convert wired keyboard to wireless
Thank you for visiting my blog. In this article, I will teach you how to transform a wired keyboard into a wireless keyboard and have the ability to quickly switch between multiple devices.
What we need to prepare is a wscome modification module, a USB keyboard to be modified, and a lithium battery. The module only supports keyboards with USB interfaces.
The module itself supports Bluetooth 5.3 and 2.4g wireless. Both modes support fast switching of up to 8 devices. Due to the working principle of Bluetooth, it takes about 2-5 seconds to respond when switching using Bluetooth mode. The advantage is that many devices have built-in Bluetooth and no additional receiver is required. The switching of 2.4g wireless mode is very fast, and it can be switched successfully instantly when the switch is pressed. The disadvantage is that the module only comes with 1 2.4g receiver. You need to buy an additional receiver. The good news is that the price of the receiver is very cheap.
The Type-C interface can charge the battery. The module has a built-in charging control circuit, and if you want to set the module parameters, you also need to plug the data cable through the Type-C interface. The USB-A interface connects to the keyboard. Provides keyboard signal input. The battery interface connects to a lithium battery with a voltage of 3.7v to 4.2v. Be careful not to connect the positive and negative poles in reverse. The wrong connection will burn the module. The power switch has a blue indicator light. Press once to turn on the power. Press twice in a row to turn off the power.
Lithium batteries are usually 18650 cylindrical or soft-pack lithium batteries. There are many brands of soft-pack lithium batteries available. The quality varies. Many of them have false capacity. So if the keyboard can fit 18650 lithium batteries, it is best to use 18650 batteries. Regarding battery life, the module itself is very power-saving. The working current is only 0.02 to 0.03 amps, which is about 0.07 watts. So the battery life after modification depends only on the capacity of the battery you use for modification and the power consumption of the keyboard itself. It is recommended to use Panasonic or Sanyo lithium batteries with a capacity of more than 2500 mAh.
Appearance of soft pack lithium battery
18650 cylindrical lithium battery appearance
Before we start the transformation, let’s test the module first.
Connect the battery. Plug the keyboard data cable into the keyboard port of the module. Turn on the power switch. Test whether the module supports your keyboard. Don’t go through all the trouble to complete the modification only to find out that the module does not support your keyboard.
The test is complete, no problem, perfect support, now disassemble the keyboard shell. The disassembly method of each keyboard model is different, you can use Google to search for the disassembly method of your keyboard model. My keyboard is easy to disassemble, there are no screws, use a plastic sheet to insert the gap, and it is very easy to disassemble. You can use a discarded bank card.
The keyboard motherboard looks like after disassembly. There is a data cable on the back of the keyboard. Keyboards are all USB2.0 data cable definitions. Most have 4 wires, some have 5 or 6, and the extra ones are shielded wires. You don’t have to connect them.
We can use a multimeter to measure from the plug end of the data cable and find the corresponding wiring sequence on the motherboard. vcc, gnd and D+, D-. After finding the corresponding wiring sequence, find the appropriate plug from the purchased module packaging bag. Cut off the socket connected to the keyboard on the module, and then connect the wires on the keyboard motherboard to the keyboard access line of the module in the correct order. If you feel that this part is incomprehensible. Or you can’t find a usable wiring in the packaging bag. Then the safest way is to use the original data cable, cut it short, and then connect it according to the original color of the wire, using the original USB plug,
After this step, the modification work is actually more than half done. Now you just need to find a suitable position inside the keyboard to fix the module and battery. In order to install the battery, the keyboard I use needs to cut the internal reinforcement ribs. It turns out that a sharp utility knife is the perfect tool for dealing with this kind of plastic keyboard. After cutting, it is best to grind off the burrs to avoid puncturing the battery. When choosing the battery installation position, you should also pay attention to the fact that there is a lot of solder on the back of the motherboard. If the distance is too close after the cover is buckled, it is easy to puncture the battery.
Now find a suitable location for the charging type-c port and the switch. I found that the wire slot at the bottom of the keyboard is a very good space. Just enlarge the slot a little bit. One end fixes the type-c socket, and the other end fixes the power switch.
Finally, use hot melt glue to fix the type-c. Here is a little trick. You can use the USB data cable to insert the socket to help fix the position of the socket.
Use hot melt adhesive to fix the module and wires. It is best to use double-sided tape to fix the lithium battery, because the high temperature of hot melt adhesive will have an adverse effect on the battery. You can use a plastic sheet or a strong paper sheet to cover the battery and the keyboard motherboard to prevent it from being punctured by solder.
After fixing the inside, you can cover the outside with flannel tape, which is more beautiful. Basically, no traces of modification can be seen.
Connect the keyboard and module cables, and install the housing.
A perfect wireless keyboard transformation is now complete. This module also supports the normal operation of the numlock and cap status lights. Click the top of the article to enter the store to purchase the module used for the transformation. I wish you all a smooth transformation. You are welcome to give me various suggestions. I am happy to absorb your opinions and make improvements. https://darksalmon-hawk-773700.hostingersite.com/product/wired-keyboard-converted-to-wireless-keyboard-diy-kit/
Video tutorials can be viewed herehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEMyae7b74I