chorus
My DIY chorded keyboard
This will be a learning project for me.
The plan is to:
- use a Teensy USB development board as the keyboard controller.
- use mechanical keyboard switches and keycaps for the buttons
- print a suitable case with my Anet A8 3D printer
- use chords based on those used on the MicroWriter AgendA (as I have used them previously)
- write as much of the code as I can myself
- investigate further improvements such as text expansion if memory constraints allow
- post schematics, 3d printer files, code, and build instructions
Get details of the build on my website https://secreci.com/posts/20190414-chording-keyboard-part-1/
Parts list:
- PLA filament for case
- Solid core hookup wire
- Solder
- 1 x Teensy 2.0 development board
- 7 x mx-style keyboard switches
- 6 x standard blank keycaps
- 1 x larger blank keycap (e.g. shift)
- 1 x Mini-B USB cable
- 1 x 3mm LED
- 1 x 220ohm resistor
Future development
-
Quieter, lighter switches - this is quite noisy and tiring to use - would be better with rubber switches, I think.
-
LEDs to show which mode the keyboard is in.The 'all keys release all' chord helps cancel all pressed buttons. 3mm LEDs arrived today (22/04/2019)LED Code added. LED is illuminated when we're not in 'mode 1'
-
A timer to automatically cancel all held buttons if nothing is pressed in, say, 5 seconds.
-
A chord to allow insertion of common word parts -ing, -ation, etc.
-
The 3 thumb keys might be better rotated 90 degrees anticlockwise to make pressing 1 and 3 together easier.
-
Amend the code to repeat when a chord is held down (e.g. for deleting multiple characters)