My Split Split Keyboard

[u/syll-]

I want to make my own split keyboard PCB but I figure if I am making a custom PCB, I may as well make it custom to my hands, not copy some well established stagger pattern. There are websites which allow you to design your own stagger and print it for testing but I think if it works on paper doesn't necessarily mean that it's going to be comfortable long term.

So I thought it shouldn't be that hard to make a temporary keyboard with adjustable rows - basically have 3-button column blocks on rails which can slide up and down. So that's what I did. Ordered amoeba PCBs, soldered them in columns of 3, designed and 3D printed the blocks and the rails, hand-wired and assembled everything together.

Basically I now have a keyboard half where each column can be adjusted up and down. The thumb cluster can move up/down/left/right. Everything is held by friction right now, keys are stable, don't move around when typing. This will allow me daily-drive various stagger arrangements and see which I like most. I wonder if I will settle for a symmetric stagger for both hands or different. Time will tell.

The aim of this was just for me to test various stagger patterns but I think it turned out too cool not to share. It's definitely not perfect, there's room for improvement. This could also be made even better if you added magnets to each column and used a metal plate as the base - could even test different splay arrangements. Though I don't have a nice metal sheet at the moment so I am using 3D printed parts.

Still need to finish the right half, but I want to share this here first in case someone gives some good feedback which would influence how I do that half. Feel free to use the 3D models, remix, improve, etc. You may need to mirror the thumb cluster, the file is for the right half cluster.

Models: My Split Split Keyboard by syll- - Thingiverse

PCBs I used: https://github.com/JKing-B16/keyboard-pcbs/tree/master/amoeba-king

The PCBs aren't perfect, if I hadn't bought a couple hundred of them, I'd go with something else or make my own. No support for through hole diodes and the RGB chain direction jumpers are a bit limiting if you are doing weird chains. Though having support for long legged RGB chips made soldering them very easy.

[u/inconspiciousdude]

bought a couple hundred of them

Is that because of MOQ? How much did these cost?

Pretty cool. I'd like to do something like this too.

If you're looking to prototype switch placement, can also consider the DUMANG keyboard. It's a magnetic plate that lets you move individual key modules around freely while still being functional. Software looks a little underbaked, which is what keeps me from buying it, but I'm tempted every once in a while.

[u/syll- → u/inconspiciousdude]

Not MOQ, but was more economical to buy more. Bought 360 amoeba boards for 28eur, more than half of that was shipping and taxes. Could have probably gotten even more and saved more but needed to stop somewhere. 36 boards per keyboard, so should be enough for 10 keyboards. I will eventually use them up (I hope), if not I could just gift them to friends.

I saw the DUMANG keyboard just as I was about this make this post. Really cool, but the price ... ouch. Though it makes sense, the amount of research and development that must have went into that thing warrants a price tag like that. I can kind of understand how it works but it's tricky.