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Step 6Putting It all together.
In the next step we will be putting it all together. Take your spacers and apply them to one side of your keypad. come to think of it you could technically use silicone (the type used for caulking) as a really decent spacer... I may try this in the future actually.... hmm..
Anyways back on topic. To apply these spacers we need to make sure that there is a hole in the center of them so that the rows and columns can contact one another when they are depressed (not sad... pressed down). I kinda just tiled everything but you could use a hole punch or something to get better results. The spacers are also there to make sure other parts of our circuit do not touch each-other incidentally.
Take a look at image 1 to see all the spacers applied appropriately. Once your spacers have been applied (you may need to glue whatever you are using) you may put the other side of your keypad on top of this one (image 2). Luckily you made sure that everything was mapped out properly on your template on the computer... you did make a template didn't you?
Image 3 is the pieced together keypad.
*****OPTIONAL STEP*****
To help my keypad enjoy a long healthy life I laminated mine. It helps provide some structural support for the paper... constant pressing can and will create depressions (again not sad) in the paper that sooner or later will cause your keypad to become ineffectively pressing that button constantly.
Image 4 would show my beautiful laminated Matrix style keypad however the laminator ate my piece of art.
Anyways back on topic. To apply these spacers we need to make sure that there is a hole in the center of them so that the rows and columns can contact one another when they are depressed (not sad... pressed down). I kinda just tiled everything but you could use a hole punch or something to get better results. The spacers are also there to make sure other parts of our circuit do not touch each-other incidentally.
Take a look at image 1 to see all the spacers applied appropriately. Once your spacers have been applied (you may need to glue whatever you are using) you may put the other side of your keypad on top of this one (image 2). Luckily you made sure that everything was mapped out properly on your template on the computer... you did make a template didn't you?
Image 3 is the pieced together keypad.
*****OPTIONAL STEP*****
To help my keypad enjoy a long healthy life I laminated mine. It helps provide some structural support for the paper... constant pressing can and will create depressions (again not sad) in the paper that sooner or later will cause your keypad to become ineffectively pressing that button constantly.
Image 4 would show my beautiful laminated Matrix style keypad however the laminator ate my piece of art.
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Only got one question: im making a multicolour led cube for my room and I was wondering if that keypad could be used to change the colour? for example: number 1 for red, number 2 for blue, etc.
You simply dared where I wouldn't even thinking!
Compliments!
But as *ANY* idea, cold be perfectible.
As a technician,
Very often even I do have had to face the problem to "renew" a broken flat keyboard (sorry 4 my poor english, I'm Italian!).
So I would make some suggestions:
1) instead of using aluminium foil, you can use a (thoughter to find) COPPER aghesive tape. This way, one can even SOLDER wires at the end of the flat connector eventually to wire them to the pre-existing pcb,
This way your process could be *REALLY* generalized to *ANY* flat keyboard of ANY SHAPE and ANY taste that have to be rebuilt!
2) use laminator, not as an option. The use of laminator can greatly improve the quality of your building process, making the keypad even all-wheather!
3) Use mylar adhesive tape or print directly on projection sheets suitable for the printer. This way, you'll have an even better "riggedized" but still flexible keyboard.
Anyway C O N G R A T U L A T I O N S ! ! ! ! ! !