HE60

HE60

HE60 is a 60% Hall-effect keyboard PCB with 8kHz polling rate, a split spacebar and Tsangan layout support.

Features

• Support for GH60 tray mount cases e.g., KBDfans Tofu60 Redux, and KBDfans Holy60.
• Support for gummy O-ring mount cases if the USB-C port is not soldered e.g., Bakeneko60, and SingaKBD Unikorn (required 10mm JST cable).
• libhmk firmware.
• hmkconf web-based configurator.

Disclaimer

• The PCB requires standoffs to be mounted to the switch plate. The mounting points are not compatible with other available plates e.g., GEON Venom60 7U plate. HE60 v1 plate is not compatible with this PCB.

Supported Layouts

Fabrication

The following files are required:

• BOM (Bill of Materials): Contains the list of components required to build the PCB.
• Pick and Place: Contains the placement of the components on the PCB.
• Gerber: Contains the PCB design files for fabrication.

Note that the components in the BOM are all mounted on the bottom side of the PCB, and are based on the available components in JLCPCB at the time of writing. You may need to adjust the components based on your preference or availability. For the JST connector (labeled JST_SH), I used WAFER-SH1.0-4PWB offered by JLCPCB. Make sure to deselect the USB-C port when choosing the components to solder if you are using the gummy O-ring version.

You may change the Hall-effect sensors during the component selection based on your preference, and availability. Different sensors require different calibration values, which can be adjusted using the web-based configurator. Different sensors may also have different polarity, and may require output inversion. Here are some options that I have used:

• GH39FKSW (Cheapest, Inverted)
• MT9102ET
• SS39ET
• DRV5055A3 (Inverted)
• OH49E-S (Discontinued)

The fabrication files above are available here.

Build Guide

The following items are required to build the PCB:

• PCB
• Switch plate (DXF file available here. You may need to use less flexible materials such as aluminum or FR4 to prevent the switch at the top right corner from popping out if you use the alternative backspace layout. If you would like to manufacture FR4 plate along with the PCB, you can find the GERBER file for the plate here.)
• Magnetic switches (e.g., GEON Raw HE, Gateron Magnetic Jade, Duhuk Core HE, etc.)
• Stabilizers (Clip-in stabilizers are required for the gummy O-ring version)
• M2 3.5mm standoffs x8
• M2 3mm flat head screws x16

1. Install the stabilizers to the PCB.

2. Attach the standoffs to the PCB using the M2 screws.

3. Install the switches to the plate. Assemble the plate and PCB together. Press the PCB against the plate to make sure the switches are seated properly. Screw the standoffs to the plate using the rest of the M2 screws.

4. Install the PCB into the case.

Firmware

Head to libhmk for a pre-compiled firmware. The firmware can be flashed using DFU mode, which can be entered by holding the BOOT button before plugging in. You may need to install the DFU bootloader driver using Zadig. See libhmk for more information for firmware flashing instructions.

Important: The firmware assumes the Hall-effect sensors are MT9102ET, which does not require output inversion. If you are using other sensors with different polarity, you may need to invert the output, configured by the flag invert_adc in libhmk/keyboards/he60-v2/keyboard.json, and compile the firmware from source.

Acknowledgements

• Xelus from AEBoards for reviewing the PCB design and providing feedback.
• Keyboard Atelier community for supporting the project.