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I want to build a little box with switches, so that I can flip a switch and it will hold down a keyboard key on my PC. My idea is to take the little PCB from an existing keyboard (a Microsoft Wired 600) and figure out the grid locations for keys of my choice. "W" would be a good one, since it's "forward" in many games and needs holding down a lot, leading to a roaring case of RSI.

The pcb has an edge connector that presses against the keyboard membrane, the contacts are small, but not too small, but they're covered in this black stuff. It doesn't look like it's solderable. So any ideas? Do I use conductive glue? Could I scrape it off and find metal underneath? I'm asking if anyone has experience with this, what did you do?

Greenaum
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    Show a picture of what you're talking about? – Hearth Mar 08 '23 at 19:50
  • you cannot connect to the keyboard membrane ... make all connections to the PCB – jsotola Mar 08 '23 at 20:41
  • No no, the PCB itself, the contacts are coated in some black stuff, I'm wondering what it is and how to deal with it, if anyone had experience. Simply, USB wire attaches to small PCB, PCB has glop-top connecting to perhaps 30 little pads in a row, and the big plastic membrane is pressed to those pads with mechanical pressure. But those 30 little pads aren't bare metal, they have a black coating, so how do I attach wires to that? Just ordinary copper wire, rather than membrane. Then I can connect the wires up to make my own custom keyboard, or partial keyboard. – Greenaum Mar 10 '23 at 00:40

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