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geekhack Community => Other Geeky Stuff => Topic started by: Keymonger on Fri, 04 November 2011, 20:20:25

Title: Electronics or: Building my own keyboard... where do I start?
Post by: Keymonger on Fri, 04 November 2011, 20:20:25

The past two and a half months I've been brainstorming for an input device and the concept is very close to completion. (I thought it was finished but literally a few minutes ago I realized it's not quite done yet. It would have been obvious if I had simply made some drawings but I thought I didn't need it. Derp.) What I need to build now is a prototype and then write a program/driver for it (the concept requires that). The thing is... I don't even know what a diode or PCB is. I guess a PCB is something stuff is connected to... but what I'm saying is I need to build this thing myself. I am eager to learn, but I'm not sure what learning resources I need, which has lead me here.

I saw some soldering thread that was like 15 pages so I figured you guys knew a thing or two about this. I need recommendations for books, gear, anything. My idea for a PCB includes some space for a mouse section, which is how I assume http://www.combimouse.com/ does it too. I need to know enough to be able to figure this out also.

Title: Electronics or: Building my own keyboard... where do I start?
Post by: Dox on Fri, 04 November 2011, 20:37:23

Take a look at the DoxKB link in my sig. That should get you started.

Title: Electronics or: Building my own keyboard... where do I start?
Post by: Soarer on Fri, 04 November 2011, 20:54:56

And there's PrinsValium's excellent guide (http://geekhack.org/showwiki.php?title=Design+your+own+Teensy+keyboard+in+KiCAD+how-to+guide) too, if Dox's pages don't already link to it :-)

Damn that combimouse looks strange! A handy scroll wheel would be very useful though, and maybe something I'll include on my next design... (if I do one, I still haven't built the first (http://deskthority.net/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=1197) yet :-)

Title: Electronics or: Building my own keyboard... where do I start?
Post by: SmallFry on Fri, 04 November 2011, 23:42:58

For the controller, I am putting together an AIKON. Just like the Koreans' OTD model...Link here :smile: (http://geekhack.org/showwiki.php?title=Island:23146)

Title: Electronics or: Building my own keyboard... where do I start?
Post by: Lanx on Sun, 06 November 2011, 22:04:35

buy a used cherry keyboard and have fun with, take it apart, desolder, find the traces all that, i did my first mod with el cheapo soldering iron, my second is using a good hakko and you can def tell the difference, what i learned, is stuff from here and how to solder on youtube.

Title: Electronics or: Building my own keyboard... where do I start?
Post by: Keymonger on Mon, 07 November 2011, 09:05:10

Yeah I remember I have an old Cherry keyboard with MX Blue... I'll take it apart and see how it goes.