Keyboard Builders' Digest
15% off the breathtaking GravaStar keyboards!
Keyboard Builders' Digest / Projects

HE60 PCB

The HE60 is an open-source 60% Hall-effect keyboard PCB by peppapig.

KBD.news
Published April 25, 2025
Enjoying the content? 54 supporters keep this blog running — Donate like BeaverKeys, Dylan Ingham, and Ikasaya.

As already teased earlier, Pontakorn Prasertsuk aka peppapig/peppapighs released the HE60, a 60% Hall-effect PCB with split spacebar support, and a Tsangan bottom row layout.

This is my latest project in my ongoing Hall-effect keyboard obsession. Inspired by open-source projects like GH60, Waffling60, and Macrolev, I created this design with the hope that it will serve as a useful reference for anyone interested in building their own Hall-effect PCB – Pep.

The PCB was developed with a focus on reducing fabrication costs. The current version costs ~80USD for 2 boards using JLCPCB economy PCBA. To achieve this, the author removed many components from previous designs that he found had little to no impact on PCB performance.

Pic:

The HE60 runs on the libhmk firmware, previously released by Pep. The software latency (from input detection to USB packet transmission) averaged around 0.4ms – "not bad for a PCB polling at 1000Hz", according to the designer.

Pic:

Specs

  • 61-65 keys, Tsangan bottom row
  • split spacebar support
  • HE switches
  • on-board STM32F446RET6 MCU
  • Support for GH60 tray mount cases (KBDfans Tofu60 Redux, Holy60)
  • libhmk firmware
  • hmkconf web-based configurator

Pic:

Resources

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

Published on Fri 25th Apr 2025. Featured in KBD #190 (source).


Related

Syntech Chronos 68 review

The Syntech Chronos 68 is a cute little 65% HE board in an aluminum case. Packed with Hall-effect features mainly for gamers.

Epomaker HE68 Lite review

A very affordable magnetic board punching above its weight: Epomaker HE68 Lite review.

Macrolev

The Macrolev is an open-source magnetic analog keyboard by Alexandre Moatty.

Dareu COOL60

An ultra-affordable 60% HE keyboard: Dareu COOL60 – frosted case, matching caps, per-key RGB, wrist strap. 8KHz reporting rate, 0.01mm RT resolution for gamers. For just $42?!

Shego75HE

Charading's Shego75HE, an open-source 75% Hall-effect keyboard, runs QMK.

×
top