This project was given a shoutout by ZACK LATTA(founder of hack club) on slack(https://hackclub.slack.com/archives/C07AQ75CWQJ/p1720786169211979) which makes this one of the most special project for me
DOJO:
DOJO -- It’s entirely custom-designed, from the case to the plate and even the layout. So, what exactly is a mechanical keyboard, and how is it different from a normal one?
A mechanical keyboard uses individual mechanical switches for each key. When the kays are pressed there is distinct tactile feedback and often an audible click, which makes typing feel more precise and satisfying. On the other hand, normal keyboards, often referred to as membrane keyboards, use a rubber dome under each key. This can make the keys feel mushy and less responsive. Also custom building mechanical keyboards will enable you to make any modification like the layout changes like changing keys adding custom keys for custom response .AT THE END OF THE DAY MECANICAL KEYBOARDS ARE INSANLY COOL NO MATTER WHAT
mechanical keyboards are generally more durable and customizable. you choose different types of switches based on your typing preferences. However, they do tend to be louder and more expensive compared to membrane keyboards and for more expensive if ur building one but i must agree to it that it is a very fun and cool journey to go through.
How did I make this project?? – This is a relatively easy part to explain the technical stuff SOOO starting off I had created a plan In my mind after watching tons of yt videos on custom mechanical keyboard . I wanted the intersection of all the custom builds I had seen(definitely dint use “intersection” to flex my bad math skill ) I had decided I need a perfect detachable mechanical keyboard with type-c port also I wanted it be really super thin(seems too simple of requirements but it isn’t ).Then I created my first ever prototype of the keyboard below are a few images of it it looks sooo dammm raww.
My first prototype with an pro micro dint have soldering tools or expertise so i hot glued all the wires so that they stay
VID_20230323_160628.mp4
This was created with an Arduino pro-micro I did it just as a test if I could get the whole hardware working together cuz I barely had any idea about hardware. And yupp I could get it working. After this I had started my work on building the plate at this time, I only had a very shallow idea of the entire design. I took some tips ideas and some guidance from YouTube videos and made a realty good plate with a layout which would suit me the best and I went and gave it for print I spent 1k rs for it and yea the print quality was bad I dint really know about that stuff back then the parameters for tuning apart from the print quality being bad I also had forgotten to add screw holes so that I could screw the plate to the case. And then post that I worked on a type -c port I got one type c connector and designed a perfect case around it and printed a few tests version and yes it did work out. after this I set out to find a way to connect the type c connector with my type – c cable and then my BluePillI learnt how type –c protocols and systems work and by the time I tinkered and did all my test and figured out shit I ended up removing most of the copper solder pads and then I went to buy it again and it was nowhere seen I could not find it which meant I had to again find a suitable one.
Below are the case samples i had made for testing out the scre holes and the inital type-c port it did work out!!!
Below are the case samples i had made for testing out my new case for the new type-c port
I redesigned the type-c port region of the case. It was relatively easy cuz I had enough experience to do it. and then I combined both of them and yes it worked. then I moved and completed rest of the parts of my case did a few trails and test prints and finally it came out right. After all this I made a simple schematic for the connection of which switches on where connects this step really made things 100 times easier compared to writing it down or else way it better helped me visualise the connections and etc etc (end of thinking capacity yes). I also used blue Otemu switches cu1z it sounds nice and was not that expensive And I ENDED UP SOLDEING ALMOST 71 KEYS 5 rows and 16 columns literally 71 keys took me about 15 hours and 20 days the yes at the end all the wires and stuff were pretty messed up but the connections were firm and it does not come out yes it was durable. I then used QMK to set up my keyboard clicks and other further connections and other software part of the keyboard I actually did this along with soldering my part cuz I needed validation at every step.
Below are all the sample stuff I had to print I tinkered with them to find out the right or the perfect print settings and the right print quality and some are obviously failed or test prints obvv.
BELOW ARE SOME PICS TAKEN DURING THE SOLDERING PROCESS AND SOME FINAL PICS
Well to be honest building a Custom mechanical keyboard might sound pretty useless and a project which is a huge waste of time while it might be true I don’t agree with it at least not with the waste of time part. I remember explaining this project to a few people who really have no idea about mechanical keyboard none of them ever saw this as a worth it project btw people who do know about mechanical keyboards and custom bult keyboards they really understood what I’ve made. My personal opinion – while it might not be a cool project in your portfolio or whatever if your doing projects for the sake of a portfolio yes, this project is a huge waste of time but if your doing this to learn new things this is a great project. I personally have learned soo many things from this single project I have never done a project which taught me more. To actually completely make one you’ll need to do stuff from 3D-printing/designing to electronics to soldering. When I started out my journey of building a custom mechanical keyboard, I had no clue about all this all I knew was that I had to make one at any cost (it turned out to be costly). Well to start off I never knew 3D modelling/Designing I never knew soldering or how to even solder 2 part together if this was not enough, I dint even know how microcontrollers work or operate, obviously I had done stuff on Arduino btw that’s nowhere near the actual stuff your supposed to deal with. all this cuz I was a pure software guy I had barely done stuff on hardware. And at the end of this long journey I learning soldering and became decent and I learnt enough 3d-modeling (fusion 360) to be able to make my own prints for my other projects as well. I also learned a lot about microcontrollers started with an Arduino pro-micro and then learned about that which was pretty basic and dint catch my interest btw when I started with stm32 series it actually caught my interest and I was fascinated by the world of electronics and what all I could do with it. It was insane and I learnt about how all these chips are actually used in our daily use stuff like an STM could be inside my remote how cool right. Through this journey I also learned about PCB design even tho I never tried making one cuz its costly getting it printed. Its hard in words to explain how much ive learned while making this custom keyboard