Logitech G15 Keyboard Mod (Update 18/02)

DAE_JA_VOO · Post by **DAE_JA_VOO** » 12 Feb 2008, 13:34

How's it guys.

schase sent me his Logitech G15 Keyboard for some modding love. For those of you who don't know, he's got a green theme with his setup at home. His case has green fans and lights and what not, and the G15 he has kinda ruins that because it's all blue. So, he sent it to me to see if i can intimidate the G15 into making it's LEDs green. Unfortunately i couldn't intimidate it, so i have to solder new LEDs in place

I'm not finished yet, but here's some progress:

The stock G15:

Then i started pulling it apart. First the frame and the LCD came off:

Then i removed the actual keyboard from the bottom cover:

Now, if you've always wondered how the G15 works (the LEDs, i mean), this should explain it to you:

If you still can't figure it out, what happens is the G15 only has a FEW LEDs, and they shine directly into the edge of a thick piece of plexi, which then distributes all the light. Very cool indeed

So, let the modding begin. I needed to know how much voltage these LEDs are getting, so i soldered two wires on to the wires powering the LEDs:

I then turned on the G15 for some testing:

Using these wires i measured the voltage - 4.4V. schase sent a bunch of green LEDs with the KB to me, and i figured i'd see if they'd work (i know nothing about the LEDs he sent me). I soldered one onto the two wires i used to test the voltage:

So, these LEDs WILL work, but that one has only been on for about 5 minutes and it's REALLY hot, so i'm gonna go get some other LEDs quick.

Let me know what you guys think

Oh, and BTW, this is the first of my new watermarked pics

Slasher · Post by **Slasher** » 12 Feb 2008, 13:40

I must say, I am surprised by the brightness of the green LED's, seeing as it is actually quite bright around it...

Can not wait to see when this is finished...

Are you going to touch the LCD panel as well with some different backlighting or something, or not?

viceroy · Post by **viceroy** » 12 Feb 2008, 13:42

If the LED is hot then you're pumping way too much voltage into them and you'll need to either get 5V LED's or dumb down the voltage with a resistor.

Vampyre_2099 · Post by **Vampyre_2099** » 12 Feb 2008, 13:44

Thats very cool. I can't wait to see the finished product. I'm loving the Watermark as well, not too distracting which is good

WiK1d · Post by **WiK1d** » 12 Feb 2008, 13:58

If this is successful I'm changing mine to white!

Can't wait for the end result!

viceroy · Post by **viceroy** » 12 Feb 2008, 14:01

WiK1d wrote:If this is successful I'm changing mine to white!

Can't wait for the end result!

Of course it will be successful

White sounds cool...but I love mine in blue...since thats what my whole PC is

DAE_JA_VOO · Post by **DAE_JA_VOO** » 12 Feb 2008, 14:27

Slasher wrote:Are you going to touch the LCD panel as well with some different backlighting or something, or not?

I want to do something like that, but i have no idea how the LCD is lit (haven't opened it up yet). If i can't change the actual lighting, i can just put a transparent green film OVER the LCD, which will make it green

viceroy wrote:If the LED is hot then you're pumping way too much voltage into them and you'll need to either get 5V LED's or dumb down the voltage with a resistor.

Yep. That's exactly why i just went and bought other LEDs and resistors

Vampyre_2099 wrote:I'm loving the Watermark as well, not too distracting which is good

Great! Thanks man!

WiK1d wrote:If this is successful I'm changing mine to white!

You've read my mind! I just got home with a handful of white LEDs

DAE_JA_VOO · Post by **DAE_JA_VOO** » 12 Feb 2008, 14:45

Okay, i dunno what the hell i was thinking but i bought REGULAR LEDs... not the super bright ones. Ai... so, needless to say, they were useless. The white ones i bought for myself were super bright. OMW they look fantastic:

Now i'm too lazy to get in my car and go get super bright green ones

viceroy · Post by **viceroy** » 12 Feb 2008, 15:07

Go get them!!!

Vampyre_2099 · Post by **Vampyre_2099** » 12 Feb 2008, 15:17

Come on, quickly, I wanna see the finished product!!!

Post by **Stuart** » 12 Feb 2008, 15:29

DAE_JA_VOO wrote:Now i'm too lazy to get in my car and go get super bright green ones

So use the resistor like viceroy suggested. I'm surprised that the ones I sent are too hot, because they come from another keyboard as it is.

DAE_JA_VOO · Post by **DAE_JA_VOO** » 12 Feb 2008, 15:36

Okay, just got back, they don't have the LED's i'm after. I'm gonna have to use the ones schase sent with. I hope my resistors are ok for them. I'm sure it'll be fine though

schase wrote:I'm surprised that the ones I sent are too hot, because they come from another keyboard as it is.

Well, that KB might have a resistor on somewhere that drops the voltage before it gets to the LEDs

Post by **Stuart** » 12 Feb 2008, 15:43

DAE_JA_VOO wrote:Okay, just got back, they don't have the LED's i'm after. I'm gonna have to use the ones schase sent with. I hope my resistors are ok for them. I'm sure it'll be fine though

schase wrote:I'm surprised that the ones I sent are too hot, because they come from another keyboard as it is.
Well, that KB might have a resistor on somewhere that drops the voltage before it gets to the LEDs

Well, you pretty much have the entire PC board of that particular keyboard with you there (or at least that's what I sent). Can't you see if there's a resistor somewhere along the line?

I figured you'd have trouble getting superbright green LEDs, which is why I sent the ones I did. I couldn't find the superbright greens anywhere around here, so I suspected you might not find it anywhere near you.

Samaya · Post by **Samaya** » 12 Feb 2008, 15:50

Do you need help?

[Ghost buster theme ] "Who you gonna call?"[/Ghost busters theme]

LOL

DAE_JA_VOO · Post by **DAE_JA_VOO** » 12 Feb 2008, 16:00

Samaya wrote:Do you need help?

[Ghost buster theme ] "Who you gonna call?"[/Ghost busters theme]

LOL

LOL!!!

Actually, for ONCE, i think there is something electronics related that i can handle

Thanks though dude. If i get stuck, you'll be the first person i call

Okay, i had a look at the LEDs you sent me schase (dude can i use your name here?). If i run them without a resistor, they get boiling hot, if i put on the resistors i have, they're not NEARLY bright enough. I do know that communica PROBABLY has 3mm super bright green LEDs, so if you're willing to wait, i can go and get some next week (i'm mad busy this week). How's that?

Apparently these 3mm super bright LEDs are quite new. The white ones i got from Electronics123 were from the first batch they've ever had.

Anyway, here are some more shots of how the G15 lights itself up so beautifully:

Lights off:

I might just do mine just now with white

Post by **Anakha56** » 12 Feb 2008, 16:19

very nice...

Hmmm I like mine in blue but what I would like to do is add some of these super thin leds to the top part of assembly. Then i will get a proper backlit K/B where all the keys are lit up properly...

PS: DJV when is the new G15 going to get modded to blue leds?

Post by **Stuart** » 12 Feb 2008, 16:19

DAE_JA_VOO wrote:Okay, i had a look at the LEDs you sent me schase (dude can i use your name here?).

Of course you can.

DAE_JA_VOO wrote:If i run them without a resistor, they get boiling hot, if i put on the resistors i have, they're not NEARLY bright enough. I do know that communica PROBABLY has 3mm super bright green LEDs, so if you're willing to wait, i can go and get some next week (i'm mad busy this week). How's that?

M'kay. I'm not in any mad rush for it. Chances that I would be able to get it from you before next week are very slim anyway, so if you think you can get them next week then let's wait.

DAE_JA_VOO · Post by **DAE_JA_VOO** » 12 Feb 2008, 17:13

Okay great,thanks Stuart

Anakha56 wrote:PS: DJV when is the new G15 going to get modded to blue leds?

Well, i don't have one

And i doubt anyone else is gonna be willing to send me theirs

But let me see if i can get one from one of my sponsors. That shouldn't be too much of a problem. If i can get one, i'll start modding it ASAP

badguy · Post by **badguy** » 12 Feb 2008, 20:10

DAE_JA_VOO wrote:Okay great,thanks Stuart

Anakha56 wrote:PS: DJV when is the new G15 going to get modded to blue leds?
Well, i don't have one And i doubt anyone else is gonna be willing to send me theirs

But let me see if i can get one from one of my sponsors. That shouldn't be too much of a problem. If i can get one, i'll start modding it ASAP

Little time ago in English spam thread I told you that i want to make a keyboard led mod just using a normal keyboard you sad it could be possible because of the G15 does have leds but i cant get leds no where ??? so can you make a guide for us .if i get leds i will make one

Off-The-Chart · Post by **Off-The-Chart** » 12 Feb 2008, 20:23

damn another fine idea for a mod...

man that thing even looks so hawt standard...

that lighting is such an awesome idea... one can really implement it into something big...

RobThePyro · Post by **RobThePyro** » 12 Feb 2008, 21:08

Hey Dae!

(my G15 mod... sorry about the pic i just took it quick!)

BTW, if you had a better look you would notice that the G15 led boards have built in surface mount resistors which are fine!, the reason that green LED got so hot is you didnt have ANY current limiting resistor the way you wired it up, and it was prob getting like 150mA @ 4.4v!!!!!! which will kill it in no time!!! but like i said the built in resistors are perfect, so just swap out the LED's!

oh and also, dont bother taking the LCD apart, i did and all it is a sealed unit, so you cant change the lighting! but like you said green film will work.

good luck man

Rob~!

Xiphan · Post by **Xiphan** » 13 Feb 2008, 00:31

Anakha56 wrote:PS: DJV when is the new G15 going to get modded to blue leds?

That's what I'd like to know, hasn't the new one been replaced with red/ orange LEDs?

DAE_JA_VOO wrote:Oh, and BTW, this is the first of my new watermarked pics

It's pretty cool, do you have to do that manually for each pic or do you have a program that applies it to a whole bunch of pictures for you?

DAE_JA_VOO · Post by **DAE_JA_VOO** » 13 Feb 2008, 07:07

Awesome, thanks Rob! I'll test these resistors tonight

badguy wrote:Little time ago in English spam thread I told you that i want to make a keyboard led mod just using a normal keyboard you sad it could be possible because of the G15 does have leds but i cant get leds no where ??? so can you make a guide for us .if i get leds i will make one

Well, doing a mod like this with a regular keyboard wont be possible.I think you've got me confused with someone else. The keys need to have transparent letters for it to work

Xiphan wrote:
DAE_JA_VOO wrote:Oh, and BTW, this is the first of my new watermarked pics
It's pretty cool, do you have to do that manually for each pic or do you have a program that applies it to a whole bunch of pictures for you?

I have an app that batch processes my images

DeanMF · Post by **DeanMF** » 13 Feb 2008, 11:00

Wow Dae - I cant wait to see this one get done

I love the G15 and so wish I had one. Blue will be perfect for me though

Awesome watermarks

Very very professional

Xiphan · Post by **Xiphan** » 13 Feb 2008, 13:32

DAE_JA_VOO wrote:
Xiphan wrote:
DAE_JA_VOO wrote:Oh, and BTW, this is the first of my new watermarked pics
It's pretty cool, do you have to do that manually for each pic or do you have a program that applies it to a whole bunch of pictures for you?
I have an app that batch processes my images

I'm guessing it's probably an app for Linux then?

Otherwise any news of a possible mod to the new G15?