3 ms·

The parts are available: https://www.aliexpress.com/wholesale?catId=0&initiative_id=SB_20220605142226&isPremium=y&SearchText=blackberry+keypad&spm=a2g0o.produc

The parts are available: https://www.aliexpress.com/wholesale?catId=0&initiative_id=SB_20220605142226&isPremium=y&SearchText=blackberry+keypad&spm=a2g0o.productlist.1000002.0 https://www.aliexpress.com/wholesale?catId=0&initiative_id=S... https://www.aliexpress.com/premium/blackberry-q10.html?d=y&origin=y&catId=0&initiative_id=SB_20220605142257&SearchText=blackberry%20q10&spm=a2g0o.detail.1000002.0 https://www.aliexpress.com/premium/blackberry-q10.html?d=y&o... https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005002813523676.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.0.0.4cdd61b0YlWqd0&algo_pvid=0812bced-dbf6-4ef8-9381-ba844db9da79&algo_exp_id=0812bced-dbf6-4ef8-9381-ba844db9da79-14&pdp_ext_f=%7B%22sku_id%22%3A%2212000022316008890%22%7D&pdp_npi=2%40dis%21AUD%21%2113.91%2113.91%21%21%21%21%402103255a16544677782398493eca04%2112000022316008890%21sea https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005002813523676.html?spm=a2... Arturo has done alot already: https://twitter.com/arturo182 https://twitter.com/arturo182 The keyboard is analysed: https://github.com/arturo182/BBQ10KBD https://github.com/arturo182/BBQ10KBD A machine has been designed, but it does not have the goal of fitting inside the cases linked to above - it's on a bare board: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wr3DtQQuUfI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wr3DtQQuUfI It's available as a product including source code and design files - again, not designed to fit into the cases above. https://www.tindie.com/products/arturo182/keyboard-featherwing-qwerty-keyboard-26-lcd/ https://www.tindie.com/products/arturo182/keyboard-featherwi... Revision 2: https://www.solder.party/docs/keyboard-featherwing/rev2/ https://www.solder.party/docs/keyboard-featherwing/rev2/ And the Blackberry keyboard standalone: https://www.solder.party/docs/bbq20kbd/ https://www.solder.party/docs/bbq20kbd/ Design files: https://github.com/solderparty/keyboard_featherwing_hw https://github.com/solderparty/keyboard_featherwing_hw Source code: https://github.com/solderparty/bbq10kbd_i2c_sw https://github.com/solderparty/bbq10kbd_i2c_sw All that is left is for someone to do the same, with the aim of fitting into the cases listed above.

sschueller 4y ago
The connector is extremely hard to solder. They are over $1 each and so far I have destroyed 7 already. I have tried via hot air, heated plate to hand soldering with the iron. The hot air will melt the connector so that won't work unless you heat from the bottom the the PCB. Hand soldering is also almost impossible because you can't really get to the pins and if you just slightly touch the plastic it will melt immediately. I also could not get it to work with solder paste and a hot plate. The pins are so small they don't want to adhere to the PCB. I may need to get gold plates pcbs and a stencil to place the exact amount of paste I need to get this to work. A QFN package is easy to solder in comparison.
- andrewstuart 4y ago
  Isn't the connector meant to go into a socket?
  - sschueller 4y ago
    Sorry, I mean the socket.
- stuntkite 4y ago
  You almost definitely would benefit from getting a stencil. Instead of a hot plate you could do a toaster oven. I got an "air frier" convection toaster oven at walmart for $50 open box. It's perfect for reflow. Also take one that you've already ruined and test the melt temp on the plastic them put a thermocouple probe on the plastic. Is there any particular reason you can't use the featherwing package that adafruit sells? I've seen a few other folks on tindie selling other board and screen combos but personally, for my money, the feather format is pretty good for almost anything I could want to do in this form factor.

sschueller 4y ago

The connector is extremely hard to solder. They are over $1 each and so far I have destroyed 7 already. I have tried via hot air, heated plate to hand soldering with the iron. The hot air will melt the connector so that won't work unless you heat from the bottom the the PCB. Hand soldering is also almost impossible because you can't really get to the pins and if you just slightly touch the plastic it will melt immediately. I also could not get it to work with solder paste and a hot plate. The pins are so small they don't want to adhere to the PCB. I may need to get gold plates pcbs and a stencil to place the exact amount of paste I need to get this to work. A QFN package is easy to solder in comparison.

andrewstuart 4y ago
Isn't the connector meant to go into a socket?
- sschueller 4y ago
  Sorry, I mean the socket.
stuntkite 4y ago
You almost definitely would benefit from getting a stencil. Instead of a hot plate you could do a toaster oven. I got an "air frier" convection toaster oven at walmart for $50 open box. It's perfect for reflow. Also take one that you've already ruined and test the melt temp on the plastic them put a thermocouple probe on the plastic. Is there any particular reason you can't use the featherwing package that adafruit sells? I've seen a few other folks on tindie selling other board and screen combos but personally, for my money, the feather format is pretty good for almost anything I could want to do in this form factor.