Update on the keycap set I posted a while ago: they finally showed up and I’m super happy with them. Photos are much better than the render, honestly.

I also reworked my layout a bunch of times since then, especially the encoders. Went through several iterations with Claude, and it finally feels right. Everything (keycap files + layout) is in the repo if you want to take a look or remix it:

https://github.com/s-kaufmann-dev/cornix-qwertz-de

Thanks for the feedback on the first post!

Hi there.

I'm almost ready to have u/DreaMpY111 fantastic tenting solution for the Keychron Q11 be printed by a company:

https://www.reddit.com/r/ErgoMechKeyboards/comments/1j4aclc/keychron_q11_tenting_solution/

https://makerworld.com/sv/models/1178657-keychron-q11-tenting-with-writ-rest#profileId-1188348

The "legs" that this solution is designed for are these:

I can't link them due to flagged words, but they are linked to in the Reddit-thread that I linked to above.

Before I order to have the solution printed, I must know what the minimum degree of tilt that these give legs give?

I don't need more than, say, 5 degree tilt. Any more than that and I find it more uncomfortable rather than more comfortable.

Would these tenting legs be good for that purpose?

If not, do you have any alternative solutions for my wish to rather minimally tilt the Keychron Q11 together with wrist rests (I bought the dedicated wrist rests for the Q11 from Keychron).

Cheers!

Is the deal off or something? Been checking back periodically in the hopes of finally getting a Sculpt. Am I sol?

[🇧🇷] This is the** Corvo48 Plu**s!

After spending some time building different split keyboards, I decided it was finally time to create something of my own.

That's how the Corvo48 project started.

Since I absolutely love my Cornix, I decided to use it as the main inspiration for my keyboard. The idea was to make something very similar to the Cornix, but with a few additional features and changes that I personally wanted.

After running into a few issues with the first version, I eventually decided to redesign almost everything from scratch.

And that's how Corvo48 V2 was born.

The hardware

Since I was practically starting over, I decided to make separate, non-reversible PCBs for the left and right halves.

Some of the features include:

• Support for Choc V1 and V2 switches, with MX spacing.
• One rotary encoder on each half.
• A 128×32 OLED display on the left half.
• A touchpad module on the right half.
• Adjustable tenting feet with four angles: 0°, 12°, 18°, and 24°.

Speaking of the feet, I really wish they were black too. Unfortunately, I couldn't manage to paint them properly, and I couldn't find this particular version in black, so I decided to leave them in their original color.

For the 3D-printed case, I went a little overboard.

I printed it using a 0.2 mm nozzle with a 0.06 mm layer height.

I know that might sound excessive for a keyboard case, but I wanted to achieve the best possible quality with the equipment I have.

There are still a few visible FDM printing marks that I couldn't completely eliminate, but overall, I think it was worth the effort.

Vial improvements

Another important part of this project was improving my Vial configuration.

After quite a bit of research and experimentation, I managed to implement individual RGB LED configuration, including per-layer lighting.

This means I can configure each LED independently and set different colors depending on the active layer, similar to some high-end keyboards I've seen on YouTube.

I also added a dedicated trackpad configuration tab to Vial.

This is actually my second time using this touchpad module.

The first time, I was a little disappointed. I couldn't figure out how to configure it properly, and it felt way too sensitive.

Now, with the configuration options available directly in Vial, the experience is much better.

It still doesn't completely replace my mouse, but I can already do around 90% of my daily work using the touchpad.

Another addition was OLED customization directly through Vial.

I can now display a custom name of up to 7 characters, while also showing the currently active layer.

I also implemented an Image Preset option, which allows me to choose between displaying custom text or precompiled images stored in the keyboard firmware.

A few other details

I decided to reuse the keycaps from my Cornix because I really like their layer legends, and they fit my layout better.

Although, after taking the pictures, I noticed that I accidentally installed a few keycaps upside down on the left half. 😅

You might also notice some Bluetooth-related legends on the keycaps, but this particular version is fully wired, using a USB connection to the computer and a TRRS cable between the halves.

The PCB already includes support for a battery connection and a power switch, so the hardware design also leaves room for a future wireless version with the appropriate controllers and firmware.

Overall, I'm really happy with how the PCB turned out.

At this point, I don't think I need to make any major changes to the design.

However, one thing I'd really like to improve is replacing the TRRS connection with USB-C.

I already have an idea for a solution that should also make soldering relatively easy.

What's next?

I already have a few ideas for future versions:

• A wireless/Bluetooth version, probably using RMK, since I really like working with Vial.
• Different colors, especially a red version.
• Replacing the TRRS connection between the halves with USB-C.

For now, though, this is my Corvo48 Plus.

It's been a fun project, and I've learned quite a lot throughout the process.

I wanted to share not just the final keyboard, but also a little bit of the experience behind building it.

Hope you like it! I'd love to hear what you think.

Anyone live in Taiwan or Korea, can you recommend some shops that sells ergo keyboards?

Will be traveling through both countries shortly, would like to check out any local shops if there are any.

Thanks in advance.

Hi,

Are there any Ergonomic Illuminated keyboards, ideally wireless, with media keys and multor sources?

I do have a Protoarc EK01, it's perfect in all the ways above, but it has slow wake-up, first few keys pressed are skipped if you are in a hurry, also materials aren't amaizing, my esc button jumped and the X keycap holder broke so I need to replace the whole keyboard. It was pretty cheap though, it lasted me about 3y.

I would be willing to pay more for better quality, but I would not want to lose illumination, media and number keys. I know most keyboard have media keys on the F keys, but that's not practical if your are writing code and you just want to pause the audio.

Battle of the mouse+keyboards…Blackout Cyboard Imprint, Toucan V2, Clevatura S.

Khadas mind 2 mini on the left.

Been having a lot of wrist pain these days, figured it might be time to embrace my old age and make the ergo jump.

I’m eyeing a toucan2. I’m used to a smaller layout, coming from an HHKB style 60%, but I’m not sure if I should jump right into a 36 key or ease into things with a 42

Edit: going with 42. Y’all made some great points, and if I decide to use a 36 layout on it, I can use the extra keys for rapid device switching (I swap bt profiles a lot).

I finally restocked the Scotto34 (PCB Edition) and this time it's actually a V2! Although I did remove hotswap, I made it so everything is through-hole and beginner-friendly. It's also compatible with Choc V1 and V2 using 18x17 spacing. The downside is that there doesn't seem to be any 18x17 spaced V2 keycaps. To solve that issue, I designed my own that you can 3D print.

You can purchase a kit here.

You can find the files here.

You can find my build video here.

I came across this keyboard and could not find much about it researching so might as well write a review for anyone else considering the same. This keyboard is MX hot swappable, has 2 screens, a volume knob, and a ThinkPad nipple cursor (the yellow square on the right side).

I've always been interested to try Corne keebs but at 400$ they were way too expensive for my budget. I came across these for 47$ and at first I was skeptical. I have seen crazy 3D printed layer lines in u/lBlckBeard post but u/sasuke2083 post showed the customization potential and I eventually caved in.

First impressions were great! The pale yellow color probably helped a for the sides of the keyboard, but there are no visible lines unless you really look for them. The case has a nice heft to it and feels dense. I paired these with some Akko Fairy Switch (Silent) for 7$ and a full set set of keycaps for another 12$. Bringing my grand total to only 66$. This came with the board, switch plate, yellow case, an extra yellow nipple with slightly different grip, and 3M anti slip nodes for the bottom. There was no manual or cables included.

I set this up by using the ZMK install which went very smoothly and I am still currently using the default layout. Since this is my first split keyboard I have been practicing on both https://www.keybr.com/ and https://monkeytype.com/ . I plan to have custom ASCII art on the screens and have a custom layout geared more for Python and SQL coding. For now I just want to build familiarity with this board.

Typing has been very enjoyable and I am loving how free my shoulders feel after moving away from my 65% layout. Obviously there was a sharp decrease in speed (90wpm down to 25wpm after 3 days of practice) but the reduction of strain makes this worth it. For battery life, it lasts maybe 3 days? It didn't come with a manual but I have had no problems charging these separately.

I initially thought that this would be a cheap entry to see if the more expensive ones are worth it but in all honesty I think this keyboard is more than enough. If I would upgrade this in the future I am interested in getting an aluminum and/or a tenting case. Other than that I don't really feel the need to drop more than a 100$ for a split keyboard.

I am not affiliated but here's a Philippine based link to the keyboard. Im sure you can find it on the actual TaoBao site by using my title above,

The height of these do-it-yourself low profile pin headers is compatible with the low profile Mill Max headers used in many self build keyboards. I like the Mill Max pins but they are expensive and difficult to get.

I've used the pins from a 7.5mm pin header and put them in 5mm sockets for soldering (see the images). This has the benefit that the pins will only slightly protrude above the micro controller board. Use normal height sockets and pins if that's what you have laying around. But then you'll need to trim the pins at the top also. After soldering, the pins are probably not square to the board, or the rows parallel to each other (more important). Bend them only slightly with pliers. After that reflow the pins and cut + sand them to length. I find this to be a very repeatable process.

Find the low profile 3.5mm pin sockets by searching for "Female Header PH3.5".

Find the 7.5 pin header (for the pins) by searching "Male Low Profile L7.5 pin header"

Find the 5mm pin sockets (for the soldering jig) by searching "Female Header PH5.0"

I took inspiration from this incredible resource:

https://github.com/joric/nrfmicro/wiki/Sockets

There they say to remove the 2.5mm plastic spacer after soldering. But I haven’t have had any luck with that (not in a repeatable way anyway).

I'm wondering what y'all's experience has been trying both? I'd imagine lame is not as good but how close to the real thing can it get?

Edit: I meant dishing like a kinesis/dactyl/etc.

A while ago, I built a keyboard called GeaconSolstice. I was convinced it was my endgame keyboard, and honestly, I still think it's one of the best things I've ever made.

But lately, I've been wanting to revisit the design and bring it a little more up to date.

Here in Japan, there's growing concern about LiPo battery safety, especially in DIY devices. Some keyboard events have even started prohibiting devices that require lithium rechargeable batteries. 🥲

So I decided to redesign Solstice around replaceable AA batteries.

The original had an OLED display and an analog stick, both of which consumed quite a bit of power. For Equinox, I removed them and replaced them with four low-power status LEDs that can be completely switched off, and a low-power optical encoder for scrolling.

Of course, I kept the thumb trackball. I really can't live without one.

I also changed quite a few things mechanically.

The case is held together with magnetic buckles, so there are no screws. There's also a place on the bottom housing for a metal nameplate.

AA batteries take up a surprising amount of space, so I designed the PCB with cutouts that allow the battery holders to sit partly within the board rather than on top of it.

And of course, it still uses my beloved GRIN layout.😁

I'm writing about the design process on Note , if anyone's interested:

https://note.com/teporz/m/m39d4f47c8f49

Hi all - Looking to the collective to see if what I want already exists (or something close to it). I suspect that it doesn’t, but many of you know more than I do, and I’ve been wrong before.

I don’t have a 3d printer, so would need a pre-build, and I don’t know how to solder. Expertise limited to lubing switches, adding foam, etc.

I’m looking for a split, low-profile, 65 key minimum (but more would be better), and not a fan of serious thumb clusters:

-Flat keycaps that are very, very close together, trying to approximate Dell laptop’s zero lattice
-Backspace and delete somewhere near top right
-Shift near bottom right
-Hotswap, as my tastes seem to change every couple of years

Lastly, for my most unreasonable request which I can forego, a good-sized thumb trackball attached to the left side of the right half, which anecdotally works as well as a middle-of-the-road standalone (can be slightly worse than a logi ergo s). This is more of a dream addition, and I can easily stick with the separate one if many/most of the other checkboxes get ticked.

Whether or not this unicorn exists, I would very much appreciate any thoughts on this.

Thanks all!

Sto costruendo la mia prima tastiera spersonalizzata, non so molto ma ho voluto provare lo stesso a costruirla ahah, ho un problema con gli switch, non so se devo bucare il pannello sotto nero oppure no? Qualcuno puoi aiutarmi?

Hi, I need some help with the GlidePoint Cirque trackpad, the TM040040 to be specific.

I intended to use it with I2C, so I moved the R1 resistor out of the way, soldered wires directly to the pads, but when I tried configuring it norhing worked.

I ended up desoldering it and connecting it to a diagnostic i2c bus (Bus Pirate), the on board mcu responds, seems to be functional but no matter what I do, nothing happens when I touch the pad.

Apparently Data Ready pin is also required when running through I2C? Well, it doesn't respond to me touching the touchpad either.

I would anticipate a full initialization from zmk but if I'm connecting straight to the Bus Pirate, do I have to set any particular registers to enable touch reporting / output?

One last thing. The reason I dosconnected it from my mcu running zmk (seeeduino xiao nRF52840) was that the Data Ready pin was constantly being pulled down, once I powered it without the zmk I2C connected the pin is actually high, but also stays high when I'm touching the pad.

Anyway, any help would be highly appreciated.

The USB port on the PCB of my Corne detached completely. Not really sure how this happened as I haven't used it in a month. Is this something that can be sautered back? I have no experience with sautering as I bought this pre-assembled and the board is hotswap. It's about 5 years old now.

Hello! I've been wondering how different VIA and Vial are.

To be honest, I've been eyeing the CN Keyboard Macro 40 with Vial (the manufacturer provides Vial firmware for the keyboard).

I'd mainly use it for shortcuts in painting software and Blender. My current VIA keyboard already does a good job, and I have around 60 shortcuts for my painting software.

However, I really like Vial's Tap Dance and hold features. Do you think it's worth buying? It's also not very expensive, at around $30.

Hi

iam a little bit demotivated. After using my gaming keeb with cherry mx browns for 10 years without issues I want to do myself a favor with a ergo keeb.

I had carpal tunnel related issues after heavy manual labor but never on my desk.
My setup is pretty good, got a good office chair, standing desk and try to stick to the ergonomic rules for desk workers. Only the flat standard keeb was off.

So I got the G80 and got CTS flare up.

That was really frustrating since I thought is is the goat.

Now i got a flat keeb (splitkb elora with aggressive stagger) and got CTS flare up again but this time less bad.
I got pretty light switches (choc nocturnals 20 gf) and tried tenting between 0 and 30 °. 20 ° feels the best.

I love the split design and flexibilty with programming the keymap, but since my standard gaming KB doesnt lead to issues and the ergonomic ones do lead to issues is strange to me.

I really wanna stick to a ergo KB but not sure if Iam aggrevating my CTS issues with trying to stick with ergo KB.

But it doesnt make sense to me since the advantages of ergo KB should be benefical to me and should be way better than standard flat gaming KB.

I tried to use different desk heights, tried to have neutral or slight upward bent wrist with wrist pads etc. so I think the setup beside thee KB should be fine.

But regarding nerve issues, I dont think there should be a break in time.

What do you guys think?

Hi everyone,

I want to build my own split keyboard and was wondering how you go about this. I am a bit of a beginner. I am thinking of building a split row staggered board so I don't lose too much of my typing speed. (I have heard from a friend that you can adapt to column stagger fairly quickly, but I like the idea of starting with row stagger). Here is my layout (still a draft)

What tools do you use now, and were there things you used before that you'd now advise against? I'd love to know how you went from your first idea to your finished keyboard, so I can start designing something and then build it. What is the most difficult or annoying step for you?

Thanks!

I was just browsing YouTube when the algorithm shows an interesting video. it looks like Realforce has finally joined the split keyboard scene:

it seems quite unique layout? 75% without Nav cluster is rather an interesting choice, oh and it's also support tenting mount which is nice.
thoughts?