Troubleshooting a dead Nice!Nano
My left half suddenly stopped working mid-typing (no physical knock or stress). The red charge LED still comes on when plugged in via USB-C, but there’s no blue LED, no bootloader when double-tapping reset, and the board doesn’t show up as a USB device.
I’ve:
• Disconnected the battery and tested USB-only
• Reflowed every joint (both the Nano and the header pins)
• Verified all joints look good
• Tried double-tapping reset, holding reset, etc.
Still totally unresponsive. Any ideas on next diagnostic steps or how to confirm whether the regulator or MCU’s fried?
8 Replies
Oof, sorry that happened mid-typing. Given: red charge LED works, but no blue LED, no NICENANO drive, no USB device — that points to the bootloader/MCU not running, not just a keymatrix issue.
Try these isolation steps, in order:
- Remove the nice!nano from the PCB if you used hotswap headers, and test it completely standalone (no battery, no nice!view, not seated on the board).
- Use a known good data USB‑C cable and a different computer/port (avoid hubs/adapters).
- Try entering bootloader multiple ways:
- Double‑tap the reset button.
- If that fails, double‑tap by shorting RST to GND with metal tweezers. Timing matters; try a few times. Steps here: Entering the Bootloader https://docs.typeractive.xyz/troubleshooting/entering-bootloader
- If the NICENANO drive appears even briefly, immediately copy a left‑half UF2 (e.g., from our Corne firmware page) to it and let it reboot: https://docs.typeractive.xyz/build-guides/corne-wireless/firmware
If you can’t get the bootloader to appear at all:
- Attempt a bootloader recovery following Nice Keyboards’ guide (re‑flash the bootloader): https://nicekeyboards.com/docs/nice-nano/troubleshooting#my-nicenano-seems-to-be-acting-up-and-i-want-to-re-flash-the-bootloader
Outcomes:
- Bootloader recovery succeeds → flash the correct UF2; you should be back.
- Recovery fails and there’s still no NICENANO, no blue blink on reset, and nothing over USB across multiple hosts/cables → likely a hardware failure on the nice!nano (e.g., MCU/USB/regulator). At that point replacement is the practical path.
If you bought the nice!nano from us recently, email hello@typeractive.xyz with your order number and a summary of what you tried, and we’ll help from there.
If you want me to keep digging, reply or tag me with:
- nice!nano version (v2?)
- Whether you tested the nano fully removed from the PCB
- Exact behavior when shorting RST↔GND (any LED flash at all?)
Entering the Bootloader | Typeractive.xyz Documentation
Learn how to enter the bootloader on your nice!nano.
Firmware | Typeractive.xyz Documentation
If you're not familiar, ZMK is a wireless-focused firmware, and it powers our Corne Wireless.
Troubleshooting - nice!nano
Troubleshooting tips for the nice!nano
@TyperAI I’ve emailed, with this and a little more information. Suspect I’ll be ordering a new nice nano.
FYI I started with the “no solder” headers, but had no end of difficulty getting the thing to work reliably – it was constantly coming unseated, and drove me absolutely crazy. As a way to bypass all the trouble, I used the headers that were provided and soldiered the Nice!Nanos in. It worked magnificently for months until the other day. I admit I’m having kittens at the idea of trying to unsolder the damn thing now.
Got your email — thanks for the detail. Based on what you’ve tried, it does sound like the nice!nano itself has failed (red charge LED = power path OK, but no blue blink, no USB, no bootloader = MCU/bootloader not running).
If you replace the nano but dread desoldering, here are the least‑painful options when you used the included square‑post headers:
Option A: Reuse the existing header on the PCB
- With flush cutters, snip each pin between the nice!nano and the black plastic spacer.
- Lift the nano off, leaving the header and spacer still soldered in the PCB.
- Slide the new nice!nano onto those existing pins and solder it in place.
This avoids clearing any through‑holes on the PCB.
Option B: Fully remove the header, then install sockets (recommended for future service)
- Cut the nano off to free it, then remove remaining pin stubs from the PCB one by one with an iron and wick/braid. Keep temps ~270–300°C and be patient to avoid pad damage.
- Install EZ‑Solder hotswap sockets, then mount/solder the new nano so it’s removable later. Steps: Corne nice!nano guide → EZ‑Solder Hotswap https://docs.typeractive.xyz/build-guides/corne-wireless/nice-nano
Before surgery, it’s still worth one last attempt to enter bootloader by double‑tapping RST→GND with tweezers on a known‑good data cable/port: Entering the Bootloader https://docs.typeractive.xyz/troubleshooting/entering-bootloader
If it never presents NICENANO even briefly, replacement is the practical path.
Once you have the new nano in, you can quickly flash our left‑half UF2 to verify: Firmware https://docs.typeractive.xyz/build-guides/corne-wireless/firmware
If you need anything else or want me to sanity‑check pics before you cut, reply here or tag me.
nice!nano | Typeractive.xyz Documentation
Installing your nice!nano is usually the first step in building your keyboard. In this guide, we'll go over the three different ways to install your nice!nano.
Entering the Bootloader | Typeractive.xyz Documentation
Learn how to enter the bootloader on your nice!nano.
Firmware | Typeractive.xyz Documentation
If you're not familiar, ZMK is a wireless-focused firmware, and it powers our Corne Wireless.
@TyperAI i’ve just bitten the bullet and ordered a new nice nano, but something occurred to me – that same keyboard side (left) was experiencing about double the power drain as the opposite side. Interestingly, the left side was acting as the peripheral, with the other side (right) being the central that communicates with the host, so I would’ve expected it to be the other way around. I even replaced the battery thinking it was a dead battery but the issue never went away. Might that be related?
Great question, and thanks for the extra context.
What you saw is abnormal if your right half was truly the central. With ZMK, the central side usually draws the most (our docs estimate: left ~1 week, right ~1 month on 110 mAh). Since your left (peripheral) drained faster, something likely forced extra radio or constant wakeups on that side.
Most likely causes from our docs:
- Multiple/old bonds causing extra BLE activity. Clear bonds on all profiles on both halves (cycle BT_SEL 0–4 and hit BT_CLR on each), then only pair the host to the central half. See Keyboard Won’t Pair for how profiles/bonds work: https://docs.typeractive.xyz/troubleshooting/keyboard-wont-pair
- Link instability between halves → lots of reconnects/advertising. Try improving inter‑half link (closer halves, less 2.4 GHz interference). If needed, tweaks here can help: Poor Range https://docs.typeractive.xyz/troubleshooting/poor-range
- A hardware short or leakage on the left half. Our Batteries page calls this out as a cause of “severely less” life: https://docs.typeractive.xyz/build-guides/corne-wireless/batteries
Once your new nice!nano arrives:
1) Flash known‑good UF2s matching side and nice!view state: https://docs.typeractive.xyz/build-guides/corne-wireless/firmware
2) Clear all bonds on both halves (all profiles), then pair only the central half to the host.
3) Run a battery-life check for a few days with halves in the same place. If left still drains 2×, suspect a short/leak on the left PCB (even with a fresh nano).
If you want me to sanity‑check that your build truly has right as central (and that the UF2s match left/right), reply or tag me with which files you flashed and whether you’re using nice!views.
Keyboard Won't Pair | Typeractive.xyz Documentation
Fix your ZMK keyboard that won't pair.
Poor Range | Typeractive.xyz Documentation
Solve poor wireless range with your ZMK keyboard.
Batteries | Typeractive.xyz Documentation
Installing the batteries is a simple but particular step. This guide will go over the positioning and installation of them.
Firmware | Typeractive.xyz Documentation
If you're not familiar, ZMK is a wireless-focused firmware, and it powers our Corne Wireless.
@TyperAI Whew. 1 week/month? I get about four days/two days. I’m using a mouse layer, which completely replaces my mouse, so that will account for some difference. Still. Whew.
Totally fair reaction. Heavy mouse-layer use will shorten runtime vs our “typical” estimate, but 2–4 days on 110 mAh still sounds low.
Quick checklist to claw back battery life:
- Power/advertising: Turn the switch off when you step away and when your host is off. Constant advertising drains a lot. See “Important Battery Info” on Batteries: https://docs.typeractive.xyz/build-guides/corne-wireless/batteries
- Bonds/profiles: Clear bonds on all 5 profiles on both halves, then pair only the central half to your host. Extra saved bonds or being connected to multiple devices increases radio work. How-to: https://docs.typeractive.xyz/troubleshooting/keyboard-wont-pair
- Central selection: Make sure the right half (your central) is the only side paired to the host. The central draws more; that keeps the peripheral’s draw lower.
- Range tweaks: If you previously increased TX power or disabled 2M PHY for range, revert those (they trade power for range). Reference: https://docs.typeractive.xyz/troubleshooting/poor-range
- Physical short/leak: Since your left half historically drained faster even as peripheral, inspect that PCB closely for solder bridges or debris, especially around the JST, power switch, and nice!view/nice!nano headers. A short is a known cause of “severely less” life: https://docs.typeractive.xyz/build-guides/corne-wireless/batteries
When your new nice!nano arrives:
1) Flash the correct UF2s: https://docs.typeractive.xyz/build-guides/corne-wireless/firmware
2) Clear all bonds (both halves, all profiles), pair the central, and re-check battery life.
- If life improves to “expected,” the old nano was likely faulty.
- If the left still drains ~2×, suspect a PCB issue on that side.
If you’d like, reply/tag me with which UF2s you flash and whether you’ve ever changed PHY/TX power, and I can sanity-check next steps.
Batteries | Typeractive.xyz Documentation
Installing the batteries is a simple but particular step. This guide will go over the positioning and installation of them.
Keyboard Won't Pair | Typeractive.xyz Documentation
Fix your ZMK keyboard that won't pair.
Poor Range | Typeractive.xyz Documentation
Solve poor wireless range with your ZMK keyboard.
Firmware | Typeractive.xyz Documentation
If you're not familiar, ZMK is a wireless-focused firmware, and it powers our Corne Wireless.
Omg. So in trying to desolder the dead NiceNano, which is incredibly difficult, I’ve stripped the PCB. Gonna have to start from scratch, just ordered a brand-new PCB. I’m dying over here!