Keyboard Builders' Digest
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Issue 46 / Week 39 / 2021

This is a hand-picked selection of last week's content from a keyboard builder's perspective. Posts that may teach you something, make you think and contribute to the common knowledge of the DIY builder community.

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Contents

Editorial

Behind the Scenes of Issue 46

From Alice 90 to the 1984 cliff of women in computer science. Time Masters, a masterpiece from the '80s. Videoton terminal dilemma. Vendor database progress update, new discount code, Issue 45 follow-up.

Issue #46 turned out pretty kick-ass despite my busy schedule because of the actual event of the TEDx conference series I've been co-organizing for the last 10 years in my home city.

I mean there was much more content than the previous two weeks when I had to desperately sniff for anything related and usable. Actually, there could have been even more awesome content but two authors haven't got back to me with their homework in time. ;)

Anyway, just a few more words about organizing conferences before we delve into keyboard stuff: even after 10 years of doing this we still learn a lot with each event. The main takeaway this time and my advice to you: if you feature a performer with a living animal on-stage, put it in the very last slot at the very end of the day. This way you don't have to clean the iconic red carpet from an unbelievable amount of white bird shit in front of cameras and aired live right after ten minutes into the show. :D

Luckily, I was prepared because the damn buzzard did the same thing the previous day during our rehearsal. Unfortunately, the program was already printed by that time so we couldn't change the order of performances.

Dilemma of the week

There is a cool retrofuturistic terminal on sale for $200. The seller won't ship it but it's right in my neighborhood so I could pick it up any time.

I can't decide if it looks awesome or strange. It's a Videoton terminal and was manufactured in Hungary in 1982 and I think it must be pretty rare. I got an offer of $140 but I said no. That's still above my psychological threshold of $100 for something that would take up a LOT of space and I would use it only for taking a nice photo before confining it to the attic.

Also, the keyboard itself is not that interesting, in contrast to the overall design which looks as it was taken from an early low-poly 3D game:

The photo (source) is not of the actual item which has a slightly different layout and quite meh uniform caps far less attractive than the SA-like ones depicted above.

I'll see if I get a better offer and in the worst case scenario I'll post some more photos along with some interesting details from online materials I found during my research.

To the Matra Alice 90 post

Read this post first if you haven't done so yet.

So the manual cover was done by the legendary Moebius. Slightly unrelated, but the characters of Time Masters, one of my favorite childhood cartoons, were designed by him as well. As a French-Hungarian co-production, his original drawings were animated and turned into a movie by the Pannónia Filmstúdió in Hungary.

Well, I'm not sure the story is for kids at all but it was definitely aired for kids in the television in the '80s – maybe because the protagonist is a little boy or because some characters appearing in the movie are cute and funny, like the two homunculi. (They were everywhere when the cartoon was introduced, I can clearly remember them from card calendars.) Otherwise, the genre is rather sci-fi drama or something along the line with quite disturbing parts for kids.

While it wasn't a hit, many people of my age remember it even after 30-40 years.

For several years, up until the early 2000's, I had Time Masters in a pretty low quality avi file and for some reason copied it from one PC to another when I upgraded HDDs or bought new computers. Don't ask me why. It was rate before internet times and you could see the excitement of my coworkers when it turned out I have a copy.

The cartoon itself may not have stood the test of time but I've just rewatched it and find the story still powerful even though it has some logical tangles and it's very slow-paced by today's standards.

But if I consider we are in the '80s and each frame had to be drawn and colored by hand, this has to be regarded as a masterpiece:

Fun fact: If I recall it correctly, many sound samples were recorded in a kitchen during a dinner by the director and a staff member. When the swarm of insects appear later in the movie that's the sound of cooking bacon. :D

Vendor database update

I didn't have much time for this but there's still a new promo code: thanks Torpedo Cables! About 30-40 shop profiles updated, 12 new ones added and some removed from the original list grabbed from keebtalk because they look abandoned.

Issue #45 follow-up

70 new subscribers to the newsletter.

Three new one-time supporters! Yeah! Thanks @R_i_b_a and kind anonymous ones, even the smallest support matters.

I've made another RSS. The old one listed the issues and was updated weekly but the new one lists all the entries: https://kbd.news/rss2.php

I don't use RSS at all so let me know if they work as expected or if they can be improved in any way.

Also, September is over so I made a little analysis and updated my About page intended for future supporters, especially vendors. (I thought I'll get on the radar of some shops and the vendor database may attract some business supporters but this is not the case.)

So if you are interested in some graphs and stats of kbd.news you can check the About page.

Well, that's it for today I think.

Thanks for your support and feedback, I really appreciate it. While I love learning about keyboards, doing my research and sniffing around for content, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't do this if there weren't you.

Cheers,

Tamás


Projects

Pinci the keyboard

An ultra low profile 34-key build by sproutless with RP2040 and Rust firmware.

Inspired by other open-source projects like the Ferris, Fifi and KeySeeBee, sproutless designed and built his own version of a low profile split.

Hardware

  • Raspberry Pi Pico (RP2040)
  • 34 key layout with two thumb keys skewed outward
  • No diodes, direct switch-to-GPIO connections
  • Reversible PCB
  • Kailh PG1232 Low Profile Switches
  • TRS capable hardware (normal headphone cable)
  • Minimal SMD components and no THT components

Firmware

The firmware is written in Rust using the Keyberon library (and more).

Git repo: https://github.com/camrbuss/pinci


The Twelvekey macropad

A nice open-source 3D printed macropad by _vastrox_ with PCB and case files.

Github repo: https://github.com/kb-elmo/twelvekey

Surface finish by the textured bed:

I swapped out the entire print bed on my Anycubic for a magnetic one with a PEI spring steel sheet. Works way better than the original "Ultrabase" thing. The DasFilament stuff is really good. It's the only filament that I use now. Never had any adhesion issues with it so far – _vastrox_.

3w6

The 3w6 by weteor is a low-profile split keyboard with 36 keys.

I didn't noticed the 3W6 when it was released by the author 3 months ago, but llpamies has just posted his build.

Git repo: https://github.com/weteor/3W6

I needed a keyboard for work and wasn't really satisfied with the available alternatives (namely Corne, Kyria and Ferris), mostly because they were rather large and didn't had the spacing I would like. It's designed to be a no frills, cheap and small keyboard to be taken everywhere – weteor.

No hotswap, no multiple switch types, no encoders, no LEDs.

BUT with onboard controllers (so no extra ProMicros, Elite-C needed), production files including SMT assembly files, and sturdy through-hole USB-C connectors.


Lunakey project

The Lunakey project includes two open-source split keyboards and a macropad published by Yoichiro Tanaka.

Git repo with PCB and plate files: https://github.com/yoichiro/lunakey

The project includes the Lunakey Mini, Lunakey Pico and Lunakey Macro.

The Lunakey Mini is a 40% split keyboard with 44 keys (3 rows x 6 columns + 4-key thumb arch), column stagger, Pro Micro, underglow, OLED display and piezoelectric speaker (PKLCS1212E4001-R1).

The Lunakey Pico is a Raspberry Pi Pico version and the Lunakey Macro is an "ergo" macropad with 11 keys – columnarly staggered and with thumb keys.


Heavily modified GiGi

A row less traveled with Anodynousaur's heavily modified GiGi derivative.

Anodynousaur's daily driver for the past couple of weeks is a 3D printed and handwired GiGi with gChoc switches swapped to 12g springs (15g for thumb cluster). Modified to accommodate pimoroni trackball (PIM447) on left and dedicated steno/qwerty mode switch on right half.

This keyboard is based on so many projects and tools that it's hard to list. First an foremost, Pseudoku's GiGi which has been replaced by the parametric Dactyl-It-Yourself-Editor, then Plover, the Stenogochi, etc.

I used Dactyl-It-Yourself-Editor to create the base model. Further heavily modified in Fusion360. […] I mainly use it for writing, which is done primarily in steno mode through Plover. – Anodynousaur.

In qwerty-mode the middle row is accessed by pressing both keys in the column, made possible by DennyTom's excellent chording engine.

In case you can't install any software on your work computer, Anodynousaur came up with the Stenogochi. It does not plug into your computer but rather you connect it to your keyboard and it links to the computer like any Bluetooth HID device would.

3D printing specs:

Prusament PLA Galaxy Black filament. Standard 0.4 nozzle. 0.15 layer height and no post processing. Print time was a bit over 10h per top half and another 2,5 for the bottom plates.


Wireless Atreus Choc

An open-source Atreus choc board by LevitatingPineapple with Nice!Nano controller.

This keyboard with an 42-key Atreus layout uses Kailh Choc low profile switches with hot-swap sockets and SMD diodes. Compatible with ProMicro type controllers but designed to be used with Nice!Nano.

It uses 3mm tall machine pin headers to create space for 301230 battery. The holes in the PCB are enlarged to allow the headers to sit flush with the board.

Git repo: https://github.com/levitatingpineapple/atreus

There are Gerber files for the PCB in the export folder.


Sweep keyboards

Sweep is a family of Ferris-derivatives featuring daughterboards instead of onboard controllers.

This is another project I missed at the time of publication…

The Sweep family by David Philip Barr consists of seven models at the time of writing this. https://github.com/davidphilipbarr/Sweep

Fellow redditer Kyek has a build video here:


Review

Gateron CJ switch

New Gateron CJ linear switches, featuring the first POM based bottom housings ever released from Gateron. Reviewed by ThereminGoat.

Even with Gateron only recently expanding into newer, exotic materials with the Gateron Hippo switches, it appears they’re taking it one step further and with new molds in tow.

Check out ThereminGoat's review of the new Gateron CJ switches, featuring the first POM based bottom housings ever released from Gateron.

I’ll be blatantly honest and say that I came in with a general bit of concern about the presence of POM bottom housings in these switches entirely as a function of Novelkeys Cream induced PTSD. However, I was incredibly well surprised with the sheer smoothness and lack of stick-slip related issues in the switches that I was able to test for these reviews. While I know that not everyone who has tried these has had exactly the same issue-free experience with respect to the bottom housings as myself, I actually leave this review more skeptical of the POM housings than before – ThereminGoat.

Click here for the full article.


Tips & Tricks

Pimoroni trackball support in ZMK

Coded, built and tested by cdc_mkb on a Zephirum, Pimoroni PIM447 trackball is now supported in ZMK firmware.

I wrote a Zephyr driver for the famous Pimoroni PIM447 trackball and added the necessary glue on top of the "mouse" development branch – cdc_mkb.

Code: https://github.com/cdc-mkb/zmk/commits/mouse-pim447

Thanks to a neat trick, small displacements are very precise whereas large displacements are quite fast; it never feels choppy at all.

It probably won't be merged until the ZMK "mouse emulation" dev. branch is stabilized. Technically the support for this trackball could be independent from this dev. branch, but it would mean to duplicate a lot of code.

I only use the USB HID for the moment, so I have no idea on the battery impact. However there is a concern in this regard since the driver is in polling-mode so I contacted Pimoroni to get more information in order to write a new driver in interrupt-mode.

GMK color samples

Sample caps from the GMK Colour Ring shot by flehrad with various backgrounds and different light temperatures.

So Don aka flehrad got a GMK sample ring and shot some photos to help color matching or adjusting your expectations.

The photos were taken by a Samsung S7 in Auto Mode under 3200K/5000K/6500K.

You can check out all the pictures here: https://imgur.com/a/p4AgZ6n

I bought a GMK Colour ring to check out what the range was like, and also put them through a simple photo box with some different background and colour settings – flehrad.


Keyboard Spotting

HP 264X keyboard

A mouthwatering HP 264X keyboard from 1974 reviewed by Chyrosran22.

Today we look at a really old keyboard from HP with extremely complicated switches; ITW magnetic valve! – Chyrosran22


Preh Commander AK 67

This Brüel & Kjær NP 0028 aka Preh Commander AK 67 was found by cdc_mkb in the attic of his employer.

Click here for the original photo.

I found this keyboard in the attic of my employer last year – cdc_mkb.

An old post on r/mk identified this model as Preh Commander AK 67.

I was a bit disappointed too when I discovered the switches were not mechanical; they feel really great for a rubber dome, except for the space bar.

The keyboard was bundled with a "head torso simulator" used to measure the sound quality of mobile phones. Unlike the ortho Preh Commander featured earlier, the caps on this one are not MX compatible.

Still, this model has some noticeable pre-1984 vintage characteristics despite being built in 1998:

  • there is a coin/pencil tray.
  • both "shift" keys share the same signal; in other words there is no "left shift" nor "right shift", only one single "shift".
  • there is a "< >" key and "< ," and "> ." keys.
  • there is a "rep" key, it probably means "repeat/redo".
  • there is a "caret tilde" key.
  • there are two blank keys, their initial functions are unknown but they do work (at least in a hand-wired version)
  • many non-alphanum keys have an unusual position: "escape", "tab", "del", "ctrl", "alpha lock", "↖" (home), and the arrows.
  • the "enter" key is split in two keys: "line-feed" and "return"; like on electric typewriters.


Swiss Skidata keyboard

Manufactured by Tipro for Skidata. Posted by The_KogoroMouri.

Yes. That's a 180-key layout.


Matra Alice 90

The Matra Alice 90 is a French 8-bit computer first marketed in 1983. Posted by videoface.

No, this is ofc not THAT Alice (the least ergo ergo one). This is a Matra Alice 90, a French 8-bit computer from 1983.

It has a strange arrow placement and also Ctrl on the place of Caps Lock which is a popular mod nowadays.

However, there's much more to this model than its retro layout. This photo, originally posted by videoface in the r/cassettefuturism sub, thought me several things and also started me on a trip down memory lane.

Firstly, this hot little computer with the mesmerizing color was probably marketed for girls(?). At least that's what both the color and the manual cover with a cute female figure suggest.

And that's not just quite unique but maybe also one of the last such ones before the 1984 cliff when women stopped pursuing Computer Science majors at American universities – partly due to mostly males appearing in advertisements. Jess Conditt writes about this sad phenomenon in her article What happened to all of the women coders in 1984?

Back to the manual cover: the style of the drawing looked strangely familiar right at first sight. As it turns out, it was drawn by comics artist legend Moebius.

More on this later in the Behind the Scenes post.


Inspiration

Google's mechanical keyboard cup

An open-source mechanical keyboard cup by Google.

I don't usually feature meme boards but the Gboard Yunomi version by Google is slightly different than e.g a banana macropad.

Beside being fully open-source (git repo), it is a homage to the Grand Kitano Tea Ceremony in Japan's Momoyama period (1587). (I can't help but think about what happened in my country while in Kyoto people participated in the Woodstock of tea sipping. What about you and your country?)

And there's a nice 3D emulator on the official site. Try it after clicking the blue button in the upper right corner.

The default layout helps the input of some hard-to-type fish kanji but you can change the layer with the kana button (left of backspace) to access the hiragana set.

If you dare to test your skills of typing the fish names, there's a built-in game as well. Good luck! :|

(Slightly related: the toilet paper roll chorded keyboard.)


That was Issue #46. Thanks for stopping by.

This issue was made possible by the donations of:
splitkb.com, Jeremy Kitchen, AikenJG, @keebio, u/chad3814, @kaleid1990, Eugenie, sebastian siggerud, ajoflo, cdc, Keycapsss.com, @R_i_b_a & 2 anonymous donors.

Your support is crucial to help this project to survive.

Discussion over at r/mk!
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