mWave for Mac

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mWave for Mac Manuals

Quick Start Guide for Mac (v2-12-25)
User Manual

FAQs

How do I access the keypad keys?

The mWave features an integrated numeric keypad in the keyboard’s “Fn Layer”. The keypad actions are legended on the front face of the keycap. Reducing the overall footprint of the keyboard allows you to position your mouse more closely to your body for enhanced ergonomics. Learn More about Mouse Overreach.

To access the keypad, tap the Fn key to jump to the Fn layer and use the keypad as you normally would. Important data entry keys like Escape, Tab, Enter, Delete etc are also activated in the Fn layer to boost productivity by keeping both hands on the home row. Note: PC users will need to ensure Num Lock is enabled on their computer. When you are finished entering data, simply tap the Fn key again to jump back to the Base layer for conventional typing.

When Num Lock is not enabled, the keypad will output the standard secondary “navigation” actions like Arrows, Page Up/Down, Home and End and the Layer LED will slowly flash to warn you.

Note: macOS does not use num lock.

If you use the keypad frequently, you may wish to modify how the Fn layer is accessed which can be accomplished quite easily using Clique.

If you prefer a separate keypad, consider the new Mechanical Keypad LP from Kinesis which features the same great mechanical switches, programmability, and connectivity options as your mWave.

How do I change profiles on my keyboard?

Use the Profile Switch to toggle between the 3 Profiles:

Top Position: Wireless Blue

Middle Position: Wireless White

Bottom Position: Wired Green (Off when disconnected)

What do the indicator LEDs mean?

The Arrow-shaped indicator denotes which keyboard Layer is active:

Base Layer: LED is off
Fn Layer: LED flashes white
If you activate additional layers via Clique these will illuminate in their respective colors

The wave-shaped indicator denotes which keyboard Profile is active:

White: Wireless Profile 1
Blue: Wireless Profile 2
Green: Wired Mode

How do I extend my battery life?

The best way to extend battery life is to slide the power switch to the bottom position when the keyboard is not in use.

How do I access the hotkeys?

On the Mac mWave the F1-F12 function keys can be accessed by tapping the Fn Key to jump to the Fn Layer, and then tapping the desired key. Tap the Fn key to jump back to the Base layer for normal keyboard use and the macOS hotkeys. Note: These hotkeys are optimized for macOS and may not work as intended on other operatings systems.

F1: Volume Mute

F2: Volume Down

F3: Volume Up

F4: Previous Track

F5: Play/Pause Track

F6: Next Track

F7: Adjust Keyboard Backlight Brightness

F8: Jump to Desktop

F9: Screenshot to Clipboard

F10: Mission Control

F11: Spotlight Search

F12: Clear Bluetooth Pairing for the Active Profile

How do I pair with different device?

The mWave supports pairing with 2 different devices via the centrally located Profile Switch. If you would like to pair a NEW device in either the Blue or White Profile, you will need to first “Clear” the pairing on the keyboard.

Use the Profile switch to toggle to the desired Profile
Tap the F12 key (Base Layer) to access the Bluetooth Clear Command. The Profile LED will flash fast to let you know the keyboard is now discoverable.
Use your computer’s Bluetooth menu to pair this Profile with the new device.

Note: We recommend also clearing the keyboard from the device you just de-paired from so it doesn’t attempt to connect. Navigate to that computers Bluetooth menu and select the approrate “Forget Device” type command.

Troubleshooting

If your mWave keyboard is not working as expected, you have several options.

Step 1: Reference the FAQs above and the Troubleshooting Tips at right for targeted tips.

Step 2: Power Cycling is a common fix for almost any problem:

Wired Mode: Disconnect the keyboard from your Mac, wait 10 seconds, then reconnect.
Wireless Mode: Slide the Profile Switch to the bottom position, wait 10 seconds, then slide the Profile Switch to the desired position

Step 3: Persistent Wireless Connectivity Problems may require re-pairing the keyboard from scratch:

Use the Bluetooth Clear command (Base Layer F12 key) to erase the connection for the Active Profile on the keyboard.
Navigate to System Settings > Bluetooth on your Mac. Locate mWave and click the (i) icon. Then select “Forget this Device”.
Once you have erased the connection on BOTH the keyboard and the Mac, try re-pairing the keyboard from scratch.

Step 4: If you still need help, use the link at the bottom of the page to submit a Trouble Ticket to Kinesis.

Keyboard is non-responsive

Confirm the keyboard works in Wired Mode:

Connect the keyboard to the PC with the included USB cable
Slide the Profile Switch to the bottom position
Test key function

If the keyboard works in Wired mode then there is either a Bluetooth connectivity issue or a battery issue.

To test for a battery issue, leave the keyboard connected via the USB cable and slide the Profile switch to the desired Profile (White or Blue).

If the Profile LED flashes rapidly, the keyboard is not paired in that Active Profile (White or Blue).
If the Profile LED flashes slowly, the keyboard was previously paired in this Profile but is not able to re-connect with that device. The device may be powered down, out of range, or just struggling to connect. Try toggling the Profile Switch several times to “jog” the connection.
If the Profile LED turns off, the keyboard is connected to the previously paired device for the Active Profile and you may need to replace the batteries.

Keyboard is not sending key strokes to the correct device

The Profile Switch position ALWAYS dictates which device the keyboard sends keystrokes to.

Top Position: The device paired wirelessly in the White Profile. If no device is paired, the Profile LED will flash WHITE rapidly prompting you to pair the keyboard.
Middle Position: The device paired wirelessly in the Blue Profile. If no device is paired, the Profile LED will flash BLUE rapidly prompting you to pair the keyboard.
Bottom Position: The keyboard will send keystrokes to whatever device is connected via USB, regardless of Bluetooth pairing status. If no device is connected via USB, the keyboard is off when the Profile Switch is in this position.

My computer doesn't have Bluetooth

If your computer doesn’t have native support for Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) devices you have several options:

Connect the via USB and use the Form exclusively as a “wired” keyboard. .
Purchase a 3rd party Bluetooth dongle that can connect to your PC. Finding a dongle that will work well with your PC and our keyboard can be tricky but we recommended the TP Link UB4A (Available from Amazon).

Backlighting is flickering

Certain users may perceive a subtle flicker in the backlight at lower intensity levels. Try using the F7 hotkey to increase the brightness until the flicker goes away or use the same command to disable backlighting completely.

Trouble Pairing: Profile LED is flashing slowly

When the Profile LED flashes slowly it means that the keyboard has stored a Bluetooth connection for the active Profile, but that particular PC is not in range (or not available to connect). Check that PC and confirm that it is powered on and Bluetooth is enabled. Then try Power Cycling and/or Profile Cycling.

If those don’t work, you should remove the keyboard from the device in it’s Bluetooth menu AND then use the Bluetooth Clear command on the keyboard (F12 hotkey) and try re-pairing from scratch.

Trouble Pairing: Profile LED is flashing rapidly

When the Profile LED is flashing rapidly it means the keyboard has not been paired over Bluetooth in the active Profile (White or Blue), but is currently discoverable in “pairing mode”. So you either need to pair the keyboard in this Profile, or toggle to the alternate Profile using the Profile Switch.

Dual-boot systems

Unfortunately because of the way the keyboard “registers” itself with the host-PC, it is not possible to pair the keyboard with both operating systems in a dual-boot environment, regardless of Profile selection.

The best workaround is using one O/S wired and the other O/S over Bluetooth.

Can't connect to Clique

Is your keyboard connected via USB?
Is the Profile Switch in the lowest position?
Are you using a Chrome or Edge browser? Safari, Firefox etc do not support Serial Port connections
Are you selecting the mWave Serial Port when prompted by your browser?
Are you tapping Fn first to access the Unlock command on Caps Lock in the Fn Layer

Linux Users: You need to ensure you have the ability to communicate to USB serial devices. The way to do this varies depending on the distribution but one example from an Ubuntu/Debian based system is via the command “sudo usermod -a -G dialout $USERNAME”. You will need to re-login to implement this change.

Clique Programming

Getting Started with Clique

Clique is a powerful, web-based tool for custom programming your new mWave keyboard.

Connect your mWave via USB and slide the Profile Switch to the bottom position
Open a Chrome or Edge browser and launch: clique.kinesis-ergo.com
Follow the onscreen prompts to connect and unlock your mWave
Basic programming instructions can be found on the startup screen

Get Help with Clique

See Clique in Action

0:00 – Select Kinesis Device, Serial Port & Unlock
0:16 – Navigate Layers
0:26 – Assign a Basic Key Action
0:39 – Filter 350+ Basic Actions by O/S
0:50 – Undo Button and Clear Key
1:01 – Assign a Tap and Hold
1:15 – Modifier Combo Macro
1:25 – Mouse Clicks
1:38 – Browse our Macro Library
1:54 – Create New Layers (up to 8 total)
2:04 – Quick Configurations
2:10 – Customize your Color Scheme

Firmware

Your mWave has been programmed with the latest firmware as of its factory build date. Kinesis may periodically release firmware updates to add new features or fix a bug. If you are having connectivity problems of you locked yourself out of Clique, you can flash the Reset file below to erase Bluetooth connections and then flash to Factory Default Firmware to regain access to Clique.

Factory Default Firmware