geekhack
geekhack Projects => Making Stuff Together! => Topic started by: LazyDog on Thu, 17 August 2017, 15:57:20
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Hi!
I'm working on a modification for the AlphaSmart 3000 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=drnn5TeDbm0) (Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AlphaSmart#AlphaSmart_3000)) that replaces the outstandingly terrible rubber dome keyboard with a mechanical one. I'll have a full writeup with pictures when I'm done. Right now I've mapped out the the original key matrix and designed the schematic and I'm double checking I got it right, and before I start laying out the PCB I wanted to get others' ideas, opinions, and suggestions on the layout I came up with.
This (http://www.keyboard-layout-editor.com/##@_backcolor=%23008080&name=AlphaSmart%203000&author=Joe%20Barrus%20and%20Brad%20Daw%3B&@_c=%23545454&t=%23ffffff&a:7&f:2&w:0.85&h:0.85%3B&=on%2F%2Foff&_c=%23808080&w:0.85&h:0.85%3B&=file%201&_w:0.85&h:0.85%3B&=file%202&_w:0.85&h:0.85%3B&=file%203&_w:0.85&h:0.85%3B&=file%204&_w:0.85&h:0.85%3B&=file%205&_w:0.85&h:0.85%3B&=file%206&_w:0.85&h:0.85%3B&=file%207&_w:0.85&h:0.85%3B&=file%208&_w:0.85&h:0.85%3B&=print&_w:0.85&h:0.85%3B&=spell%20check&_w:0.85&h:0.85%3B&=find&_w:0.85&h:0.85%3B&=clear%20file&_w:0.85&h:0.85%3B&=home&_w:0.85&h:0.85%3B&=end&_w:0.85&h:0.85%3B&=applets&_c=%23545454&w:0.85&h:0.85%3B&=send%3B&@_c=%23008080&a:4&f:4%3B&=~%0A%60&=!%0A1&=%2F@%0A2&=%23%0A3&=$%0A4&=%25%0A5&=%5E%0A6&=%2F&%0A7&=*%0A8&=(%0A9&=)%0A0&=%2F_%0A-&=+%0A%2F=&_w:1.5%3B&=back%0A%3Ci%20class%2F=%27kb%20kb-Arrows-Left%27%3E%3C%2F%2Fi%3E%0A%0A%0A%0A%0Aspace%3B&@_w:1.5%3B&=tab%0A%0A%0A%0A%0A%0A%3Ci%20class%2F=%27kb%20kb-Line-Start-End%27%3E%3C%2F%2Fi%3E&=Q&=W&=E&=R&=T&=Y&=U&=I&=O&=P&=%7B%0A%5B&=%7D%0A%5D&=%7C%0A%5C%3B&@_w:1.75%3B&=caps%20lock&=A&=S&=D&=F&=G&=H&=J&=K&=L&=%2F:%0A%2F%3B&=%22%0A%27&_w:1.75%3B&=enter%0A%0A%0A%0A%0A%0A%3Ci%20class%2F=%27kb%20kb-Return-2%27%3E%3C%2F%2Fi%3E%3B&@_w:2.25%3B&=shift%0A%0A%0A%0A%0A%0A%3Ci%20class%2F=%27kb%20kb-Arrows-Up%27%3E%3C%2F%2Fi%3E&=Z&=X&=C&=V&=B&=N&=M&=%3C%0A,&=%3E%0A.&=%3F%0A%2F%2F&_w:2.25%3B&=shift%0A%0A%0A%0A%0A%0A%3Ci%20class%2F=%27kb%20kb-Arrows-Up%27%3E%3C%2F%2Fi%3E%3B&@_w:1.25%3B&=ctrl&_f:3&w:1.25%3B&=alt%0Aoption&_f:6&w:1.25%3B&=%3Ci%20class%2F=%27kb%20kb-Unicode-Command-3%27%3E%3C%2F%2Fi%3E&_a:7&f:3&w:5.5%3B&=&_a:4&f:4%3B&=esc&_f:3%3B&=alt%0Aoption&_x:1.42&a:5&f:5&w:0.92&h:0.66%3B&=%3Ci%20class%2F=%27kb%20kb-Arrows-Up%27%3E%3C%2F%2Fi%3E%3B&@_y:-0.6699999999999999&x:11.75&a:6&f:7&w:0.92&h:0.66%3B&=%3Ci%20class%2F=%27kb%20kb-Arrows-Left%27%3E%3C%2F%2Fi%3E&_x:0.9199999999999999&w:0.92&h:0.66%3B&=%0A%0A%3Ci%20class%2F=%27kb%20kb-Arrows-Right%27%3E%3C%2F%2Fi%3E%3B&@_y:-0.6699999999999999&x:12.67&a:5&f:5&w:0.92&h:0.66%3B&=%0A%3Ci%20class%2F=%27kb%20kb-Arrows-Down%27%3E%3C%2F%2Fi%3E) is the layout of the original keyboard. Note the nonstandard arrow keys and top row. This (http://www.keyboard-layout-editor.com/##@_backcolor=%23008080&name=AlphaSmart%203000%20Mechanical%20Layout&author=Joe%20Yamine&pcb:true%3B&@_c=%23808080&t=%23ffffff&a:7&f:2&w:1.25%3B&=on%2F%2Foff&=file%201&=file%202&=file%203&=file%204&=file%205&=file%206&=file%207&=file%208&=print&=spell%20check&=clear%20file&=applets&_w:1.25%3B&=send%3B&@_c=%23008080&a:4&f:4%3B&=~%0A%60&=!%0A1&=%2F@%0A2&=%23%0A3&=$%0A4&=%25%0A5&=%5E%0A6&=%2F&%0A7&=*%0A8&=(%0A9&=)%0A0&=%2F_%0A-&=+%0A%2F=&_c=%23808080&w:1.5%3B&=back%0A%3Ci%20class%2F=%27kb%20kb-Arrows-Left%27%3E%3C%2F%2Fi%3E%0A%0A%0A%0A%0Aspace%3B&@_c=%23008080&w:1.5%3B&=tab%0A%0A%0A%0A%0A%0A%3Ci%20class%2F=%27kb%20kb-Line-Start-End%27%3E%3C%2F%2Fi%3E&=Q&=W&=E&=R&=T&=Y&=U&=I&=O&=P&=%7B%0A%5B&=%7D%0A%5D&=%7C%0A%5C%3B&@_c=%23808080&w:1.25%3B&=caps%20lock&_x:0.5&c=%23008080%3B&=A&=S&=D&=F&=G&=H&=J&=K&=L&=%2F:%0A%2F%3B&=%22%0A%27&_c=%23808080&w:1.75%3B&=enter%0A%0A%0A%0A%0A%0A%3Ci%20class%2F=%27kb%20kb-Return-2%27%3E%3C%2F%2Fi%3E%3B&@_w:2.25%3B&=shift%0A%0A%0A%0A%0A%0A%3Ci%20class%2F=%27kb%20kb-Arrows-Up%27%3E%3C%2F%2Fi%3E&_c=%23008080%3B&=Z&=X&=C&=V&=B&=N&=M&=%3C%0A,&=%3E%0A.&=%3F%0A%2F%2F&_c=%23808080&w:2.25%3B&=shift%0A%0A%0A%0A%0A%0A%3Ci%20class%2F=%27kb%20kb-Arrows-Up%27%3E%3C%2F%2Fi%3E%3B&@=ctrl&=alt%0Aoption&=%3Ci%20class%2F=%27kb%20kb-Unicode-Command-3%27%3E%3C%2F%2Fi%3E&_c=%23008080%3B&=find&=home&=end&_c=%23808080&a:7&f:3&w:2%3B&=&_a:4&f:4&w:1.25%3B&=esc&_f:3&w:1.25%3B&=alt%0Aoption&_c=%23008080&a:6&f:7%3B&=%3Ci%20class%2F=%27kb%20kb-Arrows-Left%27%3E%3C%2F%2Fi%3E&_a:5&f:5%3B&=%3Ci%20class%2F=%27kb%20kb-Arrows-Up%27%3E%3C%2F%2Fi%3E&=%0A%3Ci%20class%2F=%27kb%20kb-Arrows-Down%27%3E%3C%2F%2Fi%3E&_a:6&f:7%3B&=%0A%0A%3Ci%20class%2F=%27kb%20kb-Arrows-Right%27%3E%3C%2F%2Fi%3E) is the layout I designed. Some notes on the design constraints:
- The new keyboard should fit within and fill the same space as the original keyboard without having to modify the AlphaSmart's case.
- It should have all the same keys as original. For example, even though left shift and option have the same software functions as right shift and option, respectively, they have different paths in the key matrix, so both of each pair stay.
- The placement of the keys should hew as closely as possible to the original layout.
- It should be covered by most blank, non-sculpted TKL keysets. Thus oddities like the segregated caps lock.
Thanks. Any insight you have is appreciated.