How to Build an Open Source Bluetooth Mechanical Keyboard

[@ilRageMaker]

Amazing Clem! I really like how you approach a project and how you work on it. Thank you for sharing your skills with us!

[@MAYERMAKES]

thanks! glad you like it!

[@jessArcade]

I absolutely have googled Bluetooth keyboard chips for just such an idea. Well done!

[@MAYERMAKES]

Thanks

[@Davedarko]

Hi Clem! Do a mouse next!

[@MAYERMAKES]

good idea! but it has to have some unique twist to it...hmmmm

[@Davedarko]

@@MAYERMAKES esp32 cam module and then openCV? but that's mainly software..

[@MAYERMAKES]

meh..Iḿ not a software guy..but i think about it.@@Davedarko

[@allluckyseven]

Cool idea with the raised letters, numbers and symbols. I would've made them as wells and poured white resin in them (in order to get good contrast). I wonder if one could use UV curable printer resin and then stuck them into a UV curing box, cleaning them up afterwards with isopropyl alcohol as it's standard procedure with 3D printed parts, but more to avoid sanding as it would make the keycaps lose some of the transparency. Your projects are the best, Clem. Congrats.

[@MAYERMAKES]

I actually did backfill buttons with white resin. It eorked great but i 'd need to make the buttons thicker to remain travel distance, posted pics on twitter. It ended up on the cutting gloor gor this episode l. Thx

[@Mr.Beauregarde]

Skeuomorphic is the word for such characteristics Interestingly, it applies not only to physical characteristics like keyboard layouts and decorative buckles on straps now fastened by velcro, as well as auditory ones like the shutter sound on smartphone cameras. But further still to the gestures of swiping for next page evoking the action of turning pages in a book.

[@MAYERMAKES]

Ah that is what i was looking for! Thanks🎉

[@Mr.Beauregarde]

Finger_guns.png @@MAYERMAKES

[@PsychogenicTechnologies]

Don't know how I'd deal with ortholinear keys... and, oof, the pain of swapping out all those LEDs... ah, development, hah! Awesome project, thanks :)

[@MAYERMAKES]

it is suprisingly easy t oadapt to. the ortholinear keys fall IMO in more naturall places for the finger movement than staggered

[@PsychogenicTechnologies]

@@MAYERMAKES Feels like learning two layouts is enough for one lifetime and not superkeen on taking on a third, but I will have to try it :)

[@xXDeltaXxwhotookit]

The keycaps are a really cool idea (while typing on a keyboard where the text has worn off on 10 or so keys).

[@MAYERMAKES]

Its at least a concept that could warant some further experiments with backfilling and lsbrling

[@zaprodk]

lsbrling? :D@@MAYERMAKES

[@justovision]

Nice build. For the LEDs it might be possible to use a voltage doubler IC to bring it up to 6.6v. I would do the current requirement calculations before designing the board though...

[@MAYERMAKES]

but then reading the pins i nthe matrix through the leds would not work without a level shifter on each pin. so it will be probably better t ojust oput in a second adressable matrix for light effects. my original intention was to get lights for free..but did not work out.

[@justovision]

@@MAYERMAKES I guess it depends on if you make sure you go through enough diode drops on each line before it's read? The levels could be controlled by the forward voltage of the LEDs you use.

[@MAYERMAKES]

maybe, but at that added complexity i´d juat rout a secondary light effects matrix.@@justovision

[@DFEUERMAN]

Awesome, dude! I always thought it'd be cool to have keys that flashed/temporarily-illuminated for each keystroke... does this design have the functionality or possible/not-too-difficult functionality?

[@MAYERMAKES]

It was planned to have it but turns outvit did not witk as intended

[@colonelbarker]

The lack of a wide space bar looks a little frustrating to use. I'm designing and building a ASCII keyboard at the moment with a lot of diodes and inverters and.. it's not fun.

[@MAYERMAKES]

So far since i got multiple space keys i feel no issue, but one could simply print a wider space bar snd stick it on there.

[@colonelbarker]

@@MAYERMAKES That would do it- I thought it was just the one key! I look forward to seeing what you do next.

[@MAYERMAKES]

Thanks, the idea was i could reuse dome space key space for other functions in case i cant fit all needed ones on the board. So space could be 1-5buttons wide.

[@manojroy657]

Can we build button for custom operation for an application like corel draw or photoshoot. If yes, than what is the process for it.

[@MAYERMAKES]

super easy just take this project and put the key code you need on a button. for example you could make layer four hold all the keayboard shortcuts in a more convenient cluster for PS or Corel so you can reach them al lwith one hand. its just a matter of putting your custom command in place of a character.

[@manojroy657]

@@MAYERMAKES how to place a custom command. Where can I find list of custom command for PS or coral to be programmed for the key. I am new to programming keyboard and very much unaware of how to do it. Can you please make a video or share some details about it in a video for with more details about programming the keyboard for applications like PS or coral.

[@MAYERMAKES]

i do not use these programms , there are plenty good open source alternatives, you will just have to google the commands you need from the documentation of the software that you use. @@manojroy657 you just need to replace a key in the code with the key for whatever command you need. there is a code breakdown video on the element14 community (linked below the video) but you will need to learn at least abit about programming/how to flash code on a MCU to finish the project. so a bit of learning is involved.

[@hishamfarid9206]

Cooles Video! Kann man das seitens der Software oder zusätzlichen Buttons mehrere Kanäle einfügen? Dann könnte ich die auf mehreren Computern nutzen.

[@MAYERMAKES]

ja ic hdenke das würde gehen,

[@raguaviva]

like before watching it

[@MAYERMAKES]

Hope for another one afterwards😂

[@debrajkundu2847]

Just a question how are you handling the problem of key ghosting and how many simultaneous key press can it register

[@MAYERMAKES]

since there is a diode on every single button and its read in a sequential matrix, you pretty much have n-key rollover. every press and release is transmitted seperatelly so any button put into the mix is just added to it.

[@debrajkundu2847]

@@MAYERMAKES Thanks for the explaination

[@munifkhan5724]

I can't get to your website

[@neerajvkn]

Is it possible to have media control keys on this that work cross-platform, plug play, on mac, windows, linux and android? How to get started on implementing that on a bluetooth macro pad?

[@clemensmayer9171]

if the media functions can be mapped to a keycode, then yes. if these keycodes than are directly recognised correctly by the target os then it would be plug and play. I expect Mac t obehave weird and maybe not have simple keycodes for these functions, linux is certainly possible.

[@Alkhymia]

Great job, can you make 1 optic? or teach how its works?

[@MAYERMAKES]

What do you mean by optic?

[@Alkhymia]

@@MAYERMAKES ty for reply, my bad, i meana optic switchs and how they work

[@MAYERMAKES]

maybe there is aneed for optical switches in a different project. i'll make a note of that topic.@@Alkhymia

[@Alkhymia]

@@MAYERMAKES Great! i will waiting. Thanks!

[@AllIlIIl]

Could you please make analogue of the Hasu USB 2 USB converter based on Adafruit Feather RP2040 with USB Type A Host?

[@MAYERMAKES]

hm, iĺl see what that thing even does.... whats the usecase for this?

[@elbert5208]

Next project is a split keyboard pls

[@MAYERMAKES]

well I could do that, but I need a creative spin on it to justify another keyboard build. any ideas?