nice!nanos keep dying after charging
I've had to replace my nice!nanos on my wireless corne about 4 times now. It seems that when charging, something goes wrong and when I unplug the cable, I suddenly lose whole rows of keys. It has happened to both sides, but seems to affect the left side more. I've troubleshooted by replacing the controller from the left side, which restores the keys after reflashing. Do I have a short on my board, maybe on the solderless headers? Or do nice!nanos just not handle charging?
4 Replies
Thanks for the detail — this helps narrow it down. A couple points to keep in mind:
- nice!nanos are designed for charging LiPo batteries, and with the proper setup (battery connected via JST, switch in the correct position), they should handle it fine. They don’t normally “die” from charging.
- A very common issue is charging with the power switch set to OFF. The nice!nano’s charger chip won’t function in that state, which can result in flaky charging behavior and sometimes stress the hardware. The switch must be ON while charging (see our battery guide).
- Losing entire rows/columns after charging almost always points to connection issues at the headers/pins. With no-solder headers especially, movement during plugging/unplugging USB can cause micro disconnects or stress on the pads. That can make rows/columns look “dead” until you swap controllers.
- A short is possible but less likely if the problem clears up just by replacing the nano. Shorts on the PCB typically cause permanent failures. However, re-check the pins near the JST or reset switch areas to make sure solder blobs aren’t bridging.
What you can do:
1. Double-check you're charging with the power switch ON.
2. Inspect the sockets/headers — if they’re a little loose, reseating or switching to hotswap Mill-Max/EZ-solder sockets can improve long-term reliability.
3. Look closely at the nano pads and PCB under magnification for any solder bridges or burn marks.
If this keeps happening even with solid headers and proper charging, it may be worth swapping to soldered sockets instead of spring headers for extra stability, since the constant USB plugging can stress the solderless connection.
Would you like me to point you to the row/column pinout diagrams so you can check whether it’s always the same rows failing? That would confirm if one particular pin connection is unstable.
- nice!nanos are designed for charging LiPo batteries, and with the proper setup (battery connected via JST, switch in the correct position), they should handle it fine. They don’t normally “die” from charging.
- A very common issue is charging with the power switch set to OFF. The nice!nano’s charger chip won’t function in that state, which can result in flaky charging behavior and sometimes stress the hardware. The switch must be ON while charging (see our battery guide).
- Losing entire rows/columns after charging almost always points to connection issues at the headers/pins. With no-solder headers especially, movement during plugging/unplugging USB can cause micro disconnects or stress on the pads. That can make rows/columns look “dead” until you swap controllers.
- A short is possible but less likely if the problem clears up just by replacing the nano. Shorts on the PCB typically cause permanent failures. However, re-check the pins near the JST or reset switch areas to make sure solder blobs aren’t bridging.
What you can do:
1. Double-check you're charging with the power switch ON.
2. Inspect the sockets/headers — if they’re a little loose, reseating or switching to hotswap Mill-Max/EZ-solder sockets can improve long-term reliability.
3. Look closely at the nano pads and PCB under magnification for any solder bridges or burn marks.
If this keeps happening even with solid headers and proper charging, it may be worth swapping to soldered sockets instead of spring headers for extra stability, since the constant USB plugging can stress the solderless connection.
Would you like me to point you to the row/column pinout diagrams so you can check whether it’s always the same rows failing? That would confirm if one particular pin connection is unstable.
It varies. Its not always the same rows that fail.
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Got it — since it varies and not the same row/col fails, that rules out a single bad solder joint or short on the PCB. Instead, it points much more strongly toward intermittent connection issues at the headers or pins on the nice!nano itself.
Every time you plug in or remove the USB cable, you’re applying mechanical stress near the headers, and with no-solder headers especially, the nano can flex just enough to lose proper contact. That would explain why reflashing or swapping restores things — it reseats the connections.
The fact that this has happened multiple times also suggests the charging circuit isn’t what’s killing them — it’s the connectivity and stress from the socket/header setup. The power switch “ON while charging” issue is still important, but it usually causes charging problems or battery drain, not random row loss.
👉 Recommendation:
- If you’re using no-solder headers, consider switching to EZ-solder hotswap or Mill-Max sockets. These still let you replace the nano if needed but hold contact much more securely.
- Ensure your nano sits perfectly flush in the sockets (tiny gaps mean unreliable rows/cols).
- If possible, try charging from a stable cable and avoid wiggling or stressing the nano during USB use. Since the failures aren’t consistent rows, it’s almost certainly contact instability, not a board short or a fundamental charging flaw with nice!nanos.
Would you like me to link the step-by-step guide for moving from no-solder to EZ-solder sockets so you can swap over more permanently?
- If you’re using no-solder headers, consider switching to EZ-solder hotswap or Mill-Max sockets. These still let you replace the nano if needed but hold contact much more securely.
- Ensure your nano sits perfectly flush in the sockets (tiny gaps mean unreliable rows/cols).
- If possible, try charging from a stable cable and avoid wiggling or stressing the nano during USB use. Since the failures aren’t consistent rows, it’s almost certainly contact instability, not a board short or a fundamental charging flaw with nice!nanos.
Would you like me to link the step-by-step guide for moving from no-solder to EZ-solder sockets so you can swap over more permanently?