Keyboard Builders' Digest /
Tenshi
Dane Lipscombe released his Tenshi, a split keyboard with slide-adjustable trackpads.
Published July 30, 2024
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The Tenshi is a split board with a pretty unique mounting system for its two trackpads, allowing their positions to be adjusted. Designed by Dane Limpscombe aka dlip/fata1err0r81.
Name from Japanese means angel (the trackpads are the halos) – dlip.
The trackpad holder slides up and down on the simple 3d printed track which is shaped like a half dovetail joint. The author filed the sides down until it could just fit snugly, so it wouldn't move while in use:
Specs
- 24-32 keys (3x4 + 0-4 thumb keys)
- low-pro Choc, hotswap
- RP2040-Zero controllers
- USB-C to connect the halves
- Dual Cirque 40mm trackpads, slide-adjustable
- QMK Firmware
The main advantage of the adjustable trackpad is that this gives you a few options for the layout:
I normally like the setup like this, but a left handed user might like the opposite. Other options might be 2 or 4 thumb keys on both sides. Maybe even no thumb keys, and use the the trackpad on the thumb with the keys like a macro pad. A 5cm FFC cable can slide the full length without too much twisting. Making it vertical is a good idea though, maybe for V2 – Dane.
Resources
- Tenshi repo on github
- 3D source files on OnShape
Published on Tue 30th Jul 2024. Featured in KBD #171 (source).
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