ErgoMechKeyboards

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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

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Some useful links

EMK wiki
Split keyboard compare tool
Compare keycap profiles Looking for another set of keycaps - check this site to compare the different keycap profiles https://www.keycaps.info/
Keymap database A database with all kinds of keymap layouts - some of them fits ergo keyboards - get inspired https://keymapdb.com/

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What are some must-have connectors for building a keyboard? (kbin.social)

submitted 1 year ago by [email protected] to c/ergomechkeyboards

3 comments fedilink hide all child comments

I'm working on a new split keyboard and woukd like to avoid soldering everything together. what are some connectors that can be used to connect things together?

My plan is to have a central unit with one controller, while still being able to dissasemble things etc.

I bought some usb-c male/females, but the males are a PITA to solder a diy 12-pin cable utilizing all pins for transfer, etc.

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[–] nydas 4 points 1 year ago

I may be missing something here, but wouldn’t you still need to solder those connectors?

If you want to limit soldering as much as possible, I’d grab a BlackPill or similar that comes with pin connections that you could just plug into the pcb, and it would have enough pins that depending on how many switches you wanted you could probably get away without needing a matrix, so two less solder points per switch for each resistor. You could also probably benefit from hotswaps. While no reduction in solder points (still two per switch), it can be just a big lump of molten solder on each side - it doesn’t need to be quite so carefully done.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

Using millmax sockets you could make your MCU hotswap, to be able to remove it and use it in another board. As suggested by another comment, hotswap sockets are also a good idea to avoid soldering switches.

What is it exactly that you don't want to solder permanently to the board? Switches? Controller? Connector? Diodes? Screens? Rotary encoders?

[–] iZRBQEcWVXNdnPtTV 1 points 1 year ago

Breadboards allow you to plug things in. They're usually used for prototyping and they'll limit the kind of layout creativity, but it lets you get away without soldering anything.