Keyboard Builders' Digest / Projects
Tern Ble
Gleb Sabirzyanov published his Tern Ble, a wireless remix of the Tern keyboard.
Published November 29, 2023
Creators! Feel free to tip me off about your keyboard related projects to bring them to 150K readers.
Gleb Sabirzyanov (aka zyumbik) shared Tern Ble, a derivative of Ryan Schenk's Tern, which itself is a variant of Peter Elliot's Hummingbird. This wireless remix is low profile, and comes with 30 keys in a 3D printed case.
Been dreaming of a Hummingbird-style keyboard for ages, so I decided to improve Tern a little bit. This layout is just 4 keys less compared to The Skull that I use to type daily, but it's surprisingly difficult to use so far as it removes a lot of useful combos as well as letters – Gleb.
Changes
- Support for an on/off switch, battery connector (JST PH 2.0mm) and XIAO Ble battery pogo pin
- Slightly different switch footprint with tight holes, switches are held firmly without a plate
- Pinky column is a bit closer to the ring finger column
- PCB outline designed from the ground up
Features
- 30 keys, Hummingbird layout
- Choc hotswap switches
- CFX spacing (MBK/choc spaced keycaps won't work)
- XIAO Ble controller
- 100 mAh battery
- 3D printed case
Because of the redrawn PCB outline, other Tern cases won't work with this version.
Resources
Published on Wed 29th Nov 2023. Featured in KBD #145 (source).
Related
Framedeck
Richard Sutherland's framedeck is his take on the slab style computers like the TRS-80 model 100 – using the Framework motherboard.
The early days of Keykrush ORCA
Veronica of Keykrush talks about the development journey of the ORCA – an exciting wireless ergo split keyboard in the fundraising phase.
Manibus: a split aluminum keyboard
The Manibus is a split ergo aluminum keyboard by DrFish96 featuring magnetic wrist rests.
Dance! keyboard
Dance! is a wireless-only split keyboard by chase-hunter.
Hacktrick
A '70s-style gasket-mounted monoblock split featuring Selectric I keycaps: Hacktrick by Tschibo00.