components used on the MK Fission keyboard, which worked well enough in a multi-color backlighting environment. All the components, including the switches, LEDs, and capacitors, are soldered to a multi-layered PCB.

Before we move on, be advised that disassembly may void the warranty and that TechPowerUp is not liable for any damages incurred if you decide to go ahead and do so anyway.