Well it's been a while since i had use for my "bending template"! I took a break from my "day job" work today to assemble the new keypad encoder. I again used the vintage diodes as discussed in an earlier log ( Keypad Encoder ). I kind of regret using them now as they make the board a lot bigger than it really needs to be, but it does add a nice look to the overall design. The keypad encoder breaks the key encoding into one connector that goes to each of the latches, and a separate connector for the reset, execute, and "key-up" signal. During the last round of integration testing ( You WILL be integrated! ), I realized that the keypad and the encoder really need to be close together, so instead of using male headers with female cables, I replace the male header with a female header. This will allow the two boards to be easily connected together with minimal wasted space. Back to bending diodes..... where is Bending Bender Rodriguez when you need him?