Totally new member and some ErgoDox questions

[jsquared]

Hi all, you're currently reading my obligatory "first post" lead in sentence. Hope you enjoyed it as much as I've enjoyed your forum so far!

So, I got in on the latest Massdrop for the ErgoDox and am patiently awaiting my shipment, and in the mean time I thought I would ask some questions here to get prepped/hyped for assembly.

1) First and foremost, in the normal ErgoDox layout can you disconnect the left side and only use the right side? Does the I/O expander need to be up for the right side to function, or is it only used to pass data over the TRRS cable? If not, I may be in for a let-down, but if this is possible...

2) I was hoping to find to make the left-hand ErgoDox board be the "master" board (holding the Teensy and USB input), and have the right-hand board be optional. Is this at all possible? Ultimately I will be using my ErgoDox as a kind of hyper-Gamepad for various games but mostly flight sims.  So in most cases, I will be either mousing it up with my right hand or using a flight stick, and using my left hand for WASD gaming or the flight throttle and occasional text/numpad/key inouts and controls. IE, having the other side of the ErgoDox wouldn't matter too much.  Except, of course, that it holds all the important **** you need!  Is this a fact of life for me, or can I ever hope to use a HalfDox and have that half be on the left side?

So far I have read a lot about THT soldering and PCBs, mounting the Teensy on the bottom, clearance in the standard cases, custom cases, and seen some things, but honestly it is all kind of overbearing (last week I had no idea what any of this was, this week I am wondering about custom PCBs and stuff).

Any help is appreciated!

[AKmalamute]

1) First and foremost, in the normal ErgoDox layout can you disconnect the left side and only use the right side?

2) I was hoping to find to make the left-hand ErgoDox board be the "master" board (holding the Teensy and USB input)

The firmware MD provides is derived from BenBlazek's work on TMK, which, yes, expects the I/O expander to be up. If the TRRS cable flickers in it's connection, the keyboard locks up until you reseat the USB cord to 'reboot' the thing. That's why some folks have experimented with using RJ11 (phone) jacks instead, or USB ... but you have to cross-wire one of the connectors, or make a special cable that does that for you. Myself, I cross-wired an RJ11 jack and I've never had it disconnect on me.

You can flip everything upside down, which will get the result you want, but you'll have to edit the code to not expect a right half ... in which case you'll have to reflash it everytime you want a full keyboard ... or you'll just have to keep both halves connected, in which case the only advantage is the USB goes to your left hand ... might be a good ergonomic fit for you desk, but that's about it. Also, if you flip everything AND you use MD's configurator, you'll have to mentally flip all the keys when you tell MD what key goes where, or likewise if you edit TMK yourself because you have to look at it with the teensy on top when you call switch ports by their name even though the switches themselves are on the other side of the board.

[jsquared]

Good stuff, thats kind of what I was hoping not to have to deal with but it's all good to know for sure! I would have been just fine crating my own cabling for a cross connection and going with a different type in order to do without the second board, but having to edit the ware and reflash it to connect it up again is too much of a hassle for me for sure. I couldnt imagine doing that every time I want to switch to a double sided config, it wouldn't be worth it

Finally the MD configurator, which is a huge part of why I went with an ErgoDox to begin with. If I am not going to be able to use that tool efficiently and easily, I might as well not build an ErgoDox.  At least that's how I see it.  I was afraid of exactly what you said (mirror imaging of the keys) and Im glad to know it will be needed.  Well, not glad, but you know lol.

Probably what I will do is get a 6-12ft TRRS cable and put my right-side board somewhere out of the way when I am gaming, then move it closer or switch to a shorter cable for two-handed. Thanks again man, I have been following your GB for metal cases pretty closely also, glad to see it is coming together!

[berserkfan]

Good stuff, thats kind of what I was hoping not to have to deal with but it's all good to know for sure! I would have been just fine crating my own cabling for a cross connection and going with a different type in order to do without the second board, but having to edit the ware and reflash it to connect it up again is too much of a hassle for me for sure. I couldnt imagine doing that every time I want to switch to a double sided config, it wouldn't be worth it

Finally the MD configurator, which is a huge part of why I went with an ErgoDox to begin with. If I am not going to be able to use that tool efficiently and easily, I might as well not build an ErgoDox.  At least that's how I see it.  I was afraid of exactly what you said (mirror imaging of the keys) and Im glad to know it will be needed.  Well, not glad, but you know lol.

Probably what I will do is get a 6-12ft TRRS cable and put my right-side board somewhere out of the way when I am gaming, then move it closer or switch to a shorter cable for two-handed. Thanks again man, I have been following your GB for metal cases pretty closely also, glad to see it is coming together!

ok, I don't know ergodox, but I do know dorkvader uses a one hand ergodox. He might have experiences to share.