A Tiny, Ultra-Affordable Keyboard You Can Build Yourself!

[@BenVallack]

Subscribe to my new custom keyboards channel! www.youtube.com/@BenVallacksKeyboards

[@VincentThePhotog]

I see you often using your keyboards without any sort of "case". Have you ever had any issue or concern regarding electro static discharge?

[@raywood1624]

Absolutely brilliant Ben. The pcb edit and Gerber download is exactly what other videos skip over. More content like this please.

[@BenVallack]

Thanks so much! Yeah when I was doing the screencast I realised why no one does it; very fiddly and easy to get confusing!

[@raywood1624]

Well worth the effort. I have been waiting for this video since I saw on another thread that you had ordered the pcbs.

[@alexgruber3527]

@@BenVallack Hi Ben, I'm currently trying to completely redesign my laptop in order to have a simple ultra small thin client that connects to my mashine at home. I want to try that keyboard but the original webshop for that thin keyboard is down. :(( how can I get that keyboard for testing? Do you have one that you are not using or do you know somebody? Can someone help me??

[@ehtishamsarwar8407]

​@@BenVallack I have question, are these keyboard n keyroller? like can they register 8 keys if i press them all at once?

[@KyekOfficial]

It's actually amazing how "scary" soldering and ordering a custom pcb looks/sounds compared to how easy it actually is. This is why these types of videos are important! Thanks for the shoutout by the way 🤩 I even have a small suggestion, if you take a permanent black marker and colour the edge of the PCB it will give it a nice extra touch, and more "finished" look.

[@BenVallack]

Totally agree!! Great tip too.

[@ShawnFumo]

Really appreciate your video Kyek. The fact that you show the entire process without a lot of cuts, makes it really obvious just how easy the process is. This seems like a really good kind of board to start with, vs one that needs diodes. Do you know if there's any other boards out there like this that are as easy to assemble? Even just one more thumb key might make it easier to learn, and also would work for steno (usually steno has 3x6 w/ 2 thumbs or 3x5 w/ 3 thumbs).

[@salman8562]

@@BenVallack can we put a oled display in the ferris sweep like crone keyboard? because I love the display but don't like the smd soldering that it requires. TY

[@BenVallack]

@@salman8562 not sure on that I’m afraid!

[@wyfyj]

Very!! I do appreciate both videos. I am currently in the process of customizing my own gerber file. The price isn't that bad! If you want to be patient shipping wise, it looks like I'd pay under $8 USD for 5 PCB in matte black. Probably two to three and a half weeks max I am guessing for turn around. That is amazing!! I am very happy to be going down this rabbit hole. It is giving me more keyboards, working on my soldering and "programming" to an extant.

[@dgvigil]

So after watching this video 20x I downloaded kicad, added a logo, ordered some PCBs, a beginner solder kit, and parts. Thanks for encouraging me.

[@loganbrown9845]

I love when you apply your professional level editing/organizing to the world of custom keyboard videos. This will surely be a staple in the community. Thanks Ben.

[@BenVallack]

If you found this video useful you can help keep this content free for everyone by hitting the Thanks button below the video - super appreciated.

[@DarrienGlasser]

Jeez, I had no idea how cheap ordering a custom PCB was. Making me want to make my own split keyboard now

[@BenVallack]

Yeah pretty amazing isn't it. Great fun.

[@AlexdeJesusR]

how much it costs?

[@balexandre]

@@AlexdeJesusR 13:05 -> video shows the shopping cart value

[@ehtishamsarwar8407]

@@BenVallack I have question, are these keyboard n keyroller? like can they register 8 keys if i press them all at once?

[@gcolombelli]

​@@ehtishamsarwar8407most mechanical keyboards will have one diode per key, so there's no risk of blocking/ghosting when scanning the key matrix. However, PS/2 and USB work differently and older firmware tended to use "compatibility mode" by default, which is limited to a kind of 6KRO + modifiers, but even 10 years ago you could enable full NKRO mode over USB. When in doubt, check the documentation for whatever firmware the keyboard you're interested into uses. But nowadays this is mostly a non-issue. Many boards can run at least two different firmware you can choose from and quite a few even support using a different controller board, which opens up the possibility of using an even wider range of firmware options.

[@dru6809]

Hi Ben, I recently discovered your excellent channel. Here is a tip for soldering headers onto microcontroller boards. Put the headers into a breadboard, then solder the microcontroller on top of them. You really reduce the risks of: heat damage, solder getting into the socket, and bad alignment.

[@domste]

Good tip, another way is to do that with a black stripboard held on a helping hand.

[@jammies701]

Banger of a video Your point about aligning your hands to the least common denominator of movement (I.e. the pinky finger) makes so much sense I never thought about that, but I also type with my hands at an angle because of that

[@BenVallack]

Thanks! It’s the most significant thing I’ve figured out in all this really!

[@ryanwwest]

Awesome, you're pushing me towards doing this myself. Excited to see how you end up making this wireless and your pros/cons of doing so!

[@AlexChavezHome]

Thank you for doing this. Your videos have such a high production quality while guiding and inspiring others to venture out into this wonderful journey. The modification you made to the Ferris Sweep PCB top curve is exactly what I want to change alas I am half way building a stock wireless Sweep. Thanks to you I can "see" myself building a customized keyboard in the future once I get super comfortable going from a 65% to 40% (currently on Corne) now to 34 keys (Sweep).

[@benlu]

Wow this is amazing, I never knew this kind of thing was so easy and so cheap!

[@BenVallack]

I know right! This is just the start too, there are some really exciting things coming soon.

[@ehtishamsarwar8407]

@@BenVallack I have question, are these keyboard n keyroller? like can they register 8 keys if i press them all at once?

[@j3ll1s]

Thank you Sir!! I am definitely doing this. It will be a fun winter project. I want a portable split kb to use when i have to go into the office.

[@j3ll1s]

Parts are ordered except for the TRRS jacks. having trouble trying to find them but only took a cursory look.

[@BenVallack]

Cool!

[@wjcferguson]

Excellent work, great video! It's such a likeable little keyboard on so many levels. The build simplicity brings a level of personal ownership and attachment, and a feeling of security that if anything goes wrong you can just build another or possibly fix it (not least as the minimum PCB order is 5 so you always have spares). The Ferris Sweep is my only ortho-staggered experience, but I immediately felt at home with its aggressive stagger and I now look skeptically at milder ones. Customizing the board and graphics is a great extra step, and I'm sure a lot of people will feel more inspired to when they see this. The default graphics are very cute though and the crab being made of solder is a very appealing shiny silver. My build tip is that the key caps, at least the MBK ones I got, are pretty close to non-removeable, so be very cautious about getting placement right. The available key-cap colors can look very cool. On the Gergoplex you went with ultra-light springs Ben - is that still your preference?

[@BenVallack]

Great comment thanks. Yeah I miss those 15g springs. At some stage I’ll take them out and put them in my current board. Alas no longer the Ferris heh.

[@wjcferguson]

@@BenVallack do I sense that now you've gone down the PCB modification rabbit-hole you've seen that you can totally create your own 34 (or less) key design? Each time you think you've reached the end of the rabbit-hole, it goes further... :). I do believe I heard you use the term "end game" about the Gergoplex.... hehe.

[@BenVallack]

@@wjcferguson Yeah ‘end game’, total nonsense term here isn’t it!

[@ehtishamsarwar8407]

@@BenVallack I have question, are these keyboard n keyroller? like can they register 8 keys if i press them all at once?

[@Zippo_1234]

Your videos are excellent. Thank you for going through the process of downloading/editting the PCB files.

[@Jango1989]

This looks amazing and I think I may well give this a go! I've been looking at mechanical keyboards for ages and this looks great.

[@ifree2]

Thank you so much for this! Amazing really, and the section on the PCB modification is really helpful!

[@rosscarrick]

This is so helpful. Thanks a lot for sharing, Ben! I’m on a similar journey to you. I bought the Moonlander and almost immediately stripped it down to 34 keys. Although it’s a great keyboard, it is rather big if only using that many keys. My next step is to ditch the Moonlander and build this.

[@EddTwilbeck]

Love these vids and the journey you're on for a minimal keyboard! Thanks for posting your modified files as well - I like the changes you'd made and really think I'm ready to try and build this for myself!

[@BenVallack]

Awesome! Yeah it’s super rewarding!

[@ehtishamsarwar8407]

@@BenVallack I have question, are these keyboard n keyroller? like can they register 8 keys if i press them all at once?

[@IvanGOrtolan]

Man this channel is pure gold

[@nerdystuff3053]

Amazing stuff Ben! This was exactly the video I was looking for and covered everything to get my first low-profile fully customisable split keyboard. I have never soldered a day in my life and when I finally did it, I couldn't believe how easy it was. Putting together the board was fun and straightforward, but could you please, please make a tutorial video on how to flash the firmware for the ferris sweep? That would be super helpful. Love your channel and content btw!

[@BenVallack]

Thanks! Yeah I need to do some firmware vids!

[@nerdystuff3053]

@@BenVallack Looking forward to it!

[@ehtishamsarwar8407]

@@BenVallack I have question, are these keyboard n keyroller? like can they register 8 keys if i press them all at once?

[@arunfernandez1999]

"Ergonomics" is a important thing it's a relationship between human and machane and it's great how he did it great with the paint in his finger great.

[@KurtBuilds]

One thing stuck out to me during the PCB order process - the "Surface Finish" is HASL(with lead). I'm not sure if there's risk, but from my research, the lead HASL process prevents RoHS certification, so the EU at least thinks there's some risk there. Regardless, you might not want to take chances, particularly given you're handling the keyboard every day and not using a case. The lead free option is only a dollar or two more, although would require a rebuild. Anyway, thanks for putting together such a phenomenal resource. I'm following a similar process, but making a keyboard with more keys :)

[@BenVallack]

Very interesting thanks, will keep this in mind next order.

[@davidjohnston4240]

I typically use ENIG (gold flashing) which is superior in every way.

[@KurtBuilds]

@@davidjohnston4240 can you elaborate on why you think it’s worth it, particularly compared to lead free HASL? I researched it and didn’t think the extra expense was worth it, once you’ve made the choice for lead free option.

[@tobiwonkanogy2975]

@@KurtBuilds Only opinion but gold is inert . And fairly rust resistant is all applications . although weight may be fractionally higher in the ENIG PCB's , it would seem to be longer lasting from a materials perspective . A cheap device for prototype would benefit from the HASL with lead or without but excellent point about daily contact. leads dangerous in that manner but by rights pewter should be banned

[@KurtBuilds]

@@tobiwonkanogy2975 So I’m not sure the corrosion risk is meaningful, but other commenters online say if you’re have QFN components, you need ENIG because HASL doesn’t have a perfectly flat surface. ENIG is still nice to have but not required if you’re doing a reflow process to save some time, and I’m planning on that, so I’ll probably do it next time for that reason.

[@Jesse_Carl]

Great video! If you ever go the nice!nano route, I would love to see a video like this explaining the process. I currently use a gergo but I would love to go wireless

[@asif62621]

I second that

[@TravisHi_YT]

Great vid, I've got a Kyria on the way, in part thanks to your split keyboard vids (I found you from ZSA's site). Would you consider doing a video on flashing your micro controllers or setup of QMK? I feel like the software config is going to be harder than soldering.

[@BenVallack]

Thanks! Yeah definitely in the pipelines. That is probably true actually. If ZMK has all the features you need though that has a much simpler flashing process on nice!nanos.

[@ehtishamsarwar8407]

@@BenVallack I have question, are these keyboard n keyroller? like can they register 8 keys if i press them all at once?

[@TrungNguyenSquallLHeart]

thanks to your various videos on the sweep, I ended up making one for myself. loving it so far!

[@BenVallack]

Brilliant!

[@ehtishamsarwar8407]

@@BenVallack I have question, are these keyboard n keyroller? like can they register 8 keys if i press them all at once?

[@chri-k]

@@ehtishamsarwar8407It can't not be ( but be sure to use firmware that actually supports it ). Rollover limits are caused by the possibility of a key ( or multiple ) in the matrix getting "obstructed" from the controller's view by two keys ( one on it's column and another on it's row ) being pressed. This is fixed by doing black magic with a bunch of diodes, but manufacturers don't do that on every key because they want to save what is probably just a few cents ( but then they can sell another identical product with NKRO and some extra lights and people will fall for their extra markup ) But a 34 key split keyboard doesn't even need a matrix, so there shouldn't be any issues. And if your custom keyboard has more than 34 keys, you'll need to solder on diodes for each key anyway ( and thus have NKRO ) Another issue, which should never happen on a custom keyboard of any kind, is that some cheap keyboards only support an outdated communication protocol that only supports 6KRO ( or even more annoyingly, have the hardware for NKRO support _and_ use the correct protocol but limit key rollover to 6 anyway for zero reason )

[@wsippel]

The extreme stagger is why I went with a Kyria, looks extremely similar as far as the layout is concerned. It's also an open source DIY design, very easy to build and modular, supporting anything from 50 keys (or 48 keys and two rotary encoders, for 54 total inputs) all the way down to I think 40 keys. I built mine with 49 keys and one encoder.

[@KyekOfficial]

The Kyria is DIY but not open source, I have one too 😝

[@cameronempey8350]

As always another excellent video I’ll have to give this a go!

[@dflynn]

Great video that measures up to its epic intro music. No telling how many 3d printed keebs you’ve incepted with this one :)

[@AlbertoNoys]

After about a month of DHL usual service, my PCBs are finally here! I'm so excited. It's my first ortholinear, colemak dhm, QMK, and custom built keyboard, so it's going to be fun. Would you mind sharing you layout JSON? It would be a great starting point, thank you.

[@AlbertoNoys]

Nevermind, I saw that you posted the layout in the description of another video. Thank you, Ben!

[@jamieclarke321]

Will you be doing some videos about programming and configuring the board and reviewing your thoughts on the ergonomics after use?

[@BenVallack]

I will look at QMK and ZMK for sure. The ergonomics discussion will be taking some interesting turns soon too.

[@xSirEnderx]

Hey Ben! I have a question but first I must say- new to your channel and I've been hooked on your videos lately. I hope you fully understand how important your information has been both to me, as well as the community as a whole! As for the question, it would seem the latest version of the Sweep Half-Swept has moved the on/off switch and reset to the top of the board, right at the curve I was hoping to remove as shown in your video. I'm no expert, but it doesn't seem like a great idea to chop things like this off. I'm wondering what new and/or important additions I would be missing out on if I settled for an older version of the board, like the one you demonstrated. With this being my first custom keyboard, I can't imagine it would matter much. Just wanted to know if you had any insight. The half-swept is a must for me to bring down the cost seeing as how the minimum order for boards is 5. If there's anything major on the updated versions of these boards that you know of, I have no issues living with the curve!

[@luider8795]

you should upload a wireless version of the pcb, that would be awesome

[@domantlen6231]

I had very similar idea for device like Tartarus, orbweaver, pz31a (i own 2 of them) etc. But with middle row keys with rubber caps and 1 and 3 column dotted to easier keep base position and track keys. Also whole device would not be flat but on angle (higher on right, lower on left) to be more comfortable in use. Also i had different approach for additional rows ... But lack of time is real problem.

[@wonkafansonly2005]

Your modification to remove the top curve is a huge improvement. Any chance we could get a copy of your custom pcb file? Great vid as always :)

[@BenVallack]

Yes absolutely, will get it on Github later cheers!

[@wonkafansonly2005]

@@BenVallack thank you!

[@nxnt]

I was about to ask for the same thing but also checking to see if somebody had already asked about it. :)

[@BenVallack]

Added to the description :)

[@trocchiettoski]

@@BenVallack thanks Ben I always did not try because was afraid to mess up a lot of money but is so cheap and can afford to make some trial and error after seeing this video, not to mention the satisfaction to make one

[@RyanTuller]

You make me wanna get this setup!, but dang I'm so happy with the Planck ez

[@davidtrigo]

Really nice video! It will be great if you explain how to customize and order a corne keyboard too.

[@vimalmollyn]

I’m going to try this out! Thanks for the detailed build guide 🙌

[@BenVallack]

Have fun!

[@vimalmollyn]

@@BenVallack Just ordered all my parts - will update this thread with a link to my build log! I'm excited! :D

[@tomaszmarek805]

Thank you Ben! I have build mine based on your guidance. I used Pro Micro with usb-c port instead. It was cheaper and easier to get. I have hopefully small issue with the right hand side. Its layout is mirrored "poiuy". My right controller is facing up as in your video... I guess I must change something in a way I flash it. I was using QMKToolbox.

[@BenVallack]

Ah yeah that actually happened to me too on my Elite-C/QMK Ferris, I think there was something I ended up doing in one of the QMK files to mirror the right one back.

[@tomaszmarek805]

@@BenVallack I just shared very basic 3D printed base for your mod on my channel: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bqTZaJ2qjJd4mc0

[@mariofeared]

Hey there Ben! I downloaded your gerber files for the Ferris Sweep Tweaked board from the link in the description, and it seems like the stencil is inverted (the spider webs are shown in the color of the board and everything else is white), making it impossible to read any of the labels on the board. I have checked PCBWay, Jlcpcb and Tracespace view but they all output the inverted colors instead of the colors shown in this video. Since I am pretty new to this, I am not ruling out that this is an error on my end! Is there something that I am missing? Maybe there is a setting to invert the stencil color somewhere that I might have missed? EDIT: OMG, I think I have figured it out! I have to setup the PCB color to white and the silkscreen to black and not the other way around, I think? Turns out, I am just a dumbass after all. XD I wont change my original comment, though. I will leave it in case someone else has the same issue in the future. EDIT #2: I have ordered the boards! Looking forward to building it when it arrives.

[@BenVallack]

Yeah I think it was inverted. I think I ordered a white board and black silk screen. Can’t really remember now but I think it was something odd like that!

[@BenVallack]

Sorry just saw your edit! Yep that’s it! Not your fault - my setup was wrong really!

[@mariofeared]

@@BenVallack Phew, I was worried I might have ordered it wrong although I'm sure it would look good in all white as well. Going to be exciting to get these boards and make the build. I was surprised to see how cheap it was to order the PCBs. Went ahead and used them to 3D print a case for my Sofle as well. Anyway, thanks for everything!

[@ehtishamsarwar8407]

@@BenVallack I have question, are these keyboard n keyroller? like can they register 8 keys if i press them all at once?

[@AirKiter]

I'm looking for a way to attach this to my arms so I can type while walking or moving. Any ideas?

[@_jdfx]

really interesting video!

[@JinLav]

Потресающе, вы очень умный человек . ❤❤❤

[@SianaGearz]

A lot of PCB houses have an MOQ of 3 or 5, but I don't need 3 keyboards. I wonder if its possible to design a PCB that would double as both sides, maybe with the USB microcontroller being a completely external, off the shelf board that you just attach 3 or 4 wires to. Then a board house with an MOQ of 3 gives you one full keyboard and one extra piece in case you or them mess it up, and one with MOQ of 5 gives you 2 keyboards and an extra piece.

[@BenVallack]

That is exactly what these are. Flippable halves. So 5 boards is enough for 2 keyboards and a spare half.

[@Abelfubu]

Wich firmware is the right one to use when QMK flashing?

[@kuddel928]

Great Video! I really enjoy your high quality content Ben :) A question regarding the Kaihl Choch Switches: Is the typing feel similar to a common laptop keyboard? Because I'd like that. What annoys me about a lot of mechanical switches is that the actuation point usually comes a little bit after the point where I built up enough pressure to press the key down a little bit. So it didn't send a "key down" signal yet but I thought I had pressed the key down. Laptop keyboards always felt more "digital" to me.. Either I pressed the key and it was registered or not. Cheers, looking forward to your next videos! :)

[@BenVallack]

Thanks! They are definitely closer to a laptop keyboard than normal mechanical switches. But still feel more mechanical. Maybe order a few and see how they feel. I love them though. Although they are quite noisy.

[@kuddel928]

@@BenVallack okay, that sounds great, thanks!

[@GOZES]

Any plans to do a video about isrt and colemak dh + vim? I been a Dvorak user for many years but I'm considering switching. The thing holding me back is the big unknown with vim. I would love to hear you experience with both and vim. Thanks for your awesome videos

[@BenVallack]

Yeah I will do soon, I think really though the Vim transition is a small part of the massive headache that is learning to actually type on them!

[@GOZES]

@@BenVallack well I still have some holiday left at work so hopefully your video will come out before I have to take them so I can just use that time to practice :)

[@nianhbg]

Thanks for this video 🙏 I have been thinking about doing some simular project

[@BenVallack]

Good luck!

[@gabyacdc81]

This video and the comment section really are a gold mine ! Watching you from France and it motivates me to build my own split, possibly the same as yours. But do you think the power supply from an iPad mini USB-c could be a problem ?

[@BenVallack]

Thanks! I can’t be sure for the mini but it is fine on my 12.9 iPad Pro

[@gabyacdc81]

@@BenVallack the layers work perfectly ?

[@BenVallack]

@@gabyacdc81 Absolutely, works exactly as it does on Mac.

[@gabyacdc81]

@@BenVallack wow thanks so much, that sounds amazing cant wait to try building one

[@lpanebr]

I'm researching to try switching to a similar split keyboard and love all your videos! Great content!! I'm worried with my really short pinky and found through paper testing that the DracuLad layout has the pinky column even lower making it just perfect. Also it has the thumb cluster farther from the main keys also making it much easier. All in from paper testing at least. I was wondering if you've seen/considered the DracuLad layout?

[@BenVallack]

Not tried that one

[@AmitGold00]

How much did the components cost you? I was surprised about the prices of PCBs, maybe I can have a pleasant surprise with the other components :D

[@BenVallack]

Yeah the rest isn't too bad. Probably £50 or so.

[@THEMithrandir09]

Is there any keyboard-layout optimizer where you can actually configure the amount of physical keys, so it can optimize positions of keys across layers for stuff like bigrams and #keypresses to type a certain document?

[@shookieTea]

Has Ben mentioned what the bean-bag-like bag he uses sometimes with the keyboard is? I’d really like to try one with my original ErgodoxEz

[@BenVallack]

amzn.to/3keRRI4

[@FragEightyfive]

How did the USB on your Gergoplex break? Was the PCB damaged? Replacing a USB socket is usually fairly straight forward.

[@BenVallack]

I was just the socket - I did manage to desolder it ok but I tried to fix by soldering a cut off usb cable into the board instead of a new socket, which I must have got the wrong way around and fried it!

[@M0nu5]

great video. thanks!

[@asa_ed]

Hello, I really like your content, but I have a doubt, the left part only recognizes it for a minute and then only the right part recognizes me, I followed your instructions that the left microcontroller is flipped, your advice would be very helpful, thanks

[@bluefaolan]

::Ben:: First ISRT and now you’re going to make me want to try printing my own PCB and keyboard. Oh my…

[@BenVallack]

Heh!

[@bluefaolan]

@@BenVallack Hey Ben, quick update: I just built a Ferris Sweep for a customer, which I am testing out right now, and I may have convinced myself to invest in one myself. That said, my supplier who sent me the pcbs for this also sent me the low profile Reviung 34 that I had told you about before... so I may be jumping into that this weekend and I might end up liking that one more. We shall see.

[@BenVallack]

@@bluefaolan Cool stuff! Both very interesting board layouts,

[@jonahwatts3008]

Just saw your channel, and i ablsolutley love it. I sense a gaping hole in my bank account soon.

[@0c3l3.36]

This might be a long shot but. Would a arduino pro micro be compatible with the project?

[@PeterElroy]

Ben, regarding The Card, how did you remove the second index-finger column without harming productivity?

[@BenVallack]

Stay tuned for next video :)

[@s3ntyn3l32]

I'm planning on building a Sweep around a nice!nano for wireless functionality. I'm curious about your thoughts on battery life now that you've had a few months with your build(s). How are you charging them? Is it done via the MCU or are you having to de-solder the battery and recharge off-board?

[@BenVallack]

Because my mac is so far away from where I sit it isn't reliable enough to use purely on bluetooth so I use a long cable to connect to the primary side. The slave side gets a short charge once every few weeks. They just charge via the usb port on the nice!nanos.

[@iXmerof]

Hi, one question, just from clear curiosity, why on such projects microcontrollers are mounted on goldpins instead of laying them flat directly on the pads? Their sides are specifically designed for flat mounting directly to pcb and that could lower the profile even better. I understand that on wireless keyboards the charigng electronics, battery, clearance for signal and noise are all in question, but for wired ones? I believe you guys can lighten my up

[@BenVallack]

It comes down to how likely you are to want to move the controllers to another board in the future I think.

[@xymaryai8283]

in depth discussion about a split, vertically staggered, custom layout, multiple layer keeb me: just wanting a low profile qwerty ortho board to replace my horizontal staggered bargain bin

[@xymaryai8283]

also, no wrist pronation if you hunt and peck 😎

[@tomiem1386]

Hey ben would it be possible to add an oled to the wireless version of the ferris sweep? also how would i go about creating mounting holes on the pcb so i can attach a tenting kit?

[@bradd5961]

Hi Ben, can you list the tools/brands you use for soldering please.

[@BenVallack]

Links in the description I think!

[@MrChickenpoulet]

interesting! I'm not sure about the 34 keys is enough for my self to code on! this is impressive!

[@TheOfAndTo]

please, put a rgb led to show which layer is active

[@antran1686]

I wanted to do something like this. Do you socket your microcontroller? Are those spring sockets and where did you get them?

[@BenVallack]

These are the low profile sockets here, but if you want to use nice!nanos for a Bluetooth version with batteries underneath you need the full height machine sockets. I think I linked to them in the description. Check out splitkb.com

[@Demosophist]

Can this be set up with a Dvorak layout? I don't really want to learn a completely new layout for the alpha characters.

[@BenVallack]

Yeah should be easy enough to get a different layout on it.

[@Demosophist]

@@BenVallack Have placed the order for the PCB, switch plate, and bottom plate. Amazingly cheap and enough for 2½ boards. Maybe I'll do another order for next year's Christmas presents. (I only know about 3 people anyway.)

[@ehtishamsarwar8407]

I have question, are these keyboard n keyroller? like can they register 8 keys if i press them all at once?

[@tomiem1386]

Hey Ben, could you link me to the sockets you used for your nicenano! version of the ferris sweep. Much appreciated

[@BenVallack]

mechboards.co.uk/products/machine-pin-sockets

[@alexandradefer9434]

Can hot swap sockets work with this pbc?

[@RadRider33]

Elite-C is decent, but Bit-C would be a better match for this build IMO. Cleaner. Nice modifications to the design, BTW!

[@victorheidkunamitsumiko7290]

researching which micro to get for this build - what are your reasons to pick the bit-c?

[@erichanson5628]

In retrospect, is there anything you would change about the 34 key layout after creating/working with the Piano 2?

[@BenVallack]

Hard to say really - that 34 is a bit of a distant memory for me now!

[@johningram4359]

Thanks, I will be building something like this to transition down from my moonlander. Would you suggest transitioning to a new layout before switching away or after?

[@BenVallack]

I would use the moonlander to experiment, you may find you want to go even fewer keys and then just build something totally custom kzbin.info/www/bejne/i3zJln2oh66Wrtk

[@veaxvoid]

wow this is amazing but where did you get the buttons? (any will do?)

[@BenVallack]

MBK keycaps with Kailh choc switches. They are sold by various sellers if you google them you should find them.

[@jixs4v]

New upload nice

[@NicincM]

Hi Ben, could you tell me where you found the 12g springs you used. I can't find the video (or timestamp) you mentioned them. I'm looking and they are sold out everywhere. Thanks.

[@BenVallack]

I ordered them with the Gergoplex but it was actually 15g springs that I got in the end. I think the 12s had longevity issues.

[@NicincM]

@@BenVallack thanks for the info, your video motivated ne to build my own ultra portable split kB.

[@JasonJurotich]

Any advances on a bluetooth version of this with a nice!nano?

[@BenVallack]

See this one kzbin.info/www/bejne/i3zJln2oh66Wrtk

[@djayers]

I'm curious to know your underlying motivation for trying different keyboards. I'm a coder too and am pretty sure that in general my typing isn't a bottleneck in the process. Have you tested this? (I am tempted to get a separate keypad to hook up to special keys/macros for multimedia work).

[@BenVallack]

What Colby said!

[@isaacbacker1426]

What do you think causes your ergoplexs USB port to break? Would you still recommend it as a product or do you think it might be too fragile?

[@BenVallack]

I would actually just get involved with making your own now - kzbin.info/www/bejne/i3zJln2oh66Wrtk cheaper, wireless and you can change it easily as time goes on.

[@aplomBomb]

Can someone give me advice on where to find caps? All the caps I've gotten for my Ferris sweep seem to be too large given how close together the switches are they all hit each other

[@bassic6959]

is there a 40 key version of this somewhere that i could download

[@barbazzfoo]

How do you do this so that the controllers don't need to be in opposite orientations (one face up, one face down)?

[@BenVallack]

Reversible footprints - details in my DIY build videos: kzbin.info/aero/PLCZYyvXAdQpte8dkCPz72m_O-Od9fVEqD

[@MrEradash]

I want to try something like this, already done some small soldering, and recently bought a Moonlander (and I absolutely love it!) I saw that some PCB requires diodes, but not this one, is there a reason why?

[@BenVallack]

Yeah there are only so many connection points on the controllers so when you get over a certain number of keys you need to use diodes to create a matrix (absolute wizardry!). These ones just have one key conected directly to a connection point each on the controller so it's nice and simple.

[@tkd2526]

How did you handle the reset button? Did you install a physical reset button, or rely on the reset pins on the chip itself?

[@BenVallack]

Just shorted the pins on this one. Stay tuned for next video though 😀

[@tkd2526]

@@BenVallack Can't wait!

[@tomiem1386]

Did they change the layer that the artwork is located on in the v2 version?

[@AirKiter]

You never made the vim video did you?

[@BenVallack]

Not yet, but it will happen!

[@mokolokoa3288]

Does this have N-key rollover(nkro) ?

[@hellNo116]

i have a question for you. i use a lot of shortcuts already on my standard layout keyboard. should i follow your path and go to ergodox or you think you could have skipped the bigger split keyboard and go instantly to the smaller one? i know you don't have the answer for me, i mostly want to know if you would have done it differently given the change. i kinda dig the ergodox since i have implement in my workflow using my palm to press the ctrl button instead of a finger and i think i will get the bigger one, but i still want to know your opinion on the matter since you accumulated a lot of new experiences fairly fast

[@AmitGold00]

I've went from a standard to 65% to ergodox, and I can tell you that with the smaller keyboards it can become frustrating not having dedicated keys for stuff you were used to. Especially at the beginning, it feels annoying to have to switch to another layer to reach arrows, function keys. You wanna press "insert" for some app and suddenly you need to remember which 3-key chord you need for it... If you want to use it as a main driver right away be ready for those kinds of difficulties.

[@hellNo116]

@@AmitGold00 maybe i could pull a reduce size keyboard off then since i use a lot of chording due to me being a programmer and already using chording in sublime almost everyday and in vim from time to time. i think i need the number row though. even if i won't end up using it for numbers but for shortcuts and functions instead. edit: syntax error

[@BenVallack]

Yeah I actually think there is real merit to doing this stuff bit by bit. If you only change a few things at once you can learn it easily, but if you do it all at once you will probably just find it really frustrating. I nice board like the Moonlander or Planck is a great way to do it because is makes playing with the layouts so easy.

[@hellNo116]

@@BenVallack i know, however i don't have the budget for that so i am going to build ergodox myself. it is the first big project for me, but i already managed to build a controller for a class in uni so i want to believe i can pull it off. i know the extra tool offered however my time isn't that expensive at the moment in order for the time investment to counter act the money investment. however my comfort when typing is. thanks for the reply and for confirming my idea of going with ergodox. great content in general by the way. nice style and really pleasant voice over.

[@TagU4Life]

@@hellNo116 Another great option instead of the ergodox is the lily58 or the Soflev2, both can be bought as kits for yourself to build or as completely built as a service. Both the lily and the sofle are slightly smaller than the ergodox, so it can feel like a little daunting to jump to them, but you still got mods, numrow and 4 keys in the thumb cluster. With sofle you can also go for rotary encoders incase you want to have a knob. Just be careful, It's real easy to fall down the rabbit hole, Ben is a prime example of how quickly you'll want to continue downsizing, although I totally agree with what the people above commented that it's better to do it in smaller steps :D

[@efesonugur4115]

does anyone know which trrs cable Ben uses?

[@alexgruber3527]

Hi Ben, I'm currently trying to completely redesign my laptop in order to have a simple ultra small thin client that connects to my mashine at home. I want to try that keyboard but the original webshop for that thin keyboard is down. :(( how can I get that keyboard for testing? Do you have one that you are not using or do you know somebody? Can someone help me??

[@kvasir8931]

My preview doesnt look like your preview in the video. Have you changed it more?

[@BenVallack]

Hum didn’t think so - how does it look different?

[@kvasir8931]

@@BenVallack It has the spider web silk screen and it looks like the web is not the screen but the space in between the web

[@BenVallack]

@@kvasir8931 Ah yeah I remember something odd like that - I may even have ordered the board in black silkscreen on white board.

[@Aditya-ne4lk]

how comfortable is it? i notice that there is no case, so does it sit well against surfaces? also is there any risk of damage to the PCB (because of how exposed it is)

[@BenVallack]

The main thing that I learned the hard way is the pins need to be insulated otherwise they can short on each other when stuffed in a pocket. I just covered the connections with hot glue gun glue to solve that. Other than that some stick on rubber feet make it fine on a desk but I prefer to wear it on my legs! kzbin.info/www/bejne/n4DYoayfYtGEkK8

[@agbwow]

I'm new to the split keyboard concept but can they work as a left or right hand side only for mouse and keyboard games? or dose it require both halves to function at all?

[@BenVallack]

The master side without the other one is fine yep.

[@Ssilki_V_Profile]

I have a question. This keyboard have a led power indicator. What if that indicator will chancge color, related to current layer?

[@BenVallack]

I think there are some other controllers that do this.

[@phillipthomsen6147]

what about the firmware? where do i find the files?

[@Maxelya]

Your video really got me into the idea of switching to a minimalist keyboard. But I've been looking online and I don't understand how this can be called "cheap/affordable". While the keyboard is small and has only a few keys, every site I check charges you somewhere between 130~200 dollars. How comes this cost even more than an official Corsair mechanical keyboard while being 30% the size + those are just kits so you still run the risk to fail and ruin your keyboard. Maybe you meant to say that the pcb is cheap... but you still need to buy switches, cables and controllers as far as I understand, and those aren't exactly "cheap". Are those sites overcharging customers or am I missing something here ? (this is not a critic, I'm geniunely interested in buying one someday but I would like to avoid scams, especially considering I live in Europe so I would need to pay an extra shipping fee and, who know, custom fee ).

[@BenVallack]

The affordable part really comes from building it yourself. I.e ordering the PCB from a fabricator like PCBWay.com and all your components and putting it together. It’s very affordable if you do it like that. If you buy a kit your are simplifying things but there are costs that go to the vendors. These things are niche products (don’t know why!!) so when someone gets organised enough to set up a shop and sell these things you’re seeing the final result of a lot of hard work to get to that point.

[@Maxelya]

@@BenVallack I see that was to be expected. Thanks for you quick answer ! I'll have to dig a little bit deeper it seems :)

[@krystiankwiatkowski3161]

Hi, I printed your PCB and bought kailh box royal and kailh speed gold. And I have problems, because of the distance between the pins on the board and the dostance between pins on the switches. I can not put them into the PCB and I want to ask: are they comptaible (box royal and speed gold) with your PCB?

[@BenVallack]

My board is for choc switches, the ones you got are mx switches right?

[@krystiankwiatkowski3161]

@@BenVallack yes, mx switches. So I need to print new PCB's. Thanks for answer and merry christmas.

[@BenVallack]

Yeah or change the switches. I can’t remember which boards are compatible with MX switches. Looks like the Sweep High supports MX Switches github.com/davidphilipbarr/Sweep/tree/main/Sweep%20High

[@MicCheckOneTwo12]

Hey Ben, do you know how long it takes for the pcbs to arrive after you order them? I’m wondering if this is a days or many weeks long process to get them custom built.

[@BenVallack]

There are different shipping levels, if you pay the extra it can arrive in days. The cheap one can be a few weeks.

[@MicCheckOneTwo12]

@@BenVallack awesome, thanks! One more question, I’ve only tried one keyboard with ZMK (Corne) and there were reset switches that allowed the two sides to connect to one another when pressing at the same time. How do you connect the two halves with the nice!nanos and ZMK with the Ferris pcb?

[@BenVallack]

@@MicCheckOneTwo12 yeah same deal really, they find each other if when they are powered on at the same time. That side to side pairing is then very persistent.

[@MicCheckOneTwo12]

Thanks. May I ask where you got the elastic bands that you use for standing? I've tried magnets and all sorts of stuff to hold split keyboards, but your idea is cheap and simple and I want to give it a try.