Designing a custom right hand photoshop input tool

[Chemoletter]

Hi people,

after finishing my phantom with case (  http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=57434.0  ), i woke up this night and thought: "i need to build something crazy because i do photoshop all the time - for a living - and do not own a customized input tool." i have a logitech G13 which is kind of o.k. for the job but it's not mechanical and it lacks the ergonomics i'd like it to have.
so i will build something new, just for my right hand ( i am a leftie ) which will give me the POWER to rule the pixels.

this project may take forever because i am a total noob in many ways. i don't know how to program, i've never spent time thinking about electronics, never did a pcb on my own... nothing except making my keyboard. but it's at least something. i know how to solder and i know my way around some of the parts needed. on top of that, i am doing my master thesis this semester and i work during the week. so i'm in for the long haul here.

about the project:

i plan to concept my own pcb as i want the layout and the position of the buttons to be exactly tailored to my right hand.  in fact i want to plan this as a 3D-like pcb with angled parts ( detached from the other pcbs i suppose ) and wrapped partly around my hand so i can not only push the buttons down but push them up and sideways as well. all of this i want to be sturdy after all so i want the lasercut steelplate and a proper case too. because of the 3D character of this keyboard/input device i'd like to incorporate LED's as well as a joystik for the thumb ( notice that the G13's joystick is for the left hand only ).

anyone thinks i bit off more than i can chew? let me know.

[lowpoly]

in fact i want to plan this as a 3D-like pcb with angled parts

Sounds like hand-wiring to me.

[Chemoletter]

Sounds like hand-wiring to me.

Well... I could swear now but what would it change? I suppose that if i read all that geekhack has to offer i could do it. Did i mention that money is of the essence?  )

[jacobolus]

What you want to do is cut the right sort of plate for your switches (either a flat one out of e.g. aluminum or acrylic or wood, or maybe figure out how to machine a 3d one out of wood, or 3d-print something plastic), stick your switches into it, and then hand wire them on the back. The hardest part is figuring out how you want your keyboard to be shaped. The second hardest part is figuring out how to get a plate/case made. The wiring part is pretty straight-forward, and if you have questions about it there are plenty of people around here who can give you good advice. Likewise for the firmware programming.

[Chemoletter]

i just downloaded kicad and had a brief look into it...  HAHAHA please kill me! i have absolutely no clue. imagine my face now being the dog in my avatar. but i will learn it. nothing like coming up with a bold idea of a great board and facing reality some hours later... 3d pcb and stuff bla bla... i'll just do it in kicad bla bla bla...  rofl

so stay with me people, let's say this whole year.

[lowpoly]

Sounds like hand-wiring to me.

Well... I could swear now but what would it change? I suppose that if i read all that geekhack has to offer i could do it. Did i mention that money is of the essence?  )

Not sure if I understand you. Handwiring costs close to nothing. Looks like this:



For more pics click on M0110 in my sig.

[OldDataHands]

Just to say directly what lowpoly is implying ( and with which I strongly agree ): Don't do a PCB. Hand-wire your switch matrix. It is far easier with much less effort to do than a pcb, especially for non-planar arrangements. Even maltron hand-wires their commercial boards. Plate mount the switches, and hand-wire the matrix.

[metalliqaz]

I designed my qazpad as a custom right hand board.  Similar to what you're describing but flat.

[Chemoletter]

i think lowpoly referred to my low-cost requirement. i guess it would be reasonable of me to hand-wire everything but looking at your qazpad i'm inclined to do the pcb anyways just for the feels of stability and control ( talking about peace of mind, i'd rather have a machine do the pcb manufacturing than me hand-wiring. ). as there is sort of a test tool integrated into kicad, i can assure that my design works...

so that means from now on i'll consume every bit of information about electronics i can get, do the kicad turotials and build this fu**er.

but my very first step now will be to think of a layout, position all keys the way i want and building a 3D mockup out of cardboard. then i'll have an idea of how many keys i'll need, how i want them to work, layers, ergonomics etc.