ErgoDox - Custom split ergo keyboard.

[Glissant]

I've just spent a lot more time trying to figure this out.
I soldered all the switches into the board as I now have the diodes on the back so I can easily fix them if I did something wrong.
The right hand that used to fire two different keys on the thumb cluster now acts perfectly normally, but almost the entire bottom row on the left hand is firing two keys now.
Does anybody have any idea why this is happening? I'm going to take a picture of the bottom row, but I warn you that I have soldered and desoldered this board a couple of times so it's not exactly pretty.

Here's the image of the left hand (bottom row has the misfiring keys):

I also uploaded a video so you can see what I am talking about:

[Larken]

I suggest you check the transponder. It's a wild guess but I think one of the pads might be shorting with another. It appears that you've used a lot of solder, and given how close those pads are for the transponder, it's possible that two of the pads are being connected by solder (if not on the same side, then on the other), which would explain the firing of two different keys at once.

[WhiteFireDragon]

It's not hard to miss the diode legs to the pad, so take a magnifying glass to verify all those diode solder joints again. If you're absolutely sure it's not the diode, then flash with a different firmware to see if you replicate the same problems. It's possible that the firmware handles one side differently than if two sides were connected. Then reflow both sides of the teensy pins. Based on your pic, I'm not exact sure but it looks like the left-most teensy pin on the bottom row and 4th pin on the top row might not be bonded with the through-hole pads. Flux greatly helps with solder bonding and reflow.

[Glissant]

Thanks for the suggestions, WFD and Larken.
I went over the diodes again for the fifth time but they were all fine.
I used the stock firmware and also tried others but had the same issue.
I took the too much solder suggestion to heart and had a look at the expander. I used wick to remove most of the surface solder, then I reflowed with the tiniest amount of solder.
Thanks for all the help. I finally have a fully functional ergodox.

[wiredPANDA]

Awesome news, Glissant. 

And I'm glad to see all the information here - since, I'll be starting to build mine in the next few weeks.  Finally, go my kit back from TheProf/MD.

[dominicclifton]

Hi Guys,  just thought I'd share my layouts and build photos.

I'm a leftie and have been using an Ergodex for years (the ergo keyboard with removable sticky keys), and I even wrote Windows 7 drivers for them too.  Anyway, to complement it I bought one of these Ergodox keyboards and have been tinkering with it off and on since i built it a few weeks ago.  Gotta say I'm loving it.

Keys wise I ordered light blue, black and dark grey keys from www.wasdkeyboards.com, yes expensive but i've not seen any other places that do keycap singles from.  I went with a number set, a qwerty set, a cursor key set and a few tab 1.50 keys.  For the 2.00 keys I used numpad Enter keys and for the thumb keys above them row 1 keys.  This means that when pressing them you don't press the ones underneath.  Oh I also used row 2 blank 'home' keys on the PgUp/Home keys so again you can locate the keys without looking.  That works well.

Since I do programming and various command line activities the default ergodox layout wasn't good for me.  I also wanted an inverse T cursor key layout.  Having the cursor keys under the right hand 'home' keys makes it a breeze to move around after typing in the editor i use.  Also having the backslash and forward slash keys near where they are on a qwerty keyboard helps too.

Thanks to another poster on here I too added a gaming layout with a sort of weird inverse mirror one hand qwerty layout.  The idea being that i just use normal game keyboard layouts/configuration but use my right hand on the keyboard and left hand for the mouse which is the opposite for normal gamers.  My Ergodex layout is pretty much identical except for an extra row of numbers above the normal number keys.

I've also ordered, but they have not yet arrived, some textured Enter keys and some textured tab keys.  I plan to use the textured keys for the space and backspace keys since those are the ones you use most on each thumb.  I will use the textured tab keys as layer shift keys since the texture I ordered was called 'dot grid' and that kinda looks like keys

Lastly I am using Cherry MX clears for all keys except the modifier keys which are Cherry MX blues.  It's really nice to have different feedback for keys with special meanings.

Enjoy!

[dominicclifton]

Oh yes, i forgot to add that i also bought key stabilizers for the 2.00 keys and they were a pain to fit because the layer of plastic that they keys fit into are too thick for the black tray mount key stabilizers.

http://www.wasdkeyboards.com/index.php/cherry-mx-plate-mounted-stabilizer-clips-2pcs.html

There are holes in the right place but the stabilizers bent inwards too much and also pop out.  I had to file down the locating tabs on the inserts and glue them in place, very fiddly and also required filing the case a bit too to get the key and two inserts lined up correctly.

My advise:  fit the key stabilizers BEFORE soldering any keys if you are going to use them, at least that way you will be able to get your file tool into the holes to make them wider as required.

[sordna]

Very nice, I like your keycaps, and the way you implemented the arrow keys... it looks great for QWERTY (not so much for Dvorak since you have to move letter keys though)

[daerid]

Crazy. Interest for round 4 is about to top 300 people.

[Glissant]

You got a link to this fourth interest check?

Never mind =) went to the original one lol.

[Dreyer]

suddenly the left hand of my ergodox stoped working. Prior to that it was running fine for the last 5 months.  I re-solder all the critical parts but it didn't solve the problem. I know this isn't a lot of information but anyone has an idea what I can do to solve this?

[daerid]

Could be the io expander, or a bad joint for the 1/8" TRRS connector on either side. There's quite a few points of failure between the two halves.

[WhiteFireDragon]

suddenly the left hand of my ergodox stoped working. Prior to that it was running fine for the last 5 months.  I re-solder all the critical parts but it didn't solve the problem. I know this isn't a lot of information but anyone has an idea what I can do to solve this?

Check for bad solder joints on one of the TRRS connectors. It's possible it's a bad cable as well.

[vivalarevolución]

Crazy. Interest for round 4 is about to top 300 people.

Sales of this thing are inching into the hundreds of thousands.  With no advertising.  This thing has serious legs.

[daerid]

Sales of this thing are inching into the hundreds of thousands.  With no advertising.  This thing has serious legs.

Can't tell if serious....

I thought interest would have died down after the second round, but I do agree it seems to be getting more popular, not less

[MOZ]

Hundred of Thousands ?!?!?!?!?!?

[daerid]

There's been three runs on MassDrop of around 200 people each I believe. Not quite hundreds of thousands.

[Thimplum]

There's been three runs on MassDrop of around 200 people each I believe. Not quite hundreds of thousands.

It's still not that bad. 600 people saved from RSI.

Ok, not really.

But still...

[SpAmRaY]

I wish TP4 would come back I miss him

[Dreyer]

suddenly the left hand of my ergodox stoped working. Prior to that it was running fine for the last 5 months.  I re-solder all the critical parts but it didn't solve the problem. I know this isn't a lot of information but anyone has an idea what I can do to solve this?

Check for bad solder joints on one of the TRRS connectors. It's possible it's a bad cable as well.

Well, I re-solder the TRRS connectos and IO expander, the cable seems fine as well since I used to connect a mp3 player to a sound system.

Yet the left side is still dead. Next step I guess is try to buy a new IO expander...

Thanks for the tips thought.

[Glod]

For round 4 i wonder if they are going to finally provide a different case color and PROVIDE FEET. I still have my round 2 not built, i may sell it if AcidFire's ErgoGP ends up being the ergodox improvement it seems to be. (no pressure acidfire!)

Crazy. Interest for round 4 is about to top 300 people.

Sales of this thing are inching into the hundreds of thousands.  With no advertising.  This thing has serious legs.

wut? less than a thousand have ever been produced including protos, im guessing you aren't being serious.

suddenly the left hand of my ergodox stoped working. Prior to that it was running fine for the last 5 months.  I re-solder all the critical parts but it didn't solve the problem. I know this isn't a lot of information but anyone has an idea what I can do to solve this?

Check for bad solder joints on one of the TRRS connectors. It's possible it's a bad cable as well.

Well, I re-solder the TRRS connectos and IO expander, the cable seems fine as well since I used to connect a mp3 player to a sound system.

Yet the left side is still dead. Next step I guess is try to buy a new IO expander...

Thanks for the tips thought.

seriously try a new cable. Just because the cable works with mp3 player doesn't mean the cable isn't bad, My left hand as died twice in the past 4 months or so the ErgoDox dropped, a new cable fixed it both times--my guess is the TRRS cables are crap they provide, haven't got around to getting a better and shorter one.

[Thimplum]

I wish TP4 would come back I miss him

What happened to him?

[Glod]

I wish TP4 would come back I miss him

What happened to him?

we stopped feeding him......

nah i don't know. it was kind of odd he disappeared, maybe he assumed a new identity here. Or maybe the ErgoDox was such a game changer for him that he no longer found a need to continue the hobby and geekhack.

[Thimplum]

I wish TP4 would come back I miss him

What happened to him?

we stopped feeding him......

nah i don't know. it was kind of odd he disappeared, maybe he assumed a new identity here. Or maybe the ErgoDox was such a game changer for him that he no longer found a need to continue the hobby and geekhack.

I guess so.

I hope that he doesn't pull a kisakuku.

[aragon]

How much is one "pair" of ergodox weight? Assuming using the acrylic classic case?

Not sure if you ever got an answer, but mine is 957 grams including the pairing cable.

[linziyi]

How much is one "pair" of ergodox weight? Assuming using the acrylic classic case?

Not sure if you ever got an answer, but mine is 957 grams including the pairing cable.

Thank you!! That's much lighter than my current keyboard!

[Sciurid89]

I just added another request for a kit on MassDrop!

Question for a current ErgoDox user - what is the distance from the center of the index finger homerow key to the center of the closest 2x1 thumb key? I tried the Kinesis Advantage and found that the thumb keys were much too high in the Z axis, and about 1 cm too far in the horizontal plane.

[jeffgran]

Crazy. Interest for round 4 is about to top 300 people.

Sales of this thing are inching into the hundreds of thousands.  With no advertising.  This thing has serious legs.

wut? less than a thousand have ever been produced including protos, im guessing you aren't being serious.

Pretty sure he meant hundreds of thousands of dollars... ~1000 units at ~$300 each.

[kurplop]

I just added another request for a kit on MassDrop!

Question for a current ErgoDox user - what is the distance from the center of the index finger homerow key to the center of the closest 2x1 thumb key? I tried the Kinesis Advantage and found that the thumb keys were much too high in the Z axis, and about 1 cm too far in the horizontal plane.

I measured 2 3/8" o.c. between home row index to closest 2x key. In my opinion the two 2x keys are easy enough to reach but would have been better moved a half space closer to the hand. That would have allowed easier access to the other thumb keys.

[dyuri]

I've managed to add NKRO and mouse support to Ben's firmware - based on hasu's and Soarer's work (thanks).

Here's the pull request if someone is interested.

Tested only with linux (currently I don't have access to any Windows or OSX box).

[MOZ]

I've managed to add NKRO and mouse support to Ben's firmware - based on hasu's and Soarer's work (thanks).

Here's the pull request if someone is interested.

Tested only with linux (currently I don't have access to any Windows or OSX box).

Waiting to try this out, once my ErgoDox is assembled.

[daerid]

Mouse support? Very interesting

[Sciurid89]

Okay, I'm definitely in for round 4!

I shouldn't have any trouble remapping shift to the left thumb, right?

[wiredPANDA]

Don't think so -- check out the layout configurator on MassDrop's site.  You should be able to do it from there.

If not the old trustworthy Auto-Hotkey can do it.  =)

[SubGothius]

suddenly the left hand of my ergodox stoped working. Prior to that it was running fine for the last 5 months.  I re-solder all the critical parts but it didn't solve the problem. I know this isn't a lot of information but anyone has an idea what I can do to solve this?

Check for bad solder joints on one of the TRRS connectors. It's possible it's a bad cable as well.

Well, I re-solder the TRRS connectos and IO expander, the cable seems fine as well since I used to connect a mp3 player to a sound system.

Yet the left side is still dead. Next step I guess is try to buy a new IO expander...

Thanks for the tips thought.

Are you saying you tested the cable provided with the kit by using it to connect an mp3 player, or that you tried using another cable that works fine with your mp3 player? The cable required and provided with the kit is a 4-wire TRRS (stereo+mic cable), not the 3-wire TRS (stereo only) typically used as an mp3 player interconnect.

[SubGothius]

In case anyone might be interested in tenting plus a negative tilt, I've extended my Radio Shack PCB-standoff tenting mod to accomplish that; here's a couple pics:





Note that I had to buy a couple longer screws (M3x0.5, 30mm long) for the longest inboard leg. I had to screw these all the way in to make all 4 feet level, ran into a bit of a snag when one screw wouldn't go in far enough (or so she said), but inverting that standoff gave enough depth from the other end. The standoffs aren't threaded fully through; there's an unthreaded span in the middle, and the threading depth from each end may differ slightly.

See original post about my PCB-standoff tenting mod here:
http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=22780.msg861099#msg861099

[orki]

I've managed to add NKRO and mouse support to Ben's firmware - based on hasu's and Soarer's work (thanks).

Here's the pull request if someone is interested.

This is great. I have been futzing with this for a while too but have been waiting for my Ergodoxen to arrive from the third GB to test. What does the mouse support do?

Tested only with linux (currently I don't have access to any Windows or OSX box).

I am on Linux as well, but I don't see why your code would not work on other operating systems. Have you tried running Plover with NKRO?

[dyuri]

This is great. I have been futzing with this for a while too but have been waiting for my Ergodoxen to arrive from the third GB to test. What does the mouse support do?

You can send mouse movements, wheel movements and mouse button clicks (press/release states) with this function.

I am on Linux as well, but I don't see why your code would not work on other operating systems. Have you tried running Plover with NKRO?

I haven't tried Plover, just pressed as many keys as I can. You can of course define custom functions that trigger multiple keypresses, I haven't tried it yet, but it would be interesting to see more then 100 keypresses triggered by pressing only one key. I may try this later.

Hasu's firmware is using 16 byte long reports and in the original thread they mentioned that 32 byte long reports worked as well, I use 24 byte long reports, it works for me and theoretically should work on other OSes as well, but "if it isn't tested, then it doesn't work"

[Glod]

ATTENTION Ergodoxers!

Keycaps for ErgoDox, SA Profile - Military Theme

http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=45655.0

Base set + ErgoDox Add On = Ergodox Set

We need 25 Add On Kits

Spread the word

[aragon]

So I was wondering if anyone else is struggling to get used to typing on their ergodoxes?  I've been struggling with mine for about a week, and close to throwing the towel in on it.  I'm not sure what the problem is, but the keycaps seem very narrow and tall for starters (PBT DCS), and the non-staggered layout is certainly a mind warp.  I was hoping the MX browns would feel more like my laptop key switches (which I love), but I find them mushy and hard to perceive.  I've had to switch back to my usual MS Natural multiple times to get actual work done.  Even switching back is a bit of an adjustment - if I do get used to the dox, I dread the thought of struggling to type every time I'm with my laptop or at another desk.

[Glod]

Odd, I found it easier to get used to the ergodox with DCS or OEM profile keys over DSA, after i got up to speed i type on DSA and DCS pretty well.

it could be the switch type, if you find yourself not liking the way your switches feel then it can change how how you feel about the board.

Non-staggered does take some getting used to, i wouldn't suggest using any other keyboard until you get used to it but not everyone has the ability to do that.

[Larken]

So I was wondering if anyone else is struggling to get used to typing on their ergodoxes?  I've been struggling with mine for about a week, and close to throwing the towel in on it.  I'm not sure what the problem is, but the keycaps seem very narrow and tall for starters (PBT DCS), and the non-staggered layout is certainly a mind warp.  I was hoping the MX browns would feel more like my laptop key switches (which I love), but I find them mushy and hard to perceive.  I've had to switch back to my usual MS Natural multiple times to get actual work done.  Even switching back is a bit of an adjustment - if I do get used to the dox, I dread the thought of struggling to type every time I'm with my laptop or at another desk.

You really need to let your muscle memory settle in before switching back to a standard layout, or it'll take ages for you to attain any kind of proficiency with the matrix layout of the ergodox. Go slow and try to hit the keys correctly first, speed can come later. Also, take breaks every 1 - 2 hours of intensive typing. Much more efficient to train your muscle memory this way than to sit one for one full eight hour session. If it matters, I got used to it after about 3 days of cold turkey typing on the ergodox.

As for the feel of the switches, sounds like browns aren't what you're looking for - and laptop switches are most likely scissor switches. Is this your first mechanical keyboard? I'm afraid most mx switches aren't going to feel the same as the laptop keyswitches - though most people would find MX to be superior. A case of preference, I'm afraid.

As for switching back to standard keyboards - I could probably do it if I tried, but as of now, I can no longer use one proficiently as I've been on my ergodox 100% of the time for the last few months. Just way more efficient in terms of finger movement and a lot more comfortable on the wrists.

[thadood]

Just got the email that Massdrop has received all parts and will begin fulfilling next week =)

[MOZ]

Yeah, I think the PCB fabrication was a bit delayed.

[daerid]

Wheeeeee can't wait to put together my second one! Also really interested in what they have planned for round #4:

When we first started putting the ErgoDox group buy together more than 8 months ago, we never thought we'd be able to get as much support as we have from the mechanical keyboard communities. After selling well over 500 ErgoDox keyboards (pretty crazy number, I know!), we have also learn quite a few things on optimizing supply chain efficiency, ErgoDox programmer functionality, as well as product quality.

All I can say is that we have a few improvements planned for round 4 ErgoDox group buy. Just stay tuned

From here

[Glod]

improvements? what kind of improvements MassDrop? new case?

damnit i already own 3 of these things (1 is not built and i am thinking about selling it). There is also Acidfire's ErgoGP......

my wallleeeettttt

[WhiteFireDragon]

The acrylic could definitely use better quality checking. I built a couple, and there is always one or two hole in one of the layers that's ever so slightly off, so one screw can't go all the way through. There was another instance were the acrylic was slightly melted or deformed in a small area. For the metal case, not sure what happened there but it was straight up not even usable out of the box. Lastly, for the PCB there are some flaws that never got fixed and the flaws just got carried through several rounds.

[Glod]

if you are talking about the thumb cluster on the pcb, i doubt any adjustments are going to be made to the PCB. nobody here like bpiphany is doing any revisions. If you are talking about some other PCB flaws, please elaborate because the 2 I've put together worked out just fine.

I'm really hoping for some kind of change to the case, and if they do make a change i would hope they would offer the case separately for the round 1,2,3 people to buy.

[aragon]

As for switching back to standard keyboards - I could probably do it if I tried, but as of now, I can no longer use one proficiently as I've been on my ergodox 100% of the time for the last few months. Just way more efficient in terms of finger movement and a lot more comfortable on the wrists.

Thank you for your feedback, and to Glod too.  I've decided to part with my ErgoDox in case anyone is interested.

[anotherjunkie]

So, this may be a stupid question overall, but I really don't know:

Is there any possibility of making this work with bluetooth, either as part of the plans or as a modification to my (round 4) order when it arrives?

I'm disabled with a significant joint disorder, and I been looking for a new keyboard for ages. This nails every item on my list, except for the fact that since I wind up working on my iPad a lot from bed, I really have to have a bluetooth keyboard to connect to the iPad.

I'm really excited about the 4th Massdrop, even if I can only use it on the desktop, but I'm hoping someone might have an idea for fixing it to work over Bluetooth (other than the shady imported USB-to-Bluetooth adapters...).

Cheers!