Keyboard Builders' Digest / Projects

6x5 ortholinear keyboard

An open-source 6x5 ortho board by derEchteJan.

KBD.news
Published July 6, 2025

This noname 6x5 hotswap ortholinear keyboard was shared by theEchteJan aka abmausen.

Works well as a gaming macropad, with a centered typing board of choice in the middle. Have been using it for a year now, and like it a lot this way – abmausen.

Specs

• 30 keys (6x5 ortho)
• MX, hotswap
• Pro Micro footprint
• layered acrylic case
• QMK firmware

Resources

• https://github.com/derEchteJan/keyboards/tree/main/6x5-ortho-v1

Published on Sun 6th Jul 2025. Featured in KBD #194 (source).

Related

A Commodore inspired Planck 64

A Commodore inspired Planck 64 with resin keycaps by 23_Andreas.

Paper & putty keyboard

This keyboard by e3w2 is made of construction paper and putty, and features a self-designed PCB (photos, sound test).

Froggr

Froggr is the next board in weteor's Orthocade family: a 12u ortholinear keyboard with 48 keys and offset bottom row.

Wooden Alps keyboard

A wooden keyboard by u/the5andmany with Alps switches and hand-filed switch plate.

JESK56

T. G. Marbach's JESK56 is a diodeless 56-key ortholinear keyboard, using a single RP2040-based microcontroller thanks to some fancy math and graph theory.