Keyboard
title: Cool Keyboard
author: Sidak Singh
description: A keyboard which is actually good; hopefully at least ;)
created_at: 2024-05-24
Tue Jun 24 2025 (First day) 4 hours going to start planning what I am doing what the idea is and how it is roughly going to work now that expericed so we will see how it goes;
Idea: modular low hiegh lcd screen which plays game based on you typing speed and acuary (slightly tiled from the top) rgb everywhere machincal hot swappable some dials on the top sexy build
Modules: Audio mixer (Left) Num pad righ (right)
Reaserch (insperatio) this kind of led bar https://github.com/masaleiro/HacKeyboard 80% size
board ESP32-S3-DevKitC-1 with WROOM-2 32 MB Flash + 8 MB Octal PSRAM https://www.amazon.com/SANXIXING-Development-Module-Internet-ESP32-S3-WROOM-1/dp/B0DB1WK3CW/ref=sxin_17_pa_sp_search_thematic_sspa?content-id=amzn1.sym.2da95b6c-f59a-4699-bc43-d0ff036c6388%3Aamzn1.sym.2da95b6c-f59a-4699-bc43-d0ff036c6388&cv_ct_cx=esp32&keywords=esp32&pd_rd_i=B0DB1WK3CW&pd_rd_r=f0f021fb-fc42-42db-a982-2a0d24d234dd&pd_rd_w=LAz4G&pd_rd_wg=zPjgt&pf_rd_p=2da95b6c-f59a-4699-bc43-d0ff036c6388&pf_rd_r=K3V46M70WGZQSM9RFQJN&qid=1750802869&sbo=RZvfv%2F%2FHxDF%2BO5021pAnSA%3D%3D&sr=1-1-6024b2a3-78e4-4fed-8fed-e1613be3bcce-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9zZWFyY2hfdGhlbWF0aWM&psc=1 somehow buying 3 is cheaper than one
going to learn easy eda lol ;) watching this 16min vid https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utBQqcuOt9U yea video was usless will learn as i goes
learn how a keyboard works https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LyziNdFlew
direct wiring: a single pin per pin
matrix diode use diode for n key rol over ghosting diods only for rows coloums dont have diodes
ye I give up on esey eda nothign works
I am switching to ki cad we will see if my laptop can run or not notes:
Thu Jun 26 Started following a tutrotial on ki kad
stuck idk any commands; cant even get copy paste to work
some more chat gpt resaarch
✅ 5-Pin MX Switches Pads: 2 for electrical contacts 2 for plastic stability legs 1 center hole (optional mechanical post)
Kailh Socket MX Hotswap
02 Jun 2025 (2H) got a basic idea on how the keyboard is going to look
- use uart prototcol between module for data transfer
- can remapp any pins to work for rx and tx
- set rows as output
- set colloums to input
- connect with with magnet pogo pin connection
- probs need ribbion cabels
- need to check how to make the 90deg connections
- basic excali draw layout with eveything I need
- just need to finnalise the exact pins
03 Jun 2025 (6h) - Swtiched over to linuix could not get ki cad to work for 2h - display module: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005008937314193.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.main.37.689cl1WLl1WLYf&utparam-url=scene%3Asearch%7Cquery_from%3Apc_back_same_best&algo_pvid=04323b26-192f-4ec3-9295-e29557edd303&algo_exp_id=04323b26-192f-4ec3-9295-e29557edd303&pdp_ext_f=%7B%22order%22%3A%22261%22%7D&pdp_npi=4%40dis%21CAD%2112.70%211.38%21%21%2165.41%217.11%21%402103247917515698026168028e09d7%2112000047274995308%21sea%21CA%210%21ABX#nav-specification - made pin layout txt
July 10 2025 (3h)
- been a while since I worked on this going to refersh the memory and read a rticle
https://magazine.raspberrypi.com/articles/how-i-made-a-pcb-mechanical-keyboard
started the actual pcb
had to refacttor everything since the led too too muhc space
even after the shrinking there size in shcematic edditor
july 12 2025 4h Need to work on the bms system after looking online for too long I cant find a symbol which matches my pupose for the tp405 so I am going to make my own symbol turns out I am dumbass and I made a foot print instead of the symbol lol good waste of 15 mins leared how ot make a symbol made symbol for mt3608 and tp4056 changed pin layout to make the encoder clickabel added pin layout for uart3 and uart 2 added connectins for the screen in
July 14 So ran into a small porblem not all the pins on the esp32 are exposed When I did priod pin planning chat gpt told me it works but chat gpt is preety stupid so I will have to manuely reconfiger everything I phyciallt dont have enough pins and need to cut down quite bit. some reasech later I can switch to a tiny board use a expander thou it is very slow and cant do rx tx; hook up 2 esp32
I cant think of any soultions so we going to move the rotatre encoder to the othe module esp we have a plan again boyz lets go using every single pin out there
got the neo pixels set up with a level shifter foudn a bms board to use https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005009114238312.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.main.6.297aIxBSIxBS8w&aem_p4p_detail=20250714115114454699415870150000722181&algo_pvid=918adb0b-d6f3-4d48-a0fc-2aa31cf362dd&algo_exp_id=918adb0b-d6f3-4d48-a0fc-2aa31cf362dd-5&pdp_ext_f=%7B%22order%22%3A%22-1%22%2C%22eval%22%3A%221%22%7D&pdp_npi=4%40dis%21CAD%210.70%210.63%21%21%213.56%213.20%21%40210318ec17525190740772470e51e3%2112000047966529768%21sea%21CA%210%21ABX&curPageLogUid=OozQZC1fKPWE&utparam-url=scene%3Asearch%7Cquery_from%3A&search_p4p_id=20250714115114454699415870150000722181_2
finsshed the top module still had to remove a encoder due to lack of pins
considring changing the design a bit not fully sure
july 15 got alot of work done yesterday not sure if it going to transfer over to totday designed the middle righgt module the wirring atleast finshed all the schematics and wirring flags with the middle module need to add all the foot prints now means I gotta make some footprint got the foot rpint for the switch and that is about it already knew it would kinda unporductive but tommory should be better
July 17 found this eoncder dont wana make foot print; but might have to https://www.amazon.ca/Cylewet-Encoder-Digital-Potentiometer-Arduino/dp/B07G9Z5CG3/ref=asc_df_B07G9Z5CG3?mcid=83240136b38133afb3da3ceaa754b17b&tag=googleshopc0c-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=706724917350&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=15515757723512613680&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9190488&hvtargid=pla-774433431987&psc=1&hvocijid=15515757723512613680-B07G9Z5CG3-&hvexpln=0&gad_source=1 scrath that
using EC11 for the rotart encoder
I installed foot prints but my things dont have pins that connect I am going to switch it out for keep out zones with undoing so mich work trying ot make the board foot rpint gfor mt3608 but cant figure out to make akeep out zone made and assigned the foot from fot mt3608 but the wriing is not ritwe ZI made sure the pin numbe ris correct but idk will troibleshoot later JUST GOT 74nh... foot print assigned correctly the volatge leevl shifter
did the foot print for the bms board but the wirrring is still not ligned up
the issue was with the tp4056 board made my own foot print for this one https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005008145821171.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.main.2.76582274lLMqDO&aem_p4p_detail=202507181524554208539047139890001870489&algo_pvid=6bb3cdce-ef62-4a96-9fac-22bcc3f7eeff&algo_exp_id=6bb3cdce-ef62-4a96-9fac-22bcc3f7eeff-1&pdp_ext_f=%7B%22order%22%3A%221197%22%2C%22eval%22%3A%221%22%7D&pdp_npi=4%40dis%21CAD%213.13%211.39%21%21%2115.99%217.09%21%40210330dd17528774951822738ec2ea%2112000044264539063%21sea%21CA%210%21ABX&curPageLogUid=p2Bmyk5OeMyR&utparam-url=scene%3Asearch%7Cquery_from%3A&search_p4p_id=202507181524554208539047139890001870489_1 made a new foot print for my cell type 26650
apperntly the way installed ki cad does not allow python scripts to run for plug ins so I have re install ki cad
july 28 been a very long while since I have dont anything to this idk what I was doing last time but I wana finish this today so I can get to work on other things so I will finish even I dont get to sleep
asked chat gpt how I should do it it said use a create array feature turns out that is not usefull here
changed the foot print to version which lets me mount on either side of the pcb
I spent 3 fucking ours trying to get to the grid to snap just relise what I was doing was wrong and the tutorial was right fuck this shit I am going to cry the grid still does not snap properly I have changed the foot prints to keibo ones now and apparetnly all my other foot prints have gone missing again
I got the trick I think I have to select the bottom pin number 2 for it snap properly I give I will look at the missing module later just goin gto allign the keys now
ahhh I am him I am done the main body like alligned not wired
ahh I am him it 12 at miofnight but I finished placing all the components where they belong just need to find the missing module and place it
July 29 I was right I just had to figure the foot print had not been delted I just had to fugure out where it was stored and relink it again
I have a new error now some of the pads seems like are not alligned seems like a quick fix just reassigned the pins to the correct order
finshed wirirng eveyr switch diode led took 8 h
added test points to add the magentic pogo connection change in sym and pcb
connnected the pogo goin gto run drc
drc gave 200 errors and said 43 things were not connected properly back to table
just went thorugh hell solving all the unconnete drc items still have other issues and just found out about erc all the wires are connected and I will come back to the other issues later going to model the case now
july 31 I was out yesterday and today is the last day so I guess I will have to finish no matter what goiing to learn fusion 360 and make it but I have to switch over to windows first