Backlit keyboard idea


SNESFAN

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saw a topic on the ask ed questions section that brought up the idea of backlit keyboard.... while this is not a new idea and a sadly missing feature on the current pandora


the question of how would you implement it on the 2nd iteration


my idea would be to use more of a translucent rubber mat for the keypad rather than the black one currently in use, the caps to the keys look to be printed on the mat with the polimer caps on top. The question of if the actual number/letter symbols would need to be modified and if you could use a lighter coating of paint, so the light from the translucent mat would shine through and still be daylight readable with backlight off.


use one/both of the led outputs not currently in use so the feature can be turned off when not wanted rather than always on soaking up power (even if the power consumption is trivial at best) you could even at that point use different colors like white or blue, or whatever it woud look really sharp IMO


putting a led or two directy agianst the mat should spread the light throughout and light up the keys, placement and number would probably be determined by how even the light is distrobuted.


any other/better ideas on how to acomplish this?


EDIT: maybe even a better idea would be a "rail" or 2 coat process where the outter shell of the buttons (the part that protrudes external to the case) will still be black/dark and the inside rubber of each button be translucent and connected with a translucent rail connecting each row of keys... would complicate how the keymats are made but would give a better appearance than maybe just paining the top layer of the mat?
 
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The current backlight LED pads are fully software controllable. There are more then 2 LED pads not in use.
 
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that's cool, I guess my question was how would you actually use them in something that can be mass produced rather than handmade
 
Has anyone ever stripped an Xbox 360 communicator pad to see how that solves the issue? I'd love Pandora to be able to have a similar keyboard.
 
How hard would it be to have new keypads with transparent letters/numbers made? That's what I was envisioning when I asked ED about it but I have no idea what the cost would be for something like that. Would you have to buy a few thousand or could you get just a few hundred?
 
I'm sure the cost of getting just a few done would be exorbitant! ... as it's not the end product that really cost the money but the set up process. So in order to make this feasible I'm sure the order would have to be in the thousands.


In other words, not feasible for the current Pandora.


Your best bet is probably to buy a spare keypad, and carefully dremel out all the letters, refill them with a translucent material... Then somehow position leds above the keymat?


Alternatively paint the letters with glow in the dark paint and varnish the keys afterwards... which would end up looking messy no matter how careful you were and would eventually start coming off.


ANDROIDS idea would work if it was decided that is the way to go for the P2 and P2 is definitely happening... Then an order in the thousands can be justified, though I'm sure it wouldn't be available until sometime after P2 is released (It would be poor marketing to devalue the selling points of the P2 by making them available for the P1).
 
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