Fixing CM Devastator II backlight

[WkdPaul]

So, a recent purchase of mine was a Cooler Master Davastator II but a big complaint with it is the fact that they made the Scroll Lock key the backlight toggle. So if you're using softwares that use Scroll Lock (like Excel) this gets annoying VERY fast, and the backlights have to be toggled every time you restart the computer.

 

The first mod I did on the second day was to connect the 5v supply from the USB to the positive terminal of the LEDs that make up the backlight (found that mod on GeekHack.org when looking for solutions). BUT after a bit of testing, the LEDs are supplied 3.7v, not 5v, so even if it's a popular mod, I did feel it wasn't a good idea. Plus, the backlights were always on even when the PC was off (unless you disable "Fast Startup" in Windows 10).

 

So today I decided to look at the circuit board and figure out if I could toggle the backlighting any other way. And I did, here's my solution;

 

 

CM somehow decided we couldn't look at the IC and so they have them in a "drop" of plastic, I didn't take any chances and left it as-is.

The rest of the circuit is pretty simple, the backlights are toggled by the Scroll Lock LED and gets the same power as the 3 "regular" LEDs (Num Lock, Scroll Lock and Caps Lock). So I changed the circuit so that the Num Lock would toggle the backlights instead of using the Scroll Lock (I kept the resistor and soldiered it to the jumper)

 

I decided to use Num Lock because I always select the option to have it turned on at boot, so no need to worry about pressing a button after booting the PC, no more problems with Scroll Lock and unlike the other mod, the backlights always turn off when powering off the PC since the Num Lock always ends up being turned off.

Spoiler

 

 

I also took some time to sleeve the USB cable since I cut it off to install a USB hub and 2 ports at the back of the keyboard, but since it's past midnight I'm calling it a day and will soldier the ports and make the holes later, the hub is already installed in the keyboard and the keyboard is wired to one of the port.

 

The hub I used was a cheap hub that I bought in China, it was $3 CAD if I remember right (sorry forgot to take a picture before disassembly, it's a 4 ports hub that looks like a green bean );

Spoiler

 

 

The "warranty void" sticker removed, with the sleeved cable in view;

Spoiler

 

 

 

A video showing the hack works  (not sure inserting video works ... since we can't post links to YouTube )

 

DSCN3692.MOV

[iamdarkyoshi]

Love it when mods are this simple

[WkdPaul]

3 minutes ago, iamdarkyoshi said:

Love it when mods are this simple

Took me most of the evening to re-wire the damn thing!

 

[Mug]

Good mod

[iamdarkyoshi]

3 minutes ago, wkdpaul said:

Took me most of the evening to re-wire the damn thing!

 

Its better than my friend's iHome mouse

 

WHERE CLICKING BOTH BUTTONS AT ONCE CHANGES THE DPI EVEN THOUGH THERE IS A DAMN BUTTON FOR IT

[SCHISCHKA]

wouldn't it be easier to just connect a resistor or potentiometer to the LEDs?

[WkdPaul]

13 minutes ago, SCHISCHKA said:

wouldn't it be easier to just connect a resistor or potentiometer to the LEDs?

Yes but it wasn't what I was looking for, I wanted to keep the "on/off" fonctionality without it being on the Scroll Lock button

 

Edit: I also wanted a USB hub in the keyboard and that was the hardest part, had to remove all the ports from the hub and re-wire the whole thing and also find somewhere to install it in the keyboard. The jumper was the simple and quick part of it all.

 

[WkdPaul]

Done installing the USB port on the back!!