[IC] Sugar Glider - 40% Colstag with touchpad

[MechWild]

MechWild Discord

IC Form

Prototypes


MX switches + touchpad + wide OLED + Choc mouse buttons


Choc switches + big knob + tall OLED

Welcome to the Sugar Glider Interest Check post. It’s a pretty experimental product packed with features so I’ll try to keep it straightforward. Starting in the middle with the most prominent feature is the Cirque GlidePoint touchpad. The position of the touchpad can be adjusted depending on where you like your mouse buttons to be. If you don’t want the touchpad there, you can swap it out for a knob. Above this section is where the OLED, GPIO expander, LEDs, and push buttons live. You can use either a 128x32 or 128x64 OLED here.

Now onto the mechanical part of this mechanical keyboard. The PCB supports both Choc and MX switches. You can do all Choc, all MX, half and half, alternating Choc/MX keys (you monster), it’s all up to you. There are also 2 spots for knobs under where your palms hover.

Currently, the base kit is estimated to cost 70 USD and will include the following:

• PCB, bottom plate
  
• Blackpill and GPIO expander
  
• OLED, LEDs, diodes, other through hole components
  
• Knobs and encoders
  
• Glidepoint touchpad and necessary components
  
• Assembly hardware

The kit contents are not finalized and subject to change based on IC responses.


Changes we are strongly considering for the group buy:

• Plates for MX and Choc
  
• Additional center column button layouts
  
• Different placement of thumb clusters

TH KEUT HR -B KAEUPBL -F STOEUPB TPH -T TPAURT

In addition to the planned steno support, the Choc spacing has been designed and tested to work with stenography.

We will update everything everywhere not quite all at once with the Group Buy details once we have a more solid timeline.

A new prototype has been ordered with the following changes and additions:

Innermost alpha column has been moved down to conform to typical colstag layouts.
Palm encoders positions now support Choc and MX switches
Trial half plates to check fit

Thank you for checking out this IC, please let us know what you think.

IC Form again.

[Zanhana]

this looks incredible. is there a reason the inner alpha columns (TGB/YHN) bump up higher, rather than following the typical column-stagger pattern of either falling in line with the "homing" columns (RFV/UJM) or continuing the stagger slightly lower?

[Vizir]

following

[nevin]

cute name for a cute little board!

[hulster]

Is it wireless?
Looks to be a great daily driver, but need it wireless.

[Jho]

Very interested. I'm unfamiliar with soldering so maybe this could be my first dive into it!

[rockidr4]

"ic form again"

I'm not seeing a link to this alleged interest check form. For me, I'm really interested under a couple of stipulations that you are by no means obliged to meet (this is your labor of love, after all, not my own). I would definitely prefer a switch plate and bottom plate forming a case to at least be an option, which I understood from your to be under consideration. I'm really not a fan of designs that are just a PCB with no manner of case (though I do understand the appeal from an ergonomic standpoint). I'll be following this if for no other reason than that everytime a new ergonomic layout comes about, the world becomes a more interesting place

Sent from my moto g power using Tapatalk

[Homiezoned]

Woah trackpad, I'm in :monkespin:

[MechWild]

A small update for this board, also added to the original message.

A new prototype has been ordered with the following changes and additions:

Innermost alpha column has been moved down to conform to typical colstag layouts.
Palm encoders positions now support Choc and MX switches.
Trial half plates to check fit.

[nonuser]

This kinda looks like the shape of an underwear  ) ) ) You should name it UnderWear40 LOLLLL  ) ) ) ) GLWIC

[Riizmaa]

Oh it does look like undies LOL 

[NamesReed]

Trackpad ergo board? YEEEEHAW, I’m in

[hkhawk]

This might be a stupid question but if I wanted to build this with Choc switches would I ideally make my own plates (or how would I get a plate) or would no plate be okay?

[TheWonderBubble]

This might be a stupid question but if I wanted to build this with Choc switches would I ideally make my own plates (or how would I get a plate) or would no plate be okay?

I don't think plates are necessary with choc switches due to how low they are, I'm not exactly an expert but I can't think of any choc boards with plates off the top of my head. The one I'm typing on rn certainly doesn't have any.