Author Topic: Gonna Smash an ADV2+teensy into a Maltron Case.  (Read 6458 times)

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Offline cmdr_oculusprime

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Gonna Smash an ADV2+teensy into a Maltron Case.
« on: Wed, 31 January 2018, 03:31:08 »
Hey dudes.
Got an idea for a board that has infested my brain deeply enough that there's no turning back. Gotta happen, would love some suggestions. I love my ADV2 more than I could say, and I want to retain 100% of it's functionality. But I also like MOAR BUTTONS!!! and the Maltron case has always seemed more substantial in some way... although I've never touched one... hopefully it is a bit more solid than the ADV case.

Anyway, basic premise is that I have the guts from a donor Advantage2 that I'll use to run the same 86 keys it's designed to run with a slight re-config for the differing function rows, and then use a teensy or other suitable controller to run the other 24 switches. 6 of the Maltron's 28 central key-cluster will need to be run by the ADV2 controller to make up the missing function keys. This leaves 2 extras in the thumb clusters and the remaining 22 central key-cluster switches for the teensy. The case is going to be a Maltron L89, nice and beige. Getting a few sets of caps from them too... for science.

The two controllers will terminate into a USB hub inside the case so I can hook in both on a single USB cable. Type-C on the hub connector facing the PC. Probably punch out an extra port or 2 from the hub the the case exterior for phone/goPro/thumb-drive. Will also twin the USB connections directly from each controller and extend them to a "service" punch-out on the case exterior to make flashing and diagnostics easier. The Hub will also have an access panel on the bottom for the same purpose.

Will probably run it with DSA in PBT. Maybe G20s for the thumbs and some of the center cluster.

Khila BOX pale blues for alphaNu, Navys for Thumbs, and Orange/yellow for the center cluster.... maybe.. not sure yet.

Here's a mockup showing the controller split. Blue is ADV2, Pink is secondary controller.



And here's the key mockup for how I may configure it. SP DSAs in PBT, Maybe some G20's in there for the stuff I want to avoid hitting accidentally. Macros and the like.

GQN/ beige - Main AlphaNu
WAN/ lightGrey - Highlights
GQT/ darkGrey - Shadows
RBH/ red - Escape
BCT/ blue - Program (The actual "Advantage")
VAZ/ green - Arrows

Will also need to contract some clever-devils here for some sublimation work on a couple WAN blanks.



And that's pretty much it. Would love some suggestions from you exceptional humans on the details.

- What small USB hubs do you like that are HQ and dead reliable? Powered or un-powered. I'd consider both. I like Ankar's stuff alot and it would be neat to punch-out a DC barrel jack to have a full power hub on board that could run arduino/breadboards and such and keep everything accessible on the desk, all nice like. Will probably cannibalize and put it in a custom printed case to hang inside in a good location. Assuming there is one.

- Any issues making a teensy the go to unit for the secondary keys? Any alternatives you like? What's going to be stripped down and dead simple?

- Hand soldered matrix or homemade flexible PCB? What do you like? Would do either, may actually be easier to do the pcb given the interface with the ADV main board via ribbon cables. Would be real sweet to retain that cleanliness even if it adds a month to the build.

- Bling and gadgets? LEDs? Haptics? Thumbscanner? Trackball? Party button? ELT? Fart soundboard? RFID reader?

- Any advice you have on the Maltron insides. I'm super familiar with the ADV2's but am in the blind for the inside of the Maltron. I bet it's not as roomy as it looks in the photos. May have to add a riser to the base?

- Anyone stuffed an ADV2 brain into a Maltron 3D board yet? got any shape files you'd share for a trade of my grandma's secret chili recipe?

This is still the best community on the internet. Thanks for taking the time.
« Last Edit: Wed, 31 January 2018, 07:01:04 by cmdr_oculusprime »
Oofty-goofty

Offline geek128

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Re: Gonna Smash an ADV2+teensy into a Maltron Case.
« Reply #1 on: Wed, 31 January 2018, 12:07:49 »
Have maltron case waiting to be handwired with a teensy 2.0++, too. I desperately want QMK ... and I'm kind of keen to build it myself  (allthough I'm sure maltron is happy to build a custom version with diodes + whatever you're looking for). While a regular tennsy 2 should have enough pins to fit an optimized matrix for the maltron,  I picked the ++ as it allows more clean wiring while still having free pins for LEDs or other fancy stuff.

Right now there are two things that keep me from continuing:
- I'm waiting for my XDA godspeed/solar/ares caps to check the alignment of the punched holes and see if I need to make adjustments. On a first quick glance there seems to be some variance... (... how I placed the switches???). I only have sculpted sets at hand... and they definitely don't simplify this check.
- I can't decide if I go for "silent tactile" with mod-m+qmx and look for a way to dampen the case (it's quite hollow and noisy) or if I give a *beep* about noise and go for kailh box white/jade/navy

The case has plenty space inside. It's just behind the top row where you need to pay a bit more attention when soldering the switches.

What's keeping you from going for a full build? I mean, other Advantage users also swap the standard controller with the stapelberg one... and mixing controllers sounds amazingly unattractive.

Rainer

Offline cmdr_oculusprime

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Re: Gonna Smash an ADV2+teensy into a Maltron Case.
« Reply #2 on: Wed, 31 January 2018, 21:46:11 »
Brb, going to learn what a "stapelberg" controller is....
Oofty-goofty

Offline cmdr_oculusprime

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Re: Gonna Smash an ADV2+teensy into a Maltron Case.
« Reply #3 on: Thu, 01 February 2018, 06:46:47 »
TIL: Stapelberg, QMK. Holy ****!

Okay, well. Time to redraw the plan. Thanks Rainer
Oofty-goofty

Offline hoggy

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Re: Gonna Smash an ADV2+teensy into a Maltron Case.
« Reply #4 on: Sun, 04 February 2018, 01:53:18 »
IMO, the adv case is more solid than the Maltron.  Maltrons are very light (except for the expanded models - I have a shell of one - it's heavier than a old metal military keyboard I have)

There's lots of room inside a maltron case - it's a hollow shell - vacuum formed.
GH Ergonomic Guide (in progress)
http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=54680.0

Offline cmdr_oculusprime

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Re: Gonna Smash an ADV2+teensy into a Maltron Case.
« Reply #5 on: Sun, 04 February 2018, 06:26:13 »
Wow! wouldn't have guessed that. Good to know. Thanks.
Oofty-goofty

Offline buckyballs

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Re: Gonna Smash an ADV2+teensy into a Maltron Case.
« Reply #6 on: Thu, 08 March 2018, 02:40:49 »
And I was thinking that Maltrons are so rare. But these guys all have spare Maltron cases lying around. AmazinG