Author Topic: Micro controller to match DZ60 PCB ?  (Read 4167 times)

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Offline Narann

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Micro controller to match DZ60 PCB ?
« on: Sun, 01 April 2018, 10:48:54 »
After wiring 4 custom keyboards myself (Atreus family on 2xTeensy and 2xPro Micro), I decided to challenge myself and was looking to a way to wire a micro controller to match 1:1 the DZ60 PCB.  :D

The final plan is to be able to run the QMK build command :

Code: [Select]
make dz60:default:avrdude
...and have my keyboard recognized and updated as a real DZ60.

For the DZ60 config file, it looks like it's a 5x15 matrix (20 IO pins) so it's doable.

I just need to find a good micro controller (Pro Micro only have 18 pins).

Any obvious micro controller for this kind of project?

Am I missing something big ? Will standard 60% case be large enough for micro controller ?

Of course, I don't care about lighting. I just want to buy plate and case. Just that it's a new kind of layout for me. I want to avoid surprises.

A big thanks in advance !  :thumb:
« Last Edit: Sun, 01 April 2018, 11:29:17 by Narann »

Offline suicidal_orange

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Re: Micro controller to match DZ60 PCB ?
« Reply #1 on: Sun, 01 April 2018, 11:58:02 »
As you know the standard option is the Teensy 2.0 which has enough pins, but that won't have the same bootloader as the DZ60 so won't work with the standard firmware without a small tweak (changning bootloader size in rules.mk) - is that acceptable?

You may well have a problem fitting the controller in the case too depending on your layout, if you have a big spacebar and a deep case it will fit there but other than that it will have to go under the top row of switches.

Also standard 60% cases are designed to screw to the PCB so you'll have to improvise some higher mounting points to reach the plate...
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Offline Narann

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Re: Micro controller to match DZ60 PCB ?
« Reply #2 on: Sun, 01 April 2018, 14:00:26 »
Thanks for the answer.

I wouldn't want to change rules.mk if possible. So I would have loved a kinda "extended" Pro Micro (That's a shame because Pro Micro is the lowest price you could find).

Second problem: Teensys are expensive and would cost the price of the PCB. I need to dig a little more...

So you say case space would be too small, I didn't even think about it, good catch! :thumb:

Looking at GH60 cases, I realize there is plastic "bands" supposed to maintain the PCB at good height. I could cut them so I have far more spaces.

Offline fpazos

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Re: Micro controller to match DZ60 PCB ?
« Reply #3 on: Wed, 18 April 2018, 01:56:05 »
 It's going to be really difficult to find a controller that fits 1:1. There are some cheap microcontrollers with more pins. I want to use one of the most commons, a stm32f103c8t6 also known as "blue pill" but it's a headache and right now I haven't enough time for testing. Maybe fits you because it's quite small. It's a quite powerful ARM cortex microcontroller. You have both QMK and TMK examples but I don't know anymore.
« Last Edit: Wed, 18 April 2018, 02:09:34 by fpazos »