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geekhack Projects => Making Stuff Together! => Topic started by: jchan94 on Thu, 24 March 2016, 01:20:11

Title: I want to make my own NUMPAD.
Post by: jchan94 on Thu, 24 March 2016, 01:20:11

Looking for a DIY solution for an external numpad and I'm wondering where to go to instead of Winkeyless. Not saying their option isn't GREAT (which it isss....), but I want options.

Let me know! Thanks GH!

Title: Re: I want to make my own NUMPAD.
Post by: Moistgun on Thu, 24 March 2016, 12:05:47

Get a plate that could hold whatever switches you want.
Handwire them into a matrix.
Wire the matrix to a teensy.

Title: Re: I want to make my own NUMPAD.
Post by: merlin64 on Thu, 24 March 2016, 12:10:11

MassDrop currently has a kit for a numpad

https://www.massdrop.com/buy/revo-design-custom-cnc-aluminum-keypad?mode=guest_open

I hope I put the guest mode flag correctly

Title: Re: I want to make my own NUMPAD.
Post by: Moistgun on Thu, 24 March 2016, 12:37:19

https://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicalKeyboards/comments/3zsf4k/photos_handwired_macro_pad_with_round_5_caps/

Heres a link to someones diy build with handwiring.

Merlin64's suggestion would be waaaaay cleaner though ^^^

Title: Re: I want to make my own NUMPAD.
Post by: hoosieree on Fri, 25 March 2016, 20:21:27

A Teensy has enough IO to do switch-per-pin for a standard numpad; no matrix or diodes required.

Title: Re: I want to make my own NUMPAD.
Post by: Moistgun on Fri, 25 March 2016, 20:45:46

Quote from: hoosieree on Fri, 25 March 2016, 20:21:27

A Teensy has enough IO to do switch-per-pin for a standard numpad; no matrix or diodes required.

I've heard about this but never heard any other description of how to do it and program that.   Idk anything about programming with a teensy.   Could you explain a bit more detail or link to an explanation?

Title: Re: I want to make my own NUMPAD.
Post by: suicidal_orange on Sat, 26 March 2016, 04:52:01

The no diode route means more wires - you connect one pin on each switch together and to a Teensy pin, and another wire from a teensy pin to each switch's other pin.

Firmware wise you should just be able to call it one row with lots of columns, there was a problem with EasyAVR where it didn't like having less than two rows but that was before the rewrite so might work now and if not you just configure a fake row with nothing connected.

Title: Re: I want to make my own NUMPAD.
Post by: jip on Tue, 29 March 2016, 04:13:44

If you chose to create it from scratch and want to do it with diodes, this webpage provides a good explanation on key matrices.

http://pcbheaven.com/wikipages/How_Key_Matrices_Works/