Calibrating your PW65HE PCB
The First Step - Flashing the Bootloader
- Is your PCB fresh from factory? If so, skip this step and go to step two.
- If you attempted to re-flash your bootloader previously with another BIN file, you may need to complete this step.
This step is common across all QMK/VIA compatible keyboards. Here is a brief review video from MechMerlin! We will have step by step instructions afterwards.
Step by Step Guide
The PCB needs to be removed from the keyboard and unplugged. Hold the reset button and plug the USB-C cord in. The image below shows the location of the reset button.
Once in bootloader mode, we can open up QMK Toolbox. If you have not installed QMK Toolbox, the source can be found here. Follow the download and driver installation guide before continuing.
With QMK Toolbox open, we need to look for confirmation that the PCB is in Bootloader mode. The yellow text:
"STM32 DFU device connected (WinUSB): STMicroelectronics STM32 BOOTLOADER (0483:DF11:2200)"
is the confirmation we want to see. This text should show up automatically if the PCB is already in bootloader mode. If it does not show up, try closing the program, unplugging the PCB, replugging in the PCB while reset is held, then opening QMK Toolbox again.
Nagivate the URL on top to the BIN file for PW65HE (highlighted above in blue). This can be done by hitting the Open button on the top toolbar and selecting the BIN file. QMK Toolbox will autogenerate the URL for you. Once the yellow text is shown and the BIN file is selected, we can flash the BIN file.
Upon pressing the flash button, we want to see the old file erased and the new file downloaded. An example of this page is captured below for your reference.
The PCB has been flashed! Please remember to unplug the USB-C cable and replug the USB-C cable to enter the normal typing mode. Otherwise your PCB will still be in bootloader mode!
The Second Step - Opening VIA and the Calibration Tool
- Are you using the Switches provided in the PCB Kit? If so, skip this step as well! PCBs from factory are calibrated for the switches they come with.
All adjustments have to be made in VIA.
The calibration tool is a visual aid to help you know that calibration is on-going or finished. VIA is the program calibrating the PCB. To get started, open both VIA and the calibration tool.
In VIA, authorize the device called HE65. We'll proceed to the Design Tab (labeled 1 in the image below) and then Load the PW65HE JSON file (labeled 2 in the image below).
Once this has loaded, we can navigate back to the Configure tab in VIA to look for the Hall Effect settings.
At this point, the keyboard can be tested with the Key Tester to see if the keys work. An uncalibrated sensor may have weak or fickle reception, but should give a readout.
The image below shows the Hall Effect settings (labeled 2) under the configure tab (labeled 1). The calibration feature is highlighted with the red rectangle, which we will use after setting up the calibration tool.
Run the Calibration Tool. An example of the screen is shown below. The calibration tool display will be static because the keyboard is not yet in calibration mode.
Press MO(1) + Z to enter calibration mode. There should be some blinking markers under each key at this point (shown in the image below). Your markers may be more volatile than the example.
With both VIA and the calibration tool setup, click the Calibration Start button in VIA (in the red rectangle marked above), which will erase all saved calibration data. Then navigate back to the calibration tool by clicking anywhere on the tool. The calibration tool will show a wide variance in values detected. See the image below for an example.
Make sure to have navigated back to the calibration tool before we start calibration (IE. click on the calibration tool window). This ensures that function keys (IE. Win, OS Key, Enter, Esc, Back, Reload) does not affect VIA.
To start calibration, press each key all the way down, one by one, and hold for 1-2 seconds. DO NOT PRESS MULTIPLE SWITCHES AT ONCE.
A calibrated key will show stable signal instead of the volatile signal. The image below shows calibration for the top row of the keyboard (Esc, 1, 2, 3, etc).
Once all the switches have been standardized, go back to VIA and click "End + Save Calibration Data." This button is marked in the image below with a red arrow.
The PCB is now ready for usage! Feel free to close the calibration tool. VIA will be used to customize your PCB in the next section.
