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crkbd-choco-v2.1.0.md

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foostan's Corne Chocolate Keyboard (crkbd v2.1.0)

Original Foostan's buildlog
Check the final product
Check the video of this build

Tools Used

Name Count Remarks
Soldering Iron 1 piece CXG 110WT - https://www.aliexpress.com/item/33031529555.html
Solder wire 1 piece Sn63/Pb37 - 1.0mm - https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005002646781061.html
Multimeter 1 piece https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000991575808.html
Flux Soldering Pen 1 piece https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32908270559.html
Tweezers 1 piece https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005003632772720.html

01-tools-used

Part List

Required

Name Count Remarks
PCB 2 pieces https://jlcpcb.com/
Top plate 2 pieces https://jlcpcb.com/
Bottom plate 2 pieces https://jlcpcb.com/
Pro Micro 2 pieces Type-C USB - https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32768308647.html
TRRS Jack 2 pieces https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32368285821.html
Tactile switch 2 pieces 1136-4.3 DIP Black - https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005001629184984.html
Diode 42 pieces 1N4148W T4 SOD-123 - https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32921490945.html
Kailh PCB Socket (for Choc) 42 pieces https://www.aliexpress.com/item/33023283633.html
Key switch 42 pieces Compatible with Choc (low profile) only - https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000907409650.html
Key-caps 42 pieces 1u 40, 1.5u 2 - https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32979973961.html
OLED module 2 pieces https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32777216785.html
4 pin headers 2 pieces 24PIN-Wide - https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32864156728.html
4 pin sockets 2 pieces 4 P - https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4001211882272.html
Spacer M2 4.5mm 10 pieces M2-5mm - https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32970573343.html
Spacer M2 9mm 4 pieces M2-9mm https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32970573343.html
Screw M2 4mm 28 pieces M2-4mm - https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32661182311.html
Cushion rubber 8 pieces https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005002618681200.html
TRS (3 pole) or TRRS (4 pole) cable 1 piece https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32459681560.html
Micro USB Cable 1 piece https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000802127824.html
Round Copper Wire 1 piece 0.5mm - https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000781904492.html

Optional

Name Count Remarks
SK6812MINI(SK6812 3535 / MINI) 54 pieces 42 for backlight, 12 for under-glow - https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32830413032.html

02-parts-used

PCB

I pretty much uploaded the v2.1.0 chocolate gerber file avalilable on foostan's repository in https://jlcpcb.com and let almost all defaults settings.

After a day I placed the order they sent me an email asking for an extra U$ 15.2 because the PCB case has to many holes, I replied that I was OK with that, paid the extra charge and all good. 02-02-pcb-order

Firmware

Install/Configure QMK

See The Complete Newbs Guide To QMK.

Compile/Flash Firmware

sudo qmk flash -kb crkbd/rev1 -km default

Leds

I've decided to do the leds first because I thought that with less components soldered in the PCB would make easier to solder such fragile and delicate part, but the problem with this approach is that later on when I was building the other parts of the keyboard, the mechanical torsion and the heat of soldering the other components could break some led soldering or even burning them.

SK6812MINI is very heat sensitive and breaks easily, you will need a soldering iron with a temperature control function and operating at a temperature of about 220°C to 270°. I've used 250°C for the leds and 300°C for all the rest.

That said, I really don't recommend this build if you are planning to use leds a lot, they will eventually stop working, there are better builds that have use better leds out there. 03-leds

Under-glow

Solder the part so that the black part circled below is on the bottom and the silk mark indicated by the arrow is on the top. Note that the direction changes. 03-leds 03-leds 03-leds

Per-key

Perform soldering so that the largest pad surrounded by a circle and the silk mark indicated by an arrow are adjacent to each other, as shown below. 03-leds

Testing

I used a 3.5v font, attached the it in VCC and GRD pins and touched with the tweezers the pin LED (you can short this pin with VCC for a brief moment to trigger on the leds with a random color).

Keep in mind that i don't know what I'm doing, not sure if I can recommend you doing this. Do at your own risk. 03-leds

Diodes

The SMD diodes are trick at first, they are pretty small and they have polarity, make sure to match the polarity with PCB, align your as picured bellow. 04-diodes

To make it easier to solder, first put some solder on one of the PCB diode contacts and then with a tweezer hold the diode over the solder and heat it to stick the diode, proceed to the other diode contact and solder it normally. 04-diodes

Kailh Hotswap

Very similar to soldering the diodes, but with a way bigger component. 05-kailh-hotswap

Solder OLED jumpers

You need to solder the oled jumper pads in order to use oleds. OLED jumper pads

Top Components

An easy thru-hole solder. 06-top-components 06-top-components

Soldering Promicro

My poor man's promicro socket version, since I can't find to buy the mill max for a decent price.

I've used copper Wire 0.5mm to this, just remember to sand off the isolation layer.

I used some masking tape to help me organize the wires. 07-soldering-promicro Start by the corners 07-soldering-promicro Insert the promicro and continue adding the wires 07-soldering-promicro Also another benefit of using masking tape is to don't let the solder go thought the hole and "glue" with the PCB socket. 07-soldering-promicro You can trim off the excess of the wires 07-soldering-promicro

Mounting OLED

08-mounting-oled 08-mounting-oled

All Components Soldered

09-all-components-soldered 09-all-components-soldered 09-all-components-soldered 09-all-components-soldered 09-all-components-soldered

Switchs

I like to attach all the switchs in the PCB case grid 10-switchs Just because I think is faster at the end 10-switchs 10-switchs Always double check if all the pins of the switchs are passing through the hot-swaps 10-switchs

Case

Start by the top screw and then while holding the screw with your finger turn the pcbs over and attach the spacer. 11-case 11-case 11-case

Details

Painting the side of the PCB

I used POSCA for painting the pcb sides, you can see how it looks better painted in the keyboard of the left. 12-paint-side 12-paint-side Nice! 12-paint-side

Rubber foots

13-rubber-foots

Finished without keycaps

14-finished-no-caps 14-finished-no-caps 14-finished-no-caps

Finished

15-finished 15-finished 15-finished 15-finished