Mini Keyboard with Trackpoint

[hasu]

awesome.

how are mouse buttons pushed by user in final product? I guess it has something like mechanical apparatus between the switch and button. Users push mouse buttons forward to space bar or push down to desk?

[lowpoly]

They're hinged, like the prototype. The user pushes forward.

[stereolink]

lowpoly: do you have any updates on a clear idea for release date goals at this point or is still too early to tell? I am very excited if/when it does get released.

[Vittra]

Miniguru + Cherry MX Red = Want. Want NOW.

I'd definitely purchase one. :dance:

Still waiting.

[lowpoly]

Sorry for no updates. If there's something consistent with this project, it's the lack of consistency. 

I lost one important coworker earlier this year and the other guy has little time since some months. Me too.

Anyway, I worked on it during last weekend and (almost) finished the mechanical/electronic part of Revision D:



Brushed aluminum with clearcoat. If you look at the first post in this thread, this is the version I always wanted. From an aesthetic point of view it does deliver!

We also moved the trackpoint slightly to a different angle. In the white version (earlier in this thread) it was invading the airspace over the "B" key a little. Now it's perfect. No cutting of the BGH keys necessary.

The mouse buttons are as smooth as they can be. There is no possiblity you'll move the 'board when using them. Unless you use excessive force, of course.

Only 2 LEDs missing because I couldn't find them. Have to look again. And the mouse buttons need a layer of clearcoat.

So basically, what's left is the firmware. If the controller board works. I've been reluctant to deal with the firmware because everything has been remodeled since I've last touched it. Will start with the white keyboard (Rev C) these days.

We still don't know if we will put it on Kickstarter (or any other crowd funding platform).There are so many steps involved in building this... It will probably need a chinese/taiwanese manufacturer to take over the whole thing. And I'm not sure if I can organize that. We'll see. If we don't find a good solution we will open source the whole project. So, in 2016 we should come to a decision what's going to happen finally.

EDIT: I also should get emails now when someone replies to this topic. Took me only 7 years to figure this out.

[nephiel]

I really like where this is going. ¿What TrackPoint are you using?

I'd suggest to make the top of the TrackPoint nub as grippy as possible - this reduces the force and effort needed to move the cursor, greatly improving control. I experimented with rubber and even Sugru, but the best results I got by far were with fine grit sandpaper.







(see the link on my sig for details)

Your extender seems to be machined metal, knurling or engraving the top to add some texture might be worth a try.

[lowpoly]

Can't disclose the trackpoint source for now, sorry.

Engraving the top of the stick is something I thought about already. For knurling it's a bad angle? I'd just like to hit it with something that leaves some scars on the surface. Probably requires a custom tool. Etching? Should not wear off. Engraving should be best for the prototype. But this stick is A36 steel. We'll see how the goldsmith next door will like it.

Another pic from that series:

[mrbishop]

i like where this is going 

[Rhedone]

I almost want to cancel my Pok3r order because of this, but i need a new board now so waiting isn't an option.  Looking forward to a release date

[sircheddar]

Can't disclose the trackpoint source for now, sorry.

Engraving the top of the stick is something I thought about already. For knurling it's a bad angle? I'd just like to hit it with something that leaves some scars on the surface. Probably requires a custom tool. Etching? Should not wear off. Engraving should be best for the prototype. But this stick is A36 steel. We'll see how the goldsmith next door will like it.

Another pic from that series:

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this picture makes it look like it has bluetooth o:? any chance of that? either way, i am certainly interested

[tent]

Will this ever become true and orderable.. even a kit would be great! I waaaaaant it since years.. I thing 7 at least

tent:wq

[vivalarevolución]

Will this ever become true and orderable.. even a kit would be great! I waaaaaant it since years.. I thing 7 at least

tent:wq

Wow, I did not realize it has been that long. 

Regardless, if it ever does become available as a DIY kit, it would be an improvement over the only other similar option, the Tex Yoda.

[tent]

I agree.. but are there yodas available? I do not think so..

[vivalarevolución]

I agree.. but are there yodas available? I do not think so..

Not currently, except for used models that may be floating around.

[jbaber]

@lowpoly While we're at it, where did you get that nice phone stand?

[nephiel]

I just upgraded the nub on my board from sandpaper to titanium

[lowpoly]

I thought I had this thread on email notification...

I just upgraded the nub on my board from sandpaper to titanium

Show Image

Show Image

Looking great. How did you do it?

@lowpoly While we're at it, where did you get that nice phone stand?

I made it from aluminum flower wire. You can bend it by hand if the radius is not too small. Some paracord for the hinge and shrink tubing for the feet.

[nephiel]

I thought I had this thread on email notification...

I just upgraded the nub on my board from sandpaper to titanium

Show Image

Show Image

Looking great. How did you do it?

I have some titanium disks I got from TheRingLord.com - they sell chainmail and scalemail supplies. These disks were offcuts from punching the holes on titanium scales. The diameter was spot on, but they were flat and too slippery.

First I tried to add texture to a few by pressing them against a metal file with a vice, but those didn't turn out grippy enough. So I stuck one with putty to an iron block, grabbed a hammer and a broken drill bit, and went at it. That worked better than I expected, so I made a second one, which is the one I'm using.

@lowpoly While we're at it, where did you get that nice phone stand?

I made it from aluminum flower wire. You can bend it by hand if the radius is not too small. Some paracord for the hinge and shrink tubing for the feet.

Mind sharing a picture of it? I want to make one like that. I'm currently using a can opener as a stand.

[lowpoly]

Good idea, hammering it with a drill bit. Thanks.

Let me take a picture of the phone stand tomorrow with better lighting.

[lowpoly]

Pic:



Foldable of course.

[nephiel]

Neat! Thanks.

[Tye]

nephiel (or anyone else who knows),

Can you provide more information on your experience adding the extension to the trackpoint?

It looks like you used epoxy? Did you have to alter the Trackpoint itself in any other way?
After doing the mod would you recommend a particular method or type of adhesive?
How has it held up over the last few months?

I've ordered all the parts I need to do this mod myself. Now I'm just waiting for everything to arrive so I can start.

Thanks!

[nephiel]

I've been using it for an average of 6 hours every day, for months, and it's holding up just fine so far. There's a tiny bit of flex but it's probably due to the plastic keyboard case - the nub doesn't really move.

From top to bottom, the components I used are:

• Textured titanium disc (this was a recent improvement, a sandpaper disc works even better, but is still paper and the abrasive wears off after a few months. Very easy and cheap to replace, though).
• Epoxy
• Screw (end cut to length)
• Standoff from a computer motherboard (with the male thread end cut off)
• Epoxy
• Black plastic square peg (on this TrackPoint model, this square peg below the red rubber nub is also detachable)
• Hobby glue (originally, the square peg above is just friction fit, but I added a drop of glue just to be safe. No epoxy here though, I still wanted to be able to remove it if needed).
• TrackPoint module
• 4x screws and
• 4x brass nuts (ripped from the same broken ThinkPad keyboard as the module)
• Epoxy
• Keyboard bottom case

All the pictures are on the link in my signature. The 4 nuts are epoxied to the bottom case of the keyboard, so the module is held with its 4 screws and can be removed, just like on the ThinkPad. To prevent the module and screws from sticking to the epoxy on the nuts while it cured, I used bits of Teflon tape (the plumbers' kind).

Keep in mind that extending greatly increases the leverage and the force applied to the module. I set the sensitivity to high so I don't need to press hard at all. But if I put the board in a backpack and someone sat on it, the extension would probably break or snap off.

[UTommieTanka]

Holy crap that thing is awesome! Love the look of it

edit: Just saw that the post was 8 years ago xD

[LulaNord]

Hi...i am a new user here. As per my knowledge Eagle is not cheap for the size we're talking about here. This would make it difficult for others to work on the design. Target (similar to Eagle) is priced by pins and better for a keyboard pcb. However, I figured most parts have to be done manually anyway, so KiCad will do. I also liked that KiCad said it supported Wings3D for the 3D representation of a part. And I had built the switches in Wings already (turned out is uses .wrl what can be written by almost any decent 3D package). Also there's already at least one successful KiCad project here in the mod forum, or even two.

pcb turnkey assembly

[menuhin]

Someone modded the HHKB JP - a TrackPoint HHKB JP:

[ejune]

Hello Lowpoly

I want to build a keyboard with trackpoint too, it's glad to see your topic, but I can't see the pictures you have posted

here is my introduction
https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=94981.0

[lowpoly]

Hmmmm. The pics are still there. The links all use http, but it looks like geekhack reconfigures those to https. https then fails because of a missing certificate.

Is there an easy fix for this? Or do I have to add a certificate.

[lowpoly]

Added a certificate. Works for me now. Let me know if you still have problems.

[menuhin]

wOW, the elder replied.

I have long considered lowpoly's integrated trackpoint keyboard design superior to those keyboard kits now available on the market - although those kits have the advantage of their prototypes now gone through a few testing phases.
The thoughts and considerations put into this design can prove itself.

[klapse]

Can't disclose the trackpoint source for now, sorry.

Can you disclose it now?