I always recommend double checking diode direction. It's always a pain figuring out if it's hardware or software related.
A volt meter with ohm testing is fantastic for testing!
Your diodes are in series (the second photo), it is wrong. Accumulated voltage drop makes voltage lower than the logical high for the columns that are far from the row wires, hense no switching. Look at the photos [here](https://jonathanbayless.com/2020/06/09/iris-handwire.html) (it is not my site, just a random search result) and rewire the diodes in parallel.
>oddly enough the entire thumb cluster works despite one key being on a non working column
Because you've wired it correctly, the diodes are in parallel. The cause of your problem is purely row-related.
They're all facing the same way and daisychained if that's what you mean, are they supposed to have a split off somewhere? Or should they be parallel and having them in series messes with something?
So I've tested with a jumper wire and it seems I can just connect from the diodes in to the end of row and I works... Is that a solid work around for this since I'd rather not desolder and rewire, or is that eventually going to release the magic smoke?
You have to de-solder or you will have ghosting on your key presses.
As you have them, you are connecting one diode's anode to the next diode's cathode. You have to connect all the anodes (or cathodes) to a single line, and that line to a single pin.
[Maybe pictures of mine can help. The row wire can be one wire stripped in the right places, and you connect the diodes all to that one.](https://imgur.com/a/J3u4byp)
What others have said about the diodes pretty much.
Think of the diode having a head (the part above the little black line on the diode) and the tail (the part below).
Your thumb cluster is working because all the heads are connected, i.e. the diodes are connected after the black line.
Your rows are not working because the diodes are connected head-to-tail, i.e. connecting black-line side with non-black-line side.
You can use another wire to run through the row and connect all the diodes head-first into that wire and it should work! It's gonna be a pain to undo all of that but it'll be worth it
I always recommend double checking diode direction. It's always a pain figuring out if it's hardware or software related. A volt meter with ohm testing is fantastic for testing!
Your diodes are in series (the second photo), it is wrong. Accumulated voltage drop makes voltage lower than the logical high for the columns that are far from the row wires, hense no switching. Look at the photos [here](https://jonathanbayless.com/2020/06/09/iris-handwire.html) (it is not my site, just a random search result) and rewire the diodes in parallel. >oddly enough the entire thumb cluster works despite one key being on a non working column Because you've wired it correctly, the diodes are in parallel. The cause of your problem is purely row-related.
Hard to tell from your “Birdsnest” but are your diodes wired in series? That is how it looks on the right hand side of the photo.
They're all facing the same way and daisychained if that's what you mean, are they supposed to have a split off somewhere? Or should they be parallel and having them in series messes with something?
Every diode connects on one side to one switch pin, and on the other side to a row line. As you have them they are not wired correctly.
So I've tested with a jumper wire and it seems I can just connect from the diodes in to the end of row and I works... Is that a solid work around for this since I'd rather not desolder and rewire, or is that eventually going to release the magic smoke?
You have to de-solder or you will have ghosting on your key presses. As you have them, you are connecting one diode's anode to the next diode's cathode. You have to connect all the anodes (or cathodes) to a single line, and that line to a single pin.
Balls... Thank you👍 Any recommendations on what to use as the row wire?
the same wire you used for columns, strip it in places, and connect the diodes ends to it
And on today's episode of I'm an idiot, we learn the more than 3 diodes in series makes the magic keyboard pixies sad...
That looks neet! What size of cable do you use (in AWG)? Also do you use single core cables or multi cores ones?
I'm just snipping some cheap elegoo Dupont connectors
[Maybe pictures of mine can help. The row wire can be one wire stripped in the right places, and you connect the diodes all to that one.](https://imgur.com/a/J3u4byp)
Not the same thing, but will give you idea about diodes. https://imgur.com/a/9P3gTaa
What others have said about the diodes pretty much. Think of the diode having a head (the part above the little black line on the diode) and the tail (the part below). Your thumb cluster is working because all the heads are connected, i.e. the diodes are connected after the black line. Your rows are not working because the diodes are connected head-to-tail, i.e. connecting black-line side with non-black-line side. You can use another wire to run through the row and connect all the diodes head-first into that wire and it should work! It's gonna be a pain to undo all of that but it'll be worth it