Rotwitt's hopeless endeavour into keyboard design

[Rotwitt]

Welcome! I'm going to show you some of the work I've been doing on a keyboard I've been designing.
This is my very first time designing anything keyboard related, so naturally I chose to make it as hard for myself as possible, without knowing it.
I decided it would be nice with a custom layout, with a custom PCB to fit my needs. Seeing it in retrospect, that might not have been the best idea.

My best guess as to what my thought process was, is something along these lines:
"A custom PCB? How hard can that be. I'm the very best at everything and no one is going to tell me otherwise"
Let's just say I've become a little bit smarter. I'm still trying to do it though.

So let's get to business, shall we?
First a little information about the board:

• Size factor: 75%
• Switches: Red Gateron MX
• Frame material: Aluminium
• Energy source: My blood, sweat and tears. Mainly tears.
• Input/Output: Micro USB or USB C

So what does it look like? In it's current CAD model state, a little something like this:

I've also been experimenting with colour schemes, for the frame. They are however all grayscale:

The layout is supposed to look a little something like this:


This is the second version, using Vinny's suggestion regarding cap size

I'm aware that I'll have to reorganize the layout, as R1, R2 and R3 are directly above and below eachother.
I'm now aware that it won't matter for me as it is the F keys and and number keys.

Whew, that was a whole lot of pictures, now wasn't it?
 
The frame is supposed to be CNC machined, and then anodized and dyed the desired colour. The PCB design will have to wait, I'm not even close to being done with that yet. It's a bit of a nightmare to navigate the software.
I hope to be starting on a cheap prototype made out of plywood when I get the time to do so.

Things to do:

• Angling the keyboard. Having it flat on the table might become uncomfortable
• Design a PCB so nightmarish that it'll make electrical engineers cry
• Order some switches, to ensure right fit into plate
• Start prototyping.

I guess that's what I have for now. Criticism and feedback is very welcome.

[VinnyCordeiro]

Nice project! I can help with the PCB, if you want.

Suggestion: Increase the Win key at the left side of the bottom row to 1.25u, that will make you use a 6.25u spacebar, which is much more easily found than the 6.5u spacebar currently showing.

[FLFisherman]

This is a very unique layout. I can't wait to see you make the engineers cry. 

[Rotwitt]

Nice project! I can help with the PCB, if you want.

Suggestion: Increase the Win key at the left side of the bottom row to 1.25u, that will make you use a 6.25u spacebar, which is much more easily found than the 6.5u spacebar currently showing.

That would be very much appreciated! I have already arranged the switches in a matrix pattern, using a piece of CAD software I always seem to forget the name of. I'll update the layout with your suggestion, always nice with some input!

This is a very unique layout. I can't wait to see you make the engineers cry. 

Thank you! I'll do my best!  )

[mrbishop]

design looks real solid. i like where this is going

[Rotwitt]

design looks real solid. i like where this is going

Thank you! I'll try to keep the direction, maybe try out some different colour schemes and so on! If there's anything you'd like to see, let me know!

[mrbishop]

Do a high polished mid frame. That would be sexy

[Rotwitt]

Do a high polished mid frame. That would be sexy

Coming up!

[mrbishop]

Do a high polished mid frame. That would be sexy

Coming up!

win

what are you doing for design software? i'm a fusion 360 guy

[Rotwitt]

Do a high polished mid frame. That would be sexy

Coming up!

win

what are you doing for design software? i'm a fusion 360 guy

For modelling I use Inventor, which I'm quite liking. For the renderings i showing here I use Keyshot 4, which is easy to use, but darn expensive. I might start learning to use Autodesk's own rendering software instead

I tried 360, and it looks promising, but I'll have to learn it

[mrbishop]

Do a high polished mid frame. That would be sexy

Coming up!

win

what are you doing for design software? i'm a fusion 360 guy

For modelling I use Inventor, which I'm quite liking. For the renderings i showing here I use Keyshot 4, which is easy to use, but darn expensive. I might start learning to use Autodesk's own rendering software instead

I tried 360, and it looks promising, but I'll have to learn it

I have a hobby cnc and u use fusion for cad/cam stuffs. I like it.

[Rotwitt]

Do a high polished mid frame. That would be sexy

Coming up!

win

what are you doing for design software? i'm a fusion 360 guy

For modelling I use Inventor, which I'm quite liking. For the renderings i showing here I use Keyshot 4, which is easy to use, but darn expensive. I might start learning to use Autodesk's own rendering software instead

I tried 360, and it looks promising, but I'll have to learn it

I have a hobby cnc and u use fusion for cad/cam stuffs. I like it.

How well does it work? Would be nice to have everything in the same software!

[mrbishop]

Do a high polished mid frame. That would be sexy

Coming up!

win

what are you doing for design software? i'm a fusion 360 guy

For modelling I use Inventor, which I'm quite liking. For the renderings i showing here I use Keyshot 4, which is easy to use, but darn expensive. I might start learning to use Autodesk's own rendering software instead

I tried 360, and it looks promising, but I'll have to learn it

I have a hobby cnc and u use fusion for cad/cam stuffs. I like it.

How well does it work? Would be nice to have everything in the same software!

Fusion has a CAM path generator. It's very much one stop shopping once you figure out how to use it.

[mrbishop]

Do a high polished mid frame. That would be sexy

Coming up!

win

what are you doing for design software? i'm a fusion 360 guy

For modelling I use Inventor, which I'm quite liking. For the renderings i showing here I use Keyshot 4, which is easy to use, but darn expensive. I might start learning to use Autodesk's own rendering software instead

I tried 360, and it looks promising, but I'll have to learn it

I have a hobby cnc and u use fusion for cad/cam stuffs. I like it.

How well does it work? Would be nice to have everything in the same software!

Fusion has a CAM path generator. It's very much one stop shopping once you figure out how to use it.

Also has a render section

[Rotwitt]

Here is a glossy version:



I should probably  make another render showcasing it better, but I don't have the time right now.

[mrbishop]

Here is a glossy version:

Show Image

I should probably  make another render showcasing it better, but I don't have the time right now.

So shiny

[Rotwitt]

Here is a glossy version:

Show Image

I should probably  make another render showcasing it better, but I don't have the time right now.

So shiny

The all-in-one idea behind Fusion is quite nice. I'll have to give a go

[mrbishop]

Here is a glossy version:

Show Image

I should probably  make another render showcasing it better, but I don't have the time right now.

So shiny

The all-in-one idea behind Fusion is quite nice. I'll have to give a go

Inbox me we can screen share

[Rotwitt]

'Ello!

I made some progress! Kinda. Not really though.

I did however make an animation of the keyboard spinning, so I guess that's something.
Here it is:



I'm a bit busy with exams at the moment, so I'm not really as active as I would like to be. Also I'm a bit low on money, so I doubt there'll be any prototype before next month.

[Rotwitt]

More

Here is a glossy version:

Show Image

I should probably  make another render showcasing it better, but I don't have the time right now.

So shiny

The all-in-one idea behind Fusion is quite nice. I'll have to give a go

Inbox me we can screen share

Up for it! Could be nice with some collaborative work!