Keyboard Builders' Digest
Save 5% at Divinikey! Code: KBDNEWS
Keyboard Builders' Digest / Projects

Charlieflex keyboard

Chad Transtrum's nice unibody split with encoder: the Charlieflex.

KBD.news
Published June 10, 2025
This blog is powered by 54 readers while read by 150,000. Donate like FFKeebs, Micah Alpern, and Derek Tam!

The 30-32 key Charlieflex is an open-source low-profile monoblock split keyboard by Chad Transtrum. This wireless-first design features an encoder, some splay, and Xiao footprint.

I haven't had a non-split ergonomic keyboard before, so I thought I'd give one a try, but none of the existing boards had what I wanted. Hence: the Charlieflex – Chad.

The keyboard uses a Xiao microprocessor and ZMK, so it can be built for wireless with the XIAO BLE, or wired with the XIAO RP2040.

Features

  • 30-32 keys (5x3+2-ish)
  • low-pro Choc, hotswap
  • XIAO footprint (e.g. BLE or RP2040)
  • 3D-printed case
  • encoder
  • ZMK

Pic:

3D files are included for the case, which comes in variations for one or two thumb keys for each hand. The LED light on the controller is surfaced to the top of the case where it serves as a status light for battery, Bluetooth, and layers.

Resources

The design was created in ergogen – Gerbers, KiCAD and ergogen yaml files are available at:

Do you like this post? Share, donate, subscribe, tip me off!

Published on Tue 10th Jun 2025. Featured in KBD #192.


Related

ErgoChoco

ErgoChoco is a well-documented open-source pseudosplit build by Choco617.

Veyboard: syllable chording

When you think you've already seen everything, mrmrabcabc introduces Veyboard, a syllable chording keyboard.

Atalante

Gakuto Mikumo introduced his Atalante, a unibody angled split keyboard with arrow clusters on both sides.

Peregrine

Peregrine, a wireless ergonomic board by SouthPawEngineer with a built in trackpad module that can be removed and used separately.

ScottoWing

Joe Scotto is back with a very low profile handwired unibody split: ScottoWings.

×
top