geekhack
geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: regicide on Wed, 16 February 2011, 14:30:42
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Hey all, first post here but I have been silently stalking for quite a while.
I've decided I want to give making a keyboard a go, (relatively) from scratch, even programming my own controller (looking forward to this part).
So heres the layout of the land so far:
Custom pcb from either a local supplier or (hopefully) con my university into letting me use their pcb making room...
Cheery mx brown switches (pcb mounted), although I cant seem to find them on neither mouser.com/Electromechanical/_/N-5g1x?Keyword=cherry+mx1a&FS=True nor http://www.digikey.com/scripts/US/DKSUS.dll?vendor=0&keywords=cherry+KEYSWITCH
Have to try source key caps from somewhere, possibly http://www.auspcmarket.com.au/info/KE-10487/1838/ if they will fit onto browns nicely
Form factor a like to the HHKB, except with arrow keys in the bottom right, something like this
(http://i.imgur.com/n1Wza.png) However may end up going the way of the humblehacker/typematrix and having a matrix layout rather than staggered[/LIST]
Hardware switch to change between dvorak/qwerty layouts (or whatever two layouts are programmed in)
Possibly a hardware switch to swap the locations of the control and escape keys
Teensy++ 2.0 dev board as a controller (I'm a programmer so am looking forward to this part)
I don't know what I'm going to do about the case yet, maybe a cardboard box.... *sigh*
So what major parts did I miss?
Where can I source some MX browns (pcb mountable) from? I currently type on a das keyboard with MX blues and absolutely love it, but as I want to lug this keyboard around It needs to be a bit quieter, so I guess that means I need browns. Although I can't seem to find an online store with them, most only stock blue/clear/black. Guess I could go for blues.
Keycaps, anyone know somewhere I could get cheaper keycaps from? As I don't actually need a whole set and am not sure if those will fit. I might try get a pair of blank black duckies (for their tenkeyless, that way theres less waste).
Is there any example PCB diagrams I can look at? I have found the cherry documentation on mounting configurations (how big the holes need to be and where relative to each other) but have never designed a PCB before
How do modifier keys work? Is the signal sent to the pc or is it handled within the controller? I thought the latter, but on my os I can remap my caps lock to ctrl or esc with ease, this seems to imply it just gets sent like a normal key, although I can see how it would work if it was just anded onto the key code or something.
Thanks in advance guys, sorry If these kind of questions have been answered elsewhere
~Regi
[EDIT] Just found this site http://newzealand.rs-online.com/web/search/searchBrowseAction.html?method=retrieveTfg&binCount=5&Nty=1&Ntx=mode%2bmatchallpartial&Ntk=I18NAll&Ne=4294960157&Nr=AND(avl:nz,searchDiscon_nz:N)&N=4294750067&Ntt=cherry it seems like I can get low profile keys with the switches.
Also found the fantastic wiki page http://geekhack.org/showwiki.php?title=DIY+Fabrication+Resources