[IC] GS80-3000, a replacement PCB for Cherry G80/G81-1000/3000 series boards

[SumJoy]

Background：
As a longtime Cherry OG lover, I’ve struggled to find replacement PCBs for these iconic boards due to outdated protocols, controllers, and connectors. To solve this, my friend and I co-developed three PCBs: GS80-3000, GS80-1800, and GS80-3700, designed to revive Cherry’s G80/G81-1000/3000, G80/G81-1800, and G80-3700 series (and boards sharing their molds).







IC Form
https://forms.gle/S5VpWqJfTMUuJyuJ8

Improvements in GS80-3000
Based on the open-source Chili PCB, we’ve made these adjustments:

1.Added ZH1.5 Port

 Compatible with the original 5-pin USB cables of Cherry G80/G81-1800/3000. Just plug it in and use it.

2.Off-Center 1.25u Bottom Row Support

Supports some WK G81-3000 boards with Off-Center 1.25u keycaps.

3.ZH1.5 Daughter Board (Optional)



If your cable is long, it may hit the bottom case, so we designed this daughter board. The daughter board connects to the main PCB via ZH1.5, letting you place cables easily





PCB Specs
Material: FR4
Thickness: 1.6mm
Solder Mask: Yellow
Surface Finish: HASL (No ENIG)
Connectivity: Wired-only, Type-C + ZH1.5 connector
Mounting: Soldered
Firmware: QMK/VIA compatible
Case Compatibility:
Old/New mold G80/G81-1000/3000 series boards

*PCB is incompatible with models like G80-3108, G80-1207, G80-1080 that have extra F13-F16 keys

Layout Support:

Stepped Caps, Split L/R Shifts, ISO/BAE Enter, Split Backspace, Off-Center 1.25u bottom row, 7u/10u spacebars, Split 2u "0/+"



how off-center 1.25u bottom row works:



Pricing

PCB: $70/pcs

ZH1.5 Daughter Board: $5/pcs

Vendor: Keyspensory

Future Plans
After GS80-3000 GB, we’ll launch:

GS80-1800

Added an optional USB-A Hub Daughter Board (via ZH1.5) for G80-186x boards' dual-port hub support. Sold separately.

GS80-3700

Optional layout support of 4x1u to 2x2u on the top row

Contect:
E-mail:1257461855@qq.com
vendor link: keyspensory

[HaruOMO]

bro need PCBs😋

[DirtyGingy]

You already know I'm interested because I already ordered one of the prototypes you were selling. Once it arrives I'll post my thoughts here and hopefully that gets more people interested. Good luck with the interest check!

[mr_foggy]

fantastic I'm in for 2

[DirtyGingy]

Okay, so I finished the build with the pre-release version of the PCB and have a few thoughts. To be up front, there are some positives and some negatives. But I will definitely say that I think it is a good PCB and worth it.

Pros:
- Very solid quality FR4
- The QMK implementation great and supports 3 layers. It's more than you will ever need on a 100%.
- Do you like split backspace? Split right shift? Split EVERYTHING? Yeah, it supports it.
- The USB options make building in a vintage case so much easier
- It supports both LED positions for the 1000 series and 3000 series and that is absolutely wonderful
- The support for in switch LEDs for various indicators makes me wish I had a cap set for this build with windowed caps. Very nice.

Cons:
- I had trouble keeping the switches in the PCB for a plateless build. The fitment was very loose and they would fall out. (Note, I was using novelkeys cream clickies. I can't remember if they have looser tolerances.)
- The PCB color being an odd orange-yellow is a bit weird on a plateless build. I would prefer a more neutral color. (black, grey, brown, white, or even retro green)
- The PCB is a little bit loose in a G80-1000 case, but I think that is actually just the case's fault, but worth mentioning (Cherry was sort of known for having the pcb/assembly float about loosely in the case.)
- I noticed on the bottom row that the multiple switch positions left some minor burrs/bits of material there. It doesn't cause any harm, it just looks like the manufacturer missed a little clean up.

Over all, a solid PCB. I would happily get another if I needed one. Basically, if you see nothing else out of this write up: GET ONE.

A short wishlist for future projects like this:
- Solenoid support and maybe beeper support
- Support Vial instead of Via or just have an alternate firmware with it