I have contacted a place about getting custom XTant plates made. He has estimated $70/ea for a small run of 5. Does anyone else with a prototype kit want one?
The two rivets on the back plate are not where they need to be. I removed them using a rotary tool with a cut wheel - cut away the flange on the back of the plate then popped the tops off. The new PCB has one hole for a new stud between the Caps Lock and A and another hole between right bracket and pipe-backslash. The second of these two holes is not in the best location and I plan to move it between Enter and up arrow. You might make a new hole in the PCB there and use that. I used two clamps to hold the PCB to the back plate to mark the location to drill new holes. Aligned properly, you should see two white silkscreen dots through the old rivet holes on the back of the back plate. Mark the back plate through the new holes and drill with a 1/8" bit. Secure the PCB with two #4-40 x 1/4" flat head machines screw (plate side) and weld nuts (PCB side), and #6-32 x 3/8" bolt with a star washer on the PCB side. With the back plate facing up, put the rivet washer over the #6 bolt and around the captive nut. Put on the controller, star washer and then nut. Feed wire through controller and switch PCBs and solder on both sides. Columns 13 thru 16 go to ground on the switch matrix PCB, so no wires there if using xwhatsit controller (it might confuse the controller) but wires there should be OK for DPH controller (designed to auto-skip grounded columns).
methinks you should wait one more week, or else send a mass pm to the 9 remaining people with the PCB.
At these tiny production runs, every additional order can bring down the price quite a bit.
GB ends today (march 4). If you are interested, please register your interest now. I will be contacting the shop with the final order and sending invoices tomorrow.
I have marked *paid*, should clear things up.GB ends today (march 4). If you are interested, please register your interest now. I will be contacting the shop with the final order and sending invoices tomorrow.
We are on the same page here, right?
Now for some of us, how would we go about sourcing a PCB?The gerber files are available. You can download them and send them to a PCB fabrication shop of your choice. Since one-off PCBs are so expensive, you could do a small run like WCass did with the initial prototype.
If someone can locate a full sized printable file for the layout, I can make foam mats.
Any updates?Oh I will have to call them and sort it out.
If someone can locate a full sized printable file for the layout, I can make foam mats.that'd be awesome.
If someone can locate a full sized printable file for the layout, I can make foam mats.that'd be awesome.
If someone can locate a full sized printable file for the layout, I can make foam mats.that'd be awesome.
The awesomeness has been completed by wcass: https://github.com/wcass-/XTant/blob/master/XTant/XTant%20pad.pdf
Although I can't seem to get it to print right. Maybe contact wcass for the pdf file as an attachment rather than the link.
Any updates?Oh I will have to call them and sort it out.
Has anyone gotten in touch with Unicomp about doing a small run of caps that will be needed for this?
Has anyone gotten in touch with Unicomp about doing a small run of caps that will be needed for this?
Not sure. What we need is a keyset like below, except a Caps Lock key in the Caps Lock spot, and probably all blanks for the left hand F-key cluster.
(Attachment Link)
Has anyone gotten in touch with Unicomp about doing a small run of caps that will be needed for this?
Not sure. What we need is a keyset like below, except a Caps Lock key in the Caps Lock spot, and probably all blanks for the left hand F-key cluster.
(Attachment Link)
I was debating on getting in touch with them anyway to see about doing a mod set group buy with symbols similar to 7bits round 4 stuff. But for this I think more traditional legends would be best. I will do some drawing on ideas in the next few days.
Has anyone gotten in touch with Unicomp about doing a small run of caps that will be needed for this?
Not sure. What we need is a keyset like below, except a Caps Lock key in the Caps Lock spot, and probably all blanks for the left hand F-key cluster.
(Attachment Link)
I was debating on getting in touch with them anyway to see about doing a mod set group buy with symbols similar to 7bits round 4 stuff. But for this I think more traditional legends would be best. I will do some drawing on ideas in the next few days.
Which exact symbols are you referring to? I'm quite sure that Unicomp will only do symbols and labels that have previously appeared on IBM and Unicomp keyboards.
Email has been sent to Unicomp. If they are willing to do it, would standard or these symbols legends be prefered. Either way, I was going to post an IC for these legends for a standard group buy with possible kits for other popular boards such as the AT, unsaver, SSK, etc.
YesIf someone can locate a full sized printable file for the layout, I can make foam mats.that'd be awesome.
The awesomeness has been completed by wcass: https://github.com/wcass-/XTant/blob/master/XTant/XTant%20pad.pdf
Although I can't seem to get it to print right. Maybe contact wcass for the pdf file as an attachment rather than the link.
I will download that and see about getting it printed somewhere on something heavy enough to actually use as a template multiple times.
Would anyone be willing to buy mats for this, say $15 shipped?
just got word: plates are done. i will pay for them now.
i have some bad news
the plates got bent the wrong way. it's my mistake. not sure what i can do about it. next week i will look around locally for people that can bend these.
i have some bad news
the plates got bent the wrong way. it's my mistake. not sure what i can do about it. next week i will look around locally for people that can bend these.
Oops. Potentially dumb question, but would it be possible to just kind of use the plate flipped or something? Or will that not work with the PCB? I'm having difficulty visualizing in my head.
(although I'm hoping for widespread adoption of electric motors sooner rather than later)
We just replaced our pickup truck with a Nissan Leaf. :D
We just replaced our pickup truck with a Nissan Leaf. :D
Won't fit quite as many keyboards, but I approve.