add ergodox repair blog post

input/blog/2022/2022_11_28_ergodox_repair.md

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+title: Blog
+post: Ergodox Infinity Repair
+description: Kit-built open-source split ergonomic keyboard
+date: 2022-11-28
+comments: true
+---
+
+It occurs to me that I never really wrote about my [Ergodox Infinity](https://deskthority.net/wiki/Infinity_ErgoDox) keyboard on here.
+I got it from [Massdrop](https://drop.com/buy/infinity-ergodox) back in October 2016, as a kit with Cherry MX Clear switches and the additional flat plastic wrist rests.
+
+This was my second mechanical keyboard after the [Tex Beetle](tex_beetle.html).
+It is a kind-of-ortholinear split keyboard design, of course released as completely free open-source hardware and software.
+
+In June 2017 I replaced most of the included clear keycaps with a [side-lit ABS keycap set](https://drop.com/buy/side-lit-abs-keycap-set), also from Massdrop.
+But some keys are from other novelty keycap sets, I don't remember where I got these.
+
+Some time around 2020 or 2021 I also 3D printed the ["Infinity Ergodox Ergonomic Stand" by rubenhak](https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4079818) and I'm pretty happy with it.
+
+<hr>
+
+Now on to the actual issue that triggered this blog post.
+Shortly after adding the tented base I had a little accident with a drink spilled over the keyboard.
+Unfortunately it was a sticky sugary drink and it managed to get into a bunch of the switches.
+The sugar acted like glue and the keyboard was no longer usable.
+
+I left it on the healing bench for a while, but this didn't help much 😅
+
+Because of the aluminium plate design, properly cleaning the keys requires desoldering them.
+It's not a real problem, it's just busy work that takes some time.
+But I finally found the motivation to do it.
+
+First I had to remove the keys that were sticky and clean all residue from the plate.
+Back when assembling the keyboard I decided to also solder in optional 3mm LEDs for each key.
+These had to be unsoldered as well.
+
+<!--%
+lightgallery([
+    [ "img/ergodox_repair_1.jpg", "PCB, keys to be removed are marked" ],
+    [ "img/ergodox_repair_2.jpg", "base plate and PCB, keys removed" ],
+])
+%-->
+
+The next step was cleaning the Cherry MX switches themselves.
+This meant disassembling them, which is pretty easy.
+Just pry the two case halves apart, using a small flat screw driver to lift the locking tabs.
+Then I put everything in a soapy warm water bath.
+
+<!--%
+lightgallery([
+    [ "img/ergodox_repair_3.jpg", "Disassembling the switches" ],
+    [ "img/ergodox_repair_4.jpg", "Cleaning the switches" ],
+    [ "img/ergodox_repair_5.jpg", "Drying the switches" ],
+    [ "img/ergodox_repair_6.jpg", "Clean switches assembled again" ],
+])
+%-->
+
+Now I was able to snap the switches back into the aluminium plate and solder them onto the PCB.
+I simply left out the LEDs out of lazyness.
+Removing them was kind of destructive and I don't really use them anyway.
+
+<!--%
+lightgallery([
+    [ "img/ergodox_repair_7.jpg", "Keys mounted again" ],
+    [ "img/ergodox_repair_8.jpg", "Keyboard back together" ],
+    [ "img/ergodox_repair_9.jpg", "Keyboard on desktop" ],
+])
+%-->
+
+And after less than two hours my keyboard is finally back in action!
+
+This time I connected the left half to my computer.
+I noticed that it was still flashed with my old Mac-style layout.
+Apparently I only flashed the right half back when I switched to Arch Linux.
+Fortunately I still had the binaries from my last build, so I simply flashed the left half and had my expected layout.
+
+But I also noticed that I am no longer able to compile my [old repo](https://github.com/xythobuz/controller) state, it fails with "multiple definitions" while linking.
+I will have to update to the current master of the [upstream firmware](https://github.com/kiibohd/controller) sometime soon.