Homemade keyboard backlight. Keyboard backlight function in laptops How to make a backlight on the keyboard

Today, new laptop models that are being released already have a keyboard backlight function, this is a very convenient and useful feature in a laptop. Those who have to or like to work at night or in not very good lighting will feel especially comfortable with this function. If there is a backlight, you do not need to strain your eyes to see this or that symbol on the keyboard. There are several ways to turn on the keyboard backlight on a laptop; the only differences are in the models or manufacturers. You can also create your own keyboard backlight.

By the way, I have repeatedly seen this device in online stores and what’s nice is that it is not expensive. I also want to note that backlighting is rare in budget laptops, but it’s worth checking all of them.

Turn on the backlight

First of all, you need to determine whether your laptop has a keyboard backlight function. If there is such a function, then turning on the backlight is not difficult. Each manufacturer puts special symbols on the keys, additional keys with symbols F1 - F12.

In order to turn on the backlight on the keyboard, you need to press the Fn key and hold down another additional key, which may be different for different models - you can experiment with this by pressing F1 - F12. You can try these combinations: Fn – F5/ Fn – F6/ Fn – space (space) / Fn – right arrow.

The only thing to keep in mind when pressing additional keys is that pressing them may also activate various other functions. For example, sleep mode, turn off Wi-Fi, or turn off the monitor. To disable/enable these functions, you need to press the same key combination again.

In the image below, you can see how to turn on the keyboard backlight on an HP laptop:

There is another way to turn on the keyboard backlight on a laptop if your laptop does not have such a function. You can design the backlight yourself - this is an external backlight.

How to make outdoor lighting

I found the instructions below on the Internet, if anyone wants to do handicrafts, then this is for you.

To do this, you will need +5V power from the USB connector and a white LED. We insert it into the USB power connector. However, given that the LED has a voltage of 3.5V, and the LED current has 0.02A, a 1.5V suppression resistor is required, the additional resistor has a resistance of 1.5V/0.02A - this is 75 Ohm. Since the USB connector supplies up to 0.5A, 25 LEDs can be powered from it, but it is imperative to control the current consumed by the LEDs, since the difference of 18 - 20 MA shortens the life of the LED.

After checking the external backlight you have made and the brightness of its glow, if you need to increase the brightness of the keyboard backlight, you can connect in parallel another LED with the same resistor. The required current must be set by selecting a resistor. The backlight made by yourself is ready, you can install it and start working on a backlit laptop.

In my opinion, of course, it is better to order ready-made lighting, since it is cheap.

Many computer users have encountered this problem when they need to work at the keyboard at night and cannot turn on the light in the room. This usually occurs in people who live with their parents or have small children. Although most users prefer to work at the computer in the dark because of the higher contrast visibility of the monitor. At the same time, keyboard backlighting is simply necessary in such cases.

The fact is that in the dark it is impossible to see the characters written on the buttons, so you have to place the keyboard closer to the monitor or turn on the light. Some manufacturers have taken this feature into account and have launched the production of special keyboards or laptops that have internal backlighting. In this case, the light comes out of the keyboard itself through holes in the buttons, which are made in the form of letters. This keyboard backlight is very convenient, but has a significant drawback, since novice users do not know how to “touch” type text, which means they constantly look at the keys through which the light is shining. This negatively affects vision and when using such a device for a long time, it can be felt

Do-it-yourself keyboard backlight solves both of these problems. The fact is that it is made by the user himself, which means that during the manufacturing process all the necessary points can be taken into account. At the same time, there are two most common methods for making such illumination.

The first method involves having a special computer desk, which is equipped with a special shelf for the keyboard located under the table cover. This keyboard backlight is made of or a group of LEDs, which are fixed under the table cover, above the shelf with the keyboard. Connect it through the power supply with the appropriate voltage.

The second method assumes that the keyboard backlight will be mounted directly on it. To do this, flexible hoses with wires are attached to it, at the end of which an LED is soldered. These hoses are bent in the form of street lamps, which should illuminate the place the user needs. The second end of the wires coming from the LED can be soldered in place of the keyboard light, which lights up when the “Scroll Lock” key is pressed. Thus, when you press this key, the lighting will be turned on, and when pressed again, it will turn off. This light is very comfortable and easy to control.

If you need backlighting and don’t want to lose mobility, then you can use the simplest method. You need to purchase a small and low-power flashlight that has a clip-type mount. It can be mounted on a laptop in a position convenient for the user and turned on if necessary. If finding a flashlight with a clip is problematic, you can use a regular small flashlight and you can also use special USB-powered flashlights.

One warm winter evening, while working at the computer, I noticed that when I looked from the screen to the keyboard, I had to peer for a very long time at the letters, which were barely visible. And then an idea came to my mind - to make a backlight for the keyboard to ensure comfortable use of the PC in the evening and at night :)

Having heard a lot about LED strips, I ordered just such a package from China.

Even before placing an order, I decided that the LED strip should be powered directly from the computer, so I chose a tape with LEDs SMD5050 with operating voltage 12 volts.

Upon receiving the package, he immediately set to work. Sticking the tape to the table and connecting it to the computer is not a tricky business 🙂

This is how the LED backlight looked and worked in its original version.

Installed in the lighting circuit limit switch, which supplies power onto the LED strip when extending the tabletop, and de-energizes it when the keyboard is not in use.

After a couple of evenings with such lighting, it became obvious that the tape is too bright so I decided to collect circuit for adjusting brightness tapes. After playing with setting the variable resistor I got this result.

It doesn’t hurt your eyes, you can see the letters, and it doesn’t disturb the sleep of others :)

All the parts of the brightness control fit into a Kinder surprise egg, which was successfully hidden inside system unit(closer to the computer power supply).

A few words about backlight power consumption

Let's look at the characteristics of this LED strip

The main thing among all these parameters is the power consumption of LEDs. Total 7 watts per 1 meter of LED strip! For any modern computer power supply with a power of 350 Watts and above, this is an insignificant load. In addition, as the brightness of the LEDs decreases, the power consumption also decreases.

Satisfied with the resulting keyboard backlight, after a while I decided to make LED lighting for the entire table. I used the same LED strip that I glued to the top shelf of the table.

After several days of use, I noticed that the tape began to peel off, because... when heated, the native adhesive layer ceases to hold (at full brightness, the LEDs heat up decently). The problem was solved using double sided tape 🙂

For this illumination I made a remote module with brightness control, and placed it on the left edge of the table.

How make your own device for adjusting the brightness of the LED strip, told in :)

The regulator module was secured with double-sided tape. Holds up great!

When the brightness is reduced to a minimum, the situation looks like this:

The power supply for the backlight was also the computer's power supply. Tape connection is made through the floppy disk drive (FDD) connector, which is present on all modern models BP, but used extremely rarely :)

The next day, I glued a decorative rail in front of the tape so that the light would not hit directly into the eyes.

P.S.
The rest of the LED strip was used to make a backlight for the kitchen, but that's a completely different story ... 🙂

A feature of this design is ease of manufacture, low cost and easy availability of materials, practicality and invisibility. The backlight unit is fixed on the bottom of the tabletop and, when switched on, illuminates the keyboard and the “near-keyboard” space very well. The computer will act as a power source for the backlight unit, because at the time when you need to illuminate the keyboard, it is usually always on.

Making a backlight for a keyboard powered by computer ports

To begin with, a little about the materials and parts that were used in the manufacture of the structure. LEDs were used as light sources due to their reliability and low consumption. I used eight bright bluish LEDs with a diameter of 3.5 mm: I just went to a store that sold radio components and bought the ones I liked. I chose based on the following principles: the color of the glow (almost all the colors of the rainbow are available), the minimum possible dimensions and supply voltage (you need LEDs that burn reliably at a voltage of approximately 3 volts, which, by the way, are the majority; use copies powered by 12 volts in this design, I think, inappropriate). Unfortunately, I can’t name the brand of LEDs, because. even the sellers themselves do not know it, the quantity (8 pcs) will be explained below. Tests have shown that the selected LEDs glow very brightly at a voltage of 3 - 3.5 volts, the lower glow threshold is about 1.8 volts. It is very important to purchase LEDs all at once in one place: this will give at least some guarantee that they will all glow with the same brightness at the same current consumption.

You also need to purchase any switch (toggle switch) for two positions - “on” and “off”; I also chose it based on the minimum dimensions. A section of electrical box for wiring installation was used as a housing for the backlight unit. It can be purchased at an electrical goods store for almost pennies. The cross-section (height*width) of the box was chosen to be the smallest possible, look at several options and take the one that suits you. By the way, here you can use your imagination and use something else that is suitable in size as a case. I settled on an electrical box, due to its availability; I didn’t want to invent anything special: anyway, the lighting housing itself under the tabletop would be practically invisible.

Well, now about the most important thing: the power supply of this design. As mentioned above, the backlight will be powered from one of the computer’s peripheral ports. In principle, there may be several options, but it is better to settle on two: USB or IEEE1394 (FireWire), these ports are found in almost any computer. It all depends on which of them are less in demand on your PC. For example, I have almost everything USB port You are busy, but there is a pair of free FireWires, so IEEE1394 was chosen for power supply (see diagram above). The output voltage of the computer FireWire port is 12 volts, hence the number of LEDs used. By connecting 4 pieces in series (with a voltage on each of about 3 volts), we get the coveted 12 volts. For more uniform illumination of the “near-keyboard” space, it is desirable to increase the number of LEDs, which is why we got the number 8 (we connect in parallel two consecutive groups of four LEDs each). We include a resistor in the circuit of each serial chain (resistances R1 and R2 in the diagram - in my case 510 Ohm 0.125 W). Resistors limit the current flowing through the LEDs (in my case the current is 5mA for one serial chain, the total consumption of the design is 10mA, which , in terms of power, gives us 0.12 W), by changing their resistance you can select the required brightness of the glow.

The backlight circuit for a keyboard powered by a USB port will look slightly different:

The number of LEDs, in this case, can be any (the main thing is not to overload the USB port): it is important to connect a current-limiting resistor in series with each of them. By changing the resistance of the resistors, you can obtain the required brightness of the glow. At these ratings, the current through the LEDs, as in the first case, is limited to 5mA, resulting in a total consumption of 40mA or 0.2 W in terms of power.

The resistance values in the first and second diagrams are approximate; these were obtained for the LEDs I have, at a brightness that is comfortable, again, for me: you may get slightly different values. It is best, during setup, to connect the assembled circuit to an external voltage source of 5 or 12 volts, respectively, check the functionality and, if necessary, adjust the brightness of the LEDs, only then connect the device to your computer.

You can get a general idea of the design of the backlight unit by looking at the photos (click on the photo - a larger image will open in a new window). To connect to a computer, standard cables are used (in the first case, the IEEE1394 6pin - 6pin cable, photo above; in the second USB A - USB A. On the one hand, the connectors are cut off, the wires are cut to the required length and soldered to the desired circuit points. Unused wires must be carefully insulate relative to each other and from the cable shielding.

In principle, as you can see, there is nothing complicated in the design and installation, just be patient and careful. Once again, I want to remind you: we must turn on the first time from an external power source, check, adjust the brightness, etc. We fasten the assembled structure with self-tapping screws to the bottom of the tabletop: for better light reflection, the surface in this place can be pasted over with sticky aluminum foil. After that, we connect the structure to the computer and, with pleasure, use it.

In some cases, there is a need to make additional illumination of the work surface. Keyboards with backlit keys can be purchased, but if such an option is suitable.

If the price of such devices does not correspond to the user’s capabilities, it is enough to reserve time and do everything yourself. For this procedure you will need some knowledge of working with a soldering iron and connecting a diode strip.

Why do you need a backlight on your keyboard?

A backlit computer keyboard is essential for people working at night. Night owls often wonder how to achieve keyboard illumination if touch typing has not been mastered. Also, for some operations it is necessary to look at the keys, which is difficult in poor-quality lighting.

Additional illumination is necessary for:

IT employees;
gamers;
night shift dispatchers;
technical personnel testing equipment on site with the keyboard connected to the device.

Lighting the work surface is not only a beautiful fantasy for aesthetic pleasure. The need to see the necessary keys in the complete or partial absence of light requires such a measure. Taking care of proper operation can save time and provide an acceptable option for interacting with devices.

In some cases, the required keyboard option is difficult to obtain, or is not possible at all. Taking an option similar in configuration, it is enough to simply make backlit keys in it. This procedure will require some soldering skills and knowledge of basic principles of radio electronics.

Required Tools

Backlit Keyboard Reviews demonstrates the different options for backlit keyboards:

standard rectangular;
gaming;
laptop keyboard;
wireless analogues.

To repeat a similar experience, illuminating standard options without additional special effects, you need certain tools and materials:

LED strip (up to 1 m);
soldering iron;
batteries (in the case of a built-in backlight recharge option);
network cable (about 3 m);
adapter 2-4-pin to 1-6-pin;
Screwdriver Set;
insulating tape;
switch;
stationery knife;
glue (for some options with a change in the key panel);
tester for the final check of the functionality of all circuit elements.

Almost all the required materials can be purchased at any specialized store. This also applies to LED strips for Multi-color lighting systems.

Backlight power supply

Any illumination option requires a power source. This task remains the No. 1 solution for everyone who wants to create additional special effects on the work surface. It is worth considering the resource consumption of the diode element, since most of the recommendations boil down to introducing a connection to the computer’s power supply.

A factory-produced backlit gaming keyboard for a computer is built precisely on this principle. Since all the elements are already enabled, they directly take resource from the internal elements of the computer. This process requires a lot of resources.

Electronics engineers suggest making a separate output for connection to the system filter socket connector, or installing an additional power supply to relieve the load on the main one. There is some truth to this, as excessive power consumption wears out your computer.

Advantages of using diode strip

Backlit mechanical keyboards are all built on the principle of using an LED strip. This approach was preceded by numerous not entirely successful experiments. The choice of diodes was based on the following requirements:

compact location inside the keyboard box;
light weight;
ease of installation;
resource consumption;
convenience when replacing a worn-out element;
light source brightness requirements;
resistance to multiple mechanical damage;
possibility of adding additional colors.

The last point is important for the built-in Multi-color system. Gaming keyboards or laptop panels require contrasting backlighting. This is due to the orientation requirements of the gamer or tester during the work process. Areas painted in different light colors allow you to quickly find your way and prevent confusion. In addition, LEDs interact harmlessly with computer or laptop systems.

Is any keyboard suitable for transformation?

Any three-dimensional keyboard can be suitable for transformation. Backlit gaming keyboards of various configurations all have a certain height. Backlighting that is not based on the principle of using LEDs is possible only in factory conditions. Therefore, for an experimental project it is necessary to take a device of a certain height.

For the first experiments on installing a light element, experienced electronics engineers recommend practicing on mechanical keyboards from the following companies:

Asus;
Genius;
A4tech;
Gmej;

These keyboards have sufficient height and simplicity of design. They have a certain margin of safety, since they are designed for the average user.

You can work on a lot of them various techniques, including a complete replacement of the key area with a similar option with transparent inserts. In addition, when several options are compiled into one for decorative effects, their standard configuration allows for similar manipulations.

A backlit wireless keyboard has its own specifics related to the signal element. When adding this option to the LED component, it is necessary to perform the following manipulations:

make accurate measurements of all keyboard parameters;
distribute all mounting points of the LED strip on the diagram at a sufficient distance from the pulse supply boards;
choose a reliable place to mount the battery;
decide how the backlight will turn off/on;
make some changes to the housing for the button output.

The main goal of this process is to install the ribbon without damaging the key functions of the keyboard. When dismantling the key panel, you must remember the main rule, which applies to all other keyboard options:

If the rubber backing is peeled off, it will be impossible to reinstall it properly. There is an additional option for mounting on a transparent backing sheet, however, in some sensitive models this will lead to a complete lack of response of the key when pressed.

Where can I get an LED strip?

To solve the question of how to turn on the keyboard backlight, you need to have an LED strip. The standard version of the tape is sold in all construction stores and markets. If the conditions for developing a project for installing lighting require any special properties or requirements, analogues can be found through Internet sources.

The standard tape consists of:

elastic polymer tape;
a row of series-connected diodes;
output points of power connection elements;
separation zone marked with special markings.

There are some differences in the tape options for the Multi-color system. Diode pairs of different colors are connected in parallel at some distance opposite each other. Otherwise, all soldering (connection) points of twisted pair wires have a standard output.

According to the markings, one output point has 5 volts, the other 12 volts. This must be taken into account when connecting the backlight circuit to the connectors. In addition, when connecting the canvas via Charger, it is necessary to take into account that the charger must be transformer, not pulse.

Enable keyboard backlight on Asus laptop

One of the frequently asked questions is how to turn on the keyboard backlight on an Asus laptop. Because models of this type have a very moderate glow. Some users are not satisfied with the quality of the luminescent element. However, the machine itself is satisfactory in terms of its parameters and quality of work.

To install an LED element, you should immediately decide on the type of lighting. For beginner electronics engineers, it is recommended to do backlighting along the contour. Because this will minimize possible damage to performance due to inept installation.

The rules for installing diode strip require:

disconnect the battery;
remove all fasteners (some are recessed and hardly noticeable at first glance);
carefully remove the hard drive;
remove DVD rom;
release the key panel from the fasteners;
disconnect the display cable suitable for the motherboard;
disconnect the cable;
remove WLAN.

The LED strip itself must be installed according to free contour edges of the keyboard. In this case, take into account the mounting location of the battery or any battery that is flat enough to be mounted in the case. One of the inconvenient aspects of such a process will be the need for similar dismantling when replacing the power element.

No. 1 The easiest way to backlight

Attaching the tape to bottom part monitor or inner part pull-out shelf for the keyboard. This is one of the simplest options for backlit keyboard. This method is suitable for those who are little familiar with the principles of electronics. The installed bracket has a simple connection type:

a twisted pair (similar to an Internet connection wire) is soldered to the output points of the internal connection of the diodes;
connection via a molex power connector to the hard drive;
the yellow-marked connector is designed for 12 volts;
The connector with red markings is reserved for 5 volts.

Installation can be done inside the tabletop, which provides bright illumination of the surface of the keys. In this version, you can attach a switch under the surface of the table cover, with which you can remove the lighting during the daytime.

Switch fastening

In various systems important point is to turn off the backlight when it is not needed. If we are talking about standard mechanical keyboards, then everything is simple. An additional groove is cut into the body, where the shutdown button is located. Accuracy and aesthetics depend on your efforts.

In models with a more complex structure, this approach does not have its functional meaning. Since damage to the integrity of the housing can affect the operation of the entire device. On laptops this option is basically not acceptable.

Factory backlit keyboards have special keys to turn off the backlight. Such keys have an additional LED located on the body, which does not light if the backlight is turned off. This principle can be applied to turn off a homemade keyboard backlight LED circuit on a laptop.

Keyboard key illumination principle

Light from the diodes reaches the surface in two ways:

through the gaps between the keys;
through the transparent parts of the keys.

You need to pay attention to this when working with the keyboard. LED lighting is considered the most optimal and correct. The light source produces an even beam that has a clear dispersion radius. This option is especially noticeable if the symbols themselves glow.

On standard keyboards, all buttons are not transparent. The situation can be corrected by cutting out the area of the working surface and replacing it with a more progressive one. When performing such manipulations, it is worth considering the moment of coincidence of the location of the button area.

Also, such a process requires care when processing joints and adjusting to the hole area. A new panel with keys is glued in using specialized glue. It is necessary to carefully monitor the joints so that the structure fits tightly. In any embodiment, the light supplied by the diode is reflected from the hands, creating additional illumination of the panel.

No. 2 Installation of LEDs in the body of the 760 keyboard

Before installing the backlight strips, you need to draw up a diagram of all the exit points of additional elements. This applies to:

switch;
wires to the power supply;
connection of the console system for Multi-color.

Thus, the diagram must include:

exit points for additional wires;
location of rubber key pads;
internal fastening points for all wiring and connections.

Since all the planks are connected into one assembly, a well-thought-out plan for laying this part is needed. So that its volume does not interfere with the installation of the panel with keys.

Do-it-yourself keyboard backlighting requires some care. When installing the tape, the first task is to dismantle the housing. All fastening elements must be carefully disconnected, paying attention to the possible outputs of the various connectors.

In the case of a solid key panel, it makes sense to melt holes for the output of the diodes with a soldering iron. For such a manipulation it will be necessary to accurately calculate the location of the diode along the guide and the places where the keys are attached. It makes sense to attach the wire connected to the beginning of the circuit with adhesive tape to the main wires of the keyboard for greater ease of use.

A connector adapter for the power wires of the diode strip is mounted on the wire. We connect it directly to the power source. The button to turn off the backlight can be inserted into the place where the boards exit by breaking out one strip.

Multi-color rainbow backlighting of a regular keyboard

The multicolor lighting system is based on the use of RGB diode strip. For this option you will need:

keyboard with transparent key symbols;
RGB diode strip;
RGB controller designed for 12v;
power unit;
mode switching remote control;
power connector;
signal reception sensor.

The ribbons are unraveled into the required lengths. They are attached in a clearly defined place under the keys. They are connected in parallel and connected to the controller. Additionally, the remote control signal reception sensor is displayed. A groove is cut into the housing to remove the power connector. When the final preparations are made, the body is assembled.