Phantom Custom Keyboard Group Buy (CLOSED)

[7bit]

Phantom PCB (only) round 2 Interest Check is up at Geekhack. http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=38287.

But hopefully not exactly the same design!

Not that our first batch gets devaluated!!!

[jdcarpe]

Design will be the same. We have permission to run a round 2, but not necessarily to redesign bpiphany's PCB and still call it Phantom. Possibly a different PCB color.

[7bit]

What about changing the Revision date to a more recent one?

[jdcarpe]

Maybe bpiphany will want to change the text to be screen printed on the boards to reflect his new username, the new GB coordinator, bavman, and the new plate provider, The_Beast. Along with a new revision date, as you said. But that's totally up to him (and maybe you, BiNiaRiS, and litster), as we wouldn't presume to muck about in his PCB drawing file.

[bpiphany]

My goal is to make a new design "Phantom 2" (but I would give it another name) which would use SMD components directly on the board - no Teensy. It would also be made to fit the full size Filco, and be possible to cut dow, or break off, to fit the tenkeyless case. It could possibly be designed to fit other cases as well, depending on if mounting holes can be accommodated or not.

I have also said yes to jdcarpe/bavman to run a second round of the Phantom. I have just barely started designing a new PCB, and the Phantom also fills a function by not requiring any SMD soldering. It will be the exact same board, since those files are already checked and set-up with pcbwing. And it would therefor be the same design revision. I don't think I would bother changing that =)

[dirge]

When you do a cutoff keypad, could you add traces so it could either be used independently as a numpad or connected back to the PCB itself via trrs or USB? Maybe fit a 3700 case? Or am I going too far?

[bpiphany]

The idea is to have a second controller location on the numpad part, to make it a stand-alone unit. The splitting line could be done in different ways as well. Either perforated like a sheet of stamps. Then the traces can be routed between the holes. Or there is a technique called v-routing where there is a v shaped grove routed on both sides of the PCB to make it easy to snap off. This cuts through the copper layers and there would need to be jumpers to connect everything back together (only15 or so). That would also allow for later re-assembly, and would give a cleaner edge when broken off =)

[phetto]

Fredde, when are you planning to make this beauty?

[Donbabbeo]

Phantom PCB (only) round 2 Interest Check is up at Geekhack. http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=38287.

Good to hear that.
But it'll be limited to US citizen? Why not opening another interest check here too?

I know, maybe it's just me but GH automatically traslate to US and Deskthority to EU.

[jdcarpe]

No problem. Just posted the interest check here: http://deskthority.net/marketplace-f11/ ... t4646.html

[rindorbrot]

I like what bpiphany wrote, sounds really awesome with that option numpad thingy and no SMD soldering.
Consider me interested!

[jdcarpe]

Please, PLEASE! make the Phantom v2 fit into the Rosewill RK9000 case as well as the Filco. I have 3 or 4 of those sitting around.

I can send you a Rosewill case, bpiphany, if you need dimensions.

[fruktstund]

Wow, it seems I finally have all the components and hopefully time needed (well, in between the Swedish julestök that is), so today (or in the next few days) I'll build my Phantom! Why am I writing here? Because it's question time!

Question: is it possible to have LEDs both in the switches and between the six pack and Pause/Printscreen/Rollen keys?

[phetto]

gl with your build fruktis. julestök ftl

[gimpster]

Question: is it possible to have LEDs both in the switches and between the six pack and Pause/Printscreen/Rollen keys?

Yes. It's definitely possible. I think you need 3 resistors, instead of 2, though. If I remember correctly, the Scroll Lock shares a resistor between the key light and the case light, but the Caps Lock has a separate location for the resistor used by the key light that is next to the switch.

[fruktstund]

Thank you, um, fettis!

Got enough time to solder everything except the switches, and while it took a bit longer than I thought, everything is working this far! Must be a first for me. \o/
And thank you very much gimpster, tried it out, and it did work! I just soldered 3 resistors on because it seemed right, so I don't have any idea if it would work with only two, but I think not.

I'm semi-blind now, had my eyes fixed upon the LEDs for too long. They were just so shiny! And extremely dazzling and blinding, but I like that.

[fruktstund]

Stuff works and looks pretty, but how am I supposed to push the button on the Teensy when it's inside the case? Am I missing something here, or am I just too tired to think?

[gimpster]

Stuff works and looks pretty, but how am I supposed to push the button on the Teensy when it's inside the case? Am I missing something here, or am I just too tired to think?

Unless you make a custom case with a hole for it...then you're NOT supposed to. You need to program it before you put it in the case.

[bpiphany]

If you use the latest firmware I think the controller should reset into the bootloader if you press both shift keys. If you use the phantom build of hasu's tmk_keyboard firmware there is some other way to do it. You will however need to program the Teensy once before putting it into the case. And each time you fudge up modifying the firmware... You can also add a magnetic "reed" switch between the RST and GND pad on the Teensy. I think there should be room in the case =)

[fruktstund]

I did program it before putting it in the case, otherwise I wouldn't type this message on it.

If I recall correctly I did use the firmware from your github bpiphany, so I did try pressing both shifts earlier, but it didn't work! Well, I guess I'll just have to open the case (it's just 8 screws anyway), and then make sure everything works as it should before putting it together again. Won't do it now though, I feel somewhat lacking in sleep at the moment.

[bpiphany]

Of course you have to build the firmware yourself, or it won't work! Nah, I just hadn't done it after adding the bootloader jumping feature. Now they are updated in the git repository =)

Otherwise this is the one I'm using for the Liberation device http://www.digikey.com/product-detail/e ... ND/2171057

[fruktstund]

It's too late now anyway!

Maybe should look into buying one of those, just in case.

What I find strange is that the Teensy loader tells me to press the button every time I want to program something. I can't remember if this was the case before when I've used Teensies, but should it be like this? Maybe I'm just missing something!

Currently using hasu's firmware by the way, and that's some nice firmware! Makes everything super easy. Only thing that's not working is the mouse control things, but I hadn't intended to use my Phantom as a mouse anyway.

[bpiphany]

How would the Teensy loader and controller talk to eachother? You somehow need to start the bootloader program on the controller. Either by pushing the button doing a hardware reset. The HWB pin also needs to be tied to GND to jump to the bootloader at reset, otherwise the regular program is started again. It's also possible to simply jump to the program location on the Teensy where the bootloader is located. This is something that hasu's firmware does as well. So you should be able to do that now =)

[fruktstund]

Hm, I guess that sounds reasonable enough.

Ah, I read about that a moment ago here, and I guess that's what the double shift thing does? Now the question is how I do it with hasu's firmware!

[Vierax]

Sounds great !

With the open source arduino bootloader and a not surface mounted Atmega32 chip (easiest to solder and replaceable), it surely becomes a real strong alternative to Teensy. If you want to make your own atmega32 controler included to the board, maybe you can do the same thing than Adafruit's Arduino Micro by using the Arduino Leonardo's architecture instead of creating yours. It can add a compatibility of the code for other board and in the arduino IDE, programmers just have to select the referenced board to write "phantom2" code.

I'm aware that this idea breaks the compatibility of code created for PhantomTeensy (the first) but the Teensy board isn't fully open source and force users to be dependent to PRJC's will : it looks like they want to make ARM board and one day they'll stop the Teensy2 production or make a new atmega32 chips incompatible with the previous one.

A removable numpad is a great idea too, especially if the cable is sufficiently long to allow placing the pad on the left of the Phantom KB

I'll follow this thread.

[Half-Saint]

It would be really cool, if the next version of Phantom used the switch with the diode already built-in. You could still use an external diode for 'Caps Lock' and 'Scroll Lock', if you wanted to put LEDs beneath the cap.

[bpiphany]

Diodes will go where there is room for them. With all the switch location options there really isn't room to have them in the switches. SMD diodes will also be possible to pick and place if it would ever come to that... =)

The Leonardo is an ATmega32u4 just like the Teensy. The same code would run just fine. And if you are paranoid about the Teensy bootloader not being open source it is easy enough to replace with the right tools. That doesn't matter though, the next time there will be an SMD controller, using Atmel's closed source bootloader ;D

[Half-Saint]

Diodes will go where there is room for them. With all the switch location options there really isn't room to have them in the switches. SMD diodes will also be possible to pick and place if it would ever come to that... =)

I'm confused. Why is there no room? There's plenty of boards with diodes inside the switch. How did they make the room?

[bpiphany]

They didn't cater for eleventeen different layouts.

[fruktstund]

Is it possible to open switches with diodes inside without desoldering? Thought I heard it wasn't, somewhere a long time ago.

Personally I'd prefer pick-and-placed SMD diodes myself. Less work, and feels better for one who is good at destroying things when soldering. :>