geekhack
geekhack Projects => Making Stuff Together! => Topic started by: danwomansan on Thu, 19 February 2015, 11:49:38
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This layout (http://www.keyboard-layout-editor.com/#/layouts/4961e47e193f8ed9f9c37f4878b87014) is a modified version of the layout of the younger of my two crappy membrane keyboards to remove the tenkeys, and this is my dream layout. I currently cannot afford a custom PCB/plate with my current budget so I'm looking into PCBs that would allow a layout as close to this one as possible. Would prefer cherry-compatible considering that I'm currently looking at putting gaterons on the board.
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Are you against handwiring? You could use swill's plate tool, get it cut at BigBlueSaw, then handwire the rest of the keyboard.
My local library actually has a laser cutter but it only cuts acrylic. Perhaps your library has that as well? If you're OK with acrylic, you could definitely save costs there too.
The handwired build would look something like this (https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=45139.msg942463#msg942463).
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no, I'm not against hand-wiring, but I'd rather get the PCB option out of the way before jumping to hand-wiring.
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The only reason why I brought up hand-wiring is that I don't think there's any custom PCB that comes remotely close to that layout. Nor can I think of a stock board that has a layout close to that.
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I think that a 75% board would be the closest thing to that layout.
(http://i.imgur.com/9g3r69w.jpg)
This seems much more practical to me as you don't have to handwire anything or go through the trouble of getting a custom case build for it.
Shouldn't be the most expensive thing in the world if you get something like a b. mini from Winkeyless (http://winkeyless.kr/store/?product=b-mini-pcb-green).
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I'm fine with making a custom case, really.
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The Cherry G80-1800 (http://cherrycorp.com/product/compact-1800-series-keyboards/) is a close-ish match.
(http://cherrycorp.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/G81-1800_2_Top-150-dpi-1100x641.jpg)
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I found ways to easily shorten the board by putting some opposite functions to the fn layer
the question comes to now, you can put a plate with keys mounted to it in a 75% case, right?
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I found ways to easily shorten the board by putting some opposite functions to the fn layer
the question comes to now, you can put a plate with keys mounted to it in a 75% case, right?
Hmm? Which case are you looking at? OR are you looking at builder.swillkb.com? And are you going to handwire or go the PCB route?
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I don't know whether I'm going to go handwire or PCB right now and I'm not looking at any cases right now
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I don't know whether I'm going to go handwire or PCB right now and I'm not looking at any cases right now
Handwiring is your best bet for cheap. Use keyboard-layout-editor.com to make your design, and copy the raw code into builder.swillkb.com, and fill out all the settings, and generate the case. Then you can handwire it together and put it on a teensy. If you get it all cut in acrylic, or the plate in stainless steel and the case in acrylic, this should be affordable.
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You could get a plate for a tenkeyless, cut off the rightmost column and then hand-saw the differences. Then glue some small parts of sheet metal in-between keys only to prevent them from sliding sideways.
I am building a keyboard where I first had a layout somewhat similar to yours but without the function row. I started with an ANSI plate, and divided the left Shift into two keys, cut off the rightmost column and the function row.
The plate I use is aluminium so it was quite easy to cut with a hacksaw, and then fix the rest with a set of files.
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I found ways to easily shorten the board by putting some opposite functions to the fn layer
the question comes to now, you can put a plate with keys mounted to it in a 75% case, right?
75% cases aren't very popular so you may have a hard time finding one to even put one in. But yes, if you design the plate to fit the case, it will be fine.
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This layout (http://www.keyboard-layout-editor.com/#/layouts/4961e47e193f8ed9f9c37f4878b87014) is a modified version of the layout of the younger of my two crappy membrane keyboards to remove the tenkeys, and this is my dream layout. I currently cannot afford a custom PCB/plate with my current budget so I'm looking into PCBs that would allow a layout as close to this one as possible. Would prefer cherry-compatible considering that I'm currently looking at putting gaterons on the board.
please look at "http://winkeyless.kr/en/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/layout_mini.jpg"
in http://winkeyless.kr/en/?product=b-mini-pcb
That's 75% B.mini PCB
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There is no board with a PCB that I know of in that layout.
Having a custom PCB made can often cost more than having a custom plate made, so I'd go with a plate designed in swill's tool and hand wiring to a Teensy 2.0.
Cheapest and most flexible option, IMO. Also, feels better than PCB mount.
I don't think youll find an existing 75% case that it will fit in, either, as all the ones I know of have one less column (Noppoo Choc mini, KBT Race and Race 2, Keycool 84, etc).