Author Topic: Custom osu! Keyboard.  (Read 4710 times)

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Offline Shenpai

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Custom osu! Keyboard.
« on: Wed, 31 August 2016, 01:30:00 »
Hey guys,

This'll be my first post on this board, hello all! I've been a fan of mechanical keyboards for quite sometime (though I've only owned two Quickfires, no enthusiast for my poor wallet) and have lurked /r/mechanicalkeyboards for a long time. I'm an aspiring Industrial Designer getting pieces together for my college portfolio.

This idea came to me when I was browsing the osu! store. I spotted a really cool mechanical pad that had two switches and two additional buttons (image attached). I'm currently using a MX Blues and have always enjoyed using tactile switches for both gaming and typing. With one exception. osu! is a VERY straining game on your left index and middle finger and the MX Blues, despite being light, are not helping. In this case, I would like to be able to use light linear switches for my osu! gaming, but the mechanical osu! pad in the store has been out of red switches for as long as I can remember. Then it hit me: I needed more portfolio pieces for college. Building an osu! mechanical pad could be potentially an amazing showcase of both technological knowhow and artistry.

So, this is why I've come to the forum. I have experience with CAD programs, so the keyboard case should be a non issue, at most, I'll need to ask around for some measurements. The main challenge I'm gonna have is designing the PCB. I've never really worked too much with circuitry, but would love to learn. I've currently downloaded KiCAD and am trying to go through the tutorials.

If you have any advice or tips, I'd be very grateful.

Cheers,
Shenpai
Nunu | KR FC660C

Offline suicidal_orange

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Re: Custom osu! Keyboard.
« Reply #1 on: Wed, 31 August 2016, 02:21:27 »
Welcome to GH!

If you haven't already seen the sticky that's a good place to start - it has links to the CAD resource thread for measurements and PCB design threads.

Also if you want really light linears you might want to try Gateron clears - I don't like light switches and these are the wost I've found, they're so light it's like pressing nothing!

Looking forward to seeing what you come up with :)
120/100g linear Zealio R1  
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Offline Shenpai

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Re: Custom osu! Keyboard.
« Reply #2 on: Wed, 31 August 2016, 02:27:14 »
Welcome to GH!

If you haven't already seen the sticky that's a good place to start - it has links to the CAD resource thread for measurements and PCB design threads.

Also if you want really light linears you might want to try Gateron clears - I don't like light switches and these are the wost I've found, they're so light it's like pressing nothing!

Looking forward to seeing what you come up with :)
Thank you! Yeah, I actually have a bag of Gateron clears right next to me. I'm really just unsure of everything related to the PCB. I did see the sticky, I'm just not sure where to start haha.
Nunu | KR FC660C

Offline jaffers

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Re: Custom osu! Keyboard.
« Reply #3 on: Wed, 31 August 2016, 04:40:54 »
Blues for OSU? Nothing can go wrong here....

Get some gateron clears or reds. I think they should do you great. Just desolder the blues from the little pcb and then solder in the clears. Done deal

Offline Shenpai

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Re: Custom osu! Keyboard.
« Reply #4 on: Wed, 31 August 2016, 14:32:37 »
Blues for OSU? Nothing can go wrong here....

Get some gateron clears or reds. I think they should do you great. Just desolder the blues from the little pcb and then solder in the clears. Done deal
See, I would do that if I just needed a quick solution, but I kind of want to take this opportunity to deepen my knowledge on keyboards as well as add a piece to my portfolio. Luckily, I already have a bag of Gateron Clears ready.
Nunu | KR FC660C

Offline kolec94

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Re: Custom osu! Keyboard.
« Reply #5 on: Wed, 31 August 2016, 15:05:58 »
so you need help with a 2 key keyboard pcb design?
you can just do hand solder if price is a issue.
what mcu are u thinking?
https://www.sparkfun.com/products/13773
« Last Edit: Wed, 31 August 2016, 15:14:07 by kolec94 »

kbparadise v60 blues

Offline Shenpai

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Re: Custom osu! Keyboard.
« Reply #6 on: Wed, 31 August 2016, 15:39:51 »
so you need help with a 2 key keyboard pcb design?
you can just do hand solder if price is a issue.
what mcu are u thinking?
https://www.sparkfun.com/products/13773
That's a great idea, I honestly have no idea at the moment, I just started getting my hands dirty. I'm trying to learn all the different parts (PCB, MCU, Diodes, etc.) and how they all come together to make a keyboard. I'll likely use the product you mentioned if I deem designing a custom PCB unfeasible with my alotted time.
Nunu | KR FC660C

Offline kolec94

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Re: Custom osu! Keyboard.
« Reply #7 on: Wed, 31 August 2016, 20:18:34 »
so you need help with a 2 key keyboard pcb design?
you can just do hand solder if price is a issue.
what mcu are u thinking?
https://www.sparkfun.com/products/13773
That's a great idea, I honestly have no idea at the moment, I just started getting my hands dirty. I'm trying to learn all the different parts (PCB, MCU, Diodes, etc.) and how they all come together to make a keyboard. I'll likely use the product you mentioned if I deem designing a custom PCB unfeasible with my alotted time.
its not the time to design the pcb its the time to get the pcb made and the price of the pcb


https://github.com/noodlefighter/osu-keyboard-v2
« Last Edit: Wed, 31 August 2016, 20:24:58 by kolec94 »

kbparadise v60 blues

Offline Shenpai

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Re: Custom osu! Keyboard.
« Reply #8 on: Wed, 31 August 2016, 21:52:26 »
so you need help with a 2 key keyboard pcb design?
you can just do hand solder if price is a issue.
what mcu are u thinking?
https://www.sparkfun.com/products/13773
That's a great idea, I honestly have no idea at the moment, I just started getting my hands dirty. I'm trying to learn all the different parts (PCB, MCU, Diodes, etc.) and how they all come together to make a keyboard. I'll likely use the product you mentioned if I deem designing a custom PCB unfeasible with my alotted time.
its not the time to design the pcb its the time to get the pcb made and the price of the pcb


https://github.com/noodlefighter/osu-keyboard-v2
Thanks for the github link, I'm okay with shelling some money out. It'll take time to design the pcb for me since I've never done it before.
Nunu | KR FC660C

Offline kolec94

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Re: Custom osu! Keyboard.
« Reply #9 on: Thu, 01 September 2016, 08:26:52 »
so you need help with a 2 key keyboard pcb design?
you can just do hand solder if price is a issue.
what mcu are u thinking?
https://www.sparkfun.com/products/13773
That's a great idea, I honestly have no idea at the moment, I just started getting my hands dirty. I'm trying to learn all the different parts (PCB, MCU, Diodes, etc.) and how they all come together to make a keyboard. I'll likely use the product you mentioned if I deem designing a custom PCB unfeasible with my alotted time.
its not the time to design the pcb its the time to get the pcb made and the price of the pcb


https://github.com/noodlefighter/osu-keyboard-v2
Thanks for the github link, I'm okay with shelling some money out. It'll take time to design the pcb for me since I've never done it before.
its a 2 week average turn around for pcb's unless you pay for a rush
i can throw together a schematic if you want i just need to know the mcu

kbparadise v60 blues

Offline Shenpai

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Re: Custom osu! Keyboard.
« Reply #10 on: Thu, 01 September 2016, 15:42:33 »
so you need help with a 2 key keyboard pcb design?
you can just do hand solder if price is a issue.
what mcu are u thinking?
https://www.sparkfun.com/products/13773
That's a great idea, I honestly have no idea at the moment, I just started getting my hands dirty. I'm trying to learn all the different parts (PCB, MCU, Diodes, etc.) and how they all come together to make a keyboard. I'll likely use the product you mentioned if I deem designing a custom PCB unfeasible with my alotted time.
its not the time to design the pcb its the time to get the pcb made and the price of the pcb


https://github.com/noodlefighter/osu-keyboard-v2
Thanks for the github link, I'm okay with shelling some money out. It'll take time to design the pcb for me since I've never done it before.
its a 2 week average turn around for pcb's unless you pay for a rush
i can throw together a schematic if you want i just need to know the mcu
PM'ed
Nunu | KR FC660C

Offline suicidal_orange

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Re: Custom osu! Keyboard.
« Reply #11 on: Fri, 02 September 2016, 02:10:07 »
Thought you wanted to learn design to put it on your portfolio? :p
120/100g linear Zealio R1  
GMK Hyperfuse
'Split everything' perfection  
MX Clear
SA Hack'd by Geeks     
EasyAVR mod

Offline Shenpai

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Re: Custom osu! Keyboard.
« Reply #12 on: Fri, 02 September 2016, 02:21:04 »
Thought you wanted to learn design to put it on your portfolio?
I do! I asked via PM if I could observe his process in order to learn. Ultimately I wanna borrow as little as possible.

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

Nunu | KR FC660C

Offline suicidal_orange

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Re: Custom osu! Keyboard.
« Reply #13 on: Fri, 02 September 2016, 02:31:17 »
Thought you wanted to learn design to put it on your portfolio?
I do! I asked via PM if I could observe his process in order to learn. Ultimately I wanna borrow as little as possible.

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk
:thumb:
120/100g linear Zealio R1  
GMK Hyperfuse
'Split everything' perfection  
MX Clear
SA Hack'd by Geeks     
EasyAVR mod