Custom Keyboard

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Summary

This is a custom 60% keyboard equipped with per key rgb leds, rotary encoders, rocker switches, and an oled screen. My orginal idea was to just have leds, rotary encoders, and spst switches, but I quickly realized that I needed to add many additional components to get it to work like I intended. The finished keyboard will have many custom features:

• Leds will uniformly glow, and when is a key ismpressed the led under it will flash brighter than all the other leds for a few seconds before fading.
• Rotary encoders will control screen brightness and window switching.
• Spsts will turn leds on and off, and full keyboard on and off.
• I may change function keys to isntead of working like default function keys, open apps, like kicad or fusion.
• Will have Kaihl hot swap sockets.
• OLED will display simple live keylogger.

Keyboard Overview

Keyboard Layout

The keyboard's top layer, (R0), is a little different than a normal 60% keyboard. It's main difference is instead of having a full function key layout, the row starts with escape key, and ends with f4, and then has the screen, rotary encoders, and spsts. I will solder on the hot swap sockets to the pcb, and use cherry mx key switches. The matrix will have diodes to right of each key, for each key.

Controller and GPIO

I'm planning on using a rp2040 pi pico as the controller, and having an extra gpio extender for the 4 extra pins that don't fit on the pico. The pico will be connected to the full matrix, and link to the led data and rotary encoder a and b signals. The gpio extender will have the two rotary encoder buttons connected to it, snd the two spsts. The PCF8574AP will have a 0.1uf capacitor next to it to protect the 3v3 pin.

LEDs

LEDs will glow normally and then individually flash when key is pressed, I'm going to limit brightness in firmware as a safeguard. I will have a level shifter for the rgb data to convert the 3.3v data signal to 5v so the leds dont flicker or potentially not recieve commands. I will have a 1000uf capacitor on 5V roght before it reaches the first led. The level shifter will have a 330r resistor before the first led as well. The level shifter will have a 0.1 uf capacitor before 5V to protect the vcc pin.

Rotary Encoders

I'm planning on one the rotary encoders for controlling volume, and another for controlling windows, I'm planning on configuring it to open the CMD+TAB menu and scroll to select and open windows, and then once the rotary encoder has stopped turnign for say, 1 second, the window will open snd the menu will close.

SPST Switches

Already mentioned above, one of the spst switches will toggle the LEDs on and off, the other spst will just turn the keyboard on and off.

OLED

The oled will show a live display of what keys are being pressed, but I may also just put a simple animation on it or logo. There are two 4.7k resistors to protect sda and scl from 3v3.

Cad Assembly

https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/99ca1ac0-4308-4080-8bde-6a10d6c55312

Prices

Keyboard Parts BOM

Listed Total: $64.

Fabrication Stats

• Total Price: $26.50
• Shipping Estimate: $18.20

Download blender files here -> https://drive.google.com/file/d/1HHVWuKGK5Ybn4Eovk-v0dPoQDrp0pe_T/view?usp=sharing