类型: IC
作者: mustcode
发布时间: 2019-06-04
16:28:24
更新时间: 2020-05-04 11:44:17
原链接:
https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=101040.0
!!GB LIVE!!
https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=106102.0
Hello!
First of all, I’d like to put it out
there that I’m no pro at this… I’m a game developer that
knows a little bit of CAD and love to design crazy things
that pops into my head. I have no real experience with
manufacturing except for a few 3d-printing projects I did
for fun. So if enough people actually like the idea, I’ll
probably try to collaborate with an experienced pro to bring
this to life.
Alright, with that out of the way, let’s
get to the meat!
As you can see, except for some retro vibes, fancy
aesthetic is not the main focus of this design (I called it
“Fat Boy” simply because it looks kinda fat). This is a
keyboard designed to be
customized like no other boards
that I know of.
Let’s start with the first unique point
of the board, the bottom:
No screws! Yup, this is why there are screws on the
sides. I’ve always hated having to flip a keyboard upside
down whenever I need to open it up to tinker with it. So,
this board is designed so that you’ll never have a reason to
flip it over, ever. As a bonus, you also get a completely
flat bottom that lets you easily attach custom dampening
material instead of standard bumpons.
Next let’s look
at the main pieces of the assembly since you’re probably
wondering how the board opens up:
The image above shows all the custom pieces for the
case, the rest are standard McMaster-Carr hardware. There
pieces are: Main Body, Top Cover, Back Cover, and two weird
pieces that are part of the mounting system, I’ll get to
that in a bit… But first, let me talk about the Top Cover
and the Back Cover.
You couldn’t see the seams for the
covers in the previous images because the perfectness of CAD
rendering hides it, but hopefully, you can forgive the seams
for the benefits that you get from having the top and back
covers - customization.
Like this clear cover for example:
The top cover can be secured with screws from the
sides or from the top. Top screws allow simple customization
using just laser-cut flat panels. The side screws are
designed to be more discreet, but required more complicated
top panel.
The back cover is also a simple flat panel
covering up a large opening on the back of the keyboard:
It is designed this way so that you can easily
customize it to fit whatever connector(s) you want for the
keyboard. This also future proof the case if your connector
of choice becomes obsolete. For example, here’s a render
with some weird ass connector I found:
Of course you also can customize the top cover to do
the same thing, if you want something more
unique:
The screw holes on the back also happens to fit
Neutrik’s D-size connectors, so it is possible to do crazy
stuff like this?:
Now let’s get to the internals. I’ll start with this
render:
The image shows the mounting a little bit more
clearly, and also the controller PCB (I rendered it as a
clear panel because it was easier for me to see through it
during development), which is the next unique point of this
board that I wanted to talk about.
Inspired by IBM’s
Model F and Beamspring keyboards, I thought the removable
controller is such a cool thing because it allows us to keep
using these old keyboard even though the controller is
completely obsolete, thanks to some clever engineers in our
community. Even though one might argue that it is easy
enough to just replace the whole PCB with today’s
technology, I’m still intrigued by possibilities such as
being able to easily change the switches while keeping the
same controller, or switch out a broken controller for
repair if an smd component fell out.
Here’re some more
renders that shows the controller:
I’ll be honest that I haven’t really learned how to
properly designed the PCB yet, but if I can, I’d like to
have two USB-C on each side of the board to help with cable
routing. The card edge connector I used here has 32
contacts, seemed like plenty of contacts for each row and
column of the matrix. All you experts out there please let
me know if this looks like it can work, I’m just assuming
that this will work based purely on my experience with
Nintendo cartridges and graphic cards.
Finally,
the mounting system.
Highly customizable, a little crazy and hard to
explain, so I’ll explain by showing to how the whole
assembly is put together. But keep in mind that this is just
one of several ways that you can use this mounting system.
It is designed so that you can experiment and try out new
ways to improve your typing experience.
We’ll start
with just the Main Body:
It might be a little hard to see but the little
circles are a bunch of strategically placed bumps and screw
holes. I designed it this way so that in the future I (or
you) can use the same pattern for a variety of different
mounting solutions. The bumps are mostly for alignment of
connecting pieces. I realized that it might not be very
economical to have unnecessary features from a machining
stand point because it can add complexity and extra machine
time; but since I’m more or less clueless when it comes to
CNC machining, I decided to just dream big and scale down
later when I have more information.
Btw, every screws I
used in this designed are M3 (same size as most screws you
found in computer cases). I feel M2 is a little small for my
comfort zone when used in a heavy keyboard and anything
bigger takes up too much space.
Let’s continue. Now we
add what I called the “Male Pieces”
These Male Pieces are the core of the mounting
system. They basically allow you to stack whatever you want
to cushion the PCB and the plate. This is actually all you
need for a simple gasket mount setup. Drop in some o-rings,
follow by the the PCB/plate sandwich, and finish-off with
some more o-rings, and you’re done. But I’d like to take us
further, to show how versatile and interesting this is.
Enters
the “Female Pieces”
The image shows the Female Pieces plus some
flat-circular springs from McMaster-Carr’s catalog as
cushion. The springs can be replaced with many other
components for cushion, this is just one way to do it. At
this point, we’re ready to drop in the PCB sandwich.
Here we add the PCB, mid plate, switch plate, and
some o-rings on top of our mounting stack.
Next we’ll
secure the mounting stack
Here we keep the whole stack in place with another
Female Piece, some washers, and some M3 pins. Now we can
close to top cover which will push onto the pins slightly
and keep and the whole mounting stack in place.
Here
are a couple more views of the mounting:
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attachment is not available ]
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not available ]
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To
help you visualize the whole assembly a little better, I
also put together this simple explode view of the keyboard
as a video:
Some quick words on the layout.
I
realized that 60% + F-Row is not a super common layout in
the community, but I also want this designed to share as
much elements as possible to the bigger layouts, so that
when I translate the design into TKL or 1800 or even
full-size, I can just increase the width and reuse the exact
same mounting hardware. Also, I think HHKB + F-Row is a
lovely combination
And that’s all for now folks! I know this may not be
enough details to bring it to production yet, but if there’s
interests, I’ll definitely continue to keep working at this.
It’ll be a dream come true if this becomes the start of a
platform for a family of keyboards that people can enjoy and
also use as test beds to create even cooler stuff.
If
anyone with machining experience find this design
interesting and would like to collaborate with me, I’ll be
more than happy to. Also, I have no problem sharing my CAD
files. If we get to a point where the design is at
production-ready quality, I do plan to make all the source
files open-source.
Finally, even if the Fat Boy doesn’t
make it into production due to my own incompetence or
whatever reasons, I hope at the very least this IC can
inject some new ideas into the community and advance
keyboard design even if by only a little bit. Have a great
day y’all
Updates
Update /#1 - 1st July ‘19
I’ll try to keep regular updates for as long as I’m
still working on this project, and here’s the first
For the past few weeks I’ve asked ~10 local CNC
shops about the project and I’ve concluded that most shops
around here will not do low volume project of this
complexity. Most low-volume shops around my area only have
2-axis machines that can only do simpler parts, while the
Fat Boy require a 4-axis machine (or so I’m told), which is
more common in larger factories.
Another issue is cost,
I’ve found out that the smaller parts are pretty expensive
to produce. If I can optimize the design a bit, I might be
able to bring the cost down significantly, so I’ll get to
work on that as well.
Finally, I mentioned that I
wanted to make this project open source, so I’ve exported
some STLs and DWGs for the main parts and you can download
them here:
https://github.com/mustcode/MC-76K. These are the files that I sent to factories for quotes,
so check them out if you’re interested, you can also quote
me if you have a CNC shop
The fusion360 files are still quite messy so I’ll share
those later when they’re good enough to benefit the
community.
That’s all for now, I’ll also put all the
updates on the first post for easy reference in the future.
Peace!
Update /#2 - 1st Aug ‘19
Ha! Did you think the project is dead? Not at all! I
was just giving myself time to make sure that the design is
stable. I was deciding on too many different ways to reduce
the manufacturing cost while still keeping parts that I
value the most in the original design. And I’m finally done!
The main body didn’t change much, but the number of the
smaller custom parts are reduced from 20 to 4 and relying
more on standard McMaster-Carr parts. With these tweaks, the
prototype should be within my budget, and the final price
shouldn’t be too crazy.
Here’s a look of the new
simplified mounting design:
[images in the actual post
down in the thread]
Not as crazy looking as the
original design, but still not too shabby. Updated 3D files
are already on Github:
https://github.com/mustcode/MC-76K. This time I’ve exported all of them into STEP files based
on a recommendation that it has good compatibility with CNC
machines.
The next challenge to resolve is to finally
find someone who can help me manufacture this thing. After
taking some advice from friends in the community, I think
the best way is to try to get in touch with designers or
engineers in the community who has experienced with custom
keyboard rather than my previous approach of finding a local
CNC shop. Small shops don’t want complicated project, big
shops wants quantity… I just can’t satisfy them. I was going
to try finding something on Alibaba, but I’m told that it’s
pretty much a gamble unless I get a solid recommendation. On
the other hand, if I can get in touch with someone in the
community, then we’re already on the same page, and it’ll be
so much more confident that the quality of the final product
will be what the community expects.
That’s all for now,
See you in the next update!
P.S. If anyone knows
someone that would like to work with me on the Fat Boy,
please let me know
Update /#3 - 1st Sep ‘19
I’m very happy to report this update because this is
huge for me. The prototype of the main body and all laser
cut parts are made, and they are spot on. No need to make
any adjustment to the CAD files. The only things left are
the prototype for the mounting system and the PCB. The PCB
should not be a problem as there are kind people in the
community that are generous enough to help me out, so I’ll
be tackling the mounting prototype next.
Some details
about how I got the parts made. My original plan was to get
in touch with some experienced keyboard makers as I
mentioned in the previous update. However, while I was
looking around and getting quotes from several CNC shops,
there was one shop on Alibaba that was super easy to deal
with, very professional, very responsive, and quoted a very
reasonable price. The sales kept following up with me,
asking how I was doing until I gave in and decided to order
a sample for the main body. A couple of weeks later, the
parts is in my hands and it is good. There are some minor
cosmetic defects, but the over all machining is excellent.
As for the laser cut parts, I went with gut-feeling and
chose a local laser-cutting shop that felt the most
professional when I talked to them, which also turned out
excellent.
Today, all the parts you see are finally in
my hands. I grabbed whatever M3 screws I could find in my
house so that I can put the parts together and take these
pictures to show you guys. Enjoy!
[images in the actual
post down in the thread]
Update /#4 - 1st Oct ‘19
This is an exiting update for me because the mounting
is complete! This was the biggest question mark for this
project and I’m very glad that it worked out the way the way
it did. Earlier, I hit a road-block when I found out that
McMaster-Carr rejected my orders for parts that I needed to
complete the prototype because they didn’t want to ship to
where I live (Bangkok), and the design of the mount was
based on some specific parts from McMaster-Carr. So, I had
to find the parts elsewhere and I managed to find
replacements for most of the parts, except for one… the
“Captive Pin” (
https://www.mcmaster.com/95648a700). This is an important piece that kinda holds everything
together, and I got really fed-up looking for something like
it, so I had it custom made by the same shop from Alibaba
for a reasonable price along with the rest of the mountings.
And the results are great! Everything fits together very
well; currently I’m using silicone o-rings as cushions which
works a lot better than I expected, but these are just one
of many possibilities, and I’m still looking for some other
interesting parts/materials to try as the next candidate for
the final default cushions.
Another good news is that
the PCB is also coming along nicely, courtesy of a fellow
keyboard lover
That’s all for now and thanks all for the great support so
far!
[images in the actual post down in the thread]
Update /#5 - 1st Dec ‘19
The PCB design is done and it is ready for prototype!
Actually, the PCB has been ready for a couple of weeks, but
I had to wait for my paycheck before I can order the
prototype… holiday season this year is brutal for my wallet
But all is good now, I should be able to pay for the
prototypes soon and we’ll be on our way to a functional
prototype!
Another thing worth informing is that I made
some modifications to the case in order to properly mount
the controller PCB. To keep with the original intent of the
design, the controller is mounted to the case via a
“holder”. The holder is a laser-cut part that can be made
cheaply, which should allows modders to attach their own
controllers if they wanted to.
That’s all for now, for
the next update, I’m hoping to have a functioning
prototype!
[images in the actual post down in the
thread]
Update /#6 - 02/02/2020
This is a really exiting update for me. The prototype
PCBs that my partner Yiancar has made arrived at my place
today. This is pretty much the final piece of the puzzle and
I can now finally build a functional prototype. The PCBs
needed a few jump wires which will obviously be fixed in the
production version, other than that everything fit together
really well. I’ll let the pictures do the talking
As for the next step, I’ll be building a functional
prototype in the very near future and also start talking to
potential manufacturers to get quotes and finalize who will
handle all the CNC for the production of this project. Thank
you everyone who has been supporting the project, this has
been quite a journey and we’ve come so far I can almost see
the finish line, please don’t lose interest just yet!
[images
in the actual post down in the thread]
Typings video /#1 - 02 Feb 2020
Just finished setting up for recording with a
somewhat “proper” equipment, i.e. not a phone camera. So,
here’s a typing test with the current build I got on this.
T1 switches with my beloved SA Retro.
Next recording
will be after I rebuild the board with a linear/GMK combo as
requested
Typings video /#2 - 22 Feb 2020
Alright! Here are some proper sound check for you.
Put your good speakers/headphones on and Enjoy!
And
huge thanks to Mr. Pro who help me with this, he has been
one of the most helpful people to everyone in the Thai Mech
community for many years. His YouTube channels has a lot
more typing videos so those are good comparison to other
keyboards.
Update /#7 - 16 Mar 2020
This is it. This is possibly the last update before
the GB… because GB starts 04/04.
Here are the details
that I’ve finalized so far:
- Price 460usd per kit.
- MoQ is 20
- Each kit includes:
- Case
- 6063 aluminium
- Two color choices: Silver or Black
- top cover will be CNCed with screws on the sides (laser-cut top cover with screws on the top like in the prototype is still supported, but not included)
- back cover will be laser-cut
- 1 set of PCBs (matrix + controller)
- all the mounting pieces, screws, silicone o-rings, etc.
-
Extra PCB is 60usd per set (matrix + controller)
Yes, I know, there isn’t a lot of options to choose from… I decided to remove all the non-essential options so that I have the highest chance of actually handle the GB properly.
I’ve thought about this a lot, because more options means you guys can get exactly what you want from the project and we might have more chance of hitting the MoQ. But in the end, I’m just one man with a full-time job who is doing this for the first time, so I want to make sure that I can do this and I absolutely don’t want this to become such a big mess that it also become my last project. I believe even with the limited options, the core-concept that I want to deliver is still solid: A keyboard that you can easily modify, a keyboard that can be a platform for you to experiment on, a daily beater that will stay on your desk for years and years to come.
This price is also something that all of us are interested in. I hope that this is a price that most of us can agree on, because this is as low as I could go without risking losing money. I’m basically taking the quote that I got from the factory and round it up to a nice round number, and hope to god that they don’t raise the price when I actually submit the order (the price in the quote is only valid for so long).
Another thing that I should be able to do if we’re way pass MoQ, like >50, is price breaks. So, if that happens, it will definitely be cheaper.
I will also admit that I tried, but I could not get a “high-end” shop with custom keyboard experience work with me. My connections isn’t the best, and this project isn’t the easiest to machine. So, for better or worse, I decided to go back and work with the factory that created the prototype. It is a really good shop and the prototype is done quite well, so I have high hopes that the production units will also be beautiful. It is a factory in China that is not specialized in or have any experience in making custom keyboards. So, please expect a good looking, solid keyboard, with really well designed PCB, but please please don’t expect absolute perfection cosmetically. However, I’m also not making excuses like “aesthetic isn’t the focus, so it’s okay to have ugly marks all over it” because I don’t want that as well. I own many custom keyboards, I know how they should look, and I’m not setting my bar low, I know that by taking your money I’m responsible to deliver a custom keyboard that is worth that amount.
Thank you for all your continued support. I’m optimistic that we can hit the MoQ