Website
First working prototype I finally managed to get the full, first working prototype. I am typing with it right now. Here is the picture: And a video walkthrough of the current state: First typing impressions I’ve been using it for a couple of days, and here are my current impressions: The escape key definitely needs a stepped keycap. I accidentally pressed Esc too many times already. I am, however,…
I recently recovered the code I wrote on the commodore 64 when I was 10 or so. Among it was a mandelbrot generator, in basic. 5 poke 53265,59:poke 53272,29 6 for i=8192 to 8192+7999:poke i,0:next 10 print"{clr}" 20 for i=200 to 999 30 for j=0 to 7 40 for k=7 to 0 step -1 50 b=2.5-(5/200)*j-8*int(i/40)*(5/200) 60 a=-4+(5/320)*k+(i-int(i/40)*40)*8*(5/320) 70 a1=a:b1=b:co=0 80…
Designing the body If I haven’t done any design of the body yet, it’s because learning Fusion 360 is much harder than I expected, at least with the time I have available. However, I decided the following: No 3d printing. The body is too large and thin for effective 3d printing, and the quality is probably not going to be great. I could probably pull that off with a lot of support (that I need to…
Redesigning the board The choice to temporarily move to the Holtek controller means that I have to redesign the whole board so that the matrix complies with the controller expectations. I took also the chance to redesign the layout and baseplate to the expected new keycap sizes (space 2.75). Then, I mapped each key to the appropriate row and column. First the left part And then the right part Now,…
I recently started an initiative at my local Makespace about advanced python training . It has been and still is a perfect environment to keep my python fresh and introduce other makers to the python most obscure and advanced features, as well as the surrounding environment. In the upcoming meetings I decided to have a little hardware project. We are makespace after all, and making things is part…
USB Controller and board I decided to put the firmware on hold for a while and just rely on the Holtek chip. It’s a single solution and while I won’t be able to achieve what I want in the long run, I can starte designing other things and get a functional keyboard quickly. I designed the PCB, ordered the components, and soldered them This first iteration of the board does not connect all pins, but…
Baseplate I laser cut the complete baseplate. The files are available here I clearly screwed the screw space, as there’s not enough space for setting them. It needs rework. In any case, the two layers must be glued together with Tensol 12, a fast curing glue tailored to acrylic. To verify its strength bond, I applied a small amount on two scrap strips of acrylic. I let them cure for 24 hours, and…
This post explain a frequently asked question about python that is nothing new to people who knows their bits and bytes, but it’s unexpected to newcomers. Why this >>> 0.1 + 0.2 0.30000000000000004 This is not a python bug. This is not a bug. This is expected behavior in any programming language. Those who tell you otherwise are lying (well, they are probably truncating earlier). The floating…
Baseplate and new (larger) prototype matrix I managed to get my hands on the 1.5 mm acrylic and build a double layered 3mm thick baseplate. It was horribly expensive, and unfortunately only available in transparent. I say unfortunately because LEDs are no longer an option, as they would shine through the baseplate and not illuminate precisely one key. Aluminum is still an option I am considering,…
Thinner acrylic One of the problem I had at makespace is that only 3mm acrylic was available. Unfortunately, as said previously, the Cherry MX keycaps have locking tabs that only engage at 1.5mm. The keys will pop out with anything thicker. One of the main issues with 1.5mm acryilic is that it’s very wobbly. In general, base plates are made of aluminum or steel, with a preference for the former.…