geekhack
geekhack Projects => Making Stuff Together! => Topic started by: edrin88 on Mon, 14 August 2023, 03:52:58
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I'd like to do a build with dedicated punctuation keys such as {} () : $ " < > ? ! @ # ~ +. Specifically for programming, so I don't have to hold down shift for them. I'm new to kb building though have experience in electronics and microcontrollers. For fabrication my thought is to hand-wire, not PCB, and laser cut a plate from plexi as that's something I have readily available. With all the guides I'm feeling pretty good about tackling this :) My question is just, are there any 'gotchas' to watch out for with a special layout like this?
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Your firmware will need to support macros since e.g. @ will need to be sent as Shift-down, 2-down, 2-up, Shift-up sequence. It is the same for the rest of them. So you want to build a "macro-pad".
If pressing a shift key si a problem for you then consider getting a keyboard with thumb clusters and remapping shift keys to thumbs. E.g. like K84CS layout (https://deskthority.net/viewtopic.php?p=348782#p348782). A commercial alternative is Kinesis Advantage 360.
EDIT: The message board wants to be intelligent and decorate my URL ... badly.
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I'd like to do a build with dedicated punctuation keys such as {} () : $ " < > ? ! @ # ~ +. Specifically for programming, so I don't have to hold down shift for them.
As a matter of curiosity, where will you put the extra keys? Between the top row and function keys, or on the left where the function keys used to be?
Moving off-topic slightly, there are some "programmer" keymaps that swap the top row keys' shifted states.
"1,!" and "2,@" become "!,1" and "2,@", and so forth.
Hit Capslock or Shift to key numbers, or use the numeric keypad if your keyboard has one.