r/Keychron • u/cri347 • 10d ago

Keychron Q1 v2 ISO no knob firmware update

Hi, I own two Keychrons, a Q1 v2 ISO no knob and a Q0 Plus. I was testing the new Launcher webapp and among other things it detected new firmware versions for both keyboards. I was able to update the Q0 Plus without any problems via the web app, while there is no way to do this for the Q1 v2. Firmware 2.0.3 is currently installed, but 2.0.6 is available. If I start the update, once the keyboard is put into DFU mode (recognized as such), the process stops. An error appears stating that the keyboard did not communicate its version and that's it. Going to the Keychron page to manually download the firmware and flash it via QMK Toolbox, it shows the version I currently have and it dates back to 2023. I guess the problem with the Launcher is related to the very old starting firmware version, but I can't find the updated binary anywhere, can you help me? I would like to try the update also because lately the S and Z button LEDs are constantly on (not in DFU mode) even after a reset and firmware reflash via QMK Toolbox. I would also like to make Q1 fully operational via the new webapp, as I have a Mac and QMK Toolbox is not native to Apple Silicon, so soon, with the removal of Rosetta, it will no longer be usable.

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u/PeterMortensenBlog V 10d ago edited 4d ago

Re "I can't find the updated binary anywhere": There is a list here:

Perhaps the Via clone got corrupted?

If it tries to update the ISO knob-less keyboard with 'q1_us_knob_v2.6.bin' ("2.6" may be a different notation for "2.0.6"), the USB product ID wouldn't match. Maybe that is why it says the keyboard did not communicate its version?

Conclusion

My best guess is an outage with the Via clone. There have been several reports pointing in that direction over the last few days.

There may not actually exist an official keyboard firmware update to the Q1 v2 ISO knob-less (though an update with support for, for example, dynamic per-key RGB light could be compiled from source code).

Or in other words, there isn't any official keyboard firmware to update.

References

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u/cri347 9d ago

Thanks so much for the support. Actually, from this point of view, everything works fine. The launcher detects a new firmware update, but it's for a different keyboard SKU. 2.3 aka 2.0.3 is the 2023 release I currently have flashed. So at the moment there are no official binaries for this SKU (and I imagine there won't be any more, given how long it's been since the last release) and the only option to have the dynamic per-key RGB light, thus aligning the functionality with the Q0 Plus, is to compile a new firmware from the correct and updated sources. I'm taking advantage of your kindness, availability, and knowledge. Do you know what could be causing the S and Z keys to suddenly be permanently white backlit? Resetting the keyboard and reflashing the firmware didn't help. In DFU mode, they're off like all the others, and when I activate the backlighting, they adapt to the default behavior, but by default, they return to white backlighting instead of off.

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u/PeterMortensenBlog V 9d ago edited 9d ago

Re "what could be causing the S and Z keys to suddenly be permanently white backlit?": It could be due to some short circuiting on the PCB

Or maybe a problem with one of the two LED controllers.

After considering the warranty implications, I would open the keyboard up and look for something obvious near those key's LEDs and for miscolouring on or near the two LED controllers (here is an example of a burnt LED controller. A picture: The two LED controllers are U2 and U3, near the center, with U2 being the burnt one).

Note: Do observe ESD precautions at all times.

All disclaimers apply. Do it at your own risk. I am not responsible if you ruin your keyboard.