geekhack Projects > Making Stuff Together!

Feasibility of a multiple piece keyboard.

(1/2) > >>

Spazzeygoat:
So I've only just come into this community recently but love seeing all the designs out there!

But now onto the idea, how feasible are multiple piece keyboards. For example I know there are split keyboards, but my idea revolves around essentially a 4 piece configurable keyboard.

Features:

Wireless,
Battery pack x 2
Numpad
60/65% keyboard.

Now the principle behind the keyboard is similar to that of a switch controller. With the keyboard being the centre and you can either have 2 battery packs attached, 1 plus a numpad (Left Side) or 1 plus a numpad (right side).

I imagine if it is indeed feasible, it will be expensive and bulky but I just want to try it as a proof of concept, may add some diagrams if this gets any interest.

nevin:
will the keyboard & numberpad be connected together (say over trrs) or are they both individual wireless pieces able to be used independently of each other?

keyboard & numberpad could follow any of the current split boards as far as functionality/how it's wired/programmed. adding wireless so the whole unit would talk to the computer/mobile device. the number pad could be plugged into the keyboard from either side via a trrs jack running either serial or i2c. the keymatrix & keymap would be a little different than typical split boards, but all the rest would be the same. this is pretty simple to do with 2 components.

if they are to both be wireless, make them individual pieces that could be used independently (numpad could be used without keyboard & vice versa) internal LiPo batteries are fine, or you could use alkaline or lithium ion cell holders for quick change out when batteries go flat.

Findecanor:
Do you mean that the numpad and battery packs would slot onto the main unit, making it one larger rigid unit?
As a use case: when you're home, you would just use the 65%+numpad and a USB cable. But when you're travelling, you could leave the numpad at home and bring a battery pack instead.

For a perfectly flat keyboard, that would be interesting. I prefer flat, low keyboards myself (with full-travel mechanical keys mind you!) ... but I often feel like I am in minority in liking flat. Most keyboard are raised in the back and then there would be more than enough room for a flat LiPo battery there. With a modern microcontroller with wireless capability and firmware written to conserve power, you should be able to go a long time between charging, obviating any immediate need for the battery to be in a swappable unit. As long as you can open the keyboard up and replace the battery after a few years.

Modular keyboards have been done before. Most older ones use cables... but
* Sidewinder X6 has a numpad that can be plugged onto either side. It uses angular shapes, magnets and some proprietary connectors that remind me of USB connectors (plugs on the main unit, sockets on the numpad).
* The "Ultimate Hacking Keyboard" uses rods and pogo pins to connect left and right halves.

For microcontroller, I would look at the Nordic Semiconductor nRF52840. It supports USB and BLE and there are now several microcontrollerr boards out there with it, and more and more DIY keyboards that use it.
One microcontroller board is the Adafruit Feather nRF52840 Express, which is able to charge a LiPo from its USB port. It does not expose many of the µC's GPIO pins but the schema is freely available for inspiration!

BTW, I think more keyboard kits for the DIY'ers could be more modular in their parts, so that you would be able to choose left or right numpad when you build it. The USB port is best broken out to its own board either way.

Spazzeygoat:
Yes, I think you share the same idea, their would be a main keyboard, that would contain the wireless board, and probably be a 60% or at max 65%.

Then you could add 1 numpad module that was symmetrical and came with a left and right layer could also contain a 3rd layer that did arrow keys possibly.

Then yeah if you are doing extensive travelling (as an example) (you could probably also squeeze a small battery inside the main unit) you could take off the numpad and take two battery packs or have a backup battery pack etc.

As for connecting the modules I have a few ideas, the main one being that the ends could be formed into some form of pattern that helps 'stick' the two pieces together and then supplement that with some form of hook/bolt.

Steinrealtor:
Reversible diy keyboard pcbs exist. The Let's Split v2 uses one, making one side alps compatible. It's possible because it doesn't come pre-soldered with diodes or controller so nothing gets in the way.

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page