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geekhack Projects => Making Stuff Together! => Topic started by: gltovar on Tue, 02 July 2013, 16:11:40

Title: Custom game pad featuring adjustable key columns
Post by: gltovar on Tue, 02 July 2013, 16:11:40: So I build this prototype of a keypad, but really the hallmark feature is the concept of adjustable columns:
(http://i.imgur.com/x03AmyU.jpg)

you could read a bit more about it here:
http://gltovar.com/blog/?p=323

git hub link is here:
https://github.com/gltovar/CoreBoard

image gallery is here:
http://imgur.com/a/hdM9X
Title: Re: Custom game pad featuring adjustable key columns
Post by: linziyi on Tue, 02 July 2013, 16:13:52: Very impressive project! it's like a customizable ergodox!

And welcome to geekhack!
Title: Re: Custom game pad featuring adjustable key columns
Post by: TheFlyingRaccoon on Tue, 02 July 2013, 17:04:57: Wow, this is very creative. However, do you have a case built for it yet? How secure is it while typing/gaming? Great job though ;D
Title: Re: Custom game pad featuring adjustable key columns
Post by: AcidFire on Tue, 02 July 2013, 17:14:39: I had the same thought when I was retooling the grid spacing on my design, but couldn't get past the idea of how to work the case. It's fantastic to see the concept in action, awesome work!
Title: Re: Custom game pad featuring adjustable key columns
Post by: gltovar on Tue, 02 July 2013, 18:48:50: i've exploded one of the columns
(http://i.imgur.com/aVOt1jy.jpg)

and put back together
(http://i.imgur.com/K8au0uj.jpg)

https://tinkercad.com/things/eN1HPpSprJ1-coreboard-prototype
you can look at it in 3d on chrome and firefox with this tinkercad link, no need to install anything or create an account

its pretty stable, the one that that you could do in this version is lift up the front flap and it'll bend the while column upwards.
I started a 2nd revision giving each column its own self contained box so that would no longer be an issue, and also allow you to adjust the spacing between columns as well. If anything comes of that i'll let you all know =P
Title: Re: Custom game pad featuring adjustable key columns
Post by: CPTBadAss on Tue, 02 July 2013, 21:10:30: Oh man...I love when people surprise me with this kinda awesomeness. I LOVE how comprehensive your review and pictures are. What are you next moves with this project? How do you want to refine it?
Title: Re: Custom game pad featuring adjustable key columns
Post by: calavera on Tue, 02 July 2013, 21:57:30: This is quite innovative and awesome!
Title: Re: Custom game pad featuring adjustable key columns
Post by: nubbinator on Tue, 02 July 2013, 22:14:20: Awesome little project. Now just to figure out a way to have them be height adjustable as well and you have a fully tunable keyboard/keypad.
Title: Re: Custom game pad featuring adjustable key columns
Post by: gltovar on Wed, 03 July 2013, 00:33:05: so the goal of the proto2 was to make each column its own box, but also to work in a thumb piece:
https://tinkercad.com/things/83iv3n7AiQA-core-board-proto2
(http://i.imgur.com/HuZeofc.jpg)

the thumb piece would be modular (take it from the left and affix it to the right, or have different varietys of thumb pieces. maybe 2 long keys and 2 regular keys or 6 regular keys)

In a way you could build a half ergodox for same game stuff, or make a full ergodox but the parts could come from identical laser cut peices rather than having to have a mirror right and left side. It could make one offs a tad cheaper.
Title: Re: Custom game pad featuring adjustable key columns
Post by: Binge on Wed, 03 July 2013, 13:28:32: oh man... this is smexy... it would be great to have a modular keyboard.

Think about this:

1) Columns of keys that can be attached to each other via sides of collumns.
2) Separate controller that can handle X, number of columns.
3) Columns + wire to controller = win.
4) controllers can be connected to expand supported columns under one device ID.

I am a noob but think big... don't hate.
Title: Re: Custom game pad featuring adjustable key columns
Post by: TheFlyingRaccoon on Wed, 03 July 2013, 13:29:59: Do you think you can post a detailed video/demonstration gltovar? To help get an understanding of how it is setup and such. Thanks :D
Title: Re: Custom game pad featuring adjustable key columns
Post by: boost on Wed, 03 July 2013, 13:53:13: That's a pretty sick pad, and welcome to geekhack!
Title: Re: Custom game pad featuring adjustable key columns
Post by: Glod on Wed, 03 July 2013, 17:20:23: wow, this is great, this is fantastic and amazing and i want it.

Welcome to geehack and please stay lol, I like these new members and their projects, it's injecting life into geekhack where it's needed.
Title: Re: Custom game pad featuring adjustable key columns
Post by: gltovar on Wed, 03 July 2013, 18:58:13: Quote from: TheFlyingRaccoon on Wed, 03 July 2013, 13:29:59
Do you think you can post a detailed video/demonstration gltovar? To help get an understanding of how it is setup and such. Thanks :D

maybe the one outstanding thing is the concept of how it is put together, http://i.imgur.com/XkCnBiwh.jpg its all the same thickness, based on the the thickness of the 'metal frame with out pins' piece that here http://www.cherrycorp.com/english/switches/key/mx.htm (0.06 inches) that being my only constraint, I just sketched basic ideas http://i.imgur.com/o3OqUqfh.jpg futzed around in tinkercad Once it was built I exported it in illustrator and just connected each piece so it would be like a sheet of plastic that comes with a model car/plane
Title: Re: Custom game pad featuring adjustable key columns
Post by: MOZ on Wed, 03 July 2013, 21:42:21: Excellent work!
Title: Re: Custom game pad featuring adjustable key columns
Post by: bisl on Fri, 05 July 2013, 12:47:52: HOLY SHUCKING FIT I can't believe I'm just seeing this now. You sir have created the most beautiful thing I've ever seen in my entire life. I bought in big on the ErgoDox project (I even helped get the wheels in motion for Massdrop to run the buys) and in truth, it was all because I loved the columnar layout and I thought it would help my SC2 game, specifically using TheCore. This is AMAZING.

You know what's funny? I even made a joke (although I think it was in the Deskthority Ergodox thread) where I basically suggested this same idea, calling it "ergodox v2" or something. I can't believe you've actually done it! You are a genius and an engineer.

Out of curiosity: what was the total cost to produce the prototype board? I'd love to put one of these together if you're willing to publish the designs.

If you're using TheCore, how does your thumb interact with the board for Ctrl/Shift/Alt? Ever thought of trying to incorporate thumb clusters somehow? Now that I'm thinking about it, your design might very well facilitate this through shifting down the thumb-side columns so that the thumb can reach them.

Although with that in mind--are you a lefty?! :)
Title: Re: Custom game pad featuring adjustable key columns
Post by: gltovar on Sat, 06 July 2013, 20:06:37: so i did release everything i have as open source. but I wouldn't go so far as make this particular one just yet. It is missing the thumb components when I am going to work on in the next iteration, which could be places on either side of the pad. As a prototype i'd price the materials at about 200 dollars (remember, not mass purchased or anything)

so really the adjustable columns is what makes this interesting =P but its far from ready for prime time
Title: Re: Custom game pad featuring adjustable key columns
Post by: bisl on Sat, 06 July 2013, 20:38:18: Quote from: gltovar on Sat, 06 July 2013, 20:06:37
so really the adjustable columns is what makes this interesting =P

That's far from a small thing, though--the single thing that people have criticized about the ergodox is that the spacing of the thumb clusters and the offsets between the columns make a lot of assumptions about not only people's hand shapes & sizes, but the spacing that they prefer based on those sizes. I think it's a huge feature!
Title: Re: Custom game pad featuring adjustable key columns
Post by: TheSoulhunter on Sun, 07 July 2013, 06:47:34: Great idea...
This -> Somewhat refined and made of metal -> Massdrop -> Win!
Title: Re: Custom game pad featuring adjustable key columns
Post by: doublethink on Sun, 07 July 2013, 21:19:40: Great project man, I had wanted something similar to this for a long time, and wasn't satisfied with any available products, even the orb weaver still doesn't get it right.

They only thing I couldn't find was a functional drawing, in this style:

http://www.serasidis.gr/circuits/TV_terminal/images/tvtermsmd.gif

Did I read the PCB correctly and you have a wire ran for each key of the 35 keys, so no matrixes at all? I was curious how its wired to the Teensy.

I'll be following your future revisions and might try to make one too. Congrats on the prototype and thanks for making it open source! :)
Title: Re: Custom game pad featuring adjustable key columns
Post by: gltovar on Tue, 09 July 2013, 14:39:24: Quote from: doublethink on Sun, 07 July 2013, 21:19:40
Great project man, I had wanted something similar to this for a long time, and wasn't satisfied with any available products, even the orb weaver still doesn't get it right.

They only thing I couldn't find was a functional drawing, in this style:

http://www.serasidis.gr/circuits/TV_terminal/images/tvtermsmd.gif

Did I read the PCB correctly and you have a wire ran for each key of the 35 keys, so no matrixes at all? I was curious how its wired to the Teensy.

I'll be following your future revisions and might try to make one too. Congrats on the prototype and thanks for making it open source! :)

Here is what each column feeds too:
(http://i.imgur.com/E3G3ZStl.jpg)

and the back
(http://i.imgur.com/OhfiXjUl.jpg)

wired up
(http://i.imgur.com/fyShgJml.jpg)

so it is a matrix =P
Title: Re: Custom game pad featuring adjustable key columns
Post by: doublethink on Tue, 09 July 2013, 20:13:25: :-[ oh wow now I understand that picture, the pcb handles the diode isolation and runs the switches up, then once they hit those header pins they are a 5x7 matrix as far as the teensy is concerned.

I get it now! :))
Title: Re: Custom game pad featuring adjustable key columns
Post by: Thimplum on Wed, 10 July 2013, 08:33:48: It would be sweet to have an ErgoDox with this on both hands. Great work.
Title: Re: Custom game pad featuring adjustable key columns
Post by: sordna on Thu, 29 August 2013, 01:07:45: Awesome, and I agree, would love this adjustability in my ergodox !
Title: Re: Custom game pad featuring adjustable key columns
Post by: hoggy on Thu, 29 August 2013, 04:04:22: I want one.
Title: Re: Custom game pad featuring adjustable key columns
Post by: BliTzKiN on Thu, 29 August 2013, 04:41:13: That is a very innovative idea, this would be an improvement over the ergodox. Being able to fit it to the length of your fingers would be a huge plus. I would love to see it become successful. Best of luck!
Title: Re: Custom game pad featuring adjustable key columns
Post by: xman on Thu, 29 August 2013, 21:38:06: Quote from: gltovar on Wed, 03 July 2013, 00:33:05
so the goal of the proto2 was to make each column its own box, but also to work in a thumb piece:
https://tinkercad.com/things/83iv3n7AiQA-core-board-proto2
Show Image
(http://i.imgur.com/HuZeofc.jpg)

the thumb piece would be modular (take it from the left and affix it to the right, or have different varietys of thumb pieces. maybe 2 long keys and 2 regular keys or 6 regular keys)

In a way you could build a half ergodox for same game stuff, or make a full ergodox but the parts could come from identical laser cut peices rather than having to have a mirror right and left side. It could make one offs a tad cheaper.

That is actually multiple great ideas!! Thank You!!
Title: Re: Custom game pad featuring adjustable key columns
Post by: agodinhost on Fri, 30 August 2013, 07:59:44: Awesome Awesome work man!
Still reading but I'm already dreaming at here ...
:thumb: