2 layers391 × 45 mm
AddOnB
freeDSP/freeDSP-aurora
freeDSP ADAU1452 with 8 analog input, 8 analog outputs, S/P-DIF I/O, ADAT I/O, USB Audio Class2, WiFi, Bluetooth
138 parts226CC-BY-SA-4.0
2 layers307.5 × 91 mm
Mt choc
SonalPinto/mt-choc6865% Low-Profile Choc Keyboard
- Size
- 307.5 × 91 mm
- Copper layers
- 2
- Thickness
- 1.6 mm
- Parts
- 138
- Nets
- 106
- Pads
- 639
- Tracks, vias
- 741, 66
- Pours
- 1
- Routed
- Yes
- KiCad
- KiCad 7 (file 20221018)
- Created
- 10 Feb 2023
- Updated
- 20 Mar 2023
Overview
Mt choc is an open-source printed circuit board by SonalPinto, from the SonalPinto/mt-choc repository on GitHub, published under the MIT licence. It is a 2-layer board of 307.5 × 91 mm with 138 parts on 106 nets, routed with 741 tracks and 66 vias.
Its parts include 66 diodes, 64 switches and 1 IC. It belongs with the keyboards and input boards and the RP2040 boards of this library.
README
README.mdMt. Choc
Mt. Choc is a low-profile 65% dark chocolate keyboard with a digital pin badge.
News
Gallery
Layout
A while back I had bought a box of Sunset tactiles on a whim. I didn't really have a board in mind back then, but I knew I wanted to design a low profile board and have some kinda display on it. I had some idea brewing around since reading this "Cyberpunk OLED glitch" article on KBD.news. A few weeks later, I stumbled upon Simon's interview on KBD.news and saw the interest check for MBK Legend‡ Extended). Everything just clicked together, and I started drafting a board.
Mt. Choc's 65% layout is designed around Kailh Choc V1 (PG1350) switches and choc-spaced keycaps (18mm wide x 17mm tall, like MBK Legend‡ Extended). The rows have the standard stagger and 6.25U spacebar. The right column is a tad narrower than usual with the intention of reducing the number of stabilizers needed. Hence, the backspace is 1.5U, the forward slash is 1U, enter is 1.75U and the right shift is 2.25U (symmetric with the left shift). The arrow cluster is offset 0.25U to right-align with the microcontroller and display. The layout does look simillar to 68-key boards like the Ikki68 Aurora or Varmillo Miya or VA68, with the 2x2 keys in the top-right swapped for the display. The design is very human.
The 2.25U shift on the left and right will need choc 2U stabilizers (standard 24mm wire). The 6.25U MBK spacebar uses a stabilizer that is 100mm apart (MBK spec). Opportunistically, the layout also offers an alternate spacebar layout with a split (2U-2.25U-2U) that reuses the stabilizer footprint cutouts of the 6.25U (read more in the hardware doc).
With the split spacebar layout, you are left with 2U and 2.25U that use stabilizers. You could brave a build without stabilizers for these, and see where that takes you. The MX-spaced wrk keycaps do not appear to be using stabilizers for their 2U. I've tried this, and I wasn't a fan. So, I recommend using stabilizers for anything over 2U.
Lastly, the round display is like a digital pin badge for your keyboard. Give it a personal flair!
Hardware
Build
Firmware
Misc
- Keyboard Layout Editor - link
- KLE raw txt - link
- Kailh choc stabilizer spec - link1, link2, 3D model
- Kailh choc PG1350 spec - link
- Kailh choc hotswap socket - link
Compatible Keycaps
Keycaps designed for 18mm wide 1U. This is not an exhaustive list.
- MBK Legend‡ Extended
- MBK Convex POM. The 2U and 2.25U would be well suited for the split spacebar. Note, this is not the same as FK Caps MBK.
- MCC keycaps
- ChosFox CFX. Ok, technically, I am not sure if CFX was designed for 18mm wide spacing. My measurements say that they may have been designed for 19mm (or 19.05mm) spacing. However, when placed on the 18mm wide spaced board, I couldn't tell if anything was off (at least the left/right mod columns appear ok~ish).
Credits
- Simon (FK Caps) and folks on FK Caps Discord
- skarrman's Horizon keyboard
- FK Caps mbk-footprints
- Based off of nicoles' mbk-footprints
- Wife for photography and coming up with the name
Parts
138| Qty | Value | Footprint | References |
|---|---|---|---|
| 66 | D | mt-choc-footprints:D_SOD123 | D1, D2, D10, D11, D12, D13, D14, D15, D16, D17, D18, D19, D20, D21, D22, D23 +50 |
| 52 | SW_Push | mt-choc-footprints:Choc-1u | SW1, SW11, SW12, SW13, SW14, SW16, SW17, SW18, SW19, SW20, SW21, SW22, SW23, SW25, SW26, SW27 +36 |
| 5 | MountingHole | mt-choc-footprints:m2_standoff | H1, H2, H3, H4, H5 |
| 5 | SW_Push | mt-choc-footprints:Choc-1.25u | SW5, SW10, SW15, SW41, SW46 |
| 2 | LOGO | mt-choc-footprints:mt-blanc | G***, G*** |
| 2 | SW_Push | mt-choc-footprints:Choc-1.5u | SW2, SW62 |
| 2 | SW_Push | mt-choc-footprints:Choc-1.75u | SW3, SW59 |
| 2 | SW_Push | mt-choc-footprints:Choc-2.25u | SW4, SW55 |
| 1 | RP2040_LCD_1p28 | mt-choc-footprints:RP2040_LCD_1p28 | U1 |
| 1 | SW_Push_Combo | mt-choc-footprints:Choc-6.25u-split | SW24 |
Questions
How big is the Mt choc PCB?
It measures 307.5 × 91 mm and has 2 copper layers, 1.6 mm thick.
What parts does the Mt choc use?
138 parts. 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 Mt choc KiCad files?
From the SonalPinto/mt-choc repository on GitHub, at the commit this page was made from: the board is pcb/v1.0/mt-choc/mt-choc.kicad_pcb and its schematic pcb/v1.0/mt-choc/mt-choc.kicad_sch. PCBKit opens the board in the browser, with nothing to install.
Can I use the Mt choc design in my own project?
Its repository publishes it under the MIT 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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