Hello!
I will present you my current project - isometria75.
After getting into the keyboard-world (thanks SoraNoTenshi and elmo for making me discover yet another money-hungry hobby :'() I have been looking at groupbuys and finished designs, trying to figure out what I wanna end up with as a first keeb. I did not want to sacrifice my number row, I did not want to keep a full TKL board since those wasted too much space, and I did not want a 75% that has all keys mashed into one huge block. So, the only real option was a 75% board with separators, and I fell in love with the layout of the Evolv (https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=104531.0).
(https://mpwr.xyz/projects/isometria75/preview/isometria_skizze.png) (https://mpwr.xyz/projects/isometria75/full/isometria_skizze_full.png)
So I set out to design my first custom keeb from scratch - and after multiple iterations, design changes and a lot of help (most importantly, the MechKeys and Mechanische Tastaturen Deutschland Discord servers, as well as ai03's tutorial) as well as criticism and design ideas (Thanks Propagandalf - you were essential for the keeb in order to look the way it does today) I ended up with the status quo - case design is almost finalized, PCB prototypes are ordered. So I thought, I'd take a leap and present it here to see what you guys think of it.
But let's start with a little introduction which I will simply copy from my github repo:
The name isometria75 has it's origin in the greek noun ἰσομετρία (in latin letters: isometria), meaning "equality of measure" [1] (http://perseus.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/philologic/getobject.pl?c.35:6:59.LSJ). This word ended up being included in various languages, among them english (isometric), with the same meaning. I chose it for two reasons - because this keyboard is only available in an ISO layout (sorry ANSI users - for once it is ne ANSI avail), but also, because I paid attention to only use u/4 spaces throughout my board. You will have a hard time finding any distance on it that's not a multiple of 4.75 mm.
It is a keyboard that has been designed to be a single-layout German ISO board. There is so many beautiful ANSI boards, so I decided not to make compromises in order to get it ANSI compatible.
It features an integrated plate with 6.8° typing angle (the exact angle was chosen because it results in nice steps in the bottom assembly), 82 single-color 3mm backlight LEDs (dimmable as a group) and 17 SK6812 Mini for underglow.
There's a rotary encoder in the top right corner, and it is wireless-ready by connecting a Bluetooth module over SPI and using an alternative USB-C daughterboard which implements battery management.
EDIT: Almost forgot the crazyest feature - I reserved space for some cheap Aliexpress QI receiver in the bottom assembly, allowing me to put a QI charger below the deskmat and use the keyboard wirelessly without recharging - similar to Logitechs Powerplay wireless mice. I have yet to see if/how well that will work out, though!
(https://mpwr.xyz/projects/isometria75/preview/render_frontpartial.png) (https://mpwr.xyz/projects/isometria75/full/render_frontpartial.png) (https://mpwr.xyz/projects/isometria75/preview/render_side.png) (https://mpwr.xyz/projects/isometria75/full/render_side.png)
The top shell is only using u/4 (and some u/2) distances for delimiters and borders, and I decided to stick to u/8 steps for the bottom. Everything is machinable on a 3 axis CNC mill with a single 3 mm tool (and a 45° chamfer-milling-tool). As you can see, it was created to be rather cheap and easy to machine, while still featuring a sleek premium-look. Up to 6 ~45g weights can be added to the bottom, resulting in roughly 1 kg of weight for the entire board in a POM top + PC bottom configuration.
(https://mpwr.xyz/projects/isometria75/preview/render_bottom1.png) (https://mpwr.xyz/projects/isometria75/full/render_bottom1.png) (https://mpwr.xyz/projects/isometria75/preview/render_bottom2.png) (https://mpwr.xyz/projects/isometria75/full/render_bottom2.png)
(https://mpwr.xyz/projects/isometria75/preview/render_bottom3.png) (https://mpwr.xyz/projects/isometria75/full/render_bottom3.png)
I think that's enough (or too much? lol) text for now - I will let renders speak for themselves. Feel free to ask questions or share improvement-ideas! And please, do not find any errors in my PCB layout now that I have ordered the prototpyes, or I will seriously hate myself.
Github repo for the keeb (no case files yet, just PCB): https://github.com/ebastler/isometria-75
Github repo for the usb-daughterboards: https://github.com/ebastler/unified-usb-pcb
(https://mpwr.xyz/projects/isometria75/preview/render_rearside.png) (https://mpwr.xyz/projects/isometria75/full/render_rearside.png)
iso worst layout:tm:
Show Image
(https://i.imgur.com/egJFKwA.png)
Show Image
(https://i.imgur.com/7gcFaYd.png)
fake news, you have gotten it from alex jones!!!!
I designed the enclosure using Fusion360!
@SMOKEY: Sorry, JLC only let me choose between 5 and 10 ;)
Also, there's news: my PCBs finally arrived. Some impressions are below. Sadly, Sk6812 Mini and all connectors are still somewhere between China and Europe - might take a while to arrive.
I'll cut an old USB cable and solder it directly to the PCB tomorrow, so that I can test them and start working on QMK.
(https://mpwr.xyz/projects/isometria75/preview/pcb_1.JPG) (https://mpwr.xyz/projects/isometria75/full/pcb_1.JPG) (https://mpwr.xyz/projects/isometria75/preview/pcb_2.JPG) (https://mpwr.xyz/projects/isometria75/full/pcb_2.JPG)
(https://mpwr.xyz/projects/isometria75/preview/pcb_3.JPG) (https://mpwr.xyz/projects/isometria75/full/pcb_3.JPG) (https://mpwr.xyz/projects/isometria75/preview/pcb_4.JPG) (https://mpwr.xyz/projects/isometria75/full/pcb_4.JPG)
(https://mpwr.xyz/projects/isometria75/preview/pcb_5.JPG) (https://mpwr.xyz/projects/isometria75/full/pcb_5.JPG) (https://mpwr.xyz/projects/isometria75/preview/pcb_usb1.JPG)
(https://mpwr.xyz/projects/isometria75/full/pcb_usb1.JPG)
While I am waiting for prototypes, Skok made some pretty renders of his amazing keyset GMK Norse (IC Thread linked) (https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=107666.0) and I felt like sharing them. Even if it was not intentional, I love the idea of rendering the Isometria in isometric projection. Great play on words.
(https://geekhack.org/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=107666.0;attach=247871;image) (https://geekhack.org/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=107666.0;attach=247873;image) (https://geekhack.org/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=107666.0;attach=247967;image)
I think the set looks really pretty on the board, and am very proud that people are using my design for renders. Even if the prototyping takes ages, I get to see it every now and then.
My friend and I are currently tinkering about the most (cost) efficient way of millig the integrated plate, and whether or not we will be able to support a limited wooden version of the top shell, too. The really thin bezels and integrated plate are giving us a hard time in getting anything that will not most likely break, though.
Sorry that I've kept you waiting for so long, but my first prototype has finally arrived! I built it and, apart from almost poking a hole into the battery with a switch pin, haven't encountered any issues so far. Really happy with how it turned out, even though with SA it's a bit on the higher side - guess GMK will fit better.
(https://mpwr.xyz/projects/isometria75/preview/proto_v1_nocaps.jpg) (https://mpwr.xyz/projects/isometria75/full/proto_v1_nocaps.jpg) (https://mpwr.xyz/projects/isometria75/preview/proto_v1_1.JPG) (https://mpwr.xyz/projects/isometria75/full/proto_v1_1.JPG)
(https://mpwr.xyz/projects/isometria75/preview/proto_v1_2.JPG) (https://mpwr.xyz/projects/isometria75/full/proto_v1_2.JPG) (https://mpwr.xyz/projects/isometria75/preview/proto_v1_3.JPG) (https://mpwr.xyz/projects/isometria75/full/proto_v1_3.JPG)
(https://mpwr.xyz/projects/isometria75/preview/proto_v1_4.JPG) (https://mpwr.xyz/projects/isometria75/full/proto_v1_4.JPG)
I have already uploaded a small fix for the PCB (missing pull-down resistor for backlight, negligible error) to the repo, and will push the latest case-sources sometime soon.
But, and now come the big news, I have also started working on v2 - which will be just what a lot of you guys have been waiting for. Multi-layout! You read that right, the v2 PCB will be ISO + ANSI compatible. In addition to that, it will no longer run off an STM32F072, but directly on a nRF52840 (Holyiot 18010) module. This sadly removes mainline QMK as a viable software option, but should work with the unofficial fork (https://github.com/sekigon-gonnoc/qmk_firmware/tree/nrf52) (which I will not be openly supporting or pre-flashing since it infringes licenses, but it's a cool firmware) and, what I will be using, ZMK (https://github.com/zmkfirmware/zmk), an upcoming keyboard firmware heavily focused on wireless operation. If you don't want it wireless, both ZMK and the QMK fork still behave like a regular USB keeb once connected with a cable - no worries.
If you're curious, v2 is already on github, in a separate branch.
The isometria adventure goes on - I'm really curious where it will lead to. Groupbuy is still planned, but I don't have any ETA yet. Coming when it's ready.
See you around,
ebastler