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Hike News

【IC】KBD8X MKII hotswap PCB, plates, and o-ring gasket

类型: IC
作者: Kyle_Kun
发布时间: 2020-12-12 07:00:09
更新时间: 2021-02-07 13:11:37
原链接: https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=110159.0


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Hey There!
Last week we made an IC post over on r/mm for Kailh hotswap PCBs, plates of various materials, and an o-ring gasket for the ever popular KBD8X MKII keyboard. After taking feedback and solidifying some things, we are here to share with the geekhack community.
Changes from IC /#1:
ISO layout for the PCB did not receive enough interest to be considered for this run, even after scaling the submissions to 500. Additionally, we didn’t get enough interest in any of the half plate options, they have been combined into a single FR4 half plate. As the majority of the keys we press belong in the plateless section, the material used in the half plate matters less than a full plate. We think this is the ideal compromise instead of eliminating the option for half plates altogether.
Kailh Hotswap PCBs:
Specifications:

  • Kailh hotswap sockets
  • ESD protection
  • QMK and VIA
  • Dual flex cuts
  • South-facing switches
  • USB-C
  • Through-hole LED only on caps lock
  • PCB mount stabilizers
  • Matte black solder mask
  • 1.6mm thick
  • FR4-TG150
  • ENIG surface finish

Layouts:

  • Standard ANSI
  • 6.25u standard bottom row
  • 7u bottom row (support for WKL cases)

Notes:
As ISO did not receive the feedback we were looking for from the first IC, it has been cut for this first run. However there is potential for it to run in the future.
Plates:
Materials:

  • Aluminum full (black Cerakote finish, 1.6mm thick)
  • POM full (black Cerakote finish, 1.5mm thick)
  • FR4 full & half (matte black solder mask, gold edge plating)
    o-ring for gasket mount:

Specifications:

  • 20A silicone o-ring gasket, 4mm thick, 260mm inner-diameter

Notes:
20A refers to the hardness of the silicone using the Shore-A scale with lower numbers representing a softer material. Most o-ring gasket keyboards use 50A silicone due to softer silicone being special order with higher prices and an equally high MOQ. 20A silicone is among the softest available and will offer the best sound and feel of any o-ring gasket.
For the deepest sound and the softest typing experience, we recommend pairing a 20A o-ring with a POM full plate. For those interested in a half plate, we recommend against pairing with a hotswap PCB as there are many issues and inconveniences with this configuration. Half plates are only recommended for those looking to build with the stock solder PCB.
Group Buy Details:
Pricing:

  • PCB: $65
  • FR4 plate: $40
  • POM plate: $45
  • Aluminum plate: $55
  • 20A o-ring gasket: $15

Timeline:

  • 12/5/2020 - Posted IC /#1
  • 12/7/2020 - Ordered Prototype POM and Aluminum plates from Ponoko
  • 12/12/2020 - Posted IC /#2 with refined project details
  • By end of December 2020 - Have prototype plates and PCBs in hand to test
  • Early January 2021 - Start Group Buy
  • Delivery in less than 3 months

Vendors:
/*Both vendors launching alongside the GB
Kardinal KB - US
Maker Keyboards - Canada and worldwide
Closing Remarks:
These PCBs do not use any files from ai03’s GitHub repository for the solder PCB as per the non-commercial license.
We also plan to offer hotswap PCBs in the future for other popular keyboards such as the KBD75 and Polaris. If you have any requests, please leave a comment. The only requirement is that the keyboard exists in high enough quantities to make it feasible to design a PCB specifically for that keyboard.
Thank you for reading!
Mechmarket IC

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