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 ...
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.
- breakout
- A breakout is a small circuit board that makes a tiny or hard-to-solder component easier to connect to with standard pins. It matters because this OLED module can be wired into a microcontroller project without needing to solder directly to the display’s fine contacts.
- LED
- A light-emitting diode is a small electronic component that lights up when current flows through it in the correct direction. In this kit, LEDs create the flashing effect, so polarity and correct soldering matter for the project to work.
- microcontroller
- A microcontroller is a small computer on a chip that runs your program and controls connected inputs and outputs. For this product, it is the part that reads buttons and sensors, drives the display and speaker, and communicates over Bluetooth.
- 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 is a rigid board with copper tracks that connect electronic parts without loose wires. For this kit, the PCBs also form the airplane shape, so they are both the circuit base and part of the finished model.
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