▲ 94 ▼ Time to take a Detour (lemmy.world) submitted 7 months ago by tankplanker@lemmy.world to c/mechanicalkeyboards@lemmy.ml 27 comments fedilink hide all child comments
[–] Reverendender@sh.itjust.works 3 points 7 months ago (3 children) This is sexy. I need details. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 3 child comments replies: [–] wjrii@lemmy.world 2 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (2 children) DIY board. I designed a no-stabs matrix-only PCB (the Pi Pico MCU has to serve as the "daughterboard"). It's FRL 1800 and is one of my personal favorites, though I've since replaced the black spacebars with a couple of BOW keys that reflect the hold-tap mapping I set up; I've also changed it from KMK to ZMK. Anyway, PCB orders usually have a minimum order of 5 pieces, so I snapped the numpad off of one and laser-cut a case of sorts, really just plates and spacers, and got "half-height" switches. My laser can sort of half-assedly dye-sub cheap PBT blanks, so I did a Timex Sinclair design. Later, I added feet, a 3D printed replacement one-piece spacer with a sidewall, and a MagSafe ring so it could be the keyboard for a Chrometab I converted to Debian. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] Reverendender@sh.itjust.works 3 points 7 months ago (1 child) You “snapped the numpad off” and the rest of the board kept working?! I wish to subscribe to your blog. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 1 child comment replies: [–] wjrii@lemmy.world 3 points 7 months ago I mean, it helped that I knew the designer, LOL. IIRC, there is one single bodge wire in there from where I did compromise the matrix, but I cannot stress how simplistic this PCB design was. It is holes for switches, holes for diodes, holes to string it over to the microcontroller dev board, and traces connecting them all. My second one is slightly more ambitious, allowing a couple of layout choices, Alps or MX, and has a designated spot to solder a specific MCU. That one requires two bodge wires because I screwed up the traces a little. If I do a third, I will know to make sure every trace is assigned to a "subnet" before I tell KiCAD to clean things up. permalink fedilink source parent
[–] wjrii@lemmy.world 2 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (2 children) DIY board. I designed a no-stabs matrix-only PCB (the Pi Pico MCU has to serve as the "daughterboard"). It's FRL 1800 and is one of my personal favorites, though I've since replaced the black spacebars with a couple of BOW keys that reflect the hold-tap mapping I set up; I've also changed it from KMK to ZMK. Anyway, PCB orders usually have a minimum order of 5 pieces, so I snapped the numpad off of one and laser-cut a case of sorts, really just plates and spacers, and got "half-height" switches. My laser can sort of half-assedly dye-sub cheap PBT blanks, so I did a Timex Sinclair design. Later, I added feet, a 3D printed replacement one-piece spacer with a sidewall, and a MagSafe ring so it could be the keyboard for a Chrometab I converted to Debian. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] Reverendender@sh.itjust.works 3 points 7 months ago (1 child) You “snapped the numpad off” and the rest of the board kept working?! I wish to subscribe to your blog. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 1 child comment replies: [–] wjrii@lemmy.world 3 points 7 months ago I mean, it helped that I knew the designer, LOL. IIRC, there is one single bodge wire in there from where I did compromise the matrix, but I cannot stress how simplistic this PCB design was. It is holes for switches, holes for diodes, holes to string it over to the microcontroller dev board, and traces connecting them all. My second one is slightly more ambitious, allowing a couple of layout choices, Alps or MX, and has a designated spot to solder a specific MCU. That one requires two bodge wires because I screwed up the traces a little. If I do a third, I will know to make sure every trace is assigned to a "subnet" before I tell KiCAD to clean things up. permalink fedilink source parent
[–] Reverendender@sh.itjust.works 3 points 7 months ago (1 child) You “snapped the numpad off” and the rest of the board kept working?! I wish to subscribe to your blog. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 1 child comment replies: [–] wjrii@lemmy.world 3 points 7 months ago I mean, it helped that I knew the designer, LOL. IIRC, there is one single bodge wire in there from where I did compromise the matrix, but I cannot stress how simplistic this PCB design was. It is holes for switches, holes for diodes, holes to string it over to the microcontroller dev board, and traces connecting them all. My second one is slightly more ambitious, allowing a couple of layout choices, Alps or MX, and has a designated spot to solder a specific MCU. That one requires two bodge wires because I screwed up the traces a little. If I do a third, I will know to make sure every trace is assigned to a "subnet" before I tell KiCAD to clean things up. permalink fedilink source parent
[–] wjrii@lemmy.world 3 points 7 months ago I mean, it helped that I knew the designer, LOL. IIRC, there is one single bodge wire in there from where I did compromise the matrix, but I cannot stress how simplistic this PCB design was. It is holes for switches, holes for diodes, holes to string it over to the microcontroller dev board, and traces connecting them all. My second one is slightly more ambitious, allowing a couple of layout choices, Alps or MX, and has a designated spot to solder a specific MCU. That one requires two bodge wires because I screwed up the traces a little. If I do a third, I will know to make sure every trace is assigned to a "subnet" before I tell KiCAD to clean things up. permalink fedilink source parent
