Made with a bunch of leftover stuff from other projects: Mx blacks Mx blues (layers/mod) 3D printed case Square rubber feet Wheel weights inside cases Cable (stepper cables and glue gun sticks)

Thanks to MattDB for such a great utility design

Thing:2704567

I need more controllers now lol

Can't beat the feel of the gateron baby kangaroo for an Mx switch, currently have red pros in the choc but I've recently learned about sunsets 👀

If they're half as good as the kangas I'm sold

I've been working on this board for some time now. Each half is printed in four pieces, the bottom, the middle, the switch plate, and the modular top glamour plate. I did it this so it's hyper repairable and customizable and it all snaps together satisfyingly and is held tight with 4 M3 bolts and nuts.

This is handwired using SuperMinis and 110mah lipos.

I'm working on an order to have some top plates CNC'd out of aluminum and anodized. I feel that would add a lot of rigidity to the board and still allow Bluetooth versus being encased entirely in aluminum. This also keeps the cost down, as two top plates with no design are $27~ shipped from JL*****CB.

Hey,

just wanted to remind everyone, that ZMK Studio has a stable release. Saw it on the ZMK Discord today and I'm really happy about it, because I build a planck over the weekend and can now make changes on the fly :)

The Official Announcement

If you are like me and a little bit slow in understanding what you need to change in your config files, I put my weekend build into a github repo. There you can see a working config for zmk.studio.

You can create your physical layout on this site, pretty cool app :)

I'm really grateful for this community and these wonderful pieces of software, have fun with it everyone :)

Currently, I'm working on a 34 key Sweep that I built with help of splitkb Aurora Sweep series. But I'm thinking of building a simpler wireless keyboard with 30 keys. Since the top 4 keys for pinky and index finger are harder to reach than anything else, I feel like this layout could be really good on reducing finger movement even more.

I choose 30 keys because I don’t have to have (don’t want to have) another alpha layer. This setup gives me a complete alpha, symbol, number, and extend layers all condensed down to 3 layers. Upper (extend and number), lower (symbols and nav), with lots more extensions for combos and such. After trying and setting up combos, I prefer them over going to a layer to do what I want. 

I also combined most used mouse heavy tasks and shortcuts to the left hand. Like delete, backspace, enter, copy, paste, cut, undo, redo, etc on the left hand via combos or the upper (extend) layer. My right hand is heavy on nav of text and typing when both hands are on the board. 

I have home row mods on the bottom layer due to the home row having my most typed keys. So far after > 1 year of typing on this layout I have not had any issues with mods being activated with typing. Maybe a couple times with typing 'cd' I would get 'gui + d' but it was not a lot of times that that happened. There’s probably some redundancy in terms of keys or combos that I can take away. I also think that removing the 4 extra index finger keys 'G,V,M,K' and implementing a second alpha layer could make this board even sweeter, but I wouldn't know where to put any more symbols or letters ;/

Anyways, am open to feedback on the layout to see how I can improve it even further. (drawn using excalidraw :)

edit: added img caption.

I am trying to find some options for a keypad (just the left hand side of a keyboard) that has a good thumb cluster that is easy to use. If its a split keyboard hopefully it would work with just the left side plugged in and the right side disconnected.

Something like the Dygma Defy, or Redragon K585.

I just want to use this for games and want the cluster to allow for more binds/modifiers.

Are there any other good options for this?

Hi all,

I'm new to building keyboards, I've been trying to build my corne split keyboard. The left half of it works fine with firmware flashed. I tried to flash my right half but my NRF52840 MCU isn't getting into Bootloader mode even after double tapping the reset button.

I also tried using tweezers/cable to connect GND and RST on the MCU, the red led stops glowing when pressed(which i suppose is how it shld work), but even then it doesn't go into bootloader mode.

The left half when connected into bootloader showed as Nice!Nano as the device storage. I tried to burn the bootloader for the right half using Arduino IDE by selecting the board as "Adafruit Feather NRF52840 Express" and selected the Programmer as "Bootloader DFU for Blufruit nRF52", but i got the following error:

Plz help, thanks in advance.

Upgrading target on /dev/cu.usbmodemD2EAF84A6E231 with DFU package /Users/username/Library/Arduino15/packages/adafruit/hardware/nrf52/1.6.1/bootloader/feather_nrf52840_express/feather_nrf52840_express_bootloader-0.9.0_s140_6.1.1.zip. Flow control is disabled, Dual bank, Touch 1200
Touched serial port /dev/cu.usbmodemD2EAF84A6E231
Opened serial port /dev/cu.usbmodemD2EAF84A6E231
Starting DFU upgrade of type 3, SoftDevice size: 151016, bootloader size: 39000, application size: 0
Sending DFU start packet
Timed out waiting for acknowledgement from device.
Failed to upgrade target. Error is: No data received on serial port. Not able to proceed.
Possible causes:
- Selected Bootloader version does not match the one on Bluefruit device.
 Please upgrade the Bootloader or select correct version in Tools->Bootloader.
- Baud rate must be 115200, Flow control must be off.
- Target is not in DFU mode. Ground DFU pin and RESET and release both to enter DFU mode.
Traceback (most recent call last):
 File "__main__.py", line 296, in serial
 File "dfu/dfu.py", line 226, in dfu_send_images
 File "dfu/dfu.py", line 199, in _dfu_send_image
 File "dfu/dfu_transport_serial.py", line 179, in send_start_dfu
 File "dfu/dfu_transport_serial.py", line 243, in send_packet
 File "dfu/dfu_transport_serial.py", line 282, in get_ack_nr
nordicsemi.exceptions.NordicSemiException: No data received on serial port. Not able to proceed.

The Preamble

Hi guys! So months ago I came across a video by a YouTuber who talked about his split keyboard, and thought "Wow! That keyboard's crazy!" and promptly forgot about it. Then a few months back I was discussing a colleague's return to work after her elbow surgery, and I said we should probably get her a split keyboard - which in my mind was more the tradition Microsoft ones - and jokingly searched for the crazy minimalist keyboards to show around.

Well since then I fell down the rabbit hole of split keyboards, discovered home row mod (which I'm curious still getting accustomed to after setting it up via karabiner), and I'm two days away from receiving my Voyager keyboard (I thought about getting a kit with 3 thumb keys but I can't solder and with the price of pre-soldered kit I decided to go with the Voyager for their friendly software and DIY scene).

The Protagonist

Anyway... I've since had a chat with my colleague who's now returned to work. I lent her an ambidextrous Trackball mouse which she absolutely loves, has been the talk of the office and she wants to get one for home now! But I really want to get her off the generic Dell membrane keyboard she's using.

She can touch type but she's currently lost control of her left pinkie, and she may have to have another surgery on her elbow in the near future. I've let her try out some mechanical switches and she's taken to my lemon switches which are tactile.

I talked her through the types of split keyboards out there, and as expected, the idea of columnar keyboards sounds too much work for her - she's only a a few years from retirement so no point in relearning how to type on a changed layout. This also means forgetting about learning alternative layouts than qwerty.

The Proposal

So that leaves me with column staggered keyboard with mechanical switches (not low profile) split keyboards. I've got my eyes on the Raise 2 by Dygma, since it can be recombined into a 'normal' keyboard and be pulled apart into split - giving her opportunity to practice during less busy hours with split, and put them back together during busy times when she really needs to type. It has tenting as well which I said my colleague could try out further down the line when she's more confident with it.

There aren't too many thumb keys so I feel like the learning curve will be reasonable, with the layers being the main thing she'd have to learn (as well as generally splitting the keyboard), and I've also suggested that she can have the left pinkie keys (QAZ) on her stronger fingers on another layer.

I feel pretty happy with my find, but... I'm still new to this market (I haven't even got my first split keyboard yet), so my exposure is still limited. I don't know what I don't know.

The P... Picking of your brains?

So I'm wondering if you guys have any other recommendations that I should also look into?

I know Kinesis is the big brand in this space but the key well keyboards are all columnar so they're out of the question, and their Freestyle ones don't seem to offer much in terms of features, and all the extra keys are on the left which is her weak hand now.

Thank you for any suggestions in advance! I'm sorry this isn't one for the custom keyboard crowd!

I'm trying to get into ergo keyboards because reasons. I find the choice for split keyboard cases quite overwhelming. Any recommendations?

Hi everyone,

After days of research, I’ve narrowed down my choices to four split keyboards:

• moonlander
• voyager
• https://ergodox-ez.com/
• glove80

Quick background: I’ve had RSI in both hands for the past two years from a combination of gaming and software development. Since all of these keyboards are pretty pricey in my currency, I want to make the right choice.

The main thing I’m looking for is an ergonomic design that will support me long-term and help prevent further strain. Right now, I’m leaning towards either the ErgoDox or Glove80, with the Glove80 being a bit pricier but also the best option for what I need.

For those of you who have experience with these models, which one would you recommend to help me protect my hands and keep my career going?

Thanks for any advice!

Hey r//ErgoMechKeyboards community,

I've recently realized how much long typing sessions are straining my wrists, so I’m considering making the switch to a split keyboard. I'm hoping for a balance of convenience and minimalism, so in terms of “normal” keyboard sizes, I think a 60% keyboard would suit me best.

I do a lot of programming, so quick and easy access to special characters like various brackets is crucial for me. I use a vim-based workflow and my mother tongue is German, but I use the EurKey layout. Linux compatibility is essential, as I run everything on a Linux setup.

One feature I'd love to have is RGB lighting to help me differentiate between layers. I have a 3D printer and soldering experience, so I’m open to DIY, but I don’t mind if something comes prefabricated.

I’ve looked at some options but am feeling a bit lost: the Corne seems too minimalistic, and I’m somewhat confused by the different Sofle (Hybrid, GLP. V2, RGB, ... - I think I've even seen a V3 somewhere?) versions. With Black Friday deals coming up (e.g. I've seen some in the Ergomech store - is this store recommendable?), I’d really appreciate some guidance on which keyboard might offer the best price-performance ratio.

Thanks a ton in advance for any advice!

Many sites say that choc keys feel about 2x as stiff as MX keys, but 35g actuation force is still 35g. If you don't like mx reds because you accidentally hit the keys while resting your fingers, you probably won't like any choc switch lighter than reds

Only real difference is that the keycaps themselves are lighter which changes things a little bit but not much

Other than the fact that I'm looking to return my choc red pros for some yellows I love this board though lol

Any Corne user here that also has experience with Ergonaut One? I wish to build a wireless Corne with Gateron LP switches. The Ergonaut One has a very similar layout, but I was wondering if there are actual differences that can make the Ergonaut One a better alternative.

So far I like the esthetic of the Ergonaut One. However, the Corne will be cheaper to build, and has more features.

On my main pc I am currently using a custom keyboard language I made in MSKLC that is default US, + Altgr key combo for äåö.

But I was wondering if there is a way to use the default swedish keyboard layout on my pc. But configuring QMK in such a way that when I use shift combo I get the normal US layout combos, instead of the swedish ones.

So that I could us my keyboard on any pc with swedish layout.

Is it possible to have a mod tap functionality which toggles a layer when tapped? I feel like this should be possible using&mt RSHFT 3 but I wasn't sure since there is no configurations for the behavior of the layer in this line like &lt or &tog. My other idea was to use &mt RSHFT &tog 3 but could this still be passed to &mt as a parameter? I couldn't get any confirmation so any help is appreciated.

What are the smallest mechanical switches, maybe like 10mm x 10mm, but still keeping it mechanical so I can attach a keycap to them?

Hi, I'm looking for a 36-42 keys DIY split keyboard with cherry mx and wireless support. Cherry MX is much cheaper in my country and nice!nano alternatives are not that expensive either. I appreciate any recommendations. 😊

I'm using a 36 key corne with mx spacing and trying out a hands down variation key layout.

I'm curious if anyone has experience using one of these layouts and having discomfort when typing bigrams that involve a lower row letter and the thumb letter. For example, my layout has R on the right thumb, and P and F on the ring and pinky finger on the same hand. Words like "From" and "Props" feel very awkward and slow to type. I quite like having the R where it is for the most part as it really speeds up most words, but I type fr and pr often enough that I'd like to get this resolved.

As I was trying to problem solve this today I realized that part of the problem might just be that I have large-ish hands, so I'm thinking maybe I should look into something concave and or just larger so that my hand doesn't have to curl into itself quite so much to hit that row. I'm thinking maybe a 42~ key dactyl might be the answer, but would love to hear if anyone has encountered and solved this problem before I go spending money on a hunch.

Hi everyone, we at https://ergomech.store is having the largest sale event of the year.

There are 2 categories of items are being discounted:

• 20% for all the keyboard builds with Aluminum case

  • 25% for all the keyboard builds with sandwich style case

Please visit our website and see if we have anything you like, the price couldn't be any better.

Hurry up!!!

I'm interested in trying a split keyboard but everything I find online appears to be $200+
There's a good chance that what I'm looking for simply doesn't exist but I'll detail what I'm looking for here anyway.

What I'm hoping to find (listed in order of importance):

• <$200 (broke college student so the cheaper the better)
• Split

• Ortho-Linear

• QMK

• Column staggered

• Portability

• Wireless

I put portability pretty low on the list but it would be really neat to have something I could put in my backpack and take with me on the days where I commute to campus and primarily use my laptop.

Thanks for taking the time to check out my post! Looking forward to learning more about keyboards

I have bad RSI issues from the mouse with my right hand. A vertical mouse helped for years but not anymore. I tried a trackball and that doesn’t seem to help a lot, plus it’s hard to be nearly as fast at work. The main issue is my new software is archaic and you need to have a mouse click to do almost anything. I’m thinking about programming some macros etc but I really need to offload more work to my left hand. I think that beating able to simulate mouse clicks with my left hand would go a long way.

I used to have a charybdis but sold it due to reasons. I might just get another one. I really like to go all out with my keyboard/ergo setup but now that I’m working full time I barely have the energy to research what to buy, let alone build something.

Budget is really no limit. I just bought a lg c4 55” to use as a monitor for a low gravity reclined setup. I have very bad sciatica and can’t sit for more than short periods.

Anyways, sorry for the ramble post. Thanks for your time!

Oh yeah, I have a dilemma v2 for sale if anyone is interested. All black with sunset chocks.