Wilba's TKL Case+PCB Project(for lack of a better name)
This project was initiated by jdcarpe when I put my hand up for any PCB design work, and he said he wanted to make a TKL keyboard. We've been brainstorming together for a while now, and in the meantime, I got the
Planck prototype PCB built and ready for production, and designed an alternative
JD45 PCB and case. Before I get too distracted with tackling an 1800 PCB/case, I thought it best to get this TKL design out there for people to comment on, show interest (or disinterest!), call me crazy, etc. and maybe take this to a group buy. Or not.
The PCB:My thoughts on PCB design are to design it in conjunction with a case, so that they support each other, rather than one being overly contrained by the other. It will have lots of bottom row variations, ISO/ANSI, winkey/winkeyless, in-switch LED backlighting, on-board ATmega32U4 (for TMK/Easy AVR), SMD resistors/diodes, etc. Most likely the PCB and plate will support Alps as well as Cherry MX. The plate will be universal and use Cherry PCB Mount stabilizers exclusively (although the PCB will obviously work with compatible plates that use plate-mounted stabilizer cutouts).
The Case:Some of the design features:
- 0.5U gap between F-key groups carried over to the F-key/Num row gap, 60%/Navigation cluster gap, and bezel outer thickness
- fixed incline of 3 degrees
- "sculpted" profile that echoes the shape of a keycap and follows the curve of sculpted keycaps
- curved top face reminiscent of the IBM Model M
- single milled aluminium bezel + bottom SS plate (to reduce manufacturing cost)
- option for winkeyless "blockers" built into the bezel (not shown in renders)
I've been drooling over Korean custom TKLs for months now... but while I love the anodized aluminium finish coupled with tasteful original Cherry or GMK keycaps, some things I'd prefer to be different, namely the gap size between clusters and the thickness of the bezel around the outside. To me, they look like a beautiful painting with a frame that's disproportionally thin. I also didn't want to design something that was just a slab propped up at the rear with separate feet or a wedge-shaped bottom part. That's been done before, and I want to make something different.
Shown here are some renders of the draft design, using Cherry/GMK profile keycaps, which are significantly shorter than OEM/Filco and others. Please note that renders can be misleading. The front/rear height, profile and incline of this case is very similar to a Filco Majestouch (without feet extended), which I verified with paper mockups placed next to my Filco. The height at the front is approximately the same as other milled aluminium case designs, it just looks higher in renders.
Feedback Wanted:The point of this thread is to put the design up for constructive criticism and be a precursor to a formal Interest Check and Group Buy. While I'm designing this for my own use, I would like to mitigate the cost of a one-off manufacture by making it available as a small run or 10 or 20. If the run is that small, I can easily hand-solder a matching number of PCBs and sell them at cost (i.e. free SMD assembly) so that the PCB price is nearly on par with mass-produced, approx. US$40.
It's a bit too early to give firm prices on the whole thing (case+PCB+plates), but a small run quantity of 10 or 20 can
maybe be done for US$350 per kit based on initial quotes. Obviously there would be some savings if this ever went to a larger quantity GB, but that's not my immediate goal. There's no way I can compete with larger scale GBs run in Korea with proxies into Geek Hack, so while it may cost a bit more than similar TKL offerings, there are some features I can offer like a unique design, community driven design process, open-source firmware, and a GB run within Geek Hack.
So... let me know what you think, so I can make it better.
