类型: IC
作者: alecool
发布时间: 2022-01-08
10:29:41
更新时间: 2022-01-08 10:29:41
原链接:
https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=115902.0
Crokoboard
Easy and fast keyboard handwiring
Hello everyone,
Here is an IC for the Crokoboard
project. This is a project I have been working on for
multiple months with a lot of prototypes to get to this
working solution.
Please read the presentation of the
project and open the IC form to submit your answers.
It
will help me gauge interest in the various parts of the
project, the technical solutions to implement as well as
adapt distribution to everyone’s needs. Don’t hesitate to
share it with your communities!
IC Form
The Crokoboard project aims to make handwiring a
keyboard much easier. Using small IDC (Insulation
Displacement connector) terminals that grip on insulated
copper wire, one can connect the main PCB holding the MCU
with each switch. Doing so requires no specific tools or
skills ; especially no soldering.
This solution offers
a flexible and fast way to put together the circuitry for a
keyboard. The keyboard I’ve been using for the last 3 month
is a split ortholinear 60% that I wired in 1.5h.
The
solution is based on several circuit boards :
- the Crokoboard
- the monoswitch
- the encoder
The Crokoboard
The Crokoboard itself is an adaptor PCB that holds
your MCU of choice and dispatches its IOs through IDC.
The
MCU is in the Pro Micro format and can be attached without
soldering. Other MCUs such as Elite-C or Proton-C can also
be used.
This makes the MCU easy to install, firmly
secured on the Crokoboard, and easy to change for upgrade or
maintenance.
The Crokoboard PCB comes with a detachable
part that holds a connector footprint for an interconnexion
cable between two halves of a split keyboard.
The RJ45
connector can also be attached without soldering.
Although
RJ45 cables are not the current standard for split keyboard
interconnect, they are easy to find, secured to the
connector and don’t expose the user to potential shorts when
dis/connecting a powered keyboard. A question to get your
preference on this matter is present in the IC form.
The monoswitch
It attaches to each MX switch using a Kailh hotswap
socket.
Each pin is connected to an IDC, with a diode
to avoid ghosting.
You need as many monoswitch PCBs as
you want switches on your keyboard.
The encoder adapter
It attaches to a rotary encoder by pressure.
It
dispatches all its pins (2 for the switch and 3 for the
rotation coding) to corresponding IDCs.
Assembly
Using all theses parts, one can wire a full keyboard
in a few minutes.
Provided you have the plate at your
disposal, the steps involved in building a keyboard with the
Crokoboard are :
- attach the MCU to the Crokoboard PCB using the specifically designed spreader.
- attach the Crokoboard PCB to the plate. The plate needs holes to receive the Crokoboard but even a non-adapted plate could receive on by using the existing mounting holes.
- insert all the switches into the plate, as you would for a conventional keyboard.
- install any stabiliser that is required, either plate-mount or PCB-mount, screwing them to the plate.
- install the rotary encoder if you want one. The mounting solution inserts into a normal switch hole (14x14mm) and is secured using the thread on the encoder and a pierced keycap.
- flip the plate over and start wiring. Attaching the copper wire to a connector is as simple pressing it between the teeth of the connector. By following a few simple rules, it’s easy to make a clean and stable wiring.
- Screw the standoffs and the backplate : your keyboard is ready.
-
Program the firmware based on the wiring you prepared.
A video illustrating wiring a line of switches
Left half of my current keyboard
Full imgur Album
Who should be interested?
The
ability to handwire a keyboard should appeal to both
beginners and tinkerers in the keyboard hobby.
For
beginners, being able to wire a keyboard quickly without
soldering allows for testing different common layout without
having to purchase a whole new keyboard. One can get design
files for a lot of keyboard layouts online, order from a
laser cutting service and build the circuitry around each
plate for a fraction of the cost of ordering a full keyboard
for each layout. This gives a way to try out multiple
layouts and converge towards your “endgame” much more
efficienlty.
For tinkerers who want to create a custom
layout, the Crokoboard offers a way to quickly iterate over
modifications for fine tuning. Each new iteration can be
built around a 3D printed or machined plate. The Crokoboard
with its flexible copperwire connectors is also a great
solution for non-planar keyboards (dactyl-like) where a
single PCB is not possible.
How about the price?
My target for the pricing of the Crokoboard system is
simple : as soon as you have built 3 different layouts, the
Crokoboard is more price-effective than buying the
corresponding number of specialized PCBs. A 65% PCB comes at
about $50. I aim for a kit for a 65% Crokoboard build to be
priced at around $150. This would include one Crokoboard PCB
and 65 monoswitch PCBs.
If you are interested in the
project and want it to come to the market, please fill the
IC form. There is a field to give your e-mail address in
order to get udpates on the project as well. You can also
join the discord server :
https://discord.gg/ymhpg2Hb9N
If you are a keyboard vendor and are interested in
distributing the product, please get in touch with me
directly through a PM.