I've been using this variation of P42 with nrfmicro and a 90mAh battery for three days now without charging.
This P42 is flashed with ZMK firmware rather than with QMK. I tried to build a nrf compatible QMK environment but were having issues. Building a shield for my P42 was a challenge. As of writing, encoders and RGB backlights are still not functional. I will have to attend to those some other time. I intend to test this current unit further.
Currently issues:
Same as with my previous post, P42 with Feather 32U4 Bluefruit, I was only able to connect with my PC using TP-Link's UB400 dongle. My other dongles could not detect the keyboard. So... yep, these controllers will only work with dongles compatible with Bluetooth Low Energy (LE).
The nrfmicro that i am currently using, i call it No.3, is not charging its battery when plugged. I was told to recheck connectivity of pin 0.04 but I am unable to do so because this pin is located at the back of the controller, it will require me to desolder. I will get back on this issued once the battery is drained and recheck everything.
Same with the Feather, I encountered at least 3 instances where a key is pressed repeatedly - chattering/stuttering(?). Pressing ESC key fixed it and I was able to use the device normally.
While wireless, there were disconnection issues wherein Windows was not able to re-connect. Removing the device in Bluetooth Devices and then reconnect fixed this issue. No connection issues encountered so far between PC boot and from sleep.
I also noticed that the disconnection issues were eliminated, if not minimized, when i moved my bluetooth dongle in front of the PC. This said, my keyboard disconnects when it exceed two meter distance from the PC.
Conclusion:
Compared to my P42 with Feather 32U4 and QMK, this build with nrfmicro is pretty stable and is very functional both wired and wireless. My P42 with Feather is pretty useless on bluetooth mode. I will try to build an zmk firmware for the Feather and see if it will improve its wireless connectivity.
Whelp... these are it for now.
Update 20210406: I realized that my charging problem is caused by a misplaced pin. Battery pins on my P42v3 are routed on Pro Micro's VCC pin rather than RAW. Battery is now charging and Windows reports (i assumed) correct status. It is currently running 30 hours unplugged with 85% remaining as per Windows.
Another issue I found is that the device should have clear view with my dongle. Frequent disconnections will persist if the devices there are obstructions between them - on my case, a printer.
Update 202104132043: P42 plugged for recharge since 202104051400. Last windows reading I saw is 37% battery left.
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