A 76% / 66% design

[awhitedev]

When I first got into this hobby it was easy for me to go from a full-size to a TKL keyboard. However, I've been finding it difficult to go any smaller than that. As a .NET software developer I use the navigation cluster quite a bit in my day to day activities and I cannot afford to not have them as dedicated keys.

A 65% or 75% design seems to make the most sense for me... but I find that I constantly hit keys that I didn't intend to hit... the keys are just too close to the main typing area. Maybe I'm just clumsy... 

So this got me thinking... why doesn't something exist that's like the 75% or 65% keyboard but has a little more space between the key groupings? Kinda like an 1800 design but smaller.

Here's some layouts that I've been playing with... we'll call them 66% and 76% (if those have not already been coined)... same number of keys and space saving... but .25 units more space around the main groupings of keys like a TKL or 1800.

66%: http://www.keyboard-layout-editor.com/#/gists/c912b400b6fb061ed43c


76%: http://www.keyboard-layout-editor.com/#/gists/70c1678df5bfbc5a5cee


For me I rarely use:

• Page Up
• Page Down
• Insert

Which is why I decided that I should put them on function layers. Final location of said layers I have not really decided on yet.

I NEVER use (at least not intentionally):

• Scroll Lock

So I just left it off entirely.

PS. For anyone who noticed.. yes those are Classic Beige GMK and RGB GMK colors. I fully intend to use those sets if / when this ever gets created. 

Controller

For the controller I plan to use a Teensy 2.0. Nothing fancy here.. just a simple hand-wired matrix for now. I will probably use Enabler PCBs to clean things up a bit: https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=57511.0

Initial Creating / Case Design
I'm pretty serious about getting a plate and case created for this. I think a sandwich style case would probably be best. With the spacing between the keys like there is I was hoping to do a top layer so that the switches aren't so exposed.

I liked Matt3o's design here:

In his design there's a wood piece sticking off the bottom row separating the keys. I could possibly use this method to create the .25 unit space between key groupings. I might use wood, or acrylic... haven't decided.

Conclusions?

What's the community's thoughts on this layout?  think this would be a fun project...

Any pointers that you guys could give me for creating a case for this would be appreciated. I know I can use swill's tool for creating the plate but I imagine I need something else to create the top and bottom layers since they'll be a bit more complicated.

I guess my first question would be.. how wide, in mm, is .25 units of keycap space?

Thanks for your constructive criticisms. This is my first time designing anything like this so be easy on me 

[trenzafeeds]

I was actually just designing a similar layout myself, but with arrow keys on the left. Interested to see how this works out for you!

[user 18]

1u = 19.05mm (0.75")

[awhitedev]

Can the switch plate be 2mm thick without interfering with the PCB its soldered to? I know some are 1.8mm but for the case design I was thinking 2mm would make calculations and hardware easier.

[vivalarevolución]

Do you plan to maintain the spacing on thst far right row and top row for the 76%?  Or eliminate the spacing and put the rows or columns next to each other without spacing?

[neverused]

This is how I integrated arrows in a 60%

[awhitedev]

Do you plan to maintain the spacing on thst far right row and top row for the 76%?  Or eliminate the spacing and put the rows or columns next to each other without spacing?

I was hoping to maintain the spacing on both the top and right. For me this solves the problem of accidental key presses. Most boards bigger than 60% incorporate this kind of spacing. (TKL, 1800, etc.) In fact the arrows are placed right where they would be on an 1800. The .25 units of space is also much more consistent on my design than on most larger boards including the aforementioned ones.

This is how I integrated arrows in a 60%

Nice Hack'd set. Probably one of my favorite SA sets. I like your design, although for me, the arrows would simply be too close to everything. And I hit the spacebar between your spacebar and about where the right Super key is.  I do think that the spacebar is a bit too wide in most cases so I definitely like the better utilization of the space. (no pun intended)

[neverused]

I can see how that could be true for some, but that is the beauty of building your own.

[vivalarevolución]

Yea, my 65% has the extra far right column right new to the keys, and I have tons of accidental key presses.  It's kinda annoying.  I'm currently tinkering around with a custom board that will have a .25 unit spacing.

[awhitedev]

Yea, my 65% has the extra far right column right new to the keys, and I have tons of accidental key presses.  It's kinda annoying.  I'm currently tinkering around with a custom board that will have a .25 unit spacing.

Yup! Exactly... I'd be curious to see what kind of layout you come up with. For me, the one in the OP seemed to make the most sense but I'm there's other configurations that are equally as good.

[vivalarevolución]

Yea, my 65% has the extra far right column right new to the keys, and I have tons of accidental key presses.  It's kinda annoying.  I'm currently tinkering around with a custom board that will have a .25 unit spacing.

Yup! Exactly... I'd be curious to see what kind of layout you come up with. For me, the one in the OP seemed to make the most sense but I'm there's other configurations that are equally as good.

My layout is pretty simple.  Imagine a Planck, except with a 3 column by 4 row cluster on the side, spaced 0.25 unit from the main 4x12 cluster.  Rather than the numbers in the FN layer, they will be in the 3x4 cluster.  Only 15.25 units wide total.  We'll see how it works when I try it out.