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geekhack Marketplace => Interest Checks => Topic started by: LifeIsOnTheWire on Thu, 21 June 2018, 09:13:09

Title: [IC] Postage Board (switch-mounted hand wire controller)
Post by: LifeIsOnTheWire on Thu, 21 June 2018, 09:13:09
Greetings everyone. I am nearing the stage of starting a Group Buy for the Postage Board, and Postage Expander. I've named them "postage" because, when mounted underneath a keyboard, they resemble postage stamps on an envelope. I assure you their functionality is cooler than their name :P

If you have any interest in this board, please complete this survey: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfZ_9kBnZsiQMFb7ElcVX6IyvBrdfBMNvV0xCxbAnS-ptNwHw/viewform?usp=sf_link (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfZ_9kBnZsiQMFb7ElcVX6IyvBrdfBMNvV0xCxbAnS-ptNwHw/viewform?usp=sf_link)

It will help me make the best choices when it comes to how to deliver this board to the community. I want to design the GB in a way that accommodates the majority of the community.

What is a Postage Board?

The Postage Board is a controller board (like a Pro Micro, or a Teensy) that is designed to mount to the bottom of 3x switches on the top row of your hand-wired mechanical keyboard. My goal was to solve many problems/annoyances that go along with making a handwire keyboard.


Here is a diagram of both boards side-by-side. If you have no interest in split-layout keyboards, you can ignore the Postage Expander. https://i.imgur.com/yRQBj46.png

Here are some pictures of the first prototypes I've received. https://imgur.com/a/jDn2D25

I've had some delays with getting the correct components delivered to allow me to assemble some prototypes for testing. I should have the components in the next few days, and I hope to be able to show off a working keyboard using the board immediately. When these boards are sold in a GB, the PCBs will not be hand-soldered. They will be fully assembled by a reputable PCB manufacturer in Shenzhen.

What is the Postage Expander?

The Postage Expander is a companion board that would be used as the controller on the "slave" side of a split keyboard layout. This allows you to make a split keyboard (like the Lets Split, or others) using the main Postage Board (on the Master side), along with the Postage Expander (on the Slave side), for a lower cost than buying 2x Postage Boards. This lower cost was made possible by using an "IO Expander", rather than another Microcontroller, along with not requiring other expensive components like USB. I used the MCP23018 IO Expander, which is the same one used in the Ergodox. If you want to see an example of how firmware is written in QMK for an Atmega32u4 + MCP23018, check out the Ergodox code on Github.

The Postage expander is probably not going to be finished its testing phase by the time of the Postage Board group buy.  If anyone is interested in testing out the Expander in its unproven state, reach out to me. 
Title: Re: [IC] Postage Board (switch-mounted hand wire controller)
Post by: Vulcan on Thu, 21 June 2018, 10:11:14
Do you have pictures?

Sent from my SM-G610F using Tapatalk

Title: Re: [IC] Postage Board (switch-mounted hand wire controller)
Post by: donut_sauce on Thu, 21 June 2018, 10:24:18
Very interested in this!
Title: Re: [IC] Postage Board (switch-mounted hand wire controller)
Post by: LifeIsOnTheWire on Thu, 21 June 2018, 10:43:31
Quote from: Vulcan on Thu, 21 June 2018, 10:11:14
Do you have pictures?

Just the ones I linked in the post.  https://imgur.com/a/jDn2D25
Title: Re: [IC] Postage Board (switch-mounted hand wire controller)
Post by: LifeIsOnTheWire on Thu, 21 June 2018, 10:49:22
Quote from: donut_sauce on Thu, 21 June 2018, 10:24:18
Very interested in this!

Thanks :)  I'll be sure to post some updates when the rest of my SMD components arrive
Title: Re: [IC] Postage Board (switch-mounted hand wire controller)
Post by: donutcat on Thu, 21 June 2018, 15:44:17
(https://i.imgur.com/yRQBj46.png) (https://i.imgur.com/yRQBj46.png)
(https://i.imgur.com/rJ5sJ30.jpg) (https://i.imgur.com/rJ5sJ30.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/JSqIyee.jpg) (https://i.imgur.com/JSqIyee.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/7cc9dy8.jpg) (https://i.imgur.com/7cc9dy8.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/vEg2A8R.jpg) (https://i.imgur.com/vEg2A8R.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/yRQBj46.png) (https://i.imgur.com/yRQBj46.png)
(https://i.imgur.com/LlgrUyv.png) (https://i.imgur.com/LlgrUyv.png)

Embedded your pics so people could see them easier, embed code is below.

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[url=https://i.imgur.com/rJ5sJ30.jpg][img]https://i.imgur.com/rJ5sJ30.jpg[/img][/url]
[url=https://i.imgur.com/JSqIyee.jpg][img]https://i.imgur.com/JSqIyee.jpg[/img][/url]
[url=https://i.imgur.com/7cc9dy8.jpg][img]https://i.imgur.com/7cc9dy8.jpg[/img][/url]
[url=https://i.imgur.com/vEg2A8R.jpg][img]https://i.imgur.com/vEg2A8R.jpg[/img][/url]
[url=https://i.imgur.com/yRQBj46.png][img]https://i.imgur.com/yRQBj46.png[/img][/url]
[url=https://i.imgur.com/LlgrUyv.png][img]https://i.imgur.com/LlgrUyv.png[/img][/url]
Title: Re: [IC] Postage Board (switch-mounted hand wire controller)
Post by: elfick on Fri, 22 June 2018, 10:29:20
Is it possible to use this other than on columns 1-3? IE, if I wanted the connecter in the middle of the keyboard? I assume its physically possible but wasn't sure if there was a provision to wire switches in the row's circuit before the board.
Title: Re: [IC] Postage Board (switch-mounted hand wire controller)
Post by: Jacob4341 on Fri, 22 June 2018, 10:33:33
As asked on top clack, does the usb port line up with standard 60% layouts when the postage board is installed? Meaning would you be able to put a handwire with this controller in any standard 60%?
Title: Re: [IC] Postage Board (switch-mounted hand wire controller)
Post by: nevin on Fri, 06 September 2019, 06:45:26
@LifeIsOnTheWire - Does the postage board support lock lights? I didn't see anything noted here or on DT or in your Git repo.
Title: Re: [IC] Postage Board (switch-mounted hand wire controller)
Post by: ideus on Fri, 06 September 2019, 07:44:51
Quote from: nevin on Fri, 06 September 2019, 06:45:26
@LifeIsOnTheWire - Does the postage board support lock lights? I didn't see anything noted here or on DT or in your Git repo.
Just bookmarking the post to have the board posting me in case of an answer.