HyperMicro Development

[matt3o]

what software do you use?

[7bit]

My own stuff until I get to the .brd and .sch files (including everything but the traces) and kicad from there.


Graphic is kicad's PS output (File/Plot, check "PostScript" and "Real drill" options) and manually put together. But this last step can be done with ImageMagick and a bit of scripting.

[macmakkara]

HyperMicro_PCB_101.png

So that 7bit edition pcb? what about normal ansi or iso?

[7bit]

HyperMicro_PCB_101.png

So that 7bit edition pcb? what about normal ansi or iso?

ANSI and ISO are the same, because there is no space for a Return key anyway.


Also:
This supports traditional and summetric stggering and 3 sizes of space bars (1, 4 and 7 units). Except for the 6.25 units space bar and an extra key, you can have about the same layout as the JD40.


I will post possible layouts later.

Another advantage over the JD40 is the fact that you can use PCB-mount switches and stabilisers to cheap out on a mount plate and save weight!


However, mount plates for plate mounted Cherry stabilisers will be available, too.


ps: might be even possible to add support for 6.25 units Cherry space bars ...
<----- jdcarpe crying because his JD40 will be obsolete very soon!

[Daniel]

HyperMicro_PCB_101.png

Are you sure that those small distances between the holes are manufacturable?

[7bit]

I will add even more holes!


But:
The Phantom keyboard has a lot more holes!!!

[webwit]

The real important question is, does it have full qHACK support now?

[rindorbrot]

Wasn't the qHACK a variant for the 60% HyperMini? The HyperMicro is the 40% board...

[7bit]

The real important question is, does it have full qHACK support now?

Wait!?


You want qHack support on the HyperMicro?

[webwit]

You are right, I am mistaking. This would suggest 7bit has his priorities wrong!

[7bit]

Done:
- support for lots of staggerings
- holes for trackpoint
- controller moved to top-row

Todo:
- support for 6.25 units space bars to kill GH's JD40 keyboard
- support for 3 mouse-buttons at the bottom to please the wild duck

[scottc]

What about the scroll wheel?!

Scroll wheel should always be implemented as middle click + trackpoint drag, though.

[7bit]

Scroll-wheel should go at the positions of the center-bottom-switch (the one that would be used for a 4 or 7 units space bar).

I think I should add a 2nd controller for all those extras ...

[7bit]

Here are the possible layouts:

[Muirium]

ANSI400 looks quite nice, but I have one (possibly impossible) request:



HHKB style 1u Fn key on the right of right Shift, plz. And I mean at the right edge of the keyboard. 1.25u ain't quite the same.

SYM400 has it. And its symmetry is growing on me the more I look at it:



1.25u mods are cooler, but I'll have a lot of 1.5u caps spare from Round 5 anyway, so…

[7bit]

Might be doable.

[7bit]

Is there any reason not to mount stabilisers upside-down?

I mean such that the wire is between ZXCVBNM<>? and the space bar.

If there is nothing in the way, an upside-down stabiliser would make sure that mousebuttons can be mounted even if a conventional space bar is used.

[7bit]

I've finalised the PCB, except connections for some LEDs.

HyperMicro_PCB_202.png (688.38 KiB) Viewed 4923 times

[scottc]

You should make a Pro Micro version.

[7bit]

What makes you think "Pro Micro version"?

[scottc]

Well it's much cheaper than a Teensy 2.0 and has enough pins for small boards. It seems like a natural fit to me.

I think I see an error - on the bottom PCB, you have "Teensy 2.0" on both the left and right sides, but on the upper one the Teensy pins are unmarked. Should the "Teensy 2.0" text be on the upper diagram?

[PJE]

With the current price rise of the eBay ProMicro modules, I don't see any reason not to use a Teensy. You're already saving money on the lower switch count.

Personally, I'd ditch the LEDs for this version and look at rotating the overlapping switches 180deg to see if it makes the holes easier to produce.

Love the concept. Keep up the great work..

[Muirium]

Peter's right about the current prices, but in general Pro Micro is a good fit for this sort of project. Much cheaper than Teensy when they're priced right, a bit slimmer, and Micro USB. Here's a blue one for size vs. a Teensy and an NRF wireless controller.



The more you bake in support for, the better!

[7bit]

Well it's much cheaper than a Teensy 2.0 and has enough pins for small boards. It seems like a natural fit to me.

I think I see an error - on the bottom PCB, you have "Teensy 2.0" on both the left and right sides, but on the upper one the Teensy pins are unmarked. Should the "Teensy 2.0" text be on the upper diagram?

Both controllers are on the bottom. Viewed from top, the right one is for the keyboard, the left is for the mouse buttons.

Indeed, the Pro Micro controller could be used for the mouse-botton PCB.

I use 17 pins, but the Pro Micro seems only to have 16 usable pins.

[scottc]

I didn't realise that the Pro Micro had so few usable pins. It looks like it has more on the first glance, but most of them are useless. It also seems to have 3 GND pins, which makes no sense to me... disappointing

[Igthorn]

Indeed, the Pro Micro controller could be used for the mouse-botton PCB.

I use 17 pins, but the Pro Micro seems only to have 16 usable pins.

There are 18 usable pins. TX/RX are PD3/PD2. The only ones that are not usable are VCC/RAW/RST/GNDs.

[7bit]

Thanks, but I'm not sure I want to change anything. I'm working an the LEDs now and want to make sure that at least the switches at the edges can be connected through the PCB.

[7bit]

Does anybody know if I need to connect the VCC-pin to anything on the keyboard?


I've seen it on the Phantom and the ErgoDox, but I'm not sure if it is really necessary.

[Igthorn]

Only if something needs power like an led or another chip like the io expander on the ergodox.

[7bit]

Thanks, but I'm still not sure.


At the Phantom it is connected to just the keyboard PCB, like GND.