Adafruit
NeoKey Socket Breakout for Mechanical Key Switches with NeoPixel - For MX Compatible Switches
The only thing better than a nice mechanical key, is one that also can glow any color of the rainbow - and that's what the Adafruit NeoKey Breakout will let ...
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The only thing better than a nice mechanical key, is one that also can glow any color of the rainbow - and that's what the Adafruit NeoKey Breakout will let you do! This little 0.75" x 0.85" PCB can fit one Cherry MX or compatible switch and make it easy to use with a breadboard or perfboard.
The breakout has a Kailh socket, which means you can plug in any MX-compatible switch instead of soldering it in. You may need a little glue to keep the switch in place: hot glue or a dot of epoxy worked fine for us. We also place a 1N4148 signal diode in series with the switch, so you can create key-grid matrices without worrying about ghosted keys.
Each breakout also has a single reverse-mount NeoPixel pointing up through the spot where many switches would have an LED to shine though. The input and output of the pixel are broken out so you can 'chain' these board together and control them as one NeoPixel strand.
There's plenty of flexibility for any kind of use, each board has the following pin out:
- VDD (+) The power pin for the NeoPixel, provide 3 to 5VDC
- GND (-) The ground power pin for the NeoPixel, connect to ground
- In (I) and Out (O) The input and output to/from the NeoPixel, for chaining
- Switch Anode (A) - The 'positive' side of the switch+diode. If you're using the switch with a pull-up resistor, connect this pin to your microcontroller. If you're using a pull-down, connect this pin to your logic level power pin.
- Switch Cathode (C) - The 'negative' side of the switch+diode. If you're using the switch with a pull-up resistor, connect this pin to ground. If you're using a pull-down, connect this pin to your microcontroller.
There's two rows of 5-pin contacts on a 0.1" grid on both sides. Solder in both sides for mechanical stability, the two sides share the same pins except for one side is NeoPixel in and the opposite side has the out pin. For side-by-side wiring, we also have the cathode pin broken out on the sides, and another set of NeoPixel In/Out pins.
Please note, each order comes with one assembled PCB and a small stick of break-off header. Soldering is required to attach the header for breadboard use. A mechanical switch and key cap is not included! Use any MX-compatible switch: Kailh, Gateron, etc all work!
Jargon buster
Plain-language definitions for the technical terms used above.
- 1N4148
- A common small-signal switching diode used for low-current electronic signals. It is a good choice for fast signal switching or simple protection tasks, but not for carrying large power currents.
- breakout
- A breakout board carries a small or fine-pitched component and brings its connections out to standard, breadboard- and header-friendly pins. Describing a part as a breakout means it can be wired into a project without soldering directly to the component's tiny contacts.
- GND
- GND is the ground or reference connection (0 V) for a circuit. When connecting two devices together, their grounds must be joined so both agree on what counts as a low or high signal.
- 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.
- microcontroller
- A microcontroller is a small computer on a single chip that runs a stored program and controls connected inputs and outputs such as buttons, sensors, displays and communication interfaces. In a device built around one, it is the part that executes the code and coordinates the device's behaviour.
- 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.
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