Starting to design and make a small gaming keypad

[martin525622]

Sup guys,
This is my first project over here its a small 4*6 gaming keypad like the razer tartarus or how it is caled , but with no analog nonsene .
Wanted to ask you guys I will  be usin a arduino pro micro as a controller , i need to know what firmware to use i would aprecheate some help when i will be ready with the smallest pcb posile
IŽll share it with this awsome comunity ive addet 0 ohm rezistors to make a single sidet board and keep cost down planing to get some pcb mount witches to get some flexibiliti with the layout ( you know desolder a switch or so its my first keyoardy project so every good coment will be  helpfull

[martin525622]

EDIT

got some visualization of the layout for you guys
write what would you change

[TalkingTree]

Hi and welcome,


The Pro Micro mounts an ATmega32u4 controller so you can use hasu's TMK firmware for that.
Alternatively you could use a Teensy 2.0.
Lastly, since you know your  way around PCB design, why don't you include a controller directly on the board? An ATmega32u2 should be more than enough for a 6 by 4 matrix.

[martin525622]

Hi and welcome,


The Pro Micro mounts an ATmega32u4 controller so you can use hasu's TMK firmware for that.
Alternatively you could use a Teensy 2.0.
Lastly, since you know your  way around PCB design, why don't you include a controller directly on the board? An ATmega32u2 should be more than enough for a 6 by 4 matrix.

coul be a good idea i want to shrink the board so you dont need the extension for the controller but i need a schematic  for the  teensy .I am triing to hold the cost down so its out there for all the people
but i dont have a lot of money lastly you know colage

[TalkingTree]

i need a schematic  for the  teensy

There you go, good sir.

[martin525622]

In about 4 days the test pcb shall be made from then i need to wait for the parts and i think some time after christmas the first prototipe should be ready

[TalkingTree]

Nice. Keep us posted.

[joey]

How are you making the PCB?

[VinnyCordeiro]

You should change two things:

• The lateral holes, where the switch tabs are located, don't need copper on them. They are just for mechanical stability;
• Avoid using right angles on your tracks. They cause stronger electromagnetic interference and fail more when in production (they are more likely to over corrode when being etched, even at fab houses).

I highly suggest to include a microcontroller directly on your board, you will have way more flexibility to locate it. You can use the ATmega32U4 or even the ATmega32U2, both are supported by TMK firmware. On both of them the AU and MU versions come from factory with a standard DFU bootloader, so you can upload your custom keyboard firmware directly over USB using programs like Atmel Flip or dfu-programmer.

Final question: are you going to hand make this PCB or will send it to a fab house? Because I noticed that you have made a single-sided PCB. If you are going to use a fab house you can make a double-sided with no extra cost for you, as they are the standard.

EDIT: I also have made a gaming keypad some time ago, it works beautifully.

[martin525622]

Sup there thanks for info i would like to include a onboard controler but i need a schematic for the minimum of parts the controler that are needed to run ,im on a electronics colage so my teacher can etch my pcb's

It will be fototransfer and i will solder them my self

Could you tell me where can i get the lovest cost switches and keycaps ?

Also on a train to the town so write i will read it all

Thanks for ideas )) aprecheate it

[martin525622]

Vinny nace gamepad you have there

[VinnyCordeiro]

Sup there thanks for info i would like to include a onboard controler but i need a schematic for the minimum of parts the controler that are needed to run ,im on a electronics colage so my teacher can etch my pcb's

It will be fototransfer and i will solder them my self

Nice! Photo transfer is the best method for hand-made PCBs. If you have problems to produce double-sided PCBs, try using some jumpers - pieces of wire soldered at the top of the PCB, as if it was the top copper layer. Just don't abuse them, or your board will be ugly and difficult to solder.

As for the microcontroller schematics, you can see the schematics of the GH60 revision A. Although it uses ATmega32U4 mcu, it is easy to adapt it to the ATmega32U2.

On my last post I linked Atmel's pages about the ATmega32U2 & ATmega32U4, you can download the datasheet of them there. Read them, it is very important.

Could you tell me where can i get the lovest cost switches and keycaps ?

The keycaps I bought at WASD, but it isn't the cheapest option available. You can also buy blank keycaps at Pimp My Keyboard.

Switches: try to find someone who sells Gateron switches, they are good and cheaper than Cherry MX.

And finally: ATmega32U2 is cheaper than ATmega32U4, but both are not that expensive. Use the one you find easier to find/use.

[martin525622]

Some edits : working on integrating controller onboard state : need some time but i will have christmas holidays so il have enough time to do some work on it


What i doo til than il have a matrix pcb for testing in 2 days  no controller no arduino pins onboar just the matrix and some solder spots ill hand wire it tri it out give you ins and outs if it will be ok il do a doble sided board with an integrated controller and if all will go to plan ( and it probabli want )

We could push some pro pcb from osh or else where also could you give me some info on osh pricing ?

But this is future so the plan for now is :
Test layout

Make pcb with controller and make it as small as posible

Pimp it up . And  make it open for everybody with my small signature

[regack]

We could push some pro pcb from osh or else where also could you give me some info on osh pricing ?

Oshpark charges $5USD per square inch.   A run of three 4x6 keypads will cost ~$66.35 (3 is the minimum order quantity for OSHpark).  It could go up or down a little depending on the exact size of your board, but the one I had still sitting in my queue there is $66.35, so, it will probably be really close to that. 

I can also recommend Dirtypcbs.com for good work and decent pricing.  PCBWing.com is great if you're going to do a small production run.

-edit: checking through my old orders, the (10) 4x6 keypads from PCBwing cost $132.66 in 2013. 

[martin525622]

We could push some pro pcb from osh or else where also could you give me some info on osh pricing ?

Oshpark charges $5USD per square inch.   A run of three 4x6 keypads will cost ~$66.35 (3 is the minimum order quantity for OSHpark).  It could go up or down a little depending on the exact size of your board, but the one I had still sitting in my queue there is $66.35, so, it will probably be really close to that. 

I can also recommend Dirtypcbs.com for good work and decent pricing.  PCBWing.com is great if you're going to do a small production run.

-edit: checking through my old orders, the (10) 4x6 keypads from PCBwing cost $132.66 in 2013.

Thanks for info momentaly waiting for switches to come and have a prototipe board ready

[martin525622]

everybody have a nice year

[martin525622]

Update guys first model put together working on another board to include some features like backlight