On keyboard replacement and Pinebook Pro fragility

[bcnaz]

My ANSI keyboard arrived recently (to replace ISO one) along with NVME controller and I thought I would share my experience after mostly gentle disassembly and reassembly. Let's start with effect right after assembly:

1. ...
2. New keyboard basically did not work ...
3. Daughter board is dead
4. Possibly related to 3. USB2 devices do not work when plugged into USB3 port (forget about external keyboard, mouse or YubiKey). USB3 devices work perfectly fine though.
5. ...

About keyboard:

... I realized I did not know where keyboard firmware is actually located -- if it's on the main board then it's wrong since it was for ISO keyboard. If firmware is directly on the keyboard then newly arrived keyboard was completely broken. Fortunately installing new firmware helped (after few attempts out of which few ended up in errors). Note that installing firmware is extremely complex if 1) you cannot attach external keyboard (no USB2 devices),  2) your WiFi connects after logging in (no SSH) 3) you cannot login since you don't have any working keyboard.


As for good news NVME adapter worked fine from the start with WD Blue SN550.

One thing is for sure: if I every open up PBP again, that would be just for replacing daughter board. Everything inside is just way too fragile.

Thanks for your post. It's very close to home for me. 

I just received a replacement ANSI keyboard because the original board apparently failed outside of warranty. Looking at the keyboard now I'm guessing that the failure is in the firmware you alluded to.

Do you have a link to instructions on how to update the firmware?  Maybe some notes you'd be willing to share?
I can get logged in and slowly do some keyboard input so I may be able to do a firmware flash.

Also, you alluded to using an external USB keyboard. Is that talked about anywhere online?

I really don't want to transfer all of the PBP's components to the new keyboard - I have essential tremor.  If I'd done my homework thoroughly I would have cut my losses.

Thanks

  On this Forum :

There are extensive discussions on the keyboard firmware in posts early this year, 
      ( there is even more than one choice of firmware that will work.)

   I believe the firmware is stored on the keyboard itself.

 As there is only one replacement mainboard,   not different ISO and ANSI versions.

There is even at least one post detailing step by step,  the installation of a new keyboard.

There is a lot of very useful information here,  just sometimes you must dig-in a bit to find it.