geekhack Community > Ergonomics

PCB for flat Kinesis Advantage layout? aka Ergodox with kinesis layout?

(1/1)

impaktor:
I'm a long term Kinesis Advantage user, and I have previously built a Dactyl-Manuform, which basically has the Kinesis keyboard layout, however, I'd like to build a keyboard that is on a simple flat PCB, like Ergodox, but with Kinesis key layout.

I've been thinking I could take PCB from Ergodox and just remove the extra inner column, and add F-key row, but I thought I would check here if anyone knows if this has already been done, that I can copy? (Or else I'll have to learn KiCad).

My interest in this was piqued when I read a blog post about ergogen, which even offers a web interface to design a keyboard PCB. Perhaps someone has config file for Ergodox, or kinesis like keyboard for this tool? Or just KiCad/Gerber files for something similar?

Thankful for any suggestions.

Findecanor:
Just be aware that the outermost keys in the thumb cluster on the ErgoDox are not as accessible as on the Kinesis, because of it being in the same plane. Most flat DIY ergo-mech keyboards have the thumb cluster smaller and/or close to the fingers for that reason.

Of the keyboards I've saved images of, the only one satisfying your description was hand-wired, not a PCB, sorry. But I'm sure I've seen several like it somewhere sometime ...

Maltron has made flat versions of their contoured keyboard, but I dunno how to get one, and if you do, it will probably be expensive, and you might not appreciate how it was put together. (Maltrons are hand-wired on a plastiic plate...)

You could also take a look at the "Alice-like" keyboards but with columns, such has the Jabberwocky and Red Herring, but I don't think there are PCB design files available.

impaktor:
Thanks for suggestions.

So the thing is, I have all the parts for building 1 more keyboard (switches, diods, key caps, micro controllers), just missing "the thing to mount them in/on", which is why I was thinking I could send something of to PCBWay or similar circuit board manufacturer.

The Dactyl 3D print I initially thought I'd do takes so much time / is too expensive (at least last time I checked), which is why I'm thinking of just doing "flat" version.

Navigation

[0] Message Index