Mini M Opened Up

[thefarside]

I took apart my Mini M to make a measurement for this cool project and wanted to share some photos of the components.

It’s a great little keyboard.

IMG_6850.jpg (3.46 MiB) Viewed 4999 times

Like the Model M it has four screws. Mine were Torx T-15:

IMG_6852.jpg (3.24 MiB) Viewed 4999 times

Closeup of the screw and Torx bit:

IMG_6855.jpg (1.31 MiB) Viewed 4999 times

Opened up!

IMG_6859.jpg (3.28 MiB) Viewed 4999 times

Not ready for a bolt mod:

IMG_6862.jpg (3.19 MiB) Viewed 4999 times

Controller closeup. Not much there. I wonder if a Model M controller would work for those with controller issues?

IMG_7037.jpg (1.95 MiB) Viewed 4999 times

[sharktastica]

I wonder if a Model M controller would work for those with controller issues?
IMG_7037.jpg

You can make your own bespoke controller (like the Mstar) but any old factory Model M controller won't work since the Mini M's matrix is larger and completely different to previous Model Ms (including 122-key) and the second membrane flex cable is thus larger than any previous one to reflect this.

[Muirium]

Controller closeup. Not much there. I wonder if a Model M controller would work for those with controller issues?

Depends on the matrix and the connectors, plus the physical space available for the PCB and routing a cable out of there. Fundamentally, they are the same technology, but the details vary a fair bit, by the looks of it.

Edit: Sharkey beat me to it. IBM's originals are non-programmable so the changed matrix geometry means they will not work.

[thefarside]

Thanks for the controller feedback. The Mstar from level 1 tech looks nice but costs almost as much as the Mini M

Fortunately mine hasn’t had any issues.

[dotdash]

The Mstar from level 1 tech looks nice but costs almost as much as the Mini M

It's cheaper if you do the soldering yourself. It would be nice if their code was based on a current version of QMK though.

[thefarside]

I saw the $45 DIY option and would’ve gotten that but it’s sold out. Hopefully it’ll be back in stock soon.