Author Topic: [IC] Scientist - 4x12 ergo columnar stagger DIY kit for 60% cases  (Read 6062 times)

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Offline gds

  • Thread Starter
  • Posts: 3
DIY 4x12 ergonomic columnar stagger keyboard PCB that fits 60% cases.

285839-0

  • Ergonomic columnar stagger
  • Support for many (most?) tray mount 60% cases
  • Aggressive stagger for optimal pinky comfort
  • Corne/Reviung-like thumb key cluster
  • MX Hotswap sockets
  • Knob positions allows for actuation with thumbs without the fingers leaving the home row
  • Mostly through-hole construction for easy DIY construction
  • Optional RGB Underglow
  • Optional support for up to 3 encoders (up to one each side and one in the centre)
  • Optional support for OLED instead of an encoder in the central position

More details here: https://github.com/godders/scientist

Prototype gallery: https://imgur.com/a/xrHWU2O

Layout tester (PDF): https://github.com/godders/scientist/raw/main/tester/scientist-layout-tester.pdf

Kits are expected to cost between £20-£40 (about €24-€48, $25-$50) plus shipping from the UK, depending on what the default kit ends up containing (which depends on IC feedback!). Kits will definitely include at minimum a PCB and plate, an ATMega32a with a preflashed bootloader and all the necessary components for a basic build.

IC form: https://forms.gle/eDNBZQhNKfCj61LX9

Thank you!

Offline peej

  • Posts: 101
  • I'm a lumberjack and I'm okay
Re: [IC] Scientist - 4x12 ergo columnar stagger DIY kit for 60% cases
« Reply #1 on: Mon, 02 May 2022, 14:25:32 »
This is really cool, everyone loves a chunky MCU. I've never used a columnar stagger, but this would convince me to give it a try.

Oh and you should open source it, cos open source hardware good.

Offline gds

  • Thread Starter
  • Posts: 3
Re: [IC] Scientist - 4x12 ergo columnar stagger DIY kit for 60% cases
« Reply #2 on: Mon, 02 May 2022, 15:12:25 »
Thank you Peej, I appreciate your support! To be 100% transparent this all started as a project to keep me busy while I wait for my R2 Lumberjack :)

Yes I was planning to publish everything once I've got the layout nailed down (which it pretty much is now I think, last thing was the 1u2u1u space bar layout which I added this morning). Open source hardware indeed good.

Offline panka

  • Posts: 40
Re: [IC] Scientist - 4x12 ergo columnar stagger DIY kit for 60% cases
« Reply #3 on: Mon, 02 May 2022, 19:47:29 »
hell yeah, i love everything about this. consider my interest checked

Offline linell

  • Posts: 114
Re: [IC] Scientist - 4x12 ergo columnar stagger DIY kit for 60% cases
« Reply #4 on: Mon, 02 May 2022, 22:45:26 »
this looks fun to use  :p
glwic
bro this a **** set, just be thankful you even getting 1 base running fr

Offline lush_bunny

  • Posts: 797
  • Location: Philippines
  • TBR Prime | 7V | Pandora | Kaze
Re: [IC] Scientist - 4x12 ergo columnar stagger DIY kit for 60% cases
« Reply #5 on: Tue, 03 May 2022, 11:45:15 »
omfg

Offline lush_bunny

  • Posts: 797
  • Location: Philippines
  • TBR Prime | 7V | Pandora | Kaze
Re: [IC] Scientist - 4x12 ergo columnar stagger DIY kit for 60% cases
« Reply #6 on: Tue, 03 May 2022, 11:48:04 »
h-how does one even use a board like this. are there tutorials?

Offline TheWonderBubble

  • Posts: 91
Re: [IC] Scientist - 4x12 ergo columnar stagger DIY kit for 60% cases
« Reply #7 on: Tue, 03 May 2022, 21:22:05 »
h-how does one even use a board like this. are there tutorials?

I mean, you...type on it? I'm not sure exactly what you're asking here. Are you just wondering about 40%'s in general?
Shhhhh...my wallet doesn't know I'm here.


Offline lush_bunny

  • Posts: 797
  • Location: Philippines
  • TBR Prime | 7V | Pandora | Kaze
Re: [IC] Scientist - 4x12 ergo columnar stagger DIY kit for 60% cases
« Reply #8 on: Tue, 03 May 2022, 21:47:10 »
h-how does one even use a board like this. are there tutorials?

I mean, you...type on it? I'm not sure exactly what you're asking here. Are you just wondering about 40%'s in general?

Yes. Never owned a 40.

Offline HappyB0T

  • Posts: 435
  • Location: Midwest, USA
  • I'm a Piggie
Re: [IC] Scientist - 4x12 ergo columnar stagger DIY kit for 60% cases
« Reply #9 on: Wed, 04 May 2022, 02:30:32 »
This keyboard is quite sassy. Grabbed a couple lumberjacks. Might as well try this too. Good jerb

Offline RominRonin

  • * Maker
  • Posts: 306
  • Location: VIENNA
Re: [IC] Scientist - 4x12 ergo columnar stagger DIY kit for 60% cases
« Reply #10 on: Wed, 04 May 2022, 22:44:37 »
Hey, found this project on r/mk. Very nice work, I applaud the support of 60% cases (just like I did with the Katana60).

You said it supports most if not all cases, care to elaborate on that? With the Katana60 I had to trim the switches that overlapped standoff posts to ensure a flat PCB. Did you encounter the same issue?

Offline gds

  • Thread Starter
  • Posts: 3
Re: [IC] Scientist - 4x12 ergo columnar stagger DIY kit for 60% cases
« Reply #11 on: Thu, 05 May 2022, 06:54:01 »
Thank you!

You said it supports most if not all cases, care to elaborate on that? With the Katana60 I had to trim the switches that overlapped standoff posts to ensure a flat PCB. Did you encounter the same issue?

Yeah there was a lot of headscratching and experimentation to get the ergonomics I wanted while working around the mounting posts, with tweaks to stagger, angle of the halves, thumb keys and LED positions to make it all fit. Luck was on my side in some areas though - It would have been much harder to design without fairly aggressive pinky stagger for example (but fortunately I wanted that anyway). It's a bit of a delicate balance!

I've tested it in a number of cases and it's ok (or *will be* - the plate is a tiny bit too big for a Tofu right now, but I'll fix that), and I've borrowed a few more to test with. As it stands, switch mods shouldn't be necessary, but some cases may still pose a challenge particularly if they have very thick mounting posts (>5mm) in the two central locations. I haven't found any that are thick enough to be problematic which aren't removable - though I'm sure there are some. In any case that can be worked around with a washer, kapton tape, perhaps an o-ring mod, etc as long as they're not ridiculously wide.

Only non-starter I've found so far is BBox60 as it has tons of extra mounting points that I can't possibly work around without severely compromising the layout. I kinda got it working with o-rings (using washers to support them) and removing the USB socket cover, but that's not a great outcome.

Had lots of requests for daughterboard support and cutouts for a Bakeneko60, so I'm working on that (and have one on the way to make sure it'll work - best excuse I've ever had for frivolously ordering keyboard parts so I couldn't pass it up!).

Katana60 is a fantastic design btw!
« Last Edit: Thu, 05 May 2022, 06:57:37 by gds »

Offline CountKeepo

  • Posts: 9
  • Location: Finland
Re: [IC] Scientist - 4x12 ergo columnar stagger DIY kit for 60% cases
« Reply #12 on: Sat, 06 August 2022, 13:37:40 »
How is this project going?

Me and several other people in our community have been literally drooling over this for the last few months, waiting anxiously for news.

Edit: Do you still have plans to make it open source? I would be ready to make a local group buy to order the version with the fixed encoder places.
« Last Edit: Sat, 06 August 2022, 13:39:52 by CountKeepo »

Offline piit79

  • Posts: 382
Re: [IC] Scientist - 4x12 ergo columnar stagger DIY kit for 60% cases
« Reply #13 on: Tue, 28 February 2023, 03:47:51 »
Hey, any progress on this project? I run 42. Keebs, a small mk shop based in the EU specialising in DIY through-hole kits and I would love to add this to our inventory ;) I would be happy to support you with a designer's fee from every sale, like I do with Peej and his Lumberjack and many other designers :)

Please let us know!