Disassembly

Disassembly of the KnewKey Rocksete, or at least its keyboard, is an involved process and requires the removal of every single keycap and the two Phillips head screws on the top cover plate. There are three other screws underneath the three rubber pads at the bottom on the back, following which you need to pry apart the cover plate from the keyboard using a thin, flat object. There are interlocking plastic tabs all over, so be careful lest you break them. Once done, the cover plate can be lifted and reversed on to the side for access to the keyboard PCB, but we also see here how there are five LED light strips along the length of the cover and between key rows for the lighting that goes along with the audio itself.


There are more screws that keep the PCB in the keyboard body, and removing them helps lift up the PCB enough to access two internal cables on the underside—one for the USB connection and the other for power from the 2200 mAh Li-ion battery alongside. Disconnecting both cables finally gets the PCB out completely. The audio section is under the rest of the body, and there are more hidden screws underneath the two longer rubber pads on the bottom. With sound dampening and directing foam here, as well as more intricately placed speaker drivers, I did not feel comfortable taking this part out without a guide. We do see another PCB with JBL-branded hardware drivers and larger capacitors, as well as a 4400 mAh battery for the audio system. Going back to the PCB shows the switches better, which are, as per usual with such plastic case keyboards, soldered through a steel plate and into the PCB.


Solder quality on the keyboard PCB is alright as it could be improved by removing some of the solder peaks seen here. The label indicates the design was finalized in mid 2018, which further points towards the common base between this and their older Rymek keyboard. The onboard hardware drivers are marked "HFD48KP500" and "CYW20730," neither of which have useful datasheets online, but both have been used in other keyboards from similar smaller brands before. There is not a lot to pre-program on the Rocksete, to be fair, so the hardware used suffices. All 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.