Stalled Iris 16 - RGB Vandal Button

[PNP]

Though for some reason those are either not for sale or ridiculously expensive.

Strange, that's a full-size HDMI socket you've got there, right? I can find them for US$3.50 (sans headers or shipping) on this side of the Atlantic.

 

[iFreilicht]

If you mean as part of a keyboard, I think that's been possible since +5VSB was added to the ATX power spec. In fact, my main Windows PC used to boot up mysteriously before I disabled it...

Isn't there a Power-on-USB thing? I know for sure that there are Power, Wake and Sleep keycodes, but I'm not sure what you can actually use those for.

Strange, that's a full-size HDMI socket you've got there, right? I can find them for US$3.50 (sans headers or shipping) on this side of the Atlantic.

Huh, how the hell did I miss that? Thanks!

 

[EdZ]

Instead of measuring to get that information, could it be deducted from the datasheet? The LEDs I'm using have Dominant Wavelength and Luminous Intensity specified for each chip. Is that enough information? Or should that be tested at the current I'll be running the LEDs at to get more accurate results? Will the colour space be influenced by a diffusing optical element above the LEDs?

In theory yes, that is entirely possible. In practice, that involves translating from a spectrographic representation of real light, to a perceptual representation of perceived colour, then back to Lab space. This is a lot harder to do than it sounds.
Diffusing elements should have no effect on colour, and only a minimal effect on perceived luminance at any reasonable distance (no eyeball-mounted switches!).
Current draw does have an effect on the wavelength produced, to varying degrees depending on LED, but this appears to be a function of junction temperature (i.e. more current = hotter). I haven't researched this though, so could be wrong.

 

[K888D]

This is a lot harder to do than it sounds

It sounds really hard, so it must be verging on impossible to do!

 

[Curiosity]

Ran into this button yesterday after the switch I ordered for my S4 didn't fit, claims to be RGB but I don't know much about it, maybe it's really limited in color range or something?
It seems like you could wire it to work with asus aura.

E-Switch PV6F240SS-3R1

 

[iFreilicht]

E-Switch PV6F240SS-3R1

It is indeed RGB, but you can't wire it up to mainboards with RGB LED strip headers like the ASUS Aura ones. RGB LED strips have a common anode, to which you supply 12V and then PWM the R, G and B cathodes. This button has a common cathode which is always wired to ground and you then PWM the R, G and B anodes. Not sure whether the switch comes with integrated current-limiting resistors, you might have to add those, too.

And it doesn't allow for cool ring-animations, either

 

[Curiosity]

It is indeed RGB, but you can't wire it up to mainboards with RGB LED strip headers like the ASUS Aura ones. RGB LED strips have a common anode, to which you supply 12V and then PWM the R, G and B cathodes. This button has a common cathode which is always wired to ground and you then PWM the R, G and B anodes. Not sure whether the switch comes with integrated current-limiting resistors, you might have to add those, too.

And it doesn't allow for cool ring-animations, either

Ah, that makes sense.
So while this is capable of RGB, it'll need all the hardware you're cramming into the inside of your button on the outside, correct?

 

[HeroXLazer]

Ah, that makes sense.
So while this is capable of RGB, it'll need all the hardware you're cramming into the inside of your button on the outside, correct?

Yes.

 

[iFreilicht]

Ah, that makes sense.
So while this is capable of RGB, it'll need all the hardware you're cramming into the inside of your button on the outside, correct?

And even then it couldn't do all the things my button can do. Other than that, correct.

BTW, I think it could be possible to control the buttons LEDs via a motherboard with RGB LED Strip headers. Depending on the implementation, one would only need dropper resistors or diodes to read out the PWM signals of the header for each colour. Not that there's much practical use with that, but it might be a nice addition to the featureset.

 

[HeroXLazer]

Why wasn't this USB Mini B 2.0, then we could've used a motherboard header?

 

[Phuncz]

From a while back:

To control the effects and load new patterns to the switch, you need USB, the smallest connector for that is microUSB. For scanning the HDD LED and to actually work as a power button, you need a pin header with four pins. And I wanted to have both come out the side for maximum space efficiency. So the total depth of both of those connectors has to fit through the hole of the switch as well.

How about Micro-HDMI? 19 contacts to play with, and I've found SMT sockets as small as 6.5mm x 7.5mm, which should fit through a 12mm diameter hole (limit ~10mm diameter).

 

[EdZ]

Why wasn't this USB Mini B 2.0, then we could've used a motherboard header?

To add to @Phuncz, while the connector itself is physically Micro-HDMI, that's just used as a compact pinout. You could make a custom breakout cable to connect directly from the micro-HDMI plug to an internal USB header (as well as Power SW and so on, in the same wiring harness).

 

[iFreilicht]

You could make a custom breakout cable to connect directly from the micro-HDMI plug to an internal USB header

And this wire harness will be supplied with the button! You won't have to use the breakout board!

 

[|||]

@iFreilicht - FYI, button click feel is being discussed over here: NFC Systems: S4 Mini

 

[jeshikat]

IIRC the plan is just a short throw SMD switch right? Since the electronics take up the rest of the space the long-throw mechanical switch would normally take up.

 

[iFreilicht]

IIRC the plan is just a short throw SMD switch right? Since the electronics take up the rest of the space the long-throw mechanical switch would normally take up.

Yes, 0.2mm travel and either 100gf or 160gf actuation force. Haven't decided on the last figure yet.
Actually, most of the space is occupied by internal board-to-board connectors, but yes, there's little space for an actual button.

FYI, button click feel is being discussed over here: NFC Systems: S4 Mini

Any more specific posts you can link? That thread is long.

 

[ricochet]

Any more specific posts you can link? That thread is long.

Here you go mate: https://smallformfactor.net/forum/threads/nfc-systems-s4-mini.96/page-83#post-31586

 

[|||]

Interesting, I copied the post that @ricochet posted, but it was overwritten by copying in the copied NFC post heading (which was hyperlinked). Gotta love prioritizations....

 

[iFreilicht]

Ah thanks! Yeah I totally agree with the sentiment that E-Switch vandal buttons feel pretty darn great, but unfortunately there's no room for that sort of mechanism in my button. I really think that using keyboard switches would be an awesome way to allow customisation of the feeling (should fit in a 22mm switch), but I think most people would prefer something akin to Cherry Greens with 100gf or heavier springs for the power button of their PC, which is the keyboard equivalent of how the E-Switch buttons feel.

 

[HeroXLazer]

What type of LEDs are you using, what model is what I mean?