Best project or innovation
Posted: 01 Dec 2017, 20:35
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Vote in this category to win a MasterKeys S, a Knop Mini, and a MasterMouse from Cooler Master!
Round 3 rules:
Please vote for the best project or innovation of 2017.
This is the final round. See the first round and second round for reference.
The final round ends on Wednesday 6 December, 19:00 UTC. You can change your vote until the end of the round by resubmitting the poll. The winner and full results will be released soon after the vote closes.
Official nominees (presented by matt3o):
Click bar on Kailh Box switches
Everybody loves crisp and clicky feedback, but let's be honest: modern clicky switches are a let down. Kailh recently engineered a new switch based on a "Click bar", a small metal wire inside the casing that actually emits the characteristic sound. They applied the same concept to multiple switches, including the Box switch that --other than the clicky sound-- adds spill-safe and dust-proof to its features list.
Kailh clicky box switches.
XMIT and his MX compatible hall effect boards having success on Massdrop with R2
XMIT will be remembered as the guy who revived the hall effect switch. He found a manufacturer in China and worked with them to create a modern and highly desirable switch mounted on beautifully crafted keyboards. They switches are not only hall effect, but also MX compatible, spillsafe and backlight compatible. The project was deemed to success and indeed this year Massdrop is running the second round of XMIT's hall effect keyboards.
XMIT's 60% modern hall effect keyboard
emdude's Xwhatsit/CS-Compatible IBM 3277 PCB
The DIY scene has been incredibly active this year. Many projects were dedicated to reviving vintage keyboards; of all emdude's stood out for recreating the PCB of the IBM 3277 with an edge connector so it could accept slip-on Xwhatsit and CommonSense controllers.
emdude's full size IBM 3277 PCB.
DMA's "CommonSense" Capacitative keyboards controllers
Converters and alternative controllers have always existed but they are getting more and more sophisticated. Everything probably started with Soarer's converter, then xwhatsit worked on a beam springs USB capsense controllers and finally DMA perfected the design and brought the CommonSense to the masses. It's an open-source project that provides everything you need to drive any Model F or beam spring.
Prototype of CommonSense PCB.
PlastikSchnittstelle's SKBXX solid bent alu case made in Germany
It is relatively easy to find various custom keyboard components nowadays. Controller, PCB, switches, diodes, LEDs can all be sourced somehow; what is really hard to find is a high quality case for our DIY projects. PlastikSchnittstelle comes to the rescue with a bent aluminum, height adjustable case 100% made in Germany.
One of the many options available