November 13, 2018 - After some testing, I'm starting to roll out these new Pro Micro footprints to my various PCBs. The zigzag staggering of the header pins allows you to push the header pins onto the PCB and have enough pressure onto the pads to make a connection. You then solder the header pins to the controller (Pro Micro, Elite-C), clip the pins, and you're done.

August 23, 2022 - So I can just get this Dupont connector kit to connect the nice!nano to ferris sweep compact PCB board ... If you want to have a cable between your board and the controller, then Dupont connectors would work, but do note that you need a crimping tool, which is not included in that kit. These are the basic pin headers I was talking about. These are nicer, but I have no personal experience with them. Both can be cut to whatever length you need, and all of these solutions still require soldering on both ends.

November 17, 2025 - Hot-swap PCBs come with small metal sockets already soldered into the switch holes. These sockets allow you to push in or pull out switches without the need for soldering. They’re perfect for beginners or for those who enjoy trying different ...

September 28, 2025 - Switch Pads and Hot-Swap Sockets: Allow mechanical switches to be soldered or swapped without soldering. Diodes: Prevent ghosting and enable full N-key rollover. Microcontroller: Acts as the “brain” of the keyboard, handling key inputs and ...

June 21, 2022 - Double check on the guide to make sure you soldered it the right way up. By the way, it's usually a better idea to socket your controller instead of soldering it directly to the PCB.

December 24, 2022 - Hotswap PCBs are designed to allow users to easily remove and replace key switches without the need for soldering. These PCBs have connectors that allow the key switches to be plugged in and unplugged easily, similar to how a USB connector works.

May 18, 2026 - Additionally, if your controller has a set of extra holes, do not solder the thirteenth hole on the top edge, near the USB connector. This commonly applies to the nice!nano, and may apply to more controllers. The orientation of the header pins doesn't matter. In this guide, we placed the tall part of the headers facing toward the keyboard PCB.

March 3, 2023 - Hot swappable PCBs are designed to allow you to change your switches without the need for any soldering. This means that you can easily swap out your switches whenever you want, without having to worry about damaging the PCB or the switch.

November 24, 2025 - • Hot-Swappable PCB (Hotswap PCB) - Supporting hot-swapping. Users can directly plug and pull mechanical switches without soldering.

February 2, 2023 - This might not be a problem for most people, but if you wanted a split space bar or a stepped caps lock key, there is a high chance that hot-swap PCBs won’t support it. Also if you put too much pressure when installing your switches, you can risk busting the socket, and the only way to fix that is to solder it back onto the PCB, so always support the PCB from the back when installing switches.

March 7, 2023 - Takes a lot of patience ... A technique that worked for me a few times is: (1) heat one header pin until all the solder around it melts; (2) take it out with tweezers; (3) repeat for each header pin.

1 week ago - This isn’t a substitute for the continuity test — it’s a second, independent check that catches different kinds of faults, particularly firmware-side matrix issues rather than pure soldering defects. With every joint tested, it’s time to put firmware on the controller. Download the correct .hex, .bin, or .uf2 file for your exact PCB from the board’s QMK keyboard directory, or compile it yourself from source if you want custom keymap changes baked in before flashing.

To add solder, do the same as above, except instead of just holding the iron and removing it, feed a tiny bit of solder first. A bridge is when you take a wire, and connect one pin to another pin. This bridges the connection, allowing the current to flow, despite a missing pad. A pad is the silver ring on the pcb that surrounds each switch pin. If that ring is gone, the pad is pulled. The switch you need to bridge is different for each keyboard.

June 18, 2025 - The problem originated from me making an SMD-based design that I wanted to be easily soldered. It has a USB controller, and I used a CP2102. It works great, but it’s a tiny QFN28 chip and is hard to hand-solder. So I searched for something with pins sticking outwards and found the FT231.

May 4, 2026 - Hot-swap sockets add convenience but aren’t required. They let you change switches without soldering, which is great for testing different switches or if you’re not confident in your soldering skills.

August 4, 2026 - During production, engineers carefully control solder paste volume, printing pressure, stencil design, and alignment accuracy. If solder paste is insufficient, solder joints may not achieve enough mechanical strength. If excessive solder paste is applied, solder bridging may occur and create electrical failures. For keyboard PCBs, special attention is required for hot swap socket pads, controller pins, USB connectors, and RGB LED components because these areas usually have higher reliability requirements.

November 12, 2021 - The switches are also more stable on solder PCBs thanks to the solid physical connection between the switch and the PCB. Their main downside is a lack of easy swapping. The solder holding the switches in place needs to be removed if you want to change the switches in a solder-based keyboard, which is time consuming.

March 26, 2024 - You do not need to execute a soldering process in a mechanical keyboard PCB as you can just replace a switch. A mechanical keyboard PCB allows you to have more precise control and response when using the keyboard.