Hardware Keyboard Problems


squaresosig

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Joined
Jul 15, 2012
Messages
52
So I have finally tried to bring my pandora back to life. A few years ago I dropped it, knocking a cap off the board and killing the screen, but now with the schematics out I was able to find out what that component was and replace it. There is now however a new problem, certain keys do not work.


From the schematics it looks like its certain row or column connections that are broken, as all of column 4 are broken yet column 5 works, the question is how can I fix this? Its a 1GHz prototype, and it does have quite a bit of value to me.

Thank you :)
 
Not knowing what I am taking about, and being too lazy to go take a look, I would suggest using a meter to try and verify what you think the problem is, then try to find where.

Sorry I don't have more accurate advice right now.
 
I attempted that, but the tracks disappear, and the chip controlling the keyboard is bga, so unless there are test points I can't do much.
 
If there's no obvious scuffing on either of the surfaces likely to have cut any traces, I'm not sure it's likely to be patchable.

FWIW, I think the hacker guide contains a mapping of the keyboard matrix, if you wanted to determine exactly what has happened, from a logical point of view. I've never heard of an internal connection in a multilayer board breaking due to flexing, but I guess it's possible.

If there is no hardware fix for this, your time could be best spent looking for a compact usb2 hub and keyboard; if small enough you could continue to use them on the move.
 
Be aware that my initial problem was that the Pandora fell so hard it broke off an inductor (was wrong when I said cap) so it may well have done something lad to the internal traces. I have looked at the hacker guide and schematics, it looks like specific column and row connections have broken.

The app is very useful thank you
 
If it was that inductor near to the left trigger switch, then that's fairly common and it doesn't take much for the case to flex enough to knock that off if it falls in just the right way. But I don't know how hard your Pandora fell, and if it was that hard perhaps it's impressive the system still boots at all I guess.
 
Well everything else still works it seems, wifi, usb, audio even though it sounds quite bad. I find that after a period of time the whole keyboard stops working too. Game controls keep working fine however. So I am not quite sure what I can do.
 
You can try an full reflash to be sure tht the Problem isn't software related.
 
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