Behind the scenes #173

Keyboard projects, quick news, in the mailbox, meetups, new vendors and discount codes!

Hey, what's up everyone!

Welcome back for another behind-the-scenes write-up.

If you are new to kbd.news, you can read how this started out and what this is all about nowadays. If you like what you see, subscribe to the newsletter (free) and donate some bucks to keep this otherwise free and ad-free project alive.

Some posts worth sharing

• GravaStar is launching the crazy Mercury K1 Pro with alien legs, a 75% wireless gaming keyboard that's almost too good for gamers. ;) With recurring sci-fi motifs, great typing experience, and so much more! Check out my review.

• Another review, another gaming board, but with a more classic look: The Immersion A3 by Hexgears is a brand-new wireless low-profile TKL keyboard with color display and a classy brushed aluminum top plate.

• A nice low-pro Hummingbird-like monoblock split by Reeve: ‘Ākohekohe.

• A hotswap ortho with trackpad: Explorer Keyboard by DreaM117er.

• A 56-key split keyboard that uses normal mods: Doro56 by Gehennakid.

• A 32-key ergo split keyboard using Seeed Xiao BLE: NostrumX by Bennytrouser.

• CrackerRobot's crowkb_38 is a low-pro ergo split with splay and a lower-positioned thumb cluster.

Tips

• Stanislav Markin came up with a new approach to fix Home Row Mods.

• Keyboarddweebs' Alex introduced an improved Japanese duplex matrix, adding pull-up resistors to the columns. Testing environment: QMK and RP2040.

• Easy and cheap DIY PBT dye-sub keycap legends – a post by SorcererSypha.

• Steimo is a modular physical layout concept for ortho arrangements with offset halves: with various external and internal components.

Closed-source, WIP, inspiration, etc.

• Lilin – a 20% split macropad by KBDCraft. Yep, Kickstarter, but I do think that BoyU is trustworthy enough to mention this project. In addition, review units are being sent out, so this is an existing product, not a vaporware.

• A 69-key split by penkia with magnetic closure.

Just finished a 69-key split keyboard build. It uses a TRRS cable and the full duplex USART driver. I embedded some magnets in the case, so the halves snap together satisfyingly when I'm done using it. (Super handy for keeping things tidy on my desk :-) – penkia.

• @mikekoma from twitter: SSSM.NarrowCorsa REV.E v7b.

• A keyboard case for the Basketweave, shared by Keen.

• MexPayneDive20's Dactyl Orca features a levered thumb (fin) button that uses a standard mouse microswitch.

• A handwired board by wjrii, with custom DIY legends, done by laser.

• Kunsteak announced his Trinity, three nice boards but without design files – Bar, End45, Flight.

Keyboard art

• Bin50 build by haunterloo92.

• The pinnacle of cuteness: UnicornCat artisans by ACkeys:

• Dragon Gate Teapot keycaps by Asian Joy Co.

• Pizza macropad by @ataruno_key.

• "Animated" keycaps by Anki Studio's telybelly.

• Senko60 by SilvaKb.

Twin "双生" split keyboard by rain2. Tai Chi, mortise and tenon joints, and cats.

Donations

• A new donation from khor.store's Matteo, and an anonymous one too. Thanks guys!
• As always, many thanks to my awesome regular supporters too, and everyone who helped this project thus far.

For all the donation options check out the donation page!

Meetup database

Upcoming meetups

• Keeblife 2024, August 31, Pasadena, CA, US

Recently added

• Montreal Mechanical Keyboard Meetup, September 14, Montreal, Canada
• Keycon 2025 (details pending), June 14, 2025, Washington DC, DC., US

As always, this meetup database serves as both a calendar and an archive, so feel free to send me upcoming events or even ones from the recent past to make this collection as comprehensive as possible.

Vendors & Discounts

Feel free to use the KBDNEWS discount code at 159 keyboard shops! And do not hesitate to report any issues.

New shops and updates to the database of keyboard vendors this past two weeks:

• Hexgears discount: 15% with the KBDNEWS coupon code.
• GravaStar added, another 15% discount (keyboards only).
• DIYKEY added, use the KBDNEWS coupon code for a 10% discount. While it's not indicated anywhere explicitly, this is a new site by Kailh. I was told they have some difficulties with kailswitch.net.
• Mechboards: the 5% discount is back. Use the KBDNEWS coupon code.
• Pwnage added. The r/mk week of giveaways caught me off-guard again. What I like the most in this event is that I can discover new vendors. This time this gaming brand.
• The Flow Shop added. Another r/mk giveaway post find.

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That's all for today. Thanks for checking by. As always: Keep learning and building!

Until next time,
Tamás

Hexgears Immersion A3 review

The Immersion A3 by Hexgears is a brand new wireless low-profile TKL gamer keyboard with color display and a classy brushed aluminum top plate.

TLDR; Hexgears' Immersion A3 is a three-mode wireless TKL with hotswap low-profile switches (but MX-compatible stem), and a nice sleek case. It's a great gamer board, highly customizable, however, the software part requires more features to appease serious keymap wizards by supporting layers.

Available starting today (Aug 26), the Immersion A3 costs $159 $135 – 15% off with the KBDNEWS coupon code.

Well, gamer keyboards are a genre of their own, but even if it may sound as an oxymoron, the Immersion A3 looks freakin' classy. It is for those who'd like a prebuilt board, ready to rock right out of the box, but with a look more refined than the average gamer gear.

Honestly, it would perfectly blend into a serious office environment. Sure, the translucent legends are a common hallmark of this kind of keyboards, but the brushed aluminum switch plate, the color display, and the cool toggle switch give the A3 a unique aura. I especially like its side profile.

Given the hotswap switches and MX-compatible stems, the Immersion A3 looks like great material for customization even if this particular style of caps is not your cup of tea.

Disclaimer

This Immersion A3 review unit was sent to me by Hexgears. I received it with tactile Kailh switches.

As you know, I'm not paid to write these reviews, but getting a free sample may still result in all kinds of bias, both positive and negative in my experience. Take everything I write with a grain of salt.

Specs

• layout: extended TKL, 87 keys, ANSI
• connection: three-mode wireless
• switch: hotswap, Kailh low-profile switches, MX stem (linear, tactile, clicky options)
• plate-mounted stabilizers
• keycaps: low-pro translucent PC (Polycarbonate)
• per-key RGB, north-facing
• battery capacity: 5800 mAh (charing: <3 hours, gameplay: up to 50 hours)
• transmission distance: 10 meters
• reporting rate: 1000 Hz (wired mode)
• latency: approx. 1-4ms (wired), 1-6ms (2.4GHz)
• dimensions: 360 x 146 x 31mm
• weight: 762 grams

Unboxing & Contents

In the cardboard box you have the prebuilt Immersion A3 with switches and caps mounted, along with a Type-C USB cable, 2.4GHz dongle, tools (separate keycap and switch puller), dust cover, and a quickstart guide.

The dongle compartment next to the USB socket, just like the dust cover, is that little but important detail that makes life easier.

Layout

This is an extended TKL (tenkeyless) layout, with dedicated buttons for switching between connection types and various devices, and more buttons to navigate the TFT display.

You get all the benefit of a TKL layout, reduced width by chopping off the numpad, since all the extra keys and displays occupy the upper region.

Wireless modes

The Immersion A3 is a three-mode wireless keyboard, so you can use it as wired, 2.4GHz (both 1KHz sampling) or Bluetooth (125Hz).

No need to flip the board or look for hidden switches and obscure hotkeys, you can change between the modes by using the dedicated switches above the F-row.

Case & Typing angle

The top case is classy brushed aluminum, the bottom case is plastic.

Taking a closer look at the side profile reveals that the A3 is relatively low with 3 degrees default typing angle. Adjustable to 8 degrees with the commonly seen two-stage feet.

The combination of aluminum and plastic strikes a good balance between higher end look and reduced weight (762g). At least compared to 2kg full aluminum cases.

The aluminum upper cover acts as the switch plate. No flex cuts, so this board is for those who prefer a stiffer, more direct typing experience.

Keycaps

As a genuine gamer board, the A3 comes with translucent legends, to match the RGB lights. The keycaps are low profile, uniform, cylindrical.

Because of the north-facing LEDs, while most legends are usually well lit, some secondary legends at the bottom of some modifiers may remain unilluminated.

Switches

The board is hotswap, so you can use whatever switch you want. However, since this is a prebuilt keyboard, you can choose from a limited selection of switches at the time of purchase:

• a silent linear,
• tactile (Black Cloud) or
• clicky (Hide Mountain) low-pro Kailhs.

The switch footprint is Choc, not MX-compatible (unlike the stem), so you are limited to a reduced number of switches. However, as the recent overview of the best-selling, community-favorite switches indicates: Kailh's most popular models are precisely these low-pro models.

The tactile Black Cloud ones I received are all-POM, and feel quite nice.

Build quality, internal structure

Apparently, the prebuilt Immersion A3 wasn't designed with disassembly in mind. I gave it a try anyway, but after realizing that beyond unscrewing ten screws I had to remove all the switches too, I gave up this adventure. Sorry.

The case is probably snapped together, quite tightly, and I didn't want to scratch or damage the nice alu plate. Which means no internal pics this time. Here is an exploded image from the product page instead:

Sound dampening

You have a thin switch pad, and a bottom foam for the bottom case.

Display & Toggle switch

The A3 has a color TFT display in the top right corner, that can show personalized GIFs (animated too) and other images, adding a playful touch to your gaming gear.

Next to it is a toggle switch that serves as a dedicated switch to navigate the display's functions and personalize lighting – aka select and adjust RGB lighting effects: modes, colors, speeds.

The Immersion A3 keyboard’s analog toggle switch offers that lite touch of nostalgia to a time of pure retro vibes, while adding modern functionality for seamless gameplay – Hexgears.

It's a nice two-way toggle switch with the tactility of microswitches, similar to mouse keys, and has a great potential in custom boards in my opinion.

Caps Lock, Scroll Lock and battery status are indicated on a separate display.

Portability

The 36cm width of this particular TKL variant is somewhere in the middle of the layout spectrum, so if portability is your main concern, there are probably smaller options out there. However, the board fits in your backpack – that's how I transport boards between my office and home – and if you prefer a dedicated arrow cluster, the Immersion A3 is a good choice for on-the-go use. Better than full aluminum alternatives with similar layout.

Software

Well, the software is proprietary, closed source, called HexDrive, and is specific to the A3. Given the target audience, probably not many folks will miss all the QMK/VIA/Vial features – but I do. :) The lack of QMK or VIA/Vial compatibility means that tweaking your keymap beyond some basic stuff is pretty much impossible.

Anyway, the installation is straightforward. Again, as a gamer board, the focus was on keybindings supporting your gameplay: repetitive and more complex commands, macros, RGB, display customization, etc.

Making basic changes to the keymap (e.g. swapping alphas) is easy, so I could reproduce my custom keymap on the base layer. However, setting up SpaceFN doesn't work because of the lack of layer functions. You can set up your macros and lighting, but practically no layers other than an FN one triggered by the FN key.

That said, the proprietary software does have some neat features: you can draw up your image for the display, frame by frame, without even leaving the app.

Conclusion

The Hexgears Immersion A3 is sleek, elegantly designed three-mode wireless keyboard packed with RGB firepower and featuring Kailh's community-favorite low-pro switches. With its customizable display, stylish brushed aluminum top case, and low-profile build, I recommend it not only to gamers but to anyone who loves RGB, prefers an enhanced TKL layout, and doesn’t require extensive keymap customization.

Pros

• Design & low profile
• Hotswap
• Three-mode connectivity

Cons

• Software limitations

Availability

Right now there's a 15% discount in effect, so the Immersion A3 is available from $159 $135 at Hexgears (use the KBDNEWS coupon code) or on Amazon (code: KBDnewsHex):

• Hexgears Immersion A3 on hexgears.com, $159 $135
• Hexgears Immersion A3 on Amazon
• product quickstart guide

GravaStar Mercury K1 Pro review

GravaStar is launching the breathtaking Mercury K1 Pro and other members of their new family of wireless gaming keyboards – with recurring sci-fi motifs, great typing experience, and a lot more!

Holy guacamole! Okay folks, hold on to your hats, fasten your seatbelts, because this is something really exciting. Available starting today, this very moment (8AM EST) to be precise, GravaStar is opening the gates of hell launching a whole new family of kick-ass 75% keyboards with a unique sci-fi appearance – namely the premium Mercury K1 Pro, mid-range Mercury K1, and the budget version K1 Lite.

I usually avoid big words like this, but the gaming keyboard scene has just been redefined by GravaStar creating a keyboard with a distinctive look closer to enthusiast level typing experience than any other device in this genre I've ever tried. (Update: and there are matching mice now, like the Mercury X Pro.)

TLDR;

Pre-built, wireless, hotswap, 75%. The main feature to highlight is obviously the design language with the hallmark skeleton frame and alien legs of the Mercury K1 Pro. However, the incredible attention to detail is evident in every aspect of these keyboards: an excellent out-of-the-box typing experience, the organic design of the aluminum alloy frame, a set of custom switches designed and manufactured in collaboration with Kailh, a stylistically faithful plate motif and PCB silkscreen, and even the grain particles of the double-shot "concrete" keycaps – the K1 Pro is a true masterpiece. (My only concern is the software, which is not open source and lacks useful layer functions for keymap wizards.)

Forgive my excitement, but the Mercury K1 Pro is not simply another 75% wireless gaming keyboard, it's carefully designed to the smallest details, which is pretty incredible for a first keyboard model by a company known for speakers, mice, and wireless chargers – no matter how unique and well-crafted they are.

GravaStar

It's been 6 years since Yong Huang – sci-fi lover, hardcore Starcraft gamer, industrial designer, and GravaStar CEO and founder – started sketching and exploring possibilities to merge sci-fi with everyday life, blending futuristic aesthetics with functional design.

GravaStar began with a simple question: what if we could turn our world into a sci-fi wonderland? – Yong Huang.

Since the success of their first speaker, the Mars, GravaStar has released over 50 products, including award-winning mice. And today they kick the door open by launching their first keyboards: the Mercury with 3 variants and 7 cool colorways/themes.

Today's review unit, a concrete gray Mercury K1 Pro, is part of this new GravaStar product family.

Disclaimer

As always: I received the review unit for free which may introduce all kinds of bias – both negative and positive in my experience.

Variants

The Mercury K1 Pro, K1, and K1 Lite variants are the premium, mid-range and entry level versions, respectively. However, all of these levels offer double-shot or pudding caps, 5 sound dampening foam layers and backlight, so if you're lucky, you fancy the theme of a cheaper option – starting at the incredible price of $90 $77 by the way.

The alien legs are unique to the K1 Pro, but the K1 come with the aluminum alloy case as well. The Lite version is plastic, has an extra key instead of the fancy three-way switch, lacks per-key RGB, and has 4000mAh battery instead of 8000mAh. Otherwise its specs are pretty much the same.

• The premium K1 Pro has the aluminum frame with alien legs, FR4 plate, and beneath the concrete grey color is available in the mouth-watering Cyberpunk and Porcelain Blue special editions.
• The mid-range K1 comes in gradient black and gradient white colorways, in alu case without legs, but with per-key RGB, PC plate and the same control knob as the K1 Pro.
• The K1 Lite, starting at $90 $77, comes in transparent black or white colorways. PVC frame, PC plate, 80 keys (no knob), and only backlight.

Unboxing & Contents

The Mercury K1 Pro came in a nice cardboard box, actually two boxes:

Pre-built keyboard with switches and caps mounted, funky dust cover to accommodate the legs ;), basic cable, combined tool to remove keycaps and switches, quickstart guide, and some spare switches.

There will be other accessories available, e.g. wrist rest and a more serious switch puller, a GravaStar branded version of the latest Gateron switch puller.

First impressions, design language

As you may notice, I'm quite blown away by the design. Something tells me you'll also start by playing with the legs. They are not just a fancy design element but a functional part of the keyboard: you can set the typing angle with them. And they feel freakin' heavy duty, not flimsy or wobbly at all.

In addition, despite being quite immune to RGB lights, I have to admit that the lighting, especially the underglow, is spot on. More on this later.

The design language draws inspiration from popular sci-fi themes, like H. R. Giger's work and the iconic movie Alien, but also steel craft and liquid metal as the Mercury name implies, and now we've arrived at T-1000 of the Terminator frenchise.

Specs

• Layout: 75%, 79 keys + three-way toggle button (+/- volume, mute)
• Typing angle: 5.5 degrees
• Material: cast aluminum alloy skeleton case (Lite: PVC), plastic bottom
• Mount: plate gasket-mounted with FR4 (Pro) or PC plate
• PCB: hotswap, south-facing per-key RGB, lots of flex cuts
• 270 degrees backlight
• Polling rate: Wired 1000Hz, Tri-mode (1000HZ in 2.4G and wired, 125HZ in bluetooth)
• Software support: proprietary, closed source

Layout

The layout is 75%, but not the cramped one. The arrow cluster is slightly offset and easy to locate when touch typing. This is a result of the extra column on the right having only three keys, and to the right of the spacebar there are only two modifiers too, plus a gap – so you don't get lost when changing between the home row and arrows.

75% means no numpad and no full navigation cluster either.

In addition, the K1 and K1 Pro versions have a three-way switch in the top right corner, something similar to the Hexgears Immersion A3, reviewed earlier this week. The Lite variant has a regular key in this place.

Only ANSI, however, the PCB has cutouts for ISO keys too.

Build quality, structure, case

The unique outer frame is like an exoskeleton for the board. Attached to its inside, there are plastic pieces which together act as a giant 270-degree diffuser, giving particular meaning to the backlighting.

FYI, the frame looks absolutely fingerprint-resistant. It's thick where needed and refined where structural stability allows.

The build quality is stunning. As already mentioned, the whole thing is lighter than you'd expect from an aluminum keyboard, but everything feels heavy duty. The legs have integrated backlight too, which makes their sturdiness even more commendable.

Typing angle: 5.5 degrees, or about 10 degrees with the legs closed (Pro only). The non-Pro versions have the common double-stage legs I guess, I'm not sure about those angles.

Structure & Mounting

Plate gasket mounting. The plate has silicone gaskets, which sit in what looks like acrylic holders attached to the outer frame. As you probably know, this design allows for some flex and cushioning, which can result in a softer typing experience.

Plate

FR4 for the K1 Pro, PC for the other two variants.

The FR4 one has been shredded by flex cuts. GravaStar did not spare with this, there are row cuts and per-key vertical cuts too.

And it has a nice organic pattern via the exposed copper layer parts of the FR4.

Plate-mount stabilizers, Leobog to be exact.

PCB

Most of you won't get this far in disassembling the board, it doesn't make much sense, but here it is anyway. Since the PCB is sandwiched between thick layers of foam, you don't see it even if you replace your switches. However, GravaStar still put a lot of effort into the design.

Again, lots of flex cuts, and it is MX compatible with hotswap sockets. The silk screen's pattern follows the organic and extra-terrestrial concept.

Per-key RGB (K1 Pro and K1) and backlighting (all three variants), plus the decoration piece with the GravaStar logo, located above the right arrow, has RGB backlight too.

Switch

This is a hotswap PCB, so feel free to use your favorite switches if you have strong preferences, however, the stock offers are very interesting too. In collab with Kailh, GravaStar designed five switches for the Mercury series. These are MX compatible models with unique characteristics:

All relatively light linear switches, 40-45gf. Some of them are speed switches with shorter travel, aimed for gaming, but there are also more classic ones.

At the time of writing this, the material of the switches hasn't been published yet. The 45gf linear Speedy Mint, coming with the concrete grey K1 Pro review unit, is one of the speed switches, with 1.2mm pre-travel. It doesn't have the light diffuser piece depicted in the data sheet above, but is very nice anyway. Feels like all-POM.

Keycaps

The Mercury K1 variants, colorways and special editions each come with their own matching keycaps: PBT or PC, double-shot ones, dye-sub caps, or in the pudding style.

With regards to keycap compatibity, the 75% layout should be widely supported if you opt for your own keycap set.

Weight

The bottom of the Mercury K1 is plastic, with intricate pattern and weight. A magnetic compartment accommodates the wireless dongle.

Sound dampening

Plenty of foam, 5 layers to be exact: thick switch foam + two thin ones which are 0.5mm IXPE plus a transparent PET one + hotswap poron + a thick thing in the bottom filling up all the empty space which feels like silicone.

Lights

I'm not a big fan of per-key RGB in general, but the backlight works really well with the huge diffuser, skeleton frame. The legs have built-in leds too, which is another nice touch:

Decoration piece

The decoration piece is a perfect mirror by default, and is illuminated with 3 leds from the back, showing the GravaStar logo, when the board is turned on. It cycles through a range of colors, but you can't set its effect or hue.

Toggle button

Called "knob" on the product page, this is a three-way tactile switch, so don't confuse it with a rotary encoder.

The button controls volume increase/decrease and mute. To my understanding, its function cannot be reprogrammed in the firmware.

Software

Software support: no QMK/VIA/Vial support, you have to download GravaStar's proprietary software.

SpaceFN test? Failed, as it is often the case with gaming or prebuilt boards with closed-source firmware in general.

If you are serious about your keymap and rely on layers, the Mercury will give you some hard time to replicate all the functions with some third-party tools. On Windows, I use the age-old TouchCursor to set up SpaceFN and create an additional logical layer activated when I hold the spacebar.

This single layer can be a real game-changer, putting arrows, navigation and numbers under your fingertips.

Wireless

According to specs, the K1 is a three-mode wireless board (Bluetooth5.0 / 2.4GHz / USB Type-C) with 8,000mAh (K1 Pro + K1) or 4,000mAh battery (K1 Lite).

Portability

The Mercury will be the centerpiece of your desk, and excels as a stationary device. However, given it is wireless, it's apparently portable too. If mobility is your main concern, you may opt for the K1 variant, since the legs of the K1 Pro may be in the way when packing up and hitting the road.

All in all, there are smaller and lighter keyboards for sure, but the Mercury easily fits in my backpack, so works too – especially if you need a more classic layout with arrows, function keys and number row.

Ergonomics

This is a classic layout with standard row stagger, in a relatively high case with positive typing angle. If you are serious about ergonomics, you should probably look for a split and columnar alternative. The Mercury K1 is just as ergonomic as its competitors in the same genre and form factor, or maybe a bit more: thanks to the slightly offset arrow cluster, light switches, and softer typing experience due to the gasket mounting and all the flex cuts.

Conclusion

GravaStar's first keyboard, in particular the flagship Mercury K1 Pro variant, is an insanely good-looking 75% wireless gaming keyboard with excellent out-of-the-box typing experience. The sci-fi-inspired design language with the alien legs make it stand out of the crowd for sure. It's a very well built 75% board with hotswap PCB, per-key RGB and the even better 270 degree backlight.

Unfortunately, the software may limit your options if you rock a custom keymap, but given all the variants and themes, most gamers and keyboard enthusiasts will find their preferred setup. I, for one, am definitely in for the jaw-dropping Cyberpunk edition as soon as there is VIA/Vial support.

Turning destop spaces into futuristic worlds – GravaStar.

Pros

• Design language, build quality, all the little details.

Cons

• Software limitations

Price & Availability

The Mercury K1 Lite, Mercury K1 and Mercury K1 Pro are available from 29th August, starting at $90 $77, $130 $111 and $150 $128, respectively. Don't forget to use the KBDNEWS coupon code for 15% off! If you fancy the "special edition" models, like I do, they will set you back at $180 $153.

• GravaStar keyboard collection
• Mercury K1 Pro (Concrete Gray) product page
• Mercury K1 Pro (Cyberpunk Special Edition) product page

‘Ākohekohe

A nice low-pro Hummingbird-like monoblock split by Reeve: ‘Ākohekohe.

Reeve's ʻākohekohe is a 26-key, column-staggered, unibody split keyboard made with ergogen and KiCad. Named after the ʻākohekohe bird, (“AH-kohay-kohay”). Basically a ZilpZalp with thumbs cut off.

I recently released my first board, the ʻākohekohe. I really love the hummingbird keyboards and made my own iteration as a love letter to the Zilpzalp, Grumpy, Fitis and Rufous. It was designed in Ergogen and KiCAD, and I have it fully open-source on GitHub – Reeve.

Specs

• 26 keys
• low-pro Choc
• Seeed XIAO compatible controller
• wireless (optional)
• ZMK

Resources

• https://github.com/grassfedreeve/akohekohe

Explorer Keyboard Blank

A hotswap ortho with trackpad: Explorer Keyboard by DreaM117er.

DreaM117er released the design files of his Explorer Keyboard Blank. An ortho board with Cirque trackball, and reversible PCB with hotswap sockets for either MX or Choc switches.

Features

• 48 keys (6x4 ortho)
• MX/low-pro Choc, hotswap
• Pro Micro
• reversible PCB
• 40mm Cirque trackpad or encoder

Resources

• https://github.com/DreaM117er/Explorer-Keyboard-Blank

Doro56

A 56-key split keyboard that uses normal mods: Doro56 by Gehennakid.

The Doro56 by Gehennakid is a 56-key split keyboard with a reversible PCB that uses normal mods, an exploded number row, a semi-column-staggered layout, plus support for rotary encoders. It's the columnar split brother of the author's 60%-ish Doro62 following a similar concept.

2nd revision of my semi columnar staggered custom split with normal mods […] The layout shown is as is, utilizes blockers to help hide extra holes from the stabilizers for each sides. I added support for TRRS cables, but have yet to create a QMK firmware for it – Gehennakid.

Features

• 56 keys
• MX, hotswap
• Pro Micro footprint (RP2040 Pro Micro, nice!nanos, NRF52840 clones, etc.)
• reversible PCB
• encoder

Resources

• https://github.com/gehennaXXIV/Doro56

NostrumX

A 32-key ergo split keyboard using Seeed Xiao BLE: NostrumX by Bennytrouser.

The NostrumX by Bennytrouser is a 32-key split keyboard with some splay, using Seeed Xiao BLEs.

This is my new board, based off my other board, the Nostrum, but this one is using a Seeed Xiao BLE instead of a Nice!Nano. Designed to be used with a case only, with the batteries under the PCB – Benny.

Features

• 32 keys
• Choc, hotswap or soldered
• 3° splay on pinky and ring columns
• Seeed Xiao BLE
• mildly tented custom case

Resources

• https://github.com/bennytrouser/NostrumX

crowkb_38

CrackerRobot's crowkb_38 is a low-pro ergo split with splay and a lower-positioned thumb cluster.

CrackerRobot (aka c-botz) keeps chopping off unnecessary keys from his Crowkb. After the 46-key variant, here is the ''crowkb_38 with some pinky keys removed.

The crowkb keyboards are split, staggered and splayed keyboards with low-placed thumb keys. I designed them because I felt a lot of the keyboards in this space have an uncomfortable thumb placement for my size of hands – CrackerRobot.

Features

• 38 keys
• Choc, hotswap or soldered
• splay
• reversible PCB
• Pro Micro footprint (nice!nano & nice!view)
• encoder

Resources

• https://github.com/c-botz/crowkb