Smol TKL INTEREST CHECK
Hi there!You might not know me and that is totally fine. I've been interested in keyboards and how to design them since quite a while, and now it's time to reveal something that has been teased on a bunch of discords already - a budget-diy keyboard that adheres (mostly) to the TKL standard. It should provide a starting point to this hobby for people that have not soldered much or just want a board with a smoler price-point that they can use as a second board or gift to other people.
So without further ado - here it is! (and if you don't want to scroll further down -
here is a link to the IC )!)
Smol TKLLayout/Design choicesWhen going into the Smol TKL there were a bunch of goals that I wanted to achieve. First it should be in a 'larger' form-factor since that is barely existing for custom mechanical keyboards. Second it should not require insane SMD soldering skills and just use a regular proMicro. And as a final goal it should not break the bank.
And all those things factored in gave birth to the Smol TKL!
Features- TKL keyboard without the fn-row
- MX and ALPS support for all switches
- ISO support
- QMK compatible (due to the proMicro)
- No LED/RGB support
- Wallet-Friendly
Current StatusSo, here's the thing: The PCB for the Smol TKL is already ready to be run with only the firmware needing some minor tweaks here & there. And I honestly don't know if there's demand for it to be run as a GB or if some vendors want to pick it up. But no matter which route it'll end up taking one thing that I've wanted from the start when working on this PCB: I'll not make a single cent on it and I want pretty much all that I'd make from it to go to a charity (like rainforesttrust.org).
Once I got figured out what I'll go for the contents of the kit will be decided. Personally I'm leaning towards 2 PCBs with a bunch of standoffs so the kit stays affordable. If you are interested in a case I'm currently working on a 3d printable sandwich mounted case that should work on *most* 3d printers.
I'll keep everyone that is interested updated! :slight_smile:
Thank you so much for reading through all of this & hopefully checking out the IC!
Here's a link to the IC-form if you're interested!