[IC] Alyssia - A thin bezel, dual mount Alice style keyboard - Updates 6/22/2023

[Patty]

ALYSSIA
Interest Check Form
https://forms.gle/yTjhn8gMeKgrjX7P7
Interest Check Form 2
https://forms.gle/dMaLfJygH7tRD9yX9
Interest Check Form 3
https://forms.gle/x8HV8jicN2gQe4Ta7

Discord
https://discord.gg/PrPU83efVe



Introduction

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I’ve been in the hobby for a few years now and have attempted on and off to design my own board, specifically an Alice layout.
I’ve tried several Alice boards, as well as other boards and settled on my own personal preferences in terms of design.
Hence, the Alyssia, my first completed design, incorporates thin bezels, a 4 degree board angle and a fancy outer piece to look at.

Technical Details
Board front height: 18.5mm (measured at chin)

EKH: 22.64mm/23.64mm with feet (measured at right alt)

Materials: Aluminum 6063 (top, bottom and outer piece), Copper (inner weight, 2.5mm thick sheet, untreated),
Stainless Steel (Daughterboard Wire Cover, 2.5mm, brushed), Polycarbonate (light diffuser)

Weight: ~3.1lbs built (1406.14g), 2.45lbs unbuilt (1111.301g)

Mounting Style: O-Ring tab gasket mount, top mount

Screws: 6x M2x12mm button hex (for body), 7x M2x4mm countersunk hex (for light diffuser,db wire cover, outer piece),
7x M3x4mm countersunk hex (for inner weight and outer piece), 8x M2x4mm button hex (for top mount)

Standard Alice layout compatible with top-mounted USB-C PCBs, some USB-C daughterboard Alice PCBs

Mounting Explanation

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The Alyssia uses 8 o-rings that fit around 8 tabs on the plate

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The o-rings are tightly wrapped around the hooks of the plate tabs, with a bit of the gasket left out on the outer edge to ensure the plate doesn’t touch the board directly

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The o-rings are lightly compressed by the top and bottom piece, creating a firm typing experience that can be softened depending on the plate/o-rings used
This mounting method also helps with alignment of the top and bottom pieces of the board

O-Ring Dimensions: 22mm OD x 18mm ID x 2mm thickness
The prototypes are built with 70 duro o-rings, this will most likely be the o-ring duro used for the group buy

I've added top mounting capabilities to the board, it's not the universal Alice mounting points as the board is too small to use a universal Alice plate,
it'll use M2 screws, the plate will accommodate both gasket mounting and top mounting

Pictures of the Prototypes
Prototype 3

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Prototype 2
















Prototype 1

Renders

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Sound Tests
This is the third prototype
Nainaigogo Sound Test 1 (PC Plate, Stock Mode Obscuras, Tab O-Ring mount)

Nainaigogo Sound Test 2 (PC Plate, Stock Punkshoo Runners, Tab O-Ring mount)

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This is the second prototype
Alexotos VOD

Built with broken-in MX blacks on a PC plate, GMK WoB

Color Options, Plates and PCBs
Body: Black, Lavender, Silver
Outer Piece: Multicolor PVD, Silver PVD, Black PVD

Plate options will be PC and Aluminum

There will be hotswap and solder PCBs

Sale Information
Units: TBD, more than 100

Pricing: Below 400USD

Vendors
NA and International vendors are TBA! (Woohoo!)

Prototype Showcase and Streams
Nainaigogo showcased and streamed a build of the 3rd prototype!
You can watch the VOD here: https://www.twitch.tv/nainaigogo

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Alexotos showcased a build of the 2nd prototype!
You can view the VOD here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSx6JCNESB8

Changelog

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Prototype 1:

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Initial design, had a sandblasted stainless steel outer piece, no external fillets/chamfers,
used 4 M1.4 screws to screw the case together, uniform floor below PCB, slightly larger internal weight, less aggressive exaggerated seam

Prototype 2:

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Changed outer piece to PVD aluminum/increased size of outer piece, added more external fillets and chamfers,
uses 6 M1.6 screws to screw the case together, floor below PCB has been raised around modifiers and numbers, internal weight shaped around alphas,
more aggressive exaggerated seam, changed design of case alignment tabs, added more material to the top case

Prototype 3:

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Reduced feet height by 0.5mm
Lowered height of USB-C opening by 0.3mm
Top mount added
Alignment pins are larger
Alignment post added to outer piece
Top piece now has a uniform fillet all around rather than a larger fillet at the front edge with smaller fillets on the other edges
Ledge in bottom piece has a more stepped design
Inner weight thickness increased to 2.5mm, .5mm alpha cuts added
Plate tabs adjusted to better fit o-rings
Changed screws to M2

Prototype 4:

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Added compatibility for Sneakbox M5 PCB, added compatibility for fly daughterboard
Added a wire channel for daughterboard wires, designed a cover for the hole
Changed miscellaneous fillets to chamfers
Removed two alignment pins that were unnecessary

Comments

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I plan on releasing these files after the GB:
Plate file
Light diffuser file
Internal weight file
DB Wire Cover file
Shape of gaskets file (to allow people to get custom cut foam gaskets if they prefer)

As there are no widely available Alice PCBs that use a daughterboard I opted to design the board around top-mounted USB-C Alice PCBs,
but if there ever comes a time when Alice PCBs that use daughterboards do become widely available
I will redesign the outer piece to fit them if possible and release the file

I've decided to add compatibility with Sneakbox's M5 PCB (which has it's own db design) and the fly daughterboard,
although there are some limitations when using the fly daughterboard

1. PCB shape needs to have a small cutout at the top like the M5 PCB
(meaning the Dolice PCB isn't gonna work cause it has the same shape as original Alice PCBs)

2. If the PCB uses a molex connector it should be good, if it uses JST you'll have to either remove the inner weight
or the JST has to be in the same spot as the M5 PCB

Special Thanks To

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Yuktsi for the TGR Alice, for open sourcing the layout, and for my eventual love of typing on Alice keyboards
All the Alice designers out there, I love all of your boards, they are all beautiful
heyimpanda for being a great friend both in and outside of this hobby and for building the second prototype/creating the sound test
Alexotos for agreeing to showcase the 2nd prototype, love you Alex!
Nainaigogo for agreeing to showcase the 3rd prototype, YOU'RE AMAZING NAINAI!
Lightning for agreeing to showcase the 3rd prototype, THANK YOU SO MUCH LIGHTNING I'M A HUGE FAN
Muji from Sneakbox Design for being an awesome dude and for supporting the project, thank you so much Muji!
The community for being awesome, for instilling in me my love of keyboards and design, and for creating amazing stuff that continues to inspire me

To Do
Get IC 1 results
Get IC 2 results
Get IC 3 results
Order proto 3
Send proto 3 out to streamers/reviewers
Do more renders and get better ones
Order proto 4
Get a vendor onboard
Finalize pricing and options
Begin GB!

Once again, please consider filling out IC 3! https://forms.gle/cexUrgT3Hv2bEGqe8

[Patty]

Reserved

Update 1 - 3/13/2023

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The IC post has been updated, I've made a number of changes to the design (mostly internal)

You can read more about it here or re-read the IC for more info on the updates/changes

Update 2

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I've added top mounting capabilities to the board, it's not the universal alice mounting points as the board is too small to use a universal alice plate and the gasket mounting points are in the way anyway, it'll use M1.6 screws, the plate will accommodate both gasket mounting and top mounting

I've made a change to the alignment pins, they're larger now

I've added alignment posts to the outer piece that should make it easier and more accurate to assemble

The top originally had a larger rounded edge at the front which unfortunately was barely visible on the prototype, I've decided to remove it and have a uniform fillet all around

The ledge in the bottom piece internal at the chin has been changed to a more stepped design, should be easier and cleaner to machine

Inner weight thickness has been increased slightly to 2.5mm from 2mm, alpha cuts have been added and are .5mm deep

I've cleaned up a good amount of small details and geometry in the models for all the parts, added more fillets, chamfers and visual niceties

The plate tabs were a bit too tight on the alu plates, causing the orings to not grip the tab all around as nicely, I've made a small change that hopefully will alleviate this while not affecting plastic plates

My manu informed me that the PVD finish on the outer piece is the most expensive aspect of the board, I'm considering offering a regular ano finish instead as the base option with the PVD as an upgrade as a way to lower the base price, to keep variants lower I've also decided to run only 3 colors, either silver will be kept or replaced based on the responses to interest check 2

Renders have been updated to reflect changes

There are enough changes for me to warrant getting a 3rd prototype, it'll be ordered in the color selected in interest check 2 after 1 week of responses unless silver wins out, in that case I'll order the black variant

Based on interest check 1, the gb will be running with PC and alu as the plate options, alu plates will color match the outer piece, the light blocker will be kept

Vendors are still TBD

Update 3

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Finalized color options, vendors are TBA, pricing is certain to be less than 400USD, changed out the renders, changed the design in small ways (M2 screws now)

[Mandabanker007]

I’m listening

[lunr]

interested as well. hope it goes through.

[zhol]

the price is pushing my limits a little, but this thing looks rad. glwic, attention to typing angle and height measurements is super appreciated
maybe weight could accommodate fly daughterboard to keep it forwards-compatible with some future alice pcb that would work with it, but i'm just spitballing there

[tim981045]

It look beautiful , I want get one

[Patty]

Hey everyone! Thanks for the support so far and all of the responses to IC Form 1, I really appreciate the feedback

I've made several updates to the design/IC information as well as posted IC Form 2, IC Form 1 is now closed

You can either read more about the updates in the reserved comment or re-read the IC as a whole

I've reached out to Alexotos and he has agreed to showcase the board! The stream is tentatively set for 3/14/2023 but I will update the post if that changes

I've also created a Discord channel for anyone who'd like to join and receive updates there! https://discord.gg/PrPU83efVe

Once again, thanks to everyone who responded to the first IC! I'm honestly so excited to watch Alexotos build the 2nd prototype lol I've been watching him stream since I started the hobby and it's kinda just cool to see him building something I've designed, never thought I would get to this point

[Patty]

the price is pushing my limits a little, but this thing looks rad. glwic, attention to typing angle and height measurements is super appreciated
maybe weight could accommodate fly daughterboard to keep it forwards-compatible with some future alice pcb that would work with it, but i'm just spitballing there

Accommodating the fly daughterboard would be something I'd love to consider, but honestly adjusting the outer piece would depend on the overall design of an Alice pcb using a daughterboard, whether it'll look something like Sneakbox's M5 Alice pcb or just Mechlovin's Alice pcb with a db connector on it or something else entirely, regardless I'll edit the outer piece to accommodate whichever implementation becomes the most available if possible

[farlig]

Love the look of this, definitely gonna be keeping an eye out for updates.

[Patty]

Some updates, but more importantly Nainai is streaming the 3rd proto today at 7:30PM EST! Please tune in and support her, thank you!

[streamline]

So niceeeee

[Patty]

hey everyone! made some changes to the board to include daughterboards, renders are also updated to show all available colorways from a top down perspective, still working on creating more renders

Lightning will also be streaming a build of the 3rd prototype today at 4:30PM EST! Please join the stream and support him!

[LightningXI]

hey everyone! made some changes to the board to include daughterboards, renders are also updated to show all available colorways from a top down perspective, still working on creating more renders

Lightning will also be streaming a build of the 3rd prototype today at 4:30PM EST! Please join the stream and support him!

Thanks!

Here some pics of the proto!