Keyboard Builders' Digest / Projects
Leeloo
Leeloo, a split keyboard resembling the Lily58 – with a twist!
Published April 18, 2022
While the design was inspired by the popular split keyboards Lily58 and Corne, Leeloo is a split designed and built from the ground up with a twist – rotary encoders.
Clickety Split designed this split with 6x4 keys and rotary encoders in 6 optional positions.
Albeit, there is no doubt where Leeloo's heritage is derived from – Lily58, and Corne – it is not a copy-paste-modify implementation. It's perhaps the finer details that separates Leeloo from its predecessors – Clickety Split.
Specs
- Support for MX/Box or low-profile Choc switches*
- 90% of the switches are socketed (except the rotary encoder positions) – 6 positions require soldering.
- Optional 128x32 OLED displays.
- Option to select one of three positions for an EC11 rotary encoder on each half.
- +/- Battery pads for wireless implementations.
- Support for a micro on/off switch for travel.
(*At the moment there are two PCBs available: v1.0 and v1.13. Both PCBs support Choc switches but only v1.13 works with MX/Box switches – allegedly due to a footprint error.)
To learn more about the origins of Leeloo, read this blog post: Leeloo – The Series’ Genesis. It pretty much sums up how an ergo board should be designed: try some existing models, identify their problems, define your preferences, print and try paper mock-ups, iterate, etc. – i.e. cycles of observation, design, and testing.
Actually, the design and manufacturing process is documented quite well in their blog.
Albeit the write-up linked above refers to Leeloo Micro, a 5x3 version with Choc spacing, the first Leeloo marketed has 6x4 keys and the classic 19.05mm spacing.
Leeloo will have three different form-factors that will carry the same 5 modifier keys, yet a different matrix for 6x4, 6x3, or 5x3. There will also be LED versions for individuals who wish to have per-switch underglow.
Published on Mon 18th Apr 2022. Featured in KBD #74 (source).
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