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Electronics => Projects, Designs, and Technical Stuff => Topic started by: tchicago on September 20, 2021, 05:17:56 am

Title: Hacking Ikea HALVKLART cabinet light
Post by: tchicago on September 20, 2021, 05:17:56 am
Hi, All,
I came across the nice new little cabinet lights in IKEA, called HALVKLART.
They are sold in pairs, and they have an on/off switch inside the light itself. Pressing the light toggles it on and off.

Unfortunately, it is on by default. I.e. if you plug it in into USB power adapter, it lights up, and can then be toggled off and on.
That did not work for my purpose, as any power glitch or outage will turn all those lights on. So I did a little bit of a reverse engineering and hacked to make it off by default.

Before putting it back together, I took some pictures to share, in case if someone needs to do the same.

You basically have to cut the trace on top side of the PCB and throw a bodge wire on the bottom side.

Attached are: schematic diagram - the flip-flop part that does the toggling, both sides of the board with the cut and bodge highlighted. And the product itself for a reference.

Title: Re: Hacking Ikea HALVKLART cabinet light
Post by: zammtronic on April 08, 2022, 03:36:30 pm
This is an awesome bodge - thank you!
Title: Re: Hacking Ikea HALVKLART cabinet light
Post by: Terry Bites on April 08, 2022, 03:43:31 pm
IKEA is best hacked with an axe
Title: Re: Hacking Ikea HALVKLART cabinet light
Post by: Bud on April 09, 2022, 05:51:31 am
Only Linux software developers can beat IKEA with weird product names  :box:
Title: Re: Hacking Ikea HALVKLART cabinet light
Post by: Nominal Animal on April 09, 2022, 07:04:12 am
Quote from: Bud on April 09, 2022, 05:51:31 am
Only Linux software developers can beat IKEA with weird product names  :box:
Swedish is/was the native language of both Linus Torvalds and Ingvar Kamprad, so there you have the common root: the Swedish language.
Title: Re: Hacking Ikea HALVKLART cabinet light
Post by: SilverSolder on April 09, 2022, 12:37:31 pm

That is half clear!  :D
Title: Re: Hacking Ikea HALVKLART cabinet light
Post by: cdev on April 09, 2022, 05:21:31 pm
Quote from: Bud on April 09, 2022, 05:51:31 am
Only Linux software developers can beat IKEA with weird product names  :box:

And the NSA, don't forget them. They excel at making up these funny, incomprehensible names. Don't you feel safer because of it?

[REDACTED]
Title: Re: Hacking Ikea HALVKLART cabinet light
Post by: cdev on April 09, 2022, 05:23:51 pm
Quote from: Nominal Animal on April 09, 2022, 07:04:12 am
Quote from: Bud on April 09, 2022, 05:51:31 am
Only Linux software developers can beat IKEA with weird product names  :box:
Swedish is/was the native language of both Linus Torvalds and Ingvar Kamprad, so there you have the common root: the Swedish language.

Here in the US the Pennsylvania Dutch sect, who were originally German, I think, often speak a language that sounds a great deal like Swedish.
Title: Re: Hacking Ikea HALVKLART cabinet light
Post by: mansaxel on April 09, 2022, 05:32:54 pm
Sometimes the Ikea names are funny, sometimes they're on point. There's a computer table, for placing in corners, IIRC, that's named JERKER.  The Zigbee stuff is TRÅDFRI, which is literally "wireless". And so on.
Title: Re: Hacking Ikea HALVKLART cabinet light
Post by: cdev on April 26, 2022, 12:52:27 pm
I'm pretty sure that Jerker has been discontinued.. It was a decent ergonomic adjustable computer desk for around $100.