MacroBoard

MacroBoard

What is it?

• The MacroBoard is an extension of a much smaller "macropad" featuring a full TKL layout with a rotary encoder for volume and a whopping total of 22 macro keys (10 macrokeys physically and 12 more due to the fn keys being on another layer), and it is all coded with KMK firmware.
• Worried about the amount of power it will take? No need to worry! The MacroBoard has a Pi Pico as its brain, which is pretty efficient on energy.
• Dislike the microUSB connector on the Pi Pico? Again, don't worry! Through the use of a USB Type-C breakout board, most of the cables that you already use should work, as the keyboard has the necessary 5.1K ohm resistors to allow for type-C to type-C communication
• Case looking too big? Every model is split in half to allow for printing on a consumer-sized printer.

DEMO

https://youtube.com/shorts/OhP7P0TbwBU?feature=share

Why did I make it?

• One of my first hardware projects in my life was a macropad, and since I didn't have that much experience, I thought that a keyboard would be an appropriate step up in difficulty while still challenging myself, especially because I decided to use a bare rp2040 chip and had to include everything that it needs, including differential pair routing with 90 ohm impedence (for the USB-C connection).
• For the form-factor, I decided to add macrokeys as having additional components like a macroboard on my desk would feel like clutter, so incorporating these keys into the keyboard itself would fix this issue
• Finally, I just never used a mechanical keyboard before, and I honestly just wanted to know how it felt compared to the laptop keyboards and the ones based on rubber.

Challenges

• There were two points in this project that were quite soul-crushing and made me actually consider if I should just stop trying to complete the project, which is why I want to highlight them here.

• Initially, I decided that I would forgo hotswap switches for the keyboard, but after finishing routing the PCB, I chose that it would probably be better if I decided to include them. When I changed the footprints from Cherry MX to Kailh hotswap switches, there were over 1300 errors in the DRC.

• This meant that I would have to completely restart the wiring, which was pretty difficult for me to accept, but luckily, it took around 25% of the time it took before with my gained knowledge, proving to me how far I have come in this month alone.

• The next challenge happened right at the end of my project, or as I was almost ready to be done. When I uploaded the PCB gerber files to JLCPCB and completed the parts selection, I found out that no matter what I did, the bare board would come out to be over 1.5 KG, making it ineligible for Global Direct Shipping.
• This meant that the shipping for just the PCB would come out to be about 40 dollars with the cheapest option, completely breaking the $150 budget I had for this project.
• I asked around on the Hackclub Slack for some help, and I there seemed to be nothing that I could really do.
• As a last resort, I DMed Ayo (you should check out his Github), who I had seen complete a keyboard. After discussing about ways to optimize the price, he brought up the idea of hand-wiring a keyboard, which was something I had never thought of before.
• I initially still felt discouraged, but with more conversation, I slowly became more confident in myself and my abilities. Now, rejuvinated, I updated the models to be able to work without a PCB and quickly finished my project

Credits

• Credit to @Coloneljesus_13723 on printables.com for a cherry MX plate hole to EC11 rotary encoder
• Ayo for helping me throughout the latter part of the project

PCB

• As previously stated, I will be handwiring this keyboard, but here is my wiring diagram for the keyboard and the PCB that I did design (which ended up being too expensive)

CAD

• This took me a pretty long time since I'm relatively new to designing things, but I feel that it turned out really well.

BOM