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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: schwarzerrabe on Sat, 05 April 2014, 08:59:55

Title: Firmware-programmable keyboard with Cherry MX Browns, numpad & F-keys
Post by: schwarzerrabe on Sat, 05 April 2014, 08:59:55

Hi,

I am looking for a new mechanical keyboard and I have a very specific set of requirements:

Cherry MX Brown or Cherry MX Blue switches.
Full layout with a numeric keypad and F1-F12 function keys.
The ability to define the keystroke that is being sent by the keyboard when pressing a specific button in the firmware itself.

Are there any keyboards that meet all of these requirements? I am currently using a Filco keyboard, which I am quite happy with, but it doesn't offer support for reprogramming.

I prefer Cherry MX Brown switches, but if a keyboard that meets the other requirements is only available with MX Blue switches, I would still use it.

I need the numpad because I often type lots of numbers and I would like to have function keys because over the years I have gotten used to them.

I absolutely need the ability to reprogram the keyboard because I would like the keyboard to work consistent across different computers (and operating systems). Here is an example of why I need this: I live in Germany but I am using the US keyboard layout because I write a lot of code and the bracket keys (and others) are just placed more ergonomically (in my opinion) on the US layout. However, when I want to type characters that are specific to German (or more precisely: unused in the US layout), like ä, ö or ß, I have to change the keyboard layout on the computer I am using, which is often inconvenient and sometimes impossible.

Thank you in advance for your answers.

schwarzerrabe

Title: Re: Firmware-programmable keyboard with Cherry MX Browns, numpad & F-keys
Post by: jdcarpe on Sat, 05 April 2014, 09:26:00

Get yourself a Kitten Paw replacement controller from bpiphany to use in your current Filco. Then you can program any key to output any scancode. You can also use hasu's TMK firmware, or metalliqaz' Easy AVR USB Keyboard Firmware and Keymapper software with the Kitten Paw.

http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=46700.0

http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=41989.0

http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=51252.0

Title: Re: Firmware-programmable keyboard with Cherry MX Browns, numpad & F-keys
Post by: Grendel on Sat, 05 April 2014, 14:32:03

Default the keyboard layout on your computers to US-International (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QWERTY#US-International).

Und Tschüß.. ;)

Title: Re: Firmware-programmable keyboard with Cherry MX Browns, numpad & F-keys
Post by: dorkvader on Sat, 05 April 2014, 15:19:29

what character is output can be very different than the scancode sent by the KB. ISO kbs only differ in their keycaps. Having it be consistent across different OS's is somewhat futile, as your keypresses will be "interpreted" by the OS based on whatever layout was chosen.