A hall-effect keyboard built end-to-end — from silicon to firmware.
No microcontroller. No debounce. No legacy constraints.
PULSAR is a keyboard designed from scratch to remove latency at every level of the stack. Instead of adapting to generic hardware, we built a custom processing architecture and a fully parallel sensing system tailored specifically for input speed.
Target: sub-130μs from key movement to USB report.
Modern “fast” keyboards still rely on decades-old design patterns:
- Keys are scanned in loops
- Debounce is handled in software
- USB reports are rate-limited
These are not physical limitations — they’re architectural ones.
PULSAR takes a different approach:
- Read everything in parallel
- Eliminate debounce at the source
- Remove unnecessary waiting between input and output
Analog sensing instead of contact switches
Each key uses a Hall effect sensor that measures position continuously — not just on/off. This removes mechanical noise entirely and opens the door to smarter input processing.
Full parallel acquisition
All keys are sampled simultaneously, not scanned in sequence. Input is captured as a snapshot, not reconstructed over time.
Custom processing pipeline
The system is built around a purpose-specific architecture designed for one job: turning sensor data into input events with minimal delay.
High-frequency USB output
Instead of batching inputs, reports are sent as soon as they’re ready — aligned with the fastest intervals the USB standard allows.
PULSAR isn’t just a keyboard — it’s a rethinking of how input devices should work when you stop designing around general-purpose hardware.
By controlling the entire stack:
- sensing
- processing
- and output
we remove layers of latency that are usually taken for granted.
- Instant actuation (no debounce delay)
- Continuous key position (not just binary input)
- Rapid trigger behavior (keys re-arm dynamically)
- Per-key customization (thresholds, curves, behavior)
- True N-key rollover by design
PULSAR is an actively developed project combining hardware, low-level systems, and firmware into a single tightly integrated platform.
We’re iterating toward:
- fully working hardware
- stable firmware stack
- and verified latency measurements
- Axel — architecture & low-level systems
- Agustín — firmware & input logic
- Emiliano — hardware & PCB design
Most keyboards are built by stacking solutions on top of constraints.
PULSAR removes the constraints first — and builds up from there.
MIT