类型: IC
作者: the flying penguin
发布时间:
2022-01-01 09:37:33
更新时间: 2022-01-16 21:15:30
原链接:
https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=115824.0
Lan is an Alice-style keyboard that was loosely
inspired by the designs on the Dolch boards, and to explore
what sandwich mount could provide.
IC FORM
兰(pronounced lán) is Orchid in Chinese.
Lan is
a name that makes little thematic sense with the design of
the keyboard, and this section explains that. Please skip
all of this if you dont want to read a sob story.
More
My grandmother was someone I always looked up to, raising
three kids while working two jobs back in the 60s in
Singapore isnt easy by any means. Shes a fierce advocator of
letting her kids do whatever the hell they wanted because
she couldnt in her able-bodied youth, and by extension her
grandchildren.
She would listen to me talk about
keyboards in broken Chinese and English in the boring
afternoons, not understanding it, but happy for me
nonetheless. When I told her about my thoughts on designing
a board and releasing it publicly, she supported me fully,
telling me that Id regret it if I didnt at least try.
She
passed away a year ago.
I had been stumped on the name
for a long time, and when I came back to keyboards, it only
felt fitting that I would want to commemorate her in this
somehow.
The Orchid was her favourite flower, she has
kept the same orchids for as long as I could remember, and
it still sits on the balcony right next to me today.
With
that out of the way, lets get to the actual important
part.
New Photos
SOUND TEST
Thank you to Aerandire for the stream and
soundtest!
https://www.twitch.tv/fatboychard/clip/AgreeableCharmingNightingaleNononoCat-AK8_tedbHWaw97HY
Thank you to Fatboychard for the build stream!
SPECIFICATIONS
Standard Alice style
Sandwich Mount
19mm~
front height
6-degree typing angle
Made with 6063
aluminum
1.5mm PP/Alu Half Plate
QMK/VIA/VIAL
supported
1.2mm HS/Solder PCB with alpha flex cuts
- Shims included
Unified Daughterboard C3
Blue and
Purple solder mask PCB
Beadblasted and clear coated
brass weight
COLOURS
Purple
Other colours are being considered, such
as red, black and e-white.
CONTENTS
Lan Case
Brass Weight
PP/Alu Half
Plate
PCB w/ Daughterboard
Mounting
hardware
Rubber Feet
High Quality Carrying Case
Microfiber
Cloth
PCB
With clever hotswap socket placement, Kopibeng has
allowed for a large majority of the options for Alice users
to choose from for the hotswap PCB without making it Swiss
cheese.
/Only stepped caps lock is supported on the hotswap PCB,
normal caps lock has to be soldered. This is due to
north-facing switches causing interference.
//* Has caps lock indicator LED, can be disabled with a
simple pass of a soldering iron.
QOL FEATURES
Alignment Pins on the top piece
Big fat chamfer
so arms dont get stabbed by it
Bottom fins positioned
to not hurt any arms
Chonky handles to pick it up
SALE INFO
400-450USD on Mecha.Store
50 Units
FAQ
Q: Thermalice?
A: Yes, the fins are reminiscent
of the Thermal. This was not intentional, and I have reached
out to RAMA and wilba on separate occasions to smooth out
any issues they might have.
For transparencys sake, I
only got a reply from RAMA.
Q: Lead time?
A: Im
hoping for a 6 months lead time. In the age of one year lead
times, I hope that managing a smaller total quantity will
help get this board into your hands at a reasonable time
frame. With a sufficient enough amount of interest, an
in-stock drop may be deemed viable.
Q: Finish
Quality?
A: The manufacturer used has done many
keyboard projects before and are aware of the expectations
on the finish that keyboard enthusiasts come to expect, they
will also be checked once again before shipping out.
Q:
Where are you shipping from?
A: Singapore
Q:
Rectangle?
A: After trying out both a more standard
Alice-style case shape and a rectangle, I found the
rectangle to be more aesthetically pleasing, and the
compatibility for more standard wrist rests.
Q:
Included foam pls?
A: no
Q: Plate file?
A:
Plate files are planned to be released after the groupbuy to
allow people to have their plates ready beforehand.
Q:
pls hotswap or solder PCB?
A: I’m offering both.
Q:
Why is it so expensive? It’s just a sandwich!
A:
Sourcing 1.5mm thick PP, and consistently ensuring that the
finish on the sides is acceptable is a factor that plays
into this, coupled with the additional machining time to
mill the fins and throw in the price of raw aluminum and
MCUs and you have a sub 400 price tag. The price tag isn’t
something that I am particularly happy about, but even after
as many cost optimisations I could do, there are portions of
it that I do not want to cut out on. (Daughterboard, fins,
plastic plate midpiece, curved bottom, carrying case)
Even
with the constraints of the mounting style, I am happy with
the typing feel without the mounting needing to be
needlessly complicated.
THANKS
My grandmother who supported me on this venture with
me from the start.
Kopibeng for bearing with me and
doing fantastic work on the PCBs
Boog for giving me
honest feedback with prototypes.
Atre for being
amazing
Kaster for helping my noob ass
The people
at Mecha.Store for supporting me from the start and the
amazing photos.
Everyone else that has supported me in
some way or another, you know who you are.
All images
in this post are not renders.
There is a unit available
for molesting testing in Mecha.store’s physical store in
Singapore.
Discord
Instagram
Full Album