[IC] mod_ - Fully Modular Keyboard 65% → 110%

[chatter_box]

mod_
The fully modular, fully customizable, hot-swappable keyboard you've always dreamed of.

1. Introduction

Hey everyone! I'm chatter_box, I'm an electronics design engineer living in the U.S. who's had a growing obsession passion for keyboards for a couple years at this point. I've designed and made two different keyboards before for myself and a friend, but this will be my first actual production-run keyboard, and I've really put all my heart and soul into making it live up to the vision that I have for it.

The core tenant of mod_ is of course, modularity. That primary design principle is expressed by trying to suit the widest range of preferences, without losing any sense of identity or direction, and without becoming needlessly complicated.

This ethos is achieved by having the following features:



2. Features

• One unified keyboard, or being able to be split apart into two halves
• Hot-swappable* modules:
• Numpad that can be connected on either side (traditional or southpaw)
• Function row
• XT double column that can be connected on either side
• Top plates with different colours, materials, and styles (similar to Protozoa Studio's Foundation)
• Magnets on the modules to enable the hot-swap
• Two sideways and ergonomically positioned rotary encoders for left / right handed users
• Wireless via BLE 5.3, or wired** via USB-C 2.0
• Easy charging via one-wire, just connect the two splits together and plug in the left one***

* What I mean here is that you can connect these elements to the left / right split while the keyboard is powered on and running, and they will seamlessly connect
** The primary split (left), which houses the USB-C 2.0 port, can connect via USB, but all other splits communicate via BLE 5.3 to the primary split
     I know that this compromise is unappealing to most, but it's the only viable solution if I still want to have the keyboard be able to be wireless with ZMK
*** Only the left and right splits have batteries (rechargeable Li-Po) in them, all the other elements simply magnetically connect to a given side and are powered by said side


IC FORM


3. Design

I've always been fascinated with electronics, and I knew before I even started designing this board that I wanted it to have them be prominently displayed. So, I added acrylic windows to the left and right splits (along with designing the PCB so most of the components would be visible from there) to show them off!

But the main aspect of the design that got me excited was being able configure the overall layout exactly how you wanted; you can have the keyboard be one piece, or split into two separate halves (splits), you could have a numpad on the right per tradition, or have it on the left, or not have it at all, and the same goes for the XT (extended) function column, and the function row itself.

As for the rotary encoders, after some back and forth and a few experiments, I decided that placing horizontal ones in the middle and on the edges would be the best ergonomically for the most amount of people.

Unfortunately I don't have renders yet (coming soon) for what the keyboard will look like with different face plates, but to get a good idea I suggest checking out Protozoa Studio's Foundation, as it will be pretty much the same, just with a separate face plate for each module.


4. Specifications

Layout:  65% → 110% (optionally split)
Mounting: Top mount
Typing Angle: 6°
Materials: Aluminum (top frame, switch plate), poly-carbonate (bottom frame, switch plate, top face plate), and stainless steel (top face plate mounting)
Front Height: 20mm
PCB: 4-layer FR4
Firmware: ZMK



5. Layout

6. PCB
Here's some images of the PCB(s) along with some mildly scuffed renders in Fusion 360 that show the battery placement.

7. Disclaimer

The design is almost entirely completed, the case itself is missing a few finishing touches and some tolerances, and the PCB is almost fully routed.
However, the two biggest issues with this project are the following:

• Missing vendor to manufacture and assemble case & PCB
• There is no prototype

And one thing I'd like to make crystal clear to everyone is that I will NEVER ask for a single CENT of anyone's money before I have a fully functional and demonstrable prototype.
I will NEVER take someone's money to manufacture a product that is not proven to be viable.



Since everything is still in progress, the all the details, including potential colourways, kitting, and even the price itself are subject to change (hopefully for the better!). I'll add any updates / details to this post.



8. Availability

Pricing: $800 → 1000 USD* depending on the kitting (i.e. all modules included, or just the main split)
Sales Method: Group buy
# of People: 300 → 500


* I know this will likely be the biggest factor for why someone might not want to participate in the group buy, but I'm not sure there's a way around a steep price given how complex the keyboard is, both in terms of the number of physical components (all the case parts), and the amount of components needed for the electronics (battery management system, soft on / off, various voltage converters, wireless microcontroller, RGB indicator LEDs etc.).



9. Proof of Concept (sort of)

As I mentioned before, I had previously designed and manufactured a few different keyboards for me and my friends, and one in particular was definitely a strong inspiration for mod_, that being the MMKB (Modular Mechanical Keyboard). It effectively acts as a proof of concept for some of the features of mod_, but the design philosophy is very similar between the two, it's just that one is significantly more ambitious than the other.

To be clear, it's by no means a prototype, but I thought I'd include it in the IC to show people that I've done something like this before, and it's performed better than I could've ever hoped, in fact I'm using it to type this sentence right now! There were definitely a few mistakes I made (as shown in the pictures below, some bodge wires, super glue, and using a separate antenna), but I learned a tremendous amount through doing it, and I never would've had the confidence to design mod_ if I hadn't made MMKB first.

10. Changelog

10/23/24 - Cleaned up some clunky wording, consolidated the features section, added the PCB section, and updated the disclaimer section
10/24/24 - Added "proof of concept" section, implemented changelog for transparency, fixed picture in PCB section, and added layout section
11/10/24 - Added project "updates" section
01/14/25 - Changed the GB "# of People" section from 30 → 50 to 300 → 500 in order to keep price within an appropriate range



11. Updates

11/10/24 - Fully finished PCB design (routing and layout), moving onto finishing case design
01/14/25 - Had to take a break for a while due to the holidays and an unforeseen medical emergency, progress will resume shortly



IC FORM | DISCORD | INSTAGRAM


Thank you so much to anyone who took the time to read this or to fill out the form, it really means a lot to me, I hope to make this project a reality soon!

Special thanks to Max Voltar, for being such incredible help, and for just being an awesome person.

[thundershock]

Love the concept, excited to see how this progresses!

[GorkasVillum]

One more step to make this thing a reality!!  Looking good!  GLWIC!

[Aethelberht]

I'm intrigued!

[Manukbs_]

Me likey

[hzh0525]

I'm intrigued! Let's do it~

[Ciantha]

Why is the B on the right half?

[digital_aaron]

Also also, due to circumstances in my life, I had to throw this IC together very quickly

Not to be rude, but you really didn't have to. The most common reason for people ghosting the community with GB funds is that they "had a lot going on IRL". This project is very, very ambitious. It would be awesome if you pull it off. But you might consider slowing down a bit to make sure you make the right choices for the myriad of decisions you still need to nail down.

[sauvieng]

Such a great idea, already in love with it. I have to admit that price point is a killer though. Is there an MOQ you're trying to hit?

Also just building on what others have said, considering the complexity of the project it would be best to take your time in planning and coordinating everything to make sure there's no hiccups.

Otherwise, this is an amazing board and I'm eager to see the progress!

[TyPo.mk]

Never dreamed of this!

[leftcoastfunk]

IMO the F row modules need to extend to the width of the physical keyboard not just the width of where the keycaps go to. If you set this up as-rendered, in a 75% profile, you'll have stepped notches in both top corners of the keyboard where the F row doesn't extend to the physical sides of the rest of the keyboard which I think would look kinda weird

Otherwise, loving the concept. Can't wait to see more of it. GLWIC!

[Jsunn]

Wow!  I like this!
I hope i makes it to production. I will definitely get on board!

-Jsunn

[Starston3]

i fw this

following along and hope to see this hit gb

[chatter_box]

Also also, due to circumstances in my life, I had to throw this IC together very quickly

Not to be rude, but you really didn't have to. The most common reason for people ghosting the community with GB funds is that they "had a lot going on IRL". This project is very, very ambitious. It would be awesome if you pull it off. But you might consider slowing down a bit to make sure you make the right choices for the myriad of decisions you still need to nail down.

My apologies, I should've been more clear as to why I had threw this together so quickly: I've been working on this project for about 4-5 months at this point, and I hadn't expected to have an IC for it for at least another month or two, but when I realized that the renders for my keyboard done by Max Voltar were gonna be the official renders for his keycap set PBS Classic that'd he'd post everywhere, I knew I had to throw something together to capture the huge influx of people that'd be interested in my project.

It was also bad timing because I was just about to go on holiday for a week or so, so It's my bad I wasn't prepared. I've gone back and added a ton more info and cleaned up the IC post now, and I also want to be clear I'm by no means going to rush this project, It's probably going to be at least a year or so more before I even have a full prototype in front of me, and only at that point will I begin a GB and a production run.

[chatter_box]

Such a great idea, already in love with it. I have to admit that price point is a killer though. Is there an MOQ you're trying to hit?

Also just building on what others have said, considering the complexity of the project it would be best to take your time in planning and coordinating everything to make sure there's no hiccups.

Otherwise, this is an amazing board and I'm eager to see the progress!

Thank you! Yeah the price point is only that brutal because of all the different components, most sandwich style keyboards have a top, bottom, and a plate, maybe a weight as well. But this one has 6 tops, 6 bottoms, 6 plates, and 6 removable aesthetic plates as well, it's just a lot of machining, so it's gonna dramatically increase the price I've updated the post to show then MOQ, I'm thinking around 50 people tbh, I don't really want more than a 100, since I'll have to flash, assemble, and test all of them before shipping, which is a lot just for one person.

[chatter_box]

IMO the F row modules need to extend to the width of the physical keyboard not just the width of where the keycaps go to. If you set this up as-rendered, in a 75% profile, you'll have stepped notches in both top corners of the keyboard where the F row doesn't extend to the physical sides of the rest of the keyboard which I think would look kinda weird

Otherwise, loving the concept. Can't wait to see more of it. GLWIC!

I mean I understand why you feel that way, personally I think it's more of an aesthetic preference, but I see why it could look weird. It does serve a functional purpose though, because without the "stepped notches", there'd be no place for the USB-C connector to be, without playing games of having the USB signal pass through another module to get to the main module (been there, done that, doesn't work).

Here's what the USB-C connector looks like:

[jiminojimi]

How do you say perfection? This is like watching a cybertronian concert and arm into a weapon and firing it then transforming into a vehicle and rolling out.

Wow.

Do I have the cash
... Not really. But if you can partner with an existing brand with a big following , you could have greater reach, which might make it a larger economies of scale which could bring down the cost.

Also have you considered making a framework laptop keyboard?

[leftcoastfunk]

I mean I understand why you feel that way, personally I think it's more of an aesthetic preference, but I see why it could look weird. It does serve a functional purpose though, because without the "stepped notches", there'd be no place for the USB-C connector to be, without playing games of having the USB signal pass through another module to get to the main module (been there, done that, doesn't work).

Ahhhh gotcha, I was assuming a pass-through situation but this solution is certainly much less complicated...makes sense

[chatter_box]

How do you say perfection? This is like watching a cybertronian concert and arm into a weapon and firing it then transforming into a vehicle and rolling out.

Wow.

Do I have the cash
... Not really. But if you can partner with an existing brand with a big following , you could have greater reach, which might make it a larger economies of scale which could bring down the cost.

Also have you considered making a framework laptop keyboard?

As much as I'm intrigued by the idea of having this keyboard be more in the mass-production vein, I'm not sure it's the right direction for it, especially as my first public project.

I'm not entirely sure what to say, I've had multiple people say the price is too ludicrous and beyond what even an endgame keyboard would be, and they're not wrong. However, if I'm able to demonstrate this project is feasible, then it'll be the only keyboard on the market capable of doing what it does, and combining that with the amount of money it'll take to machine all the pieces, I think $700-1000 will likely be a fair price, though I will do everything in my power to lower the costs.

As for the framework keyboard, I've not considered it before, but I'm not really sure what I could add to it. From my understanding they already have most modules someone would want: ANSI, ISO, nordic, numpad, screen etc. I'm not sure what I could add to it tbh.

[chatter_box]

I mean I understand why you feel that way, personally I think it's more of an aesthetic preference, but I see why it could look weird. It does serve a functional purpose though, because without the "stepped notches", there'd be no place for the USB-C connector to be, without playing games of having the USB signal pass through another module to get to the main module (been there, done that, doesn't work).

Ahhhh gotcha, I was assuming a pass-through situation but this solution is certainly much less complicated...makes sense

Yeah I've mucked around with USB pass-through before, and though it's technically possible, it's super annoying and prone to glitching out and occasionally becoming an antenna. I just saved myself a headache and just gave the option of 1 USB port for this iteration, but perhaps in a future board I make, I can return to the idea of USB pass-through.

[Poesjuh]

As someone that owns a DC-01 I can only really appreciate this project. Is it too expensive for 95% of the community and probably for me as well; yeah I think so. Will still try to save up for it though

I do feel that the F-row cluster should be the entire width of the 65% modules, I would be triggered with that offset.