This project details the transformation of a standard membrane keyboard into a clean, enthusiast-grade mechanical keypad, complete with lubed switches and a custom-designed case (sorry, I lost the CAD files).
The core of the build involves salvaging the original controller PCB from the donor keyboard and reverse-engineering its matrix. This allows for a plug-and-play final product without any custom firmware or programming.
All project images, including build photos and diagrams, are available in the pictures directory.
- Enthusiast Feel: Built with fully mechanical switches, lubed for a smooth and quiet operation.
- Custom-Fit Case: A sleek, minimalist case was designed in CAD and 3D-printed to perfectly house the components.
- Zero Programming: By reusing the original membrane controller, the keypad is instantly recognized as a standard USB HID device.
- Upcycled Hardware: Gives a new, high-quality life to an old piece of e-waste.
- Salvage: An old office membrane keyboard was disassembled to extract its small controller PCB.
- Reverse Engineering: I mapped the keyboard matrix by manually probing the pinouts on the controller. This identified which traces corresponded to each key. The full pinout map is available in
reversed_encoder_pinout. - Soldering: The mechanical switches (pre-lubed) were carefully hand-soldered directly to the contacts on the salvaged PCB.
- Design & Print: A custom case was modeled to provide a snug fit for the PCB and switches, resulting in a clean, modern aesthetic.
- Final Assembly: All components were assembled into the new case to create the final, fully functional keypad.
- If you want to try building this project on your own, the specific keyboard I used was a
Cyberpower Membrane Keyboard. If you have a keyboard that looks similar in any way, the keyboard most likely uses the same cheap components, so feel free to try it out - I used the same screws from the original keyboard for the 3D-printed case. If you don't have those screws specifically, you may need to adjust the screw hole dimensions
- I used ANKO Rose mechanical switches and GPL 205 lube. I didn't have an extra 17 Rose switches, so I filled the rest with lubed Gateron Browns. I lubed them till they became linear lol.
