Total time spent: 13 hours

July 17: Started the project!

3:50 PM | About 2 hours ago i started planning out the project in notepad, slept for 30 mins, woke up fresh after a nap and made first iteration of product list! (it was here, but due to gallery site not suporting tables i needed to delete it, you can find it in github repo changes history!)

I searched for local sites for cheaper (and primarily faster) deliveries. Also i found that some of the items like switches, sockets and LEDs were cheaper in Poland, I would probably find them even cheaper on Aliexpress, but delivery time would be enormous.

anyways, its 4:18 PM, i am going to start making PCB (I forgot to add images for this day :( They are below in the next day segment!)

5:58 PM ended designing for today (I designed schematics for PCB this day, although i didnt wire it until the next day!)

Time spent this session: 2 hours

July 18: Journal, PCB and possibly a case!

7:05 PM Right now i am going to add images for what i had done yesterday as i forgot to do that then. After that i will continue making PCB! (I made the wiring! You can see it in the image below!) On the right you can see keyboard switch sockets, it is wired like mess cause i wanted to make it in the size and shape of actual keyboard for reference! Although i know i will need to make it again later in pcb editor :<

Decided to change rp2040-zero for rpi pico as it has more ports, for the few missing needed ports i will use Waveshare 3708 PCF8574 expander module as it costs only 2 PLN (less than half a dollar!) more, i dont need to use pull-up resistors etc which will simplify pcb and will be also cheaper in the long term probably. And it gives me more than enough ports! (I didn't entirely think this through, making keyboard with screen and knob and hotswap for second project wasn't so good idea, so i needed to simplify it a bit! But i think it is still a good achievement! And for sure step up from the hackpad.)

Resigned from screen and expander whatsoever, after a bit of thinking i came to conclusion that i dont need it, i wouldn't see the screen anyway and it is only complicating the PCB and making whole thing bigger (The problem was finding the footprint and 3d model for the one i found on botland.pl, if i used aliexpress from the beggining which i ended up using it would be easier and i wouldnt resign from it. But it is a lesson: to plan things better before implementing them AND before giving up!)

I also resigned from LED backlighting, i figured it is too much work for me as it is my second hardware project ever, and first keyboard (excluding hackpad), especially since it has hot-swap. (Amount of types of SMD LEDs was too much for me, also i couldnt find white with cool tone, it is definetely for more specialized builders.)

10:41 PM ended designing for today, almost 4h straight, at the end: i resigned from screen, expander and backlighting. Connected everything in schematic. Laid out everything on PCB. Left for me for making physical part of the project is wire everything together using paths and design 3d case for it. And of course connect it all when it arrives. (not much to add here :))

Time spent this session: 3.5 hours

July 19: The day of making traces

7:06 PM starting working on PCB, need to make traces for everything, but first i will label each key socket for convienency

8:15 PM finished routing traces! This is how it looks now: And this is how it looks in KiCad 3D model viewer: 8:36 PM - 9:41 PM took a break for food, right now i need to make case (i dont remember what i ate lol)

10:12 PM ending designing for today, hoping tommorow will be last day of designing! Made body of the case (well, kinda), tommorow need to make plate etc (basically i just extruded the pcb, made a little box and called it a day, i was too tired for this)

Time spend this session: 3 hours

July 20: The birth of the case

3:53 PM i am starting 3d modeling for today, hoping it wouldn't be as big of a chore as i suppose (It kinda was, but not really)

5:24 PM ended designing 3d case! It wasnt as frustrating as i thought. (yup, except making space for Micro-USB port)

5:53 PM made screw holes i forgot to add! i am gonna add images to the journal of project rn! (Made them for M2x4mm screws!)

right now i am adding all the files to the repo and making the ones that i didnt do before! also i slightly changed journal cause it was a mess to view in gallery, i will make it more preety at the end! if you want to see earlier versions of it you can see it in github repo change history!

3d model with pcb and rotation encoder: (adding switches into model would be too much of hassle, please dont make me do it, i am barely moving in the f360)

Right now i will add the missing infos to journal (time per sessions etc) and expand it a bit cause i was writing it loosely, just so i can remember what i wanted to say to later (now) expand it! (Every expand is in this format!)

Now: I need to make the README.md complete and make the firmware (at least demo version of it!)

Okay! its 9:25 PM (i swear it is the last timestamp, i know you said to not include them as much but it helps me track hours i spent on project) and i finished firmware (demo version of it) and i think everything else! Now what left is to sum up hours, post it on highway-pitstop, get feedback and then submit!

Time spent this session: 4.5 hours

July 30: Return

Yo, so to keep it short, my design was rejected for having too simple case and not having every gnd pin connected, i am goin in work cycles i described in my spark-carrier project. It is currently 4 am july 30, i am going to speedrun this

• Cycle 1: Connected all of the GND Pins, next cycle i will add mounting holes and export it to cad
• Cycle 2: Made mounting holes, exported as step file, started making case outline, will make it fully in next one or two cycles
• Cycle 3: Almost made whole bottom plate, now 25 minute break.
• Cycle 4: Made bottom plate, now i will be centering the top plate
• Cycle 5: Made top plate, need to cut a square out for encoder
• Cycle 6: Cut square for encoder, i though about how to customize it, i got idea to do it so on the back there will be SVG of Isha and Jinx from Arcane, on the front there will be Jinx from Arcane and also there will be accents like POW POW etc (the accents made by me, others just converted from JPG to SVG)

I took a break, i just got back, extruded jinx and isha svg onto bottom of backplate, my friend is making me an funny version of jinx on my tablet. I will extrude it on front plate and add some accents that i will make when she ends. RN i need to make my other project cause i need to submit it up to tommorow

Time spent this session: 3 hours

July 31: Last day

Yo, so i didnt finish it yesterday, i will finish it now lol, i have almost everything ready

I took a break (again), i just made it, it took me like 1 hour. Basically key points of case are: - Legs (keyboard is tilted 7.5 degrees) - Jinx was here text on the front, goofy ahh jinx on the front (made by my friend) and jinx with isha on the back - Minimalistic design (i hate over-modeled and too complicated designs, in my opinion it looks bad, this is why my case is simple)