I was initially excited about my Keychron V6 keyboard, I was looking forward to a thockier keyboard and wanted the customizability with qmk. The V6 seemed like a good match. But after unboxing it, I realized that the south-facing LEDs weren’t ideal. I had just purchased Razer PBT keycaps, which I loved, but they didn’t work at all with the LEDs and the escaping light underneath just blinded me.

I tried to make the setup work with custom keycaps from fkcaps (https://fkcaps.com/custom/5ELZPQ). While they were cool, they weren’t the same as double-shot PBT keys. The setup wasn’t ideal but I just stuck with it.

When I saw a YouTube video about building a keyboard with KiCad, I was inspired to try it myself. I used an ATmega32U, because I thought it would be easier to integrate, but it did have it’s challenges: limited I/O meant I had to sacrifice the layout switch, and my matrix is best described as “tortuous”. Despite a few errors on my PCB (a group of LEDs were not connected and I completely missed the holes for a stabilizer), the final PCB works amazingly well.

I’ve added a few photos below showcasing my setup before PCB assembly. You can see the light issues under the keys and how the laser etching from fkcaps isn’t very durable.

before the pcb swap

fkcaps key detail

after transplant—

  • Kowowow@lemmy.ca
    0·
    11 hours ago

    I got a V5 and feel like I got tricked by the “backlit” thing not meaning shinethrough

  • Zachariah@lemmy.world
    0·
    11 hours ago

    Yeah, the LEDs on my Q6 are the only thing I don’t like about it. I don’t use it in the dark much, but I’ve gotten used to the shine through letters on laptops, so I wish it was the same.

    • Reven@lemmy.worldOP
      0·
      9 hours ago

      It was a fun process, much recommended. I’ve got an extra 4 pcbs that require a few bodge wires if you’ve got a V6. :D