2 layers30 × 30 mm
2 layers50 × 40 mm
ForceKey v1.0
fred-corp/ForceKey7a force sensitive morse paddle key
- Size
- 50 × 40 mm
- Copper layers
- 2
- Thickness
- 1.6 mm
- Parts
- 38
- Nets
- 28
- Pads
- 105
- Tracks, vias
- 157, 46
- Pours
- 1
- Routed
- Yes
- KiCad
- KiCad 8.0 (file 20240108)
- Created
- 10 Oct 2024
- Updated
- 22 Jun 2026
Overview
ForceKey v1.0 is an open-source printed circuit board by fred-corp, from the fred-corp/ForceKey repository on GitHub, published under the CC-BY-SA-4.0 licence. It is a 2-layer board of 50 × 40 mm with 38 parts on 28 nets, routed with 157 tracks and 46 vias.
It is built around the PY32F002AL15S6TU, ME6211C33M5G-N and PJ4054B, with the BC817-40W, PJ-320A and SK12D07VG6 among its other parts. Its parts include 7 resistors, 6 capacitors, 5 connectors, 3 ICs and 3 transistors.
Main components
6
PY32F002AL15S6TU
SOP-81.7V~5.5V 12bit 20KB 24MHz ARM Cortex-M0 FLASH SOP-8 Microcontrollers (MCU/MPU/SOC) ROHSPUYAMicrocontrollers (MCU/MPU/SOC)
ME6211C33M5G-N
SOT-23-5-40℃~+150℃ 1 120mV@(100mA) 3.3V 500mA 50uVrms 60uA 6V 70dB@(1kHz) Fixed Over Current Protection、Enable、Short Circuit Protection Positive SOT-23-5 Voltage Regulators - Linear, Low Drop Out (LDO) Regulators ROHSMICRONEVoltage Regulators - Linear, Low Drop Out (LDO) RegulatorsPJ4054B
SOT-23-5-40℃~+85℃ 1 1.5uA 4.2V 4.2V~6.5V 500mA Charging IC Lithium Battery SOT-23-5 Battery Management ROHSPJSEMIBattery Management
BC817-40W
SOT-323-3100MHz 100nA 200mW 250 45V 500mA 700mV NPN SOT-323-3 Bipolar (BJT) ROHSNexperiaBipolar (BJT)
PJ-320A
插件-20℃~+70℃ 3.5mm Headphone Jack 30V 500mA 插件 Audio Connectors ROHSXKB ConnectionAudio Connectors (Headphones)
SK12D07VG6
插件,8.7x4.4mm-10℃~+50℃ 200gf 2mm 4.4mm 4.7mm 5,000 cycles 500mA 50V 8.7mm Black PC Pin Phosphor Bronze Rectangular Columnar Right Angle SPDT Silver 插件,8.7x4.4mm Slide Switches ROHSSHOU HANSlide Switches
README
README.mdForce Key
Description
The Force Key solid-state morse paddle key, which, as the name implies, uses force senors (load cells) to detect the user's input. It is designed to work in single-lever mode or twin-lever mode.
The output is a standard 3.5mm stereo jack, which can be connected to any morse keyer or transceiver.
Features
- Single-lever or twin-lever mode, or both at the same time
- Adjustable sensitivity in code
- TRS 3.5mm stereo jack output (tip = dot, ring = dash, sleeve = ground)
- Li-Ion battery powered
- USB-C port for charging
- Uses cheap Puya microcontroller
Hardware
- PCB & other components in BOM
- 2x 100g load cells + HX711 amplifier (make sure to get the 100g version !)
- TODO: add more details
The HX711 has to be modded to output data at 80Hz rate, which is done by lifting pin 15 and bridging it to pin 16 :
Inspiration
The Force key is inspired by the Solid State Paddle by 9A5N, which is a beautiful product; but because of my student budget, I decided to make my own version.
It was a nice challenge as I wanted to use the Puya PY32F002A microcontroller, which is not very common in the maker community.
I also wanted to machine the base and load cell supports myself, which was exciting as I don't get to use the mills and lathes of my university very often as I'm an EE student.
Please consider buying the original product if you can afford it, it's a great product and it's worth the price (thanks F4IEY for showing it to me in the first place !).
Pictures
3D Render from Autodesk Fusion
Base machining
The final base ended up being 90x85x20mm due to the available scrap blank; the CAD was then adapted to fit the new dimensions.
It was amazing to be able to use the machines of my university. It took a whole afternoon to machine both parts (base and load-cell support), but it was really fun ! Thanks again to my teacher for all the help and advice.
Base bluing
Before :
After :
After a lot of sanding with 180 and 320 scotch-brite, I used a cold bluing solution to give the base a nice black finish. It's not perfect nor uniform, but it gives a great old-school look to the base.
Assembly
Partial assembly before bluing :
Assembly before bluing :
Partial assembly after bluing :
Final assembly :
License & Acknowledgements
Made with ❤️, lots of ☕️, and lack of 🛌
Published under CreativeCommons BY-SA 4.0
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Parts
38| Qty | Value | Footprint | References |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 5.1k | Resistor_SMD:R_0603_1608Metric_Pad0.98x0.95mm_HandSolder | R3, R4, R6, R7 |
| 4 | MountingHole_3.2mm_M3_DIN965_Pad | MountingHole:MountingHole_3.2mm_M3_DIN965_Pad | H1, H2, H3, H4 |
| 3 | 10u | Capacitor_SMD:C_0603_1608Metric_Pad1.08x0.95mm_HandSolder | C4, C5, C6 |
| 3 | 1u | Capacitor_SMD:C_0603_1608Metric_Pad1.08x0.95mm_HandSolder | C1, C2, C3 |
| 3 | 2k | Resistor_SMD:R_0603_1608Metric_Pad0.98x0.95mm_HandSolder | R1, R2, R5 |
| 3 | BC817-40W | Package_TO_SOT_SMD:SOT-323_SC-70_Handsoldering | Q1, Q2, Q3 |
| 2 | PINHD_1x4_Male | Connector_PinHeader_2.54mm:PinHeader_1x04_P2.54mm_Vertical | J2, J3 |
| 1 | Conn_ARM_SWD_TagConnect_TC2030-NL | Connector:Tag-Connect_TC2030-IDC-NL_2x03_P1.27mm_Vertical | J4 |
| 1 | ME6211C33M5 | Package_TO_SOT_SMD:SOT-23-5 | U2 |
| 1 | PINHD_1x2_Male | Connector_PinHeader_2.54mm:PinHeader_1x02_P2.54mm_Vertical | J1 |
| 1 | PJ-320A | PJ-320A:AUDIO-TH_XKB_PJ-320A | CN1 |
| 1 | PJ4054B | PJ4054B:SOT-23-5_L2.9-W1.6-P0.95-LS2.8-BL | U3 |
| 1 | PY32F002AL15S6TU | PY32:SOP-8_L4.9-W3.9-P1.27-LS6.0-BL-1 | U1 |
| 1 | SK12D07VG6 | SK12D07VG6:SW-TH_SK12D07VG6 | SW1 |
| 1 | TYPE-C 16PIN 2MD(073) | TYPE-C:USB-C-SMD_TYPE-C-6PIN-2MD-073 | USB1 |
The 30 most common of 38 parts.
Questions
How big is the ForceKey v1.0 PCB?
It measures 50 × 40 mm and has 2 copper layers, 1.6 mm thick.
What parts does the ForceKey v1.0 use?
38 parts, built around the PY32F002AL15S6TU, ME6211C33M5G-N, PJ4054B and BC817-40W. The full list of its parts is on this page, with links to each part's symbol and footprint where PCBKit's library has them.
Where can I download the ForceKey v1.0 KiCad files?
From the fred-corp/ForceKey repository on GitHub, at the commit this page was made from: the board is hardware/pcb/ForceKey_v1.0/ForceKey_v1.0.kicad_pcb and its schematic hardware/pcb/ForceKey_v1.0/ForceKey_v1.0.kicad_sch. PCBKit opens the board in the browser, with nothing to install.
Can I use the ForceKey v1.0 design in my own project?
Its repository publishes it under the CC-BY-SA-4.0 licence: you may reuse it on that licence's terms (keep the author's notice, and for a copyleft licence share your changes alike).
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