Keyboard Builders' Digest / Projects
Cinque
An open-source 56-key low-pro split and trackball: Cinque by Ken Goudey.
Published June 18, 2025
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Cinque is an open-source 56-key low-profile split keyboard and trackball by Ken Goudey aka swaziloo. Designed in Ergogen, KiCad and FreeCAD, it features RGB lighting and rotary encoders, and is driven by QMK or ZMK firmware depending on the MCU.
I've been quietly working on my northstar ergomech keyboard/trackball for about a year and just finished putting everything together for an initial release. I've built 3/5 PCBs from my order and both my son and I have been using them full-time since late last year – Ken.
The project was inspired by (and borrows heavily from) the Corax, Atreus, Sofle and Lily58 projects and features footprints designed or inspired by ceoloide, infused-kim, and dnlbauer.
Specs
- 56 keys
- low-profile Gateron KS-33 (MX stem) switches, hotswap
- EC11 or Panasonic EVQWGD001 horizontal encoder
- PMW3389 trackball module
- per-key RGB
- 0.91" OLED or Nice!View
- QMK (RP2040) or ZMK (NRF52840)
Resources
Published on Wed 18th Jun 2025. Featured in KBD #193.
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