Upgrading My Logitech MX Ergo Trackball with USB-C
Kyle Niewiada
May 07, 2024 |
8 Minute Read
Updated on June 21, 2025
Trackballs are a fine alternative input device for driving computers. They excel with slinging the cursor across multi-monitor setups. When used correctly, they can help reduce wrist strain. I started taking trackballs seriously over a decade ago as part of a package solution to mix in a variety of inputs with daily computer usage. In 2013, for less than $20, I picked up a Logitech M570 entry-level trackball. Pairing the trackball, an external trackpad, and a split keyboard together helped break up the repetitive movements that were giving me trouble 🧘.
2024-11-15: Babalooi in the comments informed me that Logitech has released an updated MX Ergo model — the MX Ergo S. The major changes I’ve identified include a USB-C port, silent switches, and supporting the Bolt receiver.
2025-06-21: Updated post to include notes on the USB-C mod for my Bose QuietComfort 35 headphones and Sony DualShock 4 controller.
Throwback
When 2017 rolled around, I was ready to upgrade. Don’t get me wrong, the M570 still functioned just fine, but the Logitech MX Ergo trackball was a solid upgrade. The MX Ergo featured a rechargeable 4-month battery, Bluetooth, and it allowed switching between 2 computer profiles without pairing it again. These features meant I could go dongle-free on my work laptop. I also wouldn’t need to pair the MX Ergo to my desktop every time I brought it home. With my future looking bright, I ordered it the first day it was available from Logitech’s website; September 6, 2017.
The MX Ergo did everything that I wanted. But Logitech made the insane decision to ship a product in their premium MX line with a Micro USB port 🙁. Unfortunately, USB-C wouldn’t trickle into the Logitech lineup until a year later in 2018 with the MX Vertical. While all of my other devices were making the transition into the USB-C world, this device was left behind.
Trapped in the Past
It’s a first-world tragedy when all I want is to carry one charging cable in my bag without giving it a second though. I only have a handful of devices that I regularly use which don’t have USB-C ports.
2016 Bose QuietComfort 35 Headphones (Has a proper USB-C successor ✅)
Bose QuietComfort 35 USB-C Mod
In 2025, I decided look for USB-C mods available on the Bose QC 35 headphones. My headphones were solid, I used them daily, wanted the convenience of a single charging cable, but I wasn’t interested in replacing them with a newer model.
Others have tried using the Bose QC 45 USB-C daughter boards as drop-in replacements in the Bose QC 35. They work, but I’ve heard of some users mention that the Bluetooth light will stay illuminated all of the time. So it’s not 100% backwards compatible with the QC 35.
But I found a project on GitHub that seemed promising.
The project includes designs for a daughter board design with USB-C that is compatible with Bose QC 35 headphones. However, they do not sell any assembled boards. Users are welcome order pre-assembled boards from a PCB manufacturer, but it’s not cheap.
I found a user on Reddit (/u/starkdrive) who was offering assembled boards that might be using the same design. They were available at a reasonable price, so I went this route.
It worked out great! No blue light issue and they fit perfectly in my Bose QC 35 headphones.
Here’s a picture of the assembled red daughter board in my Bose QC 35 headphones:
With everything fully assembled:
Perfection 👌🧼
DualShock 4
Sony DualShock USB-C Mod
I was already on a roll with the Bose QuietComfort 35 USB-C mod, so I decided to tackle my DualShock 4 next. My DualShock 4 controller is the primary controller that I use on my PC for gaming. I find it super comfortable and it works well with my original USB Wireless Adapter.
I don’t even own a PS4. 😂
Just like my other devices, I wanted the convenience of a single cable to charge my DualShock 4.
Originally, I was going to get the USB-C daughter board from a seller on Tindie, but they were out of stock. So I went with a kit from ElecGear that I picked up on Amazon. The kit was only $15 and included two boards, so it seemed like a good deal.
One super-short install later and we were good to go! The install wasn’t nearly as clean as my Bose QC 35 headphones, but it was still a success.
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2017 iPad Pro (Has a proper USB-C successor ✅)Upgraded to newer iPad model with USB-C - 2017 Logitech MX Ergo (No USB-C successor ❌)
Looking back, 2017 was quite the year for me 😅.
Woe is Me
Whenever I want to charge my (or my wife’s) trackball, I have to hunt down another Micro USB cable. My wife doesn’t have any other Micro USB devices, so she always has to bring it to my basement office for charging. It’s not that big of a deal because it only requires a charge every few months. But it’s still annoying that if I’m going to be away, I need to either pack a Micro USB cable or remember to charge it ahead of time.
Onward
Almost every year I make a casual search to see if Logitech released a USB-C successor for the MX Ergo, but so far they haven’t. This year, my search returned a result. The Reddit user, Solderking, reverse engineered the charging PCB for the MX Ergo. They recreated the board and added a USB-C port. They even went a step further and figured out all the components to redevelop a fully assembled board.
I was so excited to see this. I had been waiting years to banish Micro USB from my regular life (I’m almost there!).
Solderking shared their project on PCBWay along with the Gerber files where anyone can order it bare or fully assembled. PCBWay shows me some promotional quotes for ~$35 for any quantity under 20. I have no idea if that quote is accurate.
I decided to cut out the middleman and ended up ordering 3 boards directly from Solderking. One for my MX Ergo, my wife’s MX Ergo, and a spare.
If you want to reach out to them as well, Solderking has a Linktree with all their social media links.
Installation
A few days after ordering, the new USB-C boards arrived fully assembled and tested ✅. I know it’s not important, since they’ll never be seen, but white PCBs are my jam!
To prepare for my work, I pulled out my trusty iFixit driver, a few bits, some mini files, and flush cutters. I followed their Instructables directions and disassembled my MX Ergo.
Using the flush cutters, I trimmed away some plastic to make room for the larger USB-C port housing. With some patience, I used a number of mini files to shave away the edges in the old Micro USB port hole and enlarged it for the new USB-C port.
After validating the new connections, I began reassembly. All I did was follow the original directions, but in reverse 🔄. The grand result; A Logitech MX Ergo with a USB-C port for charging!
Conclusion
My only feedback is that I wish the power switch on the board was clickier to prevent the MX Ergo from getting accidentally toggled-on in my bag. The power switch on the new board seems to slide rather than click into the ‘on’ position.
I reached out to Solderking with this feedback. They let me know that this specific power switch was chosen due to availability of parts. They have a few other switches that they are going to try out, but they went with one that was easy to obtain.
If it’s really that big of a deal to me, I’ll figure out how to transplant the power switch from the old board in the future. I know I have some ChipQuik around here somewhere.. (or maybe that will give me an excuse to finally buy a hot air gun).
I intend to keep these trackballs operating for a long time. The one in the picture above is from my original order back in 2017. I’m glad that I can keep it going with a modern charging port. Here’s to another 7 years of use, and death to Micro USB! 🖲️