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# Building a "50one" split keyboard |
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## Building is fun and all... |
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... and it definitely helps if you're a bit insane. Cause why would |
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you ever, ever want to build a keyboard by hand and from scratch, when |
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there are so many cool, cheap and easy boards out there? *(looks |
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over to [iris](https://keeb.io/))* Because we can - that's why. With |
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such awesome tools like QMK and all the keymaps they provide, the guides, |
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3D printing and such, it was never easier to build keebs than today. |
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So lets heat up that soldering iron and get our hands dirty to build |
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something cool, just for the heck of it. |
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### So what is this? |
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This is my pathetic attempt to show you how to build a split keyboard |
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called "50one". It got all the good stuff like |
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[columnar stagger](https://deskthority.net/wiki/Staggering), |
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a tiny bit of tenting, a couple of LEDs so you know which layer you are on, |
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a small size perfect for taking it everywhere you go |
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and two (hot swapable) Pro Micros running [QMK](https://qmk.fm/) firmware. |
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![images/50one_keeb.jpg] |
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This is still a completely handwired build, so... |
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### Be aware! |
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Handwiring this keyboard involves heavy use of soldering, wires, |
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electronic components and tons of hot glue. It *will* lead to at least |
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one burnt finger (otherwise you are doing it wrong). |
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If you have never built a keyboard or some other electronics before, |
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this might be a challenging task. But don't leave jet: it **is** totally |
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doable and I will personally hand out some medals afterwards. |
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*(I actually wont...)* |
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### You might wanna have a look at this first... |
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There is a ton of information out there on how to build electronics and |
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keyboards. I highly recommend reading up on the topics that are new to |
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you, cause I won't be able to explain everything in full detail, so |
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some background knowledge won't hurt. |
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Here, have some recommendations: |
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- [QMK's handwiring guide](https://docs.qmk.fm/#/hand_wire) |
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- [Troy Fletcher - Handwiring a keyboard (videos)](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLt4C9PYdzNo8_zScbA6Xg84Ncs9rdj50n) |
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- [Hand-wiring a keyboard](http://trauring.org/hand-wiring-a-keyboard/) |
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- [Brownfox build log](https://deskthority.net/workshop-f7/brownfox-step-by-step-t6050.html) |
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If you still have some questions, just leave me a message: |
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max \[at\] mal-richtig.de |
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or you might find me on reddit at [/u/maxmalrichtig](https://www.reddit.com/user/maxmalrichtig). |
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### "Dude, WTF?!" |
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Sorry for the poor quality of some of the images, the crappy 3D case and the |
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(probably) bad English. If something is totally unclear, please let me know. |
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If you have some better material, it would be nice if you could share it with |
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the rest of us. :) |
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## Shut up and build already! |
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OK... You will need some stuff to build this. |
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### First, print the case. |
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You will find the files needed to print the case with a 3D printer in |
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[this](https://git.mal-richtig.de/maxmalrichtig/50one-keyboard-hardware) |
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repository. |
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Download `50one_basePlate__V1.stl` and the `50one_body__V1__CHERRY.stl` |
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(if you are going to use Cherry-ish switches) or the `50one_body__V1__ALPS.stl` |
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(if you are going with ALPS/MATIAS switches). |
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If you want to tinker with the 3D model or you want to build a better |
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one, you can also have a look at the FreeCad project included. |
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Load the `.stl` files to your favorite slicer software (e.g. CURA) |
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and print the first half. In order to print the other half, you can |
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just mirror the 3D models directly in your slicer since the models are |
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completely symmetrical. |
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I printed my case with some plain, old PLA filament and relative high |
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layer resolution of ~0.1 mm. You don't want your print to be too crude |
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or you'll have problems during further assembly. |
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You should end up with a top & bottom part for the left and the right |
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side. |
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### Then, get some tools and components |
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#### Components & parts: |
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- 2x Pro Micro |
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- 50x switches (Cherry, Matias, Alps, ...) of your choice |
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- 50x general purpose diodes (e.g. 1N4148) |
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- 16x M3 screws (6-10mm length) |
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- 2x 4.7k (through-hole) resistor |
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- 2x LUM 1503-13V - 4 pole TRRS jack 3.5mm |
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- 2x short-stroke switch (6x6 mm, height: 4.3 mm, vertical) |
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- also: keycaps and some non-slip rubber pads as feet |
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And yeah, don't forget the actual wire! I just used some generic, thin, stranded wire |
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with several colors so I don't get too confused. |
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The important thing is, that you have something flexible - so solid-core wires are |
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no fun here (unless they are realllly thin). |
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And better get some insulated wires, otherwise you will have to insulate the crosspoints |
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between the wire (columns) and the diodes (rows) with hot glue, or something alike. |
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##### MODS - optional, but recommended: |
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***hot-swapable Pro Micro:*** so you can change the Pro Micros after |
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you have broken these delicate micro-USB sockets |
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- 4x female pin headers, single row, 0.1" (2.54mm), right-angle, |
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through-hole mount, (at least 11 pins long) |
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***layer indication LEDs:*** |
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- 2x 5mm tricolor LEDs, 20 mA (L-154A4SURKQBDZG) - if you have clear switches like MATIAS |
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- 2x 200ohm resistors (for red) |
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- 4x 100ohm resistors (for green & blue) |
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- some heat-shrink (that fits over the resistors) |
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OR: |
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- 6x 3mm LEDs, 20mA, colors of your choice - if you have opague switches like standard cherry |
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- 6x *some* resistor |
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- some heat-shrink (that fits over the resistors) |
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(Since I can't know which LEDs you are using, I can't tell you which |
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resistor values you will need. Google for "LED resistor calculator" if you don't |
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know how to calculate the needed resistor or leave me a message! |
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Do NOT connect the LEDs directly to the Pro Micro without a resistor in the circuit!) |
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#### Tools: |
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- screw driver (one that fits your M3 screws) |
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- hot glue and glue gun |
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- soldering iron and solder |
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- a small file (if you are going to use my 3D printed case - |
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it needs some love for everything to fit) |
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- flush cutters |
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### Insert the reset switches |
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Take the bottom plates and the short-stroke switches and shove them |
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into the little holder. If you have difficulties inserting the switch, |
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take your trusty file and file of some of the edges of the holder |
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until you can place the switch. |
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After you have inserted the switch, it should be clickable |
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by inserting a thin object through the hole on the other |
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side of the bottom plate. (Please test!) |
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### Insert your key switches |
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Now, take your favorite key switches and push them into the top part |
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of the case. If you have problems inserting the switches, take your |
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file and sand down the sides of the switch holes a bit until the |
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switches fit nicely. |
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Make sure that all the switches sit flush on top of the case |
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and there are no gaps or badly inserted switches. |
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Please note: Your switches might not lock in the switch plate, so they |
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can be pulled out of the case pretty easy. This is "normal" - and one |
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of the downsides of this 3D printed case. You can fix that with "some" |
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drops of hot glue. (see the later images) |
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### Insert the TRRS jacks |
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Take the TRRS jacks and insert them into the small holders on the |
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inside of the case. Again, your file might be of good use here since |
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the fit is quite snug. |
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The prongs on the TRRS jacks need to point "upwards" (away from the |
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key switches) so you can easily solder some wires to them later. |
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Push it in hard - push it in good. You want the jack in there as plain as |
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possible. If it still doesn't fit, go and use that file. |
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### Wiring is the best part |
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If we have all the switches in place, we can start building our rows and |
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columns. Be careful while soldering to the switches: you want all your |
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connections to be soldered as good as possible, so everything is connected well |
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but be careful and don't overheat the switches with your iron. After all they |
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are just plastic. |
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*And for the record: The smoke from the rosin that is released during soldering |
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is harmful, so be careful not to breath too much of it or get it in your eyes.* |
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#### Give me some rows |
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We will build all the rows with the diodes. But since god is a funny man |
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and he wanted to mess with all the people interested in electronics, he made |
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diodes polar. That means, there **is** a "wrong way around" so pay attention that |
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the marked end of the diode (the black part) is facing *away* from the pin of the |
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switch you are soldering it to! |
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An easy way to solder the diodes is to bend the one lead in an angle or loop, |
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put it over the pin of the switch and then apply some solder. Bend the lead on |
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the marked end of the diode in a more or less right angle. Do the same for the |
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switch next to that one an solder the diodes together where the two leads meet. |
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It should look more or less like this (just without the wires in the picture - |
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sorry, I forgot to take a picture that is just showing the rows...): |
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After you have finished a row with the diodes, take one of your wires and solder |
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it to last diode. We will use these wires later to connect them to the Pro |
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Micros, so make sure they are long enough to reach the Pro Micro. Better make |
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the wires a little bit too long than too short! |
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Do this for every row of switches on either side. |
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#### Columns for the win |
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This part can be extra fun - or you might wanna kill yourself afterwards. Maybe |
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a little bit of both. |
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The idea behind this step is to connect all the unused pins of your switches in |
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a column to each other. There are several ways to do this and it doesn't matter |
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which one you choose. But here is the way I did it: |
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Take one of your wires and solder it to a switch on the bottom. Pull the wire up |
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to the next switch, put some solder on the tip of your iron and hold it against |
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the wire at the position where you want to connect it to the next switch. Don't |
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touch the pin of the switch yet - just melt away the insulation of the wire at |
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that point. Now put some more solder on your iron and solder that point of the |
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wire to the pin of the switch. Incrementally apply more solder to the joint until |
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point of total satisfaction is reached. |
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Pull the wire up to the next switch and redo this procedure until you have soldered |
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every switch in this column. Do NOT cut the excess wire - we will use that to |
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solder the columns to the Pro Micro later on. |
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Do this for every column of switches on either side. |
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After you are finished with the rows and columns, you should end up with something |
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similar like this: |
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