Bum key only registers with pressure. What do I do?

[CheezmeisterParticipant August 16, 2016 at 19:54 Post count: 3]

#3284

I have one key on my InErDo that’s giving me grief. Past the actuation point–nothing. Bottoming out–nothing. If I continue pressing HARD on the key, that’s when it finally sends the keypress.

I’m not sure whether this is a mechanical or electrical problem. Other than this annoying deficit, the board has been an absolute joy to type on. What further steps should I take to diagnose (and hopefully fix) the problem?

• This topic was modified 1 year, 8 months ago by  Cheezmeister.

[infoKeymaster August 17, 2016 at 06:15 Post count: 83]

#3288

Most of the Infinity ErgoDox kits come with a few extra switches. Have you tried swapping the switch out for a different one? If that doesn’t work, then there are other options, but this is the most likely scenario, especially if all the other keys work perfectly.

[CheezmeisterParticipant December 4, 2016 at 23:04 Post count: 3]

#4297

Thanks @info. I finally found time to give the device some more attention and the situation hasn’t improved.

Replaced the switch with a fresh soldering job and, with a multimeter, confirmed good contact and that the circuit breaks when the switch is actuated. However when plugged in, the bum key no longer registers at all, even with lots of pressure.

I’m just a humble programmer but my dad the old EE says it’s probably the diode. Are there further diagnostic steps I can take? How would I replace the diode if faulty? Can I seek replacement parts?

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