Pin 24 on NiceNano stopped working
I noticed my row 1 (ARSTG) stopped working all of a sudden at first I thought it was my pcb board. Since I had a spare corne board i moved the controller to and it was the same behavior. I tested continuity and pin 24 checks out using the ez-solder pins
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It sounds like you're experiencing a common issue related to the soldering of the pins or a potential short circuit. Since you've already checked continuity on pin 24 and it seems fine, here are a few steps to further troubleshoot the issue:
1. Check the Solder Joints: Ensure that the solder joint for pin 24 on the nice!nano is solid. Sometimes, a cold solder joint can cause intermittent issues. Reheat the joint and add a bit of solder if necessary.
2. Inspect for Shorts: Look for any solder bridges or shorts between pin 24 and nearby pins or traces. Use a multimeter in continuity mode to check if pin 24 is inadvertently connected to any other pins.
3. Diode Check: Each switch has a diode associated with it. Make sure the diode for the affected switch (in row 1) is properly oriented and soldered. If the diode is cracked or not making a good connection, it could cause the row to fail.
4. Switch and Socket: If you're using hotswap sockets, check the socket for the switch in row 1. Sometimes, the contacts can bend or fail. Try replacing the switch with a known working one to see if that resolves the issue.
5. Test with Another Controller: Since you've already tested with a spare Corne board, if the issue persists, it may indicate a problem with the PCB itself or the wiring to that row.
If you've gone through these steps and the issue still isn't resolved, it may be beneficial to consult the troubleshooting documentation for further guidance or consider reaching out for more specific support.
Might be a burnt out pin? 😕 If you have another MCU to test with, as in TyperAI's #5 that could help narrow the field
I have another controller but no headers LOL
Ah, rats!
i can harvest a controller from another keyboard
sorry urchin
Just in case it is a solder joint issue, could you try reflowing the solder on just that pin? Smear a little flux on the joint, then apply heat until it melts. If you have some solder wick or a solder sucker, you could try removing most of the old solder, adding a bit of flux to the hole, and re-making the joint.
Hopefully if the Urchin is socketed, you can return the MCU after reflashing it
nope the pins on that controller are too thick for the board
Another thing you can try is to fake a key press with tweezers or a jumper wire. Just gotta figure out which column pin is easiest to use
i did reflow it already but i didn't desolder re-solder I'll try that
Like, unplug the MCU from the board, carefully put it somewhere relatively static-safe, plug it into USB, and carefully short column to row
Yeah it is hard to tell from the photo whether the joint is good. Looks okay at a glance, with maybe a tad more solder than is strictly needed 🙂 (though I am the last person who should be throwing stones about solder joints--some of mine are um... messy 😇)
it was less before i added more when i reflowed it, but this is technically the first thing I soldered
Not bad for the first time!
i somehow managed to kill row 0 desoldering and resoldering 24
so now 22 isn't work as well 😮💨
let me try shorting the pins to see what happens
i have to make the wire
shorting it does seem to work so is it the pins 😅
are you shorting "on top" where your solder joints are, or down below where the header pins are?
At any rate, if shorting causes keypresses, that seems like the controller is okay (no burnt out pins)
both
Okay, hmm. When the MCU is socketed, do you get continuity from the PCB-side solder joint under pin 24 to the MCU-side joint?
well
i broke a pin
then broke another pin lol
but i think the issue
is the max mill pin for pin 24 is actually just slightly thinner than the others
i inspected it really closely under a microscrope
and it looked like it was thinner
Hmm, so hypothetically it is not making sufficiently reliable contact with the socket?
ya
i noticed i that i did always have problems with that row I thought it was the home row mods at first
Depending how patient you are (rather, are willing to be in this circumstance 🙂 ), you could get a bunch of https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/mill-max-manufacturing-corp/3320-0-00-15-00-00-03-0/4147392 (or maybe a little longer ones; the ones in the link are 5mm long) and use them instead of the EZ-solder headers. That would involve fully desoldering the headers, though, which can be a little tricky to do cleanly
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Or for that matter just order a new set of EZ-solder headers 😄
i cut out and took out the broken pin ez solder headers i should get some of those individual pins
wait do the pins fit into the ez solder sockets?
Check the diameter of the existing pins you have that are good; the ones I linked from DigiKey are nice and consistent in diameter: nominally 0.020" / 0.51mm but I haven't miked them myself.
Though a new set of EZ-solder headers might be more suitable, since it would guarantee the height is as intended.
oops well now i have a burnt out pin trying to desolder the pins that broke.... lol
ohnoooo!
visually it looks ok 🤔
i wonder if a pin and some solder will revive the connection
Hopefully! Controller pins can die permanently from electrostatic discharge, but as long as that did not happen, the main issue is physical conductive continuity
Did you happen to have a magnetic connector or an open case? shorts are the most common reason for this
@Nick No, open case or magnetic connector although I did have a magsafe mount underneath the case. BTW this is the left side with Aluminum case and it did also stop working while it was charging.
The single row that is
otherwise I had it in a 3d printed case with no issues for maybe 2-3 weeks without issue prior and same magsafe mounts under for ~2 weeks?
just adding more data points in case there are additional failures related to it 🤷♂️
ok thanks for the data point, I’ll look into it more, we can likely get you a replacement nano
My USB cable is metallic too, I wonder if it leaks any sort of electricity: https://iniushop.com/products/iniu-d7cc-usb-c-to-c-cable-240w-6-6ft-2-pack
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🤔 it killed the row again
it was working before i re-assembled
i tested another controller via contact to the max mill as it uses a different header and i was able to press the keys fine
and the pins on the controller is dead again it took out the first column as well
Sounds like it is getting shocked somehow. Any shorts near the headers or elsewhere on the board?
ya, no shorts i wonder if it is my usb-c cable with the aluminum case somehow?
or it could also be the battery 🤔
i have 2 other split keyboards that i use the same cable with so that’s 5x units that don’t short out with it since the right split seems fine
it is slightly frayed where it bends to connect to battery i think it was pinched against the aluminum top before but it seems random that it would take out that same row? and now the column from a short?
back of the corne
i’m still an amateur maybe i’m not testing for shorts properly? i mostly just test continuity between points and use the beep test the only two pins that beep together are the grounds
@Nick see above when you get a chance 🥶
btw when i said it killed a row again it was for a brand new nicenano, pin 24 and pin 11 also is dead on this one now. both do not process the signal when shorting against another row/col, i used the firmware reset and re—flashed firmware multiple times to be sure it’s not some sort of user error. I’ll check the other nice nano if pin 11 also has issues.
this occurred shortly after i re-assembled the whole unit together thinking it was working and plugged it in to flash my miryoku firmware, and charge it
this is strange, I don't see why you'd be getting a bunch of shorts
can you share a picture of what your case set up is?
ya i’m really puzzled by it as well I’m almost scared of putting another controller in.
Let me take some pictures and I will post them here
also showing my usb cable as i feel it could be related it is metallic and they have a gimmick led that’s shows green when power is going through it
but i used the same cable with 5 other split halves with no issues none of the other ones are aluminum though except for the 2nd half
which still exhibits no issues
i havent been using it that much but i tested just to be sure flashing the left side firmware to it
the usb cable is plugged into macbook pro m2 14 inch usb-c port next to power connector (which i don’t use power delivery done via thunderbolt)
@Nick any ideas? should I just try a new PCB and see? i ordered a non-metallic cable just in case it doesn't seem like anyone else besides Diego had issues with their aluminum case so I'm thinking it could be the combination of the aluminum case + cable and possibly shoddy soldering as this was the first time I soldered. now 6 keyboards later (and a disapproving wife) i think my handy work has improved 🤣
I think you'll need a new nano, not a new PCB unless you have shorts on the PCB 🤔
the soldering isn't pretty but I don't see anything particularly wrong from your pictures
@Nick i meant a new pcb in addition to a new nano to rule it out as an issue since I would be on a 3rd nano now 🤣 im trying not to reproduce the short
it feels strange that it would short so quickly when i swapped to the aluminum case the 2nd time
could the screws be causing any issues
or the pressure somehow of tightening the screws 🤔
fair enough. I can send a replacement PCB too. left side? what’s your order number
@Nick I actually ordered a new one set already: TA12932 was anxious to get the keyboard back in working order 🤣
maybe refund half the pcb cost on the order if that’s possible? or if you have store credit that works as well i’m sure i’ll order more parts soon
is this the right one? I’m not seeing a pcb or nano
oops
TA13190
@Nick this is wild but i think it’s the case somehow
it shorted again P1.00
i replaced the usb cable, new pcb, used the spring headers just to make sure i won’t mess anything up 🤣
is it possible the case somehow is retaining a charge? it literally worked for one minute as i was popping switches in p1.00 - p1.11 worked added a few more switches 0.24:1.11, 0.24:1.15, 0.22:.11,.13 then i added 1.00:1.15 and i got no output for it…. tested 1.00:1.11 and nothing pulled the controller out and tried the pin and it was dead ☠️
I noticed 1.15 is dead too, so it seems like it takes out the whole row + col
are you Cesar on email?
@Nick yep
ok great, we’ll get this figured out