Kinesis Gaming KB975 Series, Programming Manual, Page: 3 / 10

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1.0 Introduction
The Freestyle Edge RGB is a fully-programmable keyboard that does not use any special drivers or software
so it is compatible with all mainstream USB operating systems. The keyboard was designed to be
programmed quickly and easily using the onboard programming tools (all operating systems) and/or the
powerful SmartSet App (for Windows and Mac), However, power users can also Direct Program the
keyboard on any operating system, which is the topic of this guide.
2.0 Direct Programming Overview
The Freestyle Edge RGB has 9 customizable Profiles, which comprise 9 sets of layouts and lighting
configurations. The keyboard also has a series of Global Keyboard Settings which can be configured.
Each of these configurations are stored on the keyboard’s virtual flash drive (called the “v-Drive”) as a series
of simple text files (.txt), which can be accessed in Windows, Linux, Mac, and Chrome. Each time a remap or
macro is created, it is written to the corresponding layout .txt file as a discrete line of “code”. Each time a
Lighting Effect is assigned to a Profile or customized in the App, the parameters are written to a
corresponding led.txt file. Each time a keyboard setting is changed, the change is recorded in the appropriate
field in the “kbd_settings.txt” file. With direct programming, power users can bypass the onboard
programming tools and the SmartSet App to edit these files directly to customize their keyboard.
3.0 Before you Begin
3.1 Power Users ONLY
Direct editing requires learning to read and write a custom syntax. The insertion of incorrect characters into
any of the configuration files can have unintended consequences and could cause temporary problems with
even basic keyboard operation. Read the Quick Start Guide and User Manual first and proceed with caution.
3.2 Always Eject the v-Drive before disconnecting the v-Drive
After editing any .txt files on the v-Drive, it is necessary to first save and close
the files, and then use the appropriate eject protocol for your operating system
before closing the v-Drive with the onboard shortcut. The eject protocol ensures
that your PC is not actively reading/writing to the v-Drive and will prevent the
type of data corruption that can occur and any conventional “thumb” flash drive
if it is disconnected unexpectedly.
Windows Eject: Save and close any .txt files you have been editing. From File
Explorer, navigate back to the top level of “FS EDGE RGB” removable drive
and right click the drive name and then select Eject. Once you receive the “Safe
to Eject” notification you may proceed to closing the v-Drive with the onboard
shortcut. Failure to eject can result in a minor drive error that Windows will ask
you to repair (see Section 6.7).
3.3 Non-US Users
Your computer must be configured for the English (US) keyboard layout. Other language drivers use different
codes/positions for certain keys which are critical for programming characters such as [], {} and >.
3.4 Simple Text Files ONLY
Do not save configuration files in the Rich Text Format (.rft) as special characters could lead to errors.