Commercial keyboards with updateable firmware?

[moparisthebest]

I'm looking to buy my first mechanical keyboard, and I use an odd layout that I'd like to implement in firmware, does anyone sell keyboards with open source or at least upgradeable firmware?

As a bonus if they offered custom-printed keys like wasdkeyboards that would be even better.

I did a lot of searching and found some custom controllers here, but all I found seemed to require soldering and I really don't want to do that.

Thanks much!

[Khers]

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[hoggy]

Unicomp will set the firmware on one of their keyboards for you, but you wouldn't be able to change it yourself later.

bpiphany made some custom controllers a while back for tkl filco that just slots in.

[SpAmRaY]

https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=46700.0

If you get one of these already assembled and the appropriate keyboard to go with it there is no soldering involved.

[Puddsy]

DS3 has something like that as well as most of the more recent kustoms

[hoggy]

Some keyboards allow for remapping from the board itself.  The kinesis advantage comes to mind, but can't think of the others for the life of me.

[spiceBar]

I'm looking to buy my first mechanical keyboard, and I use an odd layout that I'd like to implement in firmware, does anyone sell keyboards with open source or at least upgradeable firmware?

As a bonus if they offered custom-printed keys like wasdkeyboards that would be even better.

I did a lot of searching and found some custom controllers here, but all I found seemed to require soldering and I really don't want to do that.

Thanks much!

The Poker 2 is commercially available and is programmable, somehow, but first it is a 60% board (yours is a full board) and second it would not allow to remap the keys the way you want them. Its programmability is nice but limited.

I mention it before someone else advise you to get the Poker 2.

Apart from the excellent replacement controllers that SpamRay has mentioned, Hasu also builds a small PS2->USB adapter that allow to turn any PS/2 keyboard into a fully programmable one.

Here is a picture. It's the small PCB, and here it is connected to a Poker X:




The PCB is so small it may be included in a keyboard case (depends on the keyboard naturally).


You would need, however, to have the keycaps manufactured for you by WASD. To the best of my knowledge, no commercial keyboard comes with customized keycaps, like WASD does, and no commercial keyboard is fully programmable to the point it would support your layout.

As a user of a customized AZERTY layout for ANSI, I have ordered several sets from WASD and in my opinion they do a really good job. If only USPS would not take 4 weeks to deliver where I live... But it has nothing to do with them.

So to sum it all, you must build your keyboard from 3 sources:
- get a keyboard that can be turned into a programmable one (several choices)
- get a controller (several choices)
- get keycaps (from WASD)


TL;DR: I love to type lengthy posts on my silenced Novatouch with custom WASD keycaps. 

[moparisthebest]

I appreciate the replies so far, to clarify a bit I don't care whether I have to write custom firmware for it myself if needed, I already made a ps/2->usb adapter based on tmk_keyboard to do what I want, as long as the hardware on the keyboard allows me to flash my firmware to it.

I will check out the various links and such now, thanks much

[Grendel]

https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=46700.0

If you get one of these already assembled and the appropriate keyboard to go with it there is no soldering involved.

These work very well, running my own FW in some QFR's, QFXT's and RK-9k's.

[jameslr]

Your best bet would be bphiphany's controller as previously mentioned. Just make sure you buy a board that he has built a controller to support. I have a Filco MJ2 TKL with one of his controllers and it works great. Aside from that if you just want the ability to swap to a dvorak layout thru dipswitch - I think the WASD V2 can do that. Granted, that wouldn't give you the numpad mappings you wanted, but you could set that up with AutoHotKey. That would most likely be your cheapest option as a keyboard that is supported with bpiphany's controller would cost over $150 after it's all said and done, and you'd have to void your warranty to install it.

Edit: nvm it looks like your layout isn't pure dvorak because of the top row of number shift differences. Carry on with bpiphany's controller.