vimboard/index.norg at main · chipfranzen/vimboard · GitHub

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* Vimboard
  A custom novelty keyboard celebrating the vim motions.
** Design decisions
   ~ 5-key ergo layout celebrating vim motions
   ~ choc switches and keycaps
   -- kailh sunset (low-profile, tactile)
   -- choc keycaps (need to get the higher quality material, forget what it's called.)
   ~ adafruit kb2040 controller
   -- compatible with promicro
   -- worked great
   ~ wired power

** TODO
   - (x) design key layout
   - (x) ensure adafruit qtpy supports QMK (it does not)
   - (x) design pcb
    - (x) ergogen
   --- (x) keys
   --- (x) diodes
   --- (x) processor
   - (x) kicad pcb
   - (x) design logo
   - (x) ensure switches are hot-swappable (they are, with hotswap sockets)
   - (x) assemble board
   - (x) firmware
   - ( ) design case

** TO BUY
   - (x) flush cutter
   - (x) multimeter
   - (x) part organizer
   - (x) pcb ruler
   - (x) tweezers
   - (x) work mat
   - (x) heat tape
   - (x) diodes
   - (x) keycaps
   - (x) microcontroller https://www.adafruit.com/product/5302
   - (x) microcontroller pins and sockets
   - (x) pcb
   - (x) rubber feet
   - (x) switch (choc v1)
   - (x) switch hotswap sockets (choc v1)
   - (x) switch tester
   - (x) usb-c cable
*** Optional
   - ( ) case
   - (x) soldering iron
   - ( ) keycap remover
   - (x) helping hand
   - ( ) solder vaccuum

** Ideas
*** Vimboard
    - thumb key. I did end up going with a thumb key.
    - went with a layer key instead of a dedicated esc key to learn more about qmk.

*** Successor Keyboard
    - navigation layer customized around vim motions
    - colemak or workman for the base layout
    - colemak-dh seems promising
    - 34 or 36 keys?
    - miryoku layout seems like a good starting point for 36 keys.
    - seniply for 34 keys.
    - maybe make 3 variants: 36, 36 with thumbs moved, and 34
    - consider an outer pinky key instead of a top pinky key.


* Post-Mortem
  - Get non-lead option for pcb.
  - Create a spreadsheet for the bill of materials. Don't buy anything until that's completely
    settled. I ended up buying from too many different stores this time around.
  - Thumb key was rotated in the wrong direction.
  - There wasn't a ton of room for the rubber feet on the edge of the board, so the board can
    wobble a bit. All the keys must be within the perimeter of the polygon defined by the feet.
  - Soldering was fun and not too difficult. The pins on the pcb socket are a bit delicate though.
  - Boot and reset buttons needed to put the mcu into bootloader mode.
  - Not wild about the kailh sunsets. I might look from something with a lower actuation force.
    Might also look into linears.