Adafruit
NeoKey 5x6 Ortho Snap-Apart Mechanical Key Switches w/ NeoPixel - For MX Compatible Switches
The Adafruit NeoKey 5×6 Ortho is a snap-apart PCB grid of 30 mechanical key switch sockets, each with a reverse-mount NeoPixel LED. Break the grid along its ...
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The Adafruit NeoKey 5×6 Ortho is a snap-apart PCB grid of 30 mechanical key switch sockets, each with a reverse-mount NeoPixel LED. Break the grid along its scored tabs to create any rectangular layout you need — 2×3, 1×6, 4×3, or the full 5×6 — and the routed traces carry power, NeoPixel data, and key matrix lines automatically.
Each key socket accepts any MX-compatible switch (Kailh, Gateron, Cherry MX, etc.) via a hot-swap Kailh socket — no soldering required. Diode-protected row/column lines eliminate key ghosting, and the daisy-chained NeoPixel snake lets you drive all LEDs from a single data pin.
Key Features
- 30 Snap-Apart Key Sockets – Score-break tabs with pass-through traces for flexible grid sizes
- Kailh Hot-Swap Sockets – Plug in any MX-compatible switch without soldering
- Per-Key NeoPixel – Reverse-mount RGB LED shines up through the switch housing
- Diode-Protected Matrix – No key ghosting; connect one GPIO per row and column
- NeoPixel Daisy-Chain – Single data line with 2.2 kΩ pass-through resistors between rows
- 0.75″ (19 mm) Key Spacing – Compact ortholinear layout
- Mounting Holes – 0.125″ (3.2 mm) holes at each key corner for backplane mounting
- 3–5 V Operation – Connect power to any + / − pad on the grid
Ideal For
- Custom macro pads and shortcut keyboards
- Ortholinear keyboard builds
- Interactive control panels with per-key RGB lighting
- MIDI controllers and game pads
Package Contents
- 1× NeoKey 5×6 Ortho snap-apart PCB sheet (with protective top and bottom rails)
Jargon buster
Plain-language definitions for the technical terms used above.
- GPIO
- General-purpose input/output pins are microcontroller pins you can set in software to read signals, switch devices on and off, or connect to peripherals. The number of GPIO pins matters because it limits how many buttons, LEDs, sensors, and other parts you can wire directly to the board.
- Hot-swap
- Hot-swap (or hot-swapping) means connecting, disconnecting or replacing a component such as a power source, battery, drive or module while the rest of the system keeps running. It matters where equipment must stay operational without being powered down, and for power supplies it often needs extra circuitry to manage the inrush current or voltage dips that a swap can cause.
- LED
- A light-emitting diode (LED) is a small electronic component that emits light when current flows through it in the correct direction. Because it only conducts one way, its polarity matters, and a through-hole LED must be soldered the correct way around to light up.
- MIDI
- MIDI is a standard way for electronic instruments, controllers, and software to send musical control messages such as notes, velocity, and timing. If a board supports MIDI, it can be triggered from keyboards, drum pads, sequencers, or other music gear rather than only from buttons or code.
- NeoPixel
- A type of addressable LED system where colour data is sent along a single digital data line from one LED or controller to the next. Compatibility matters because the timing and signal format must match for the lights or driver board to respond correctly.
- PCB
- A printed circuit board (PCB) is a board, usually rigid, with etched copper tracks that connect electronic components together without loose wiring. Components are mounted on the board and signals route between them through the copper layout.
- RGB
- Short for red, green and blue, the three primary colours of light that are mixed in varying amounts to make a wide range of colours. In electronics RGB can refer to an LED or pixel that blends these three colours, or to a colour signal or interface that carries separate red, green and blue channels.
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