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SENSE75 Setup Guide

Nov 11, 202212596 VIEWS

Hey, everybody! Thank you for purchasing your Drop SENSE75 Mechanical Keyboard. We hope you’re enjoying it so far. If you’ve landed here, you probably want to take full advantage of the keyboard’s features so you’ve come to the right place.

Default Hotkeys

Fn + Page Up: Home Fn + Page Down: End Encoder Knob
Press: Mute Rotate counter clockwise: Volume down Rotate clockwise: Volume up Keyboard Option Keys
Fn + N: Toggle keyboard 6KRO/NKRO (Default state 6KRO). Flashing
Fn + Backspace (hold for half a second and release): Put keyboard into firmware flashing mode (also referred to as “reseting the keyboard”) Key Swaps
Fn + Left Control + O: Swap Alt and GUI/Command Fn + Left Control + \: Swap Left Control and Caps Lock LED Keys
Fn + Q: LED - Toggle LED sections (keys + edge, keys only, edge only, all off) Fn + W: LED - Increase brightness Fn + Shift + W: LED - Decrease brightness Fn + S: LED - Decrease brightness Fn + Shift + S: LED - Increase brightness Fn + E: LED - Increase scrolling speed (for animated modes) Fn + Shift + E: LED - Decrease scrolling speed (for animated modes) Fn + D: LED - Decrease scrolling speed (for animated modes) Fn + Shift + D: LED - Increase scrolling speed (for animated modes) Fn + R: LED - Increase hue value (for modes that support it) Fn + Shift + R: LED - Decrease hue value (for modes that support it) Fn + F: LED - Decrease hue value (for modes that support it) Fn + Shift + F: LED - Increase hue value (for modes that support it) Fn + T: LED - Increase saturation (for modes that support it) Fn + Shift + T: LED - Decrease saturation (for modes that support it) Fn + G: LED - Decrease saturation (for modes that support it) Fn + Shift + G: LED - Increase saturation (for modes that support it) Fn + A: LED - Change to next RGB mode Fn + Shift + A: LED - Change to previous RGB mode Fn + Z: LED - Change to solid color mode Fn + X: LED - Change to breathing solid color mode Fn + C: LED - Change to rainbow wave mode Fn + V: LED - Change to rainbow pinwheel mode Fn + Left Control + 1: LED - Set all LEDs to red. This change is not saved when keyboard is unplugged. Fn + Left Control + 2: LED - Set all LEDs to green. This change is not saved when keyboard is unplugged. Fn + Left Control + 3: LED - Set all LEDs to blue. This change is not saved when keyboard is unplugged. Fn + Left Control + 4: LED - Set all LEDs to white. This change is not saved when keyboard is unplugged. Keyboard Memory
Fn + Space: Clear keyboard settings. This will reset LED settings, key swaps, and 6KRO/NKRO.

Build Notes

The plate + PCBA assembly is affixed together with screws. Please ensure these are removed before attempting to replace the plate.

The included sticker is an optional tape mod used to modify the keyboard’s sound profile. If you plan on swapping out your plates please ensure the plate+PCBA assembly screws are removed before applying the sticker to the back of the PCBA.

The Esc and Print keys are placed inside their own square cutouts. Some larger keycaps like MT3 will make it more difficult for keycap pullers to fit through the gap between the keycap and the cutout wall. Sometimes it might be easier to remove the top case before removing these keycaps.

There is a hardware reset button located on the PCBA underneath the Spacebar. On a short press the reset button will reset the keyboard - simulating the unplug / plug of a USB cable. On a long press the reset button will put the keyboard into the bootloader for flashing.

To fully reset the keyboard including wiping the EEPROM (clears LED settings), please plug in the keyboard while the Esc key is held down. This is the Boot Magic button and will reset EEPROM and jump to the bootloader. You’ll need to replug the keyboard one more time or quick press the hardware reset button to start using your keyboard again.

The squishy pillars on the PCBA are for grounding. Please ensure your modifications do not interfere with the connection between the PCBA and bottom case.

The encoder knob is a tight fit on the encoder component to ensure they do not come apart during transport. One easy way to remove the encoder knob for customization is to push down on the Print and Delete keys with constant force while the bottom metal + diffuser assembly is removed. Make sure to have a good hold on your plate + PCBA assembly so as to not drop it inadvertently.

Video: Assembly / Disassembly of a SENSE75 prototype by @HoffmanMyster

Firmware, Source Files All four of the following firmware files are now available directly in the Drop Keyboard Configurator app (see "Flashing Your SENSE75").

QMK XAP-enabled firmware: https://docs.drop.com/keyboards/drop_sense75_xap.bin
Stock firmware: https://docs.drop.com/keyboards/drop_sense75_stock.bin
Vial-enabled firmware: https://docs.drop.com/keyboards/drop_sense75_vial.bin
VIA-enabled firmware (requires VIA 2.0+): https://docs.drop.com/keyboards/drop_sense75_via.bin

QMK source: https://github.com/qmk/qmk_firmware/tree/master/keyboards/drop/sense75
XAP-enabled source: https://github.com/Massdrop/qmk_firmware/tree/feature/riot_xap/keyboards/drop/sense75
VIA JSON: https://github.com/the-via/keyboards/tree/master/src/drop/sense75
Vial JSON: https://github.com/vial-kb/vial-qmk/tree/vial/keyboards/drop/sense75/keymaps/vial

Flashing Your SENSE75

With Drop Keyboard Configurator app (Windows, Mac)

Download the latest release of the Drop Keyboard Configurator app:
Windows: https://dro.ps/keyboard-configurator-windows
Mac: https://dro.ps/keyboard-configurator-mac
Launch the Drop Keyboard Configurator.

On the "Flash Firmware" screen, choose "Drop SENSE75".

Choose the firmware file you'd like to flash the keyboard with.
Choose "QMK XAP" to use the Drop Keyboard Configurator to customize your SENSE75's keymap and lighting (RGB).
If you would like to use VIA or Vial configurators to customize your SENSE75, choose the "Vial" or "VIA (2.0+)" option.
Put your keyboard into firmware flashing mode by holding Fn + Backspace for half a second and releasing. You should see the "Flash Keyboard" button become enabled.
Press the "Flash Keyboard" button. You will see a progress bar and other text appear in the box below. This should take about 15 seconds.
When you see "Bootloader Device Disconnected: STM", the flashing process is complete and your SENSE75 will automatically restart to run the new firmware.

With QMK Toolbox (Windows, Mac)

Download the latest release of QMK Toolbox.
Launch QMK Toolbox.
Drag your desired firmware file into QMK Toolbox or select your desired firmware file by clicking "Open".
Put your SENSE75 into firmware flashing mode by holding Fn + Backspace for half a second and releasing. You should see "STM32 DFU device connected: STMicroelectronics STM32 BOOTLOADER (0483:DF11:2200)" displayed in QMK Toolbox.
Press "Flash" to proceed with flashing the firmware file to your keyboard. Do not unplug your keyboard during this process. You will see "Flash complete" and "STM32 DFU device disconnected: STMicroelectronics STM32 BOOTLOADER (0483:DF11:2200)" when the flashing process is complete.
In the previous step, if you changed your mind and did not want to proceed with flashing your keyboard, click "Exit DFU" to get your keyboard out of firmware flashing mode.

From Command-Line Terminal (Linux, Windows, Mac) For Linux instructions, see QMK's documentation for flashing from the command-line terminal.

Configuring Your SENSE75 With Drop Keyboard Configurator

Overview

If you have not already downloaded the Drop Keyboard Configurator app, you can download it here:
Windows: https://dro.ps/keyboard-configurator-windows
Mac: https://dro.ps/keyboard-configurator-mac
Launch the Drop Keyboard Configurator.
In order to use the Drop Keyboard Configurator app to configure your SENSE75, your SENSE75 must be running "QMK XAP" firmware. See "Flashing Your SENSE75" section above.

Go to the "Configure Keyboard" screen. If you SENSE75 is connected and running QMK XAP firmware, you will see it listed.

Click "Configure". You should see an overview of your SENSE75's current configuration.

Before you can make changes, you must unlock your SENSE75 by clicking the "Unlock" button and then acknowledging the unlock by pressing the ESC key on your SENSE75. You should see the banner turn green. This unlock is required for security reasons.

Once unlocked, you can change the keymap and lighting effects of your SENSE75.

Keymap Configuration The Drop Keyboard Configurator allows you to change your SENSE75's keymap on a per-layer basis and on a per-key basis.

If you have not already unlocked your SENSE75, unlock it using the steps from the "Overview" section above.

On the right side of each layer under "Current Keymap", you will see two buttons: "Change" and "Customize".

The "Change" button allows you to replace the whole layer's keymap with one of the presets or a keymap layer that you have saved previously. The Drop Keyboard Configurator currently has presets for Windows, Mac, and LED/media controls. This is a quick way to switch between Windows and Mac keymaps.

The "Customize" button takes you to another screen where you can change your keymap on a per-key basis. This screen will look familiar to you if you have used other keyboard configurators before.

Lighting Configuration By default, your SENSE75 will show the same global lighting effects on all layers. With the default keymap, you can change the global lighting parameters like which effect is running (the RGB "mode") and hue/saturation/value/speed (not all modes are affected by all values). With the Drop Keyboard Configurator, you can choose a specific lighting effect to show when each layer is active, overriding the global lighting effect. If you'd like to do so, follow the these steps:

If you have not already unlocked your SENSE75, unlock it using the steps from the "Overview" section above.

Check the "Override global lighting" checkbox for the desired layer.

Click the "Customize" button below to go to the "Customize Lighting" screen. There are a lot of lighting effects, so be sure to scroll down to see them all.

As you choose different lighting modes and colors, you will see the changes live on your SENSE75. Note that the layer you are modifying must be active in order for you to see the lighting effect.
Once you are done, be sure to click "Save Changes" to save your changes to your SENSE75's memory. If you do not save the changes, then they will not persist if your SENSE75 is unplugged.

Configuring Your SENSE75 With VIA

If you have not already flashed VIA-enabled firmware onto your SENSE75, download the VIA-enabled firmware here and follow the flashing instructions in the section above.
If you want to use the desktop version of VIA, download the desktop version here. You must use version 2.0.4 or higher. Otherwise, you can also use the web version of VIA in Google Chrome.

Configuring Your SENSE75 With Vial

If you have not already flashed Vial-enabled firmware onto your SENSE75, download the Vial-enabled firmware here and follow the flashing instructions in the section above.
Download the Vial application here.
Launch the Vial application.

(Edited by moderator jxliu)

100% upvoted

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Aug 7, 2023

Having an issue where the drop configurator app is not recognizing the keyboard. Types just fine.

DevilsWill

Jul 8, 2023

would there be any reason on why my keyboard isn't coming up in the configurator? I'm trying to flash it, it doesn't even know the keyboard is connected. The keyboard does work though I'm using it to type this.

jevogel

Jul 24, 2023

DevilsWillTry unplugging it and plugging it back in while the configurator is up. I had the same situation as you and this resolved it for me.

Vote

Meekz

Keyboard Club Member

Aug 7, 2023

DevilsWillI'm also having this issue. Any resolution?

Vote

skul_killer9000

Jul 6, 2023

love the keyboard so far, but whenever I try to flash it using the drop keyboard configurator it gives me the error message "Cannot open DFU device 0483:df11 found on devnum 1 (LIBUSB_ERROR_NOT_SUPPORTED) No DFU capable USB device available"

Eggman

Jun 21, 2023

The FN key is not modifying the function row by default on my Windows computer or my Mac. Is there a setting I need to change? I want to be able to use those modifier shortcuts and not just the f1 default uses. Any help would be appreciated I can't find any documents on this.

Vote

mattspark123

Jul 7, 2023

EggmanDefault config has the Fn key as a toggle to layer 1 (second layer, with default being layer 0). You need to configure your keyboard such that the F1-12 keys are assigned to your desired functions on layer 1

mnaumann79

Jun 16, 2023

This is a great keyboard. I am adding this to my collection, I already have the Drop CTRL. I love this one because it gives me more space on my desk. There is one little snag that I would like to see if someone knows. On the CTRL, I was able to configure the LEDs individually. So far I have not been able to find this feature for the Sense75. Does anybody know how to set this? I want to make one of the LEDs blink to indicate that I have a certain layer selected. Looking forward to all of your replies.

Nova22

Jul 1, 2023

mnaumann79Did you ever find out how to change the LEDs individually?

Vote

Violette

Feb 3, 2023

Thank you very much for the high quality "Default Hotkeys" section and the useful "no no it's not RGB but White fast mode" to helping me to keep my professional reputation :D

Vote

taptapzen

Nov 28, 2022

I flashed via firmware into my keyboard, and is able to load and configure the keyboard on VIA. However, the changes made on VIA is not reflected on the keyboard itself. Any idea why this is the case?

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View 1 More Reply

nerdalytics

Dec 6, 2022

taptapzenI can't confirm. For me, everything worked fine except the LED speed changes. I ended up with VIAL firmware, and now I have my dream keyboard. :-)

Vote

DPxChaos

Feb 1, 2023

nerdalyticsI've tested both since I got the keyboard a week ago. I can confirm that both VIA and VIAL work properly.

Vote

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