Logitech G15 Game Panel
Well, the story goes that I have had my G15, second revision, for about three years now and it finally gave up on me. None of the keys worked on the keyboard except for two G keys, even after testing it on three computers. I opened the thing up to see if the traces were bad and ended up ripping the trace sheets so I finally just decided to consider it trash :P But then, I had an idea...
I noticed that the game panel and all the buttons around it (play, pause, etc) still worked fine even without the backlight LED's or the keyboard sheets (whatever you call them things O.o) plugged in so I decided I could still find a use for it. I ended up dremeling out the top piece of the keyboard and throw the rest away. Oh how I miss that keyboard... Anyways :P I ended up taking a 2x4 and routing out the shape of the main circuit board in the keyboard and cutting slots in the back of it for the two USB ports and the chord. Then, after inserting the circuit board, making sure that the USB ports and chord fit snuggly and screwing it down, I added the top 1/4" board to hide all of that stuff. I marked where the ribbon cable connecting the game panel came out on the board, cut a slit in it with the dremel (cutting disk), connected it, then screwed it down. After attatching the top board, I then drilled two holes on the game panel housing to screw it down, and attatched it.
Pretty simple process (and a horrible explanation, I know :P). It works great for me though! If you want, you could plane down the underside of the 2x4 to make it sit a little shorter, but I honestly like the extra height on it.
Well, if you have a G15 that's died on you (sorry to hear :P) then this just may be a fun project to bring at least part of it back to life ;)
Enjoy!
I noticed that the game panel and all the buttons around it (play, pause, etc) still worked fine even without the backlight LED's or the keyboard sheets (whatever you call them things O.o) plugged in so I decided I could still find a use for it. I ended up dremeling out the top piece of the keyboard and throw the rest away. Oh how I miss that keyboard... Anyways :P I ended up taking a 2x4 and routing out the shape of the main circuit board in the keyboard and cutting slots in the back of it for the two USB ports and the chord. Then, after inserting the circuit board, making sure that the USB ports and chord fit snuggly and screwing it down, I added the top 1/4" board to hide all of that stuff. I marked where the ribbon cable connecting the game panel came out on the board, cut a slit in it with the dremel (cutting disk), connected it, then screwed it down. After attatching the top board, I then drilled two holes on the game panel housing to screw it down, and attatched it.
Pretty simple process (and a horrible explanation, I know :P). It works great for me though! If you want, you could plane down the underside of the 2x4 to make it sit a little shorter, but I honestly like the extra height on it.
Well, if you have a G15 that's died on you (sorry to hear :P) then this just may be a fun project to bring at least part of it back to life ;)
Enjoy!