this post was submitted on 16 Oct 2023
140 points (96.7% liked)

ErgoMechKeyboards

5827 readers
25 users here now

Ergonomic, split and other weird keyboards

Rules

Keep it ergo

Posts must be of/about keyboards that have a clear delineation between the left and right halves of the keyboard, column stagger, or both. This includes one-handed (one half doesn't exist, what clearer delineation is that!?)

i.e. no regular non-split¹ row-stagger and no non-split¹ ortholinear²

¹ split meaning a separation of the halves, whether fixed in place or entirely separate, both are fine.
² ortholinear meaning keys layed out in a grid

No Spam

No excessive posting/"shilling" for commercial purposes. Vendors are permitted to promote their products/services but keep it to a minimum and use the [vendor] flair. Posts that appear to be marketing without being transparent about it will be removed.

No Buy/Sell/Trade

This subreddit is not a marketplace, please post on r/mechmarket or other relevant marketplace.

Some useful links

founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
 
  • Dactyl Manuform 5x6 full with trackball.
  • Resin case, Amoeba King PCBs, and hot swaps.
  • Used Kailh Box Navy switches.
  • Adafruit KB2040 and PMW3389 for the controllers.
  • TRRS with full duplex between the halves.

Took my sweet time wiring up to not burn myself out, but I think it was worth the wait! My soldering skills certainly improved by the end of it. 😅

Also, big shout-out to Wylderbuilds!

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I'm on the edge of doing a very similar build, but how do you find the buttons in front of the trackball? Is the ball big enough you don't hit those keys accidentally?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Yup! My thumb rests on the enter key but can still use the trackball without triggering it. I do wish there was a little more space between those two keys but otherwise it's fine.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Is that breakout board you're using for the trackball? (I just ordered a raw sensor)

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

It's the PMW3389. Following Wylderbuilds' trackball guide I soldered a header onto it to make it easier to connect.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

Thanks, wasn't aware of the nicer versions on tindie.