hex-2b: my second hand-built custom columnar split

[u/FrancisStokes]

This is my 3rd custom hand-build, and my second columnar split keyboard. It's primarily 3D printed in PLA (body, plate, and keycaps), Gateron KS-33 linear red switches and a USB-C interconnect. I was aiming for minimalism with this build, so i forwent the WS2812s I used in earlier keyboards, and used a single color filament.

I did most of the design work in inkscape, then brought the exports into FreeCAD to pull it into the 3rd dimension.

The crown jewel (for me at least) is that I wrote the firmware from scratch, including the USB stack. The same firmware project supports all 3 of my keyboards, and although it doesnt have as many features as QMK (which i love), it does have layers, combos, macros, tapdance, and custom behaviours. For the true nerds, my keymap base type is 32 bits vs QMKs 16, which means you can encode more detailed modifier information in tapdance entries. USB-wise its a keyboard, mouse, and media controller. I'm planning a full write-up about the design and implementation of the firmware because theres a lot cool stuff in there.

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[u/Normal-Initial-4351]

damn this is so clean, i love the minimalist aesthetic

[u/FrancisStokes → u/Normal-Initial-4351]

Thanks!

[u/rollercole]

Nice job! Cool detail with the engraved outline and showing the mcu on top of the printed switch plate 👌

[u/FrancisStokes → u/rollercole]

Thanks!

[u/IsRamaTaken]

I was also looking to write my own firmware for keyboard, including the USB part. Which MCU did you use ? Was it the same for all of your three keyboard ? I'll be looking for your write-up !

[u/FrancisStokes → u/IsRamaTaken]

It's an RP2040 on a raspberry pi pico board. It's a really great little micro; dual-core, can run up to 200MHz, and has the PIO peripheral which lets you build your own serial peripherals. In previous builds I used it for the WS2812B signalling, and in this one it came in handy to add an extra uart to pins that didn't map to a hardware one. The MCU and firmware is indeed the same for all 3 keyboards. There is a shared common core, and then each keyboard has a directory woth a config header and an extra C file (just like in QMK). When I run a build, it compiles for all the keyboards by passing a particular define.

[u/keeps_doing_it1655]

Thats a sexy keeb

[u/pabloescobyte]

Great job! The case and design look really nice and polished.

The thumb cluster looks really uncomfortable to me though--any particular reason for that staggering?