AM Neon 80
IC Form (https://forms.gle/cJ19iJy8CVkb4xKK6) | Discord (https://discord.com/invite/angrymiao) | Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/angry.miao/)
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(USB port has upgraded in the latest prototype)
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IC form: https://forms.gle/cJ19iJy8CVkb4xKK6
Table of contents
- Background
- Specifications and features
- Colors
- LED matrix
- QMK and VIAL support
- Pricing
- Updates
Background
Hey all, Crazy Designers here. Some of you may recall that we did a poll last year asking the community and users in Discord about what kind of 80% board they want. And two designs came out top.
We have already delivered one of them, AM Relic 80 (https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=122180.0) and it was a hit. But there are still people waiting for the other winner, AM Neon 80 (that's what we are calling it for now) to come. And here we are.
Specifications and features
Typing Angle: 7°
Layout: 80%
Material: CNC machined 6063 aluminum alloy
Mount: Three-Stage Adjustable Leaf Spring Mount
Plate: FR4 plate
LEDs: In-switch RGB and LED matrix with 230 (main panel) + 70 (side) LEDs
PCB: 1.2mm hot-swap with in-switch LEDs and cutouts. Supports QMK and VIAL.
Connection: USB 3.0 (Type-C)
Dimensions: TBA
Weight: TBA
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The hotswap PCB will have a thickness of 1.2mm and have cut-outs. It can support normal and stepped Caps Lock.
LED matrix
This is what we have been working on. With 230 LEDs on the main panel and 70 more on the side, this is what it looks like when it glows:
With 300 LEDs in total, it can display 256 colors. You can create custom lighting effects on your PC. It can also display stuff like the current time or custom texts.
QMK and VIAL support
We have been roasted ever since we started making keyboards because our boards don't support QMK.
I have to make a defense for myself here. We actually have reasons why we didn't go with QMK.
Long story short:
- We want better wireless performance.
- The code is too bloated and lacks efficiency. We want to further expand on lighting effects, power management, and extended function interfaces.
After considering the suggestions we have received over the years, we made the decision to give QMK a try, which eventually led us to where we are now. This is the first board from AM that fully supports QMK.
Colors
We haven't decided which colorways to go with just yet. Please do help us via the IC form. If you have any other color in mind, please let us know as well.
Here are the renders I have for now:
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Silver
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White
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Titanium
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Black
Plus, I applied multi-color anodizing to the bottom panel. It allowed me to create the following effect:
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Considering the difficulty of perfecting these colors on a metal body, the amount of interest for each color will determine which colors will be made available for the official group buy. If you are interested in this keyboard and would like to see a specific color, I recommend you fill out the IC form.
Pricing
TBA
I'm currently working on getting a clear idea of what it would cost to produce this keyboard. With the inclusion of QMK and VIAL support, we don't need features such as Bluetooth, wireless charging, and a battery. However, since it's the first time using this LED matrix, there will be some costs involved with that.
Extras
- Hotswap PCB without RGB: supports normal and stepped Caps Lock, ISO enter, split left shift (ISO compatible), 2U split backspace
- POM plate
- Extra feet: increase the typing angle to 10°
If you would like to see something that's not on this list, please mention it in the IC form. We'll do our best to make it available if there's enough interest.
Updates
Changes will be summarized here as the thread is updated.
2024-02-08: OP