In our last manufacturing update, we talked about passing the certification of the electronics and how we started manufacturing 100 PCBs of the Raise.
The next step then was to manufacture 100 PCBs of the Neuron. Out of the 100, 97 passed and 3 failed. The 3 units that failed are now back here in Valencia and Matt is checking them to find out why they failed.
The only thing we are waiting for now is the final signature and contract from the factories in China and then we are off to begin mass production!
While we’ve been waiting to launch mass production, we’ve been using this time to improve some components of the product. These improvements aren’t delaying mass production. We are simply using the waiting time to make the improvements.
Stabilizers
One of our backers, Karl, showed us that the quality of our stabilizers wasn’t good enough. He sent us multiple videos showing the shakiness of the stabilizers on his Raise sample and compared it to another set of stabilizers.
Once we learned about good stabilizers, we decided that we shouldn’t settle for low-quality ones.
Manel contacted different suppliers in China and after weeks of research, we found 2 options. We tested them on the Raise and finally chose the most solid one.
It was a big improvement and we were all excited to find out that we were on time to change the stabilizers for mass production.
In this video, Manel compares the new stabilizer to the old one and does some sound comparisons.
We are very grateful that Karl addressed this issue. Thanks to him, we were able to improve this feature of our product. Asking feedback from backers has really helped us produce a better product. And this has already happened numerous times.
We just want to reiterate that we are very thankful for having such awesome backers who are willing to help us out.
Keycap and switch puller
For the DVT units, we sent out a keycap puller and a switch puller, which was different from the original keycap/switch puller that we intended to include.
After testing them, we realized that the original keycap/switch puller that we had was actually the better option. It is easier to use when removing keycaps and it was also better to use for removing the low profile switches.
In the video below, Manel demonstrates and explains why we decided to use our original keycap/switch puller for mass production.
Palm pads
We received a better version of the white palm pads just last week. The problems we had with the previous palm pad sample were that the cut wasn’t smooth and the edges would rise up after long use.
Now, the material of the white palm pads has a different elasticity, which makes it flatter when propped on a level surface. The factory also improved the cut of the palm pads, so now the edges are smoother.
The color and the silkscreen paint color is also better.
We will keep improving the palm pads and we will make sure that the factory follows our quality control standards so the final product is the best we can provide.
Cables
Three of our testers also experienced some disconnection issues with their short cables, the 20cm USBC-USBC cable. Basically, it would suddenly disconnect and then you’d have to wiggle it a bit for it to reconnect again.
We still don’t know why they kept malfunctioning so they have been sent to the factory in China so they can check and understand the causes.
We have also had many people ask for longer cables to be able to split the Raise farther apart. So we will be offering 50cm and 90cm USBC-USBC cables on our website in the future!
Firmware
Some of the testers have experienced problems with the BIOS of their computer not working with the Raise. The BIOS is software that starts when you turn your computer on, and where you can configure things like boot order or clock speed.
Some old BIOS versions don’t work with NKRO USB reports, only with the older Boot Protocol reports.
Our firmware already supports a toggle switch to choose which report is used, but it seems to have a bug with the ARM chip we are using. We expect to fix this over the next weeks.
Another issue we are working on is this ISO/ANSI detection bug where the computer thinks the keyboard is an ISO but actually, it’s an ANSI. In effect, the LED of one key turns into a different color after booting. We’re doing our best to fix all the issues that have been submitted by our testers.
We will continue updating you with further developments!
