The Orthotastic Keyboard by bmilcs

[bmilcs]

Hello geekhack,

Here is my first shot at a custom build. I am madly in love with the ortholinear style keyboard.  My Planck has been getting 110% of my time since I built it. The Ergodox has sadly not met my expectations when this super efficient format exists.

Anyways, I'm a large dude (225 lb, 6 ft.) and having played sports throughout my youth, I'm structurally wide. Pulling both my arms together to use any keyboard, let alone the Planck, isn't very Ergonomic.  Separating the two main halves, as in the traditional Ergodox , was definitely a key element to the design. However, I really don't want to deal with all of those extra wires and shifting halves. I'm OCD and want my board to be sturdy and un-flexing.

I work for an insurance company, glued to my home computer. Not having a dedicated number row has surprisingly not been an issue for me in this regard! Which I find to be shocking. However, when gaming, there is no way around it. It's a major pain having to use a function key or simply shifting all my hotkeys over within game. So, I tacked on the number row which allows for even more programming options.

I knew I wanted to separate the two main halves significantly but I wasn't sure what to do with that empty space. Voila! A number pad with additional macro keys for my transcriptions and work load would be killer.

I was left with some empty space at the top and considering my love for audio, I had to add a few extra keys for multimedia functions.

So, there it is. I had a difficult time aligning everything within keyboard layout editor but I think it turned out alright.

A) What do you think of my layout?

B) Will creating this be worth my effort? I plan on hand wiring it.

C) Is this a viable, realistic goal?

Thanks!
Bryan

Edit: Did some thinking and negativity from reddit downvoters. I think I may go with this instead:

[suicidal_orange]

Ignore the muppets on reddit (I don't mean everyone, just those who downvoted) - if you're a wide guy the angle may well make it more comfortable and that's the whole point of a custom ergo!  I suggest you print it out and pretend to type on it to confirm.

You're only looking at a 17x6 matrix (with a very empty top row) so 23 pins for the switches, the beloved Teensy 2.0 has 25 pins so no problem there.  Just don't forget D6 is connected to the LED on the Teensy so best not to use it in the switch matrix.

If you want more than two LED indicators you'd need a Teensy 2.0++ which is supported in tmk and EasyAVR, the extra couple of bucks for your perfect board shouldn't put you off

I prefer the look of the angled version and having the media keys at the top makes them easier to hit when you aren't actually typing, which is good.  With the square version I can see myself getting annoyed with a formula and angrily going for backspace but pausing the music - this would not improve my mood )

[algernon]

reddit is full of people who downvote anything that doesn't fit their limited vision of the world. When it comes to Ergonomics, don't listen to /r/MK, most of them still use RSI inducing abominations.

The first, angled version looks much better, don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Mind you, the surest way to know is to try.

[wolfv]

Nice .  So it's a one-piece keyboard?

If your right handed, consider moving the num pad closer to, and parallel to, the right pad.

[bmilcs]

Thanks for all your input! I have a strong suspicion it was a known entity in the mechanical world who's in the process of creating a similar project. I can't prove it though lol.

I agree with the numpad and play pause button. I was thinking I will change it to include a small space between those two layers.

How do I print out a scale version of this keyboard with a standard printer? I know it won't be fitting on a single 8x11? That's a great idea btw!

The main issue I saw is creating the case for this. I don't want the edges to be sharp as shown and I couldn't get a proper shape within keyboard layout editor. I imagine it I'm going to have to learn some kind of CAD software, which would be pretty cool to be honest.

LED's are not a concern of mine. They really don't do anything for me. I added  some 2x3x4 to a Ergocleared Pok3r of mine, but that was sold off a while ago.

I honestly haven't looked into the build process at all. In my mind, you create a grid with wires and then connect each row to a pin on the Teensy lol. I really should look into this more! The idea of being able to create my own monstrosities is super duper cool.

I just built the Bottlehead Crack with Speedball upgrade and it worked flawlessly since my first try so I'm feeling rather confident.

[bmilcs]

Nice .  So it's a one-piece keyboard?

If your right handed, consider moving the num pad closer to, and parallel to, the right pad.

Yes. One Piece. I am right handed but I am much more accurate with my left hand from all my gaming time.

It may be because I snapped my finger in half playing basketball 5 or so years ago. If I were to point forward, the joint was bent roughly 180 degrees back at me, and my skin ripped open. I took defense way too serious in a pick up game and it was a fluke accident.

I can't think of a way to design it where it wouldn't look bizarre while having those keys lined up with the ASDF grid. I suppose I could further separate the two and add another cluster... such as a macro pad.

Another concern of mine is that after building this, I realize I don't need the extra keys and prefer the standard Planck layout. I guess I'll never know unless I try it out!

Also, I am hopelessly  reliant on wrist pads. My go-to is the slim version of Glorious PC gaming.

[0100010]

Definitely go ergo.  I would just print each section on 8x11 individually, and then cut them out and arrange on your desk to a position that is comfortable.  Maybe tape some blank 8x11s together underneath first, so once you have the two angled sections to your liking, you can tape those down and determine that angle to transfer to the KLE layout.

[bmilcs]

I'm going to have to do some brainstorming here . Great ideas though.

Where can I find some other cool custom hand-wired boards? Is there a thread dedicated to showing them off? If not, there should be!