KT2 Exposed

[pghaworth]

[knc1]

Puzzlements, puzzlements - - -

The adapter chip provides four control lines (in addition to the basic serial i/o controls) -
So far, I will only be using 2 of the four.

So what to do with the other 2?
(No, I can't just ignore them after going to all this much trouble anyway.)

With the chip's programming un-touched (factory default) -
Two of the control lines are defined as led drivers for Rx-Activity and Tx-Activity.
(A sort of Ethernet adapter style thing.)

Maybe just use them as-is?
I think I have found a bi-color led that would fit on the board edge alongside the micro-usb connector.
For this particular package, they would be Blue and Red (sharing a single lens).

So depending on the relative activity of the Rx and Tx lines, would show some color along this line:

[thatworkshop]

Originally Posted by knc1

You know, back when soldering irons where a chunk of copper on a long handle that you heated up in a charcoal pot.
Also, electronic parts where something you could see as the individual devices *PLUS* they where not gone forever if dropped on the carpet.

Really... Oldies are almost always goodies.
Also, what Amazon does, doesn't make sense... come on Lab126!

[knc1]

Still waiting for things to arrive, some may not get here until next month.

- - - - -

I have watched a lot of videos and read a lot on the various details of this making of a current printed circuit board for SMT devices.
An old habit of mine, to read the directions before anything goes wrong.

- - - - -

After the board layout is completed, on a computer (no more tape on paper layouts) -
Then that layout has to become something outside of the printer.
Commercial manufacturers can do direct printing using special (very expensive) equipment.

For a low budget operation, the choice is to use whatever printer is attached to the computer and whatever sort of media you can get it to swallow without choking.

Is there any chance this might work?

Both my Ink-Jet and my Laser printers have a basic resolution of 600dpi (the bigger numbers mentioned are all marketing hype and firmware enhancement).

600dpi == 1/600 inch per dot == 1.667 mil == 42.3418 microns

I intend to use the 'classic' photoresist, Dupont Riston (it has been in use for about 40 years).
Its literature claims it can be used to successfully reproduce art work with 50 micron lines and spacings.

(The printer is more exact than the resist's resolution - so that should work - I should be able to print anything it can reproduce.)

50 micron == 1.96850394 mil
Call that a 2 mil (0.002 inch) line or space.
Smaller than any detail that will show up on this board.

Is that small?
About 1/2 the thickness of (cheap) paper, just try drawing two dots, side-by-side, across the edge of a piece of paper.

- - - - -

Hmm...
Do I have a clean enough place to do this work?
Nope - will have to make one (a desktop box thingy).

The 'rocks' in the air -
Those larger than 54 microns usually settle out.
It is keeping those smaller bits of 'gravel' out of the process that is the problem.

- - - - - -

Dupont publishes the documentation in two parts -
A 'general' reference for the Riston product line ;
And a 'specific' reference for the Riston MM-540 product (as one of the MM-5xx products).

Both are attached for your reading pleasure.

[knc1]

Progress is taking a big hit from the Holidays and their effect on shipping.
Some things on the critical path of this project are now being forecast as arriving by the 16th of December.

@Members behind the "Closed Kindle" approaches:
Come on, members.
Amazon will be introducing the 2015 models before I get this "Open Kindle" approach near usable.

I will continue to update this thread with detail on the "back story" from time-to-time, mostly aimed at the future reader who needs to evolve their own "Closed Kindle" approach.

If only so this "future reader" can benefit from my research, planning, and dead-ends taken.

- - - - -

How to ease the pain for the end-user to connect to the board solder points ::

Plan A:
Print a single flex-circuit ribbon, which will have holes at each solder point that fit over the connection point solder bumps.
It will be a very strange shape, to pick up all of the points scattered around the board, but will only fit in the 'correct' place.

The procedure would be to have a piece of tape handy (get out the roll of Duct Tape) -
Position ribbon so that **all** the little connection bumps are in their "bullseye targets" - secure with a strip of tape.
Take as long as you need to, to get everything lined up and then taped in-place.

The flex-circuit body material is a very good insulator of both heat and electricity.
That will protect surrounding parts and points from accidental harm while the bullseye targets are touched up with a hot iron or hot air.

Presuming that I can design and build this add-in ribbon cable - -
That should get the skill level down to:
If you can plug in a soldering iron . . . .

- - - - - -

In other words, take advantage of the fact that these 21st century boards are manufactured to dimensional tolerances measured in Microns.

[knc1]

The tutorials you find posted on the web (mostly) share one feature -
they are intended to be one time things for single prototypes.

I.E: Not considering reusable masks.
(Although a few do make that consideration.)

The home style, desktop, PCB building is one version of: "Contact Printing".
(Heck, a lot of production line PBC building is also contact printing.)

Since there is more than one KT2 out there in the world ....

The number one thing left out of the DIY home style PCB building is the use of registration marks.
But with multiple masks that need to be used at various stages of the production, aligned with Micron dimensional accuracy -
Registration marks and registration pin(ning) really should be used.

Also, very dimensionally stable (over use and over time) masks should be used.

Which leads one back into the early days of photography - when this was first solved....
Glass plate negatives(*).
or in this case:
Glass plate masks with pin registration to the item being contact printed.

Which in turn means drilled holes in the glass plates.
There is a technological background to just that part of the process itself.

Pick the correct glass -
Anneal the glass -
drill / form the glass -
toughen the glass -
NOW you can make a mask on it. (Which is fun in itself.)

The above requires controlled temperatures that exceed those you can get in a toaster oven.

**BUT**
You can build an electric furnace that will do the job from the parts of a toaster oven.
At least you can if you start with a (cheap) toaster oven that uses quartz tube heating elements.

Ref:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annealing_%28glass%29
http://www.arrowsprings.com/html/annealing.html

600C from toaster oven parts? Yup, if your determined enough.
The quartz tube heating elements have a maximum working temperature of 1050C (2000F).
(One of the reasons these toaster ovens have the: "If food ignites ..." warning labels on them.)

More to follow (someday, RSN).

(*) http://www.getty.edu/art/gettyguide/...ils?segid=1726

[euphemist]

Just made an account to say Thanks and Good Luck! Hope this works out.

[sh0e]

Originally Posted by knc1

**BUT**
You can build an electric furnace that will do the job from the parts of a toaster oven.
At least you can if you start with a (cheap) toaster oven that uses quartz tube heating elements.

Ref:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annealing_%28glass%29
http://www.arrowsprings.com/html/annealing.html

600C from toaster oven parts? Yup, if your determined enough.
The quartz tube heating elements have a maximum working temperature of 1050C (2000F).
(One of the reasons these toaster ovens have the: "If food ignites ..." warning labels on them.)
[/url]

smd reflow toaster: http://deskthority.net/workshop-f7/t...ven-t6861.html
i purchased a custom controller for my cm-storm qfr.
the build quality is awesome.

[knc1]

Originally Posted by sh0e

smd reflow toaster: http://deskthority.net/workshop-f7/t...ven-t6861.html
i purchased a custom controller for my cm-storm qfr.
the build quality is awesome.

smd reflow is done at around 200 degree C -
glass annealing is at around 500 to 600 degree C.

Which takes more that just three toasters.

[dhdurgee]

I just received one of these as a Christmas gift. My previous experience is with my K3 keyboard, which I have of course jail-broken and added various software to. This unit is of course a totally different experience, and I see from this thread and others still an unsolved issue.

If I could ask as stupid question: does this new unit support audio at all? I see no earphone jack or speaker holes, so I suspect no. As one of the major reasons I did JB my K3 was for mplayer and internet radio, I am hopeful but suspect I will be disappointed.

Dave

[JSWolf]

PW1, PW2, Voyage, and KTB all do not have audio of any kind.

[knc1]

No audio on the KT2.

The KTB mentioned above is an abbreviation for the same device which we decided not to use (since "basic" may change from year-to-year).

[dhdurgee]

Originally Posted by knc1

No audio on the KT2.

The KTB mentioned above is an abbreviation for the same device which we decided not to use (since "basic" may change from year-to-year).

Thank you for confirming this, it is better to know than to hope in vain.

This reduces my incentive to make alterations of any kind to the KT2, especially if it involves manual intervention as opposed to software. I have the dexterity, barely, to deal with a K3 if I must. Given your description I would probably have KT2 parts if I attempted to perform surgery on one.

I wish all here a merry Christmas and a happy new year.

Dave

[knc1]

Edited post #6 with link to PW2, 1v8 location.
Sure wish I had time to finish this thread/project.
Maybe this mid-summer, when the heat drives me indoors.

[knc1]

Originally Posted by knc1

Sure wish I had time to finish this thread/project.
Maybe this mid-summer, when the heat drives me indoors.

Still waiting for some free "hobby time".

I have been helping out a (blind) friend for the past six months.
But by mid-June he should have two, working, (re-built), eyeballs. yeah!

So I still hope to get back to this project later this summer.