Everything about my (first?) handwired custom split keyboard.
Before making this, I was using a Lily58L (mainly from Keycapsss.com), then a CRKBD (again, mainly from Keycapsss.com). After using both of them (especially the Lily), I felt like I needed a more compact and minimalistic keyboard, so I ended up designing one by myself. I called it Frandestein because that's one of my other nicknames, but also because it was created taking inspiration from other keyboards and built with parts taken from other electronic accessories, so it reminded me of Frankenstein.
For the layout, I took inspiration from the CRKBD and the Boardsource's Microdox.
For the designing and building processes, these videos were really helpful:
- How to Design Mechanical Keyboard Plates and Cases by Joe Scotto
- How to Design a Custom Mechanical Keyboard by Mad Mod Labs
- How to Build a Handwired Keyboard by Joe Scotto
- Building Handwired Keyboards with Choc Switches by Joe Scotto
I started with editing a .json file of the CRKBD on KLE following the first two videos mentioned above to get the final layout I wanted (sorry, I forgot to save the final .json file...). Then I imported it on kbplate.ai03.com, setting unit width and height to 18 and 17mm. Finally, I downloaded the .dxf file.
Before importing it on Fusion360, I drew a rough sketch of a section view of the keyboard, to understand what would have been the minimum height it could get, considering Choc switch's height and the safest thickness of a 3D printed bottom plate, which I knew is 2mm. Here's the sketch:
As you can see, I also kept note of the nice!nano's dimensions for the final designing process on Fusion, while on the bottom there's what I call the tetralobe scheme: it will accommodate one of the four screws (indicated with a + sign) to fix the bottom plate, a magnet (indicated with an M), and a little rubber feet (indicated with a P), while the fourth hole will accommodate the other half feet. I hope everything will be clearer with this video:
carrying_mode.mp4
Finally, I modeled the keyboard on Fusion. Here you can find the .stl files.
These are the parts I used for this build:
Original build
- 3D printed case
- Pro Red Choc switches
- Blank MBK Choc Low Profile Keycaps
- 2x nice!nano's v2
- MCU sockets
- 2x MSK-12C02 ON/OFF switches
- 2x 401235 Li-ion 3,7V 120mAh batteries
- 2x reset buttons taken from a dead mouse
- 8x neodymium magnets (for the carrying solution)
- THT Diodes
- Various wires taken from an old SCART cable
Mods
- 1mm plexiglass sheet
- 2x normally-closed reed switches
Before building the keyboard, I made two little schemes to wire everything correctly. Given that my previous wireless keyboard was a CRKBD, I followed its wiring so that I didn't need to flash a new firmware.
Here are the schemes (dall'alto and dal basso mean top view and bottom view):
The other day I bought a 1mm sheet of plexiglass to make a transparent bottom. Here's the final result:
A couple of weeks ago I learned about reed switches: they close (or open) the circuit when a magnet is near them. Here's how a normally-opened reed switch works:
So I thought it would have been cool to have the keyboard automatically turned off when it's in carrying mode. I bought normally-closed reed switches on AliExpress because the circuit should be open only when the keyboard is in carrying mode, while it should be closed the rest of the time. Here's what I received (Choc switch for reference):
Instead of removing the two MSK-12C02 on/off switches I already installed, I just added the reed switches in series with them, so that I'm free to choose if I want to turn off the keyboard with the MSK-12C02 switch or by putting it in carrying mode. I hope this scheme (made with Paint :) ) will clarify what I did:
This is the final result and a live test.
I hope you've found all this interesting. I'm here to answer any question.
Have a nice day :)