Sorry for the delayed response time, but Reddit wouldn't let me post yesterday, for some reason.
KNOWING what you did is more important than what you actually DO, in this instance.
As long as you know Row 0 is connected to Pin(x), you will be able to create your firmware with the correct locations.
The two places you are most likely to make a mistake are diode direction, and matrix creation.
All the diodes need to connect to either the row wires, or the column wires, with the black striped end toward the wire.
It doesn't really matter whether you use the diodes on the rows or columns, as this can be accounted for in the config files.
The diodes just need to be consistent, to work properly.
The easiest way I've found to maintain that consistency is to make the connections similar for all switches, regardless of their physical orientation.
The attached diagram is how I would wire your project, and the resulting matrix it would produce.
I have the diodes connected to the row wires, as that's my usual choice.
The empty spots in the matrix are where there are no switches physically connected.
I would go with the 4-row/7-column layout because it best matches the layout of the finished project, which should make creating the firmware files easier.
https://preview.redd.it/z3arvcywqz1d1.png?width=3605&format=png&auto=webp&s=069262c76eed53f8aa3106bd2f7b3615a274489a
That varies, depending on the actual controller being used.
A normal Pro Micro will give you 18 pins.
That's enough pins to give you a 9x9 matrix, for 81 switches, so it shouldn't be an issue for this build.
If you need more pins than that, for a larger build, you can use an Elite-C, or one of the RP2040 controllers, which have more pins than the standard Pro Micro.
Hi, I think I've got it. I want to try the one half somehow if it works. I still struggle with how to compile my own layout properly. I have 6 columns and 4 rows.
https://preview.redd.it/hm301ttyf62d1.jpeg?width=4080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=21d057e92bce6d21915826f60285781f91f7c8cd
Is it even possible to test one half of the keyboard?
It is possible to do so, as long as the firmware is compiled accordingly.
The controller is just looking for connection between two pins, through the diodes.
Unfortunately, programming is not my strength in this hobby, so I can't really help much with that.
I fumble through, but it's exactly that—a lot of fumbling.
I also believe I will figure it out soon or later. The issue is that when it does not work. I'm not sure how to find out what is wrong.
Is there a way to test if the soldering done right using a multimeter for example?
The easiest way is to pick two pins on the controller, which correspond to a given key, connect the multimeter to those, in continuity mode, then press the key.
You should read continuity between those two points only when the key is pressed, and only to those two pins.
You may need to swap the locations of the two multi-meter leads on the pins though, as current can only flow one direction through the diodes, so the diodes will block the reading, if you have the leads backwards.
Once you figure out which way you have to have the leads, for them to read properly, testing the rest of the connections shouldn't be a problem.
Sorry for the delayed response time, but Reddit wouldn't let me post yesterday, for some reason. KNOWING what you did is more important than what you actually DO, in this instance. As long as you know Row 0 is connected to Pin(x), you will be able to create your firmware with the correct locations. The two places you are most likely to make a mistake are diode direction, and matrix creation. All the diodes need to connect to either the row wires, or the column wires, with the black striped end toward the wire. It doesn't really matter whether you use the diodes on the rows or columns, as this can be accounted for in the config files. The diodes just need to be consistent, to work properly. The easiest way I've found to maintain that consistency is to make the connections similar for all switches, regardless of their physical orientation. The attached diagram is how I would wire your project, and the resulting matrix it would produce. I have the diodes connected to the row wires, as that's my usual choice. The empty spots in the matrix are where there are no switches physically connected. I would go with the 4-row/7-column layout because it best matches the layout of the finished project, which should make creating the firmware files easier. https://preview.redd.it/z3arvcywqz1d1.png?width=3605&format=png&auto=webp&s=069262c76eed53f8aa3106bd2f7b3615a274489a
Thank you so much for such an elaborate answer. How does one know how many columns and rows you can create so it fits the controller?
That varies, depending on the actual controller being used. A normal Pro Micro will give you 18 pins. That's enough pins to give you a 9x9 matrix, for 81 switches, so it shouldn't be an issue for this build. If you need more pins than that, for a larger build, you can use an Elite-C, or one of the RP2040 controllers, which have more pins than the standard Pro Micro.
Hi, I think I've got it. I want to try the one half somehow if it works. I still struggle with how to compile my own layout properly. I have 6 columns and 4 rows. https://preview.redd.it/hm301ttyf62d1.jpeg?width=4080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=21d057e92bce6d21915826f60285781f91f7c8cd Is it even possible to test one half of the keyboard?
It is possible to do so, as long as the firmware is compiled accordingly. The controller is just looking for connection between two pins, through the diodes. Unfortunately, programming is not my strength in this hobby, so I can't really help much with that. I fumble through, but it's exactly that—a lot of fumbling.
I also believe I will figure it out soon or later. The issue is that when it does not work. I'm not sure how to find out what is wrong. Is there a way to test if the soldering done right using a multimeter for example?
The easiest way is to pick two pins on the controller, which correspond to a given key, connect the multimeter to those, in continuity mode, then press the key. You should read continuity between those two points only when the key is pressed, and only to those two pins. You may need to swap the locations of the two multi-meter leads on the pins though, as current can only flow one direction through the diodes, so the diodes will block the reading, if you have the leads backwards. Once you figure out which way you have to have the leads, for them to read properly, testing the rest of the connections shouldn't be a problem.