Argh, I spilled water on my board and now at least two keys are misbehaving.

Is there a Vial-compatible split board that I can get quickly in USA? I am not a DIY guy.

I've had a Microsoft sculpt for a long time, and am looking to upgrade

I really like the layout and size and profile of the sculpt, so something that is as nice as it would be the natural progression (i think the ridge and negative slope are the important parts for me)

Idk anything about split keyboards, but I'm not really for diy, and ideally it will be something i can return if it's not fit for me...

I wanted a keyboard that could be used at a desk in full ergo form (fully split), but also easy to take around (unibody) if I wanted to work somewhere else. I designed this to satisfy both needs, in addition to having a trackpoint since integrated pointing devices are great!

It uses a single microcontroller with a GPIO expander on the other side over I2C and a 4-pin magnetic pogo connector and USB C connectors to bridge the two halves together. Even though the magnets on the pogo connector are small, I designed the enclosure and interface to be sturdy enough to be picked up by one side.

Design is open source and can be found here: https://github.com/justinmklam/dabao

I’m building my own split keyboard using a Chinese STM32 Blue Pill clone (STM32F103C8T6). I etched the PCB myself at home, assembled everything, and flashed the firmware. Almost everything works, but the far-left and far-right columns don’t register any keypresses. All the other keys work perfectly.

I’ve tried:

• Continuity check with a multimeter from switch pins through diodes to MCU pins.
• Reflowed all solder joints on those columns.
• Re-routed the column trace to a different MCU pin and updated the firmware pin mapping.
• Verified firmware matrix size and pin definitions.
• Checked for shorts between adjacent columns/rows.

Could you help me identify the problem? I can send over the assembled board.

Hi everyone,

I'm building my own split keyboard using a Chinese STM32 Blue Pill clone. I etched the PCB myself at home (garage fab), soldered everything, and it mostly works. However, the two outermost columns - the far left and far right - are completely dead. All other keys/columns work perfectly.

I’ve tried:

Continuity check with a multimeter from switch pins through diodes to MCU pins.

Reflowed all solder joints on those columns.

Re-routed the column trace to a different MCU pin and updated the firmware pin mapping.

Verified firmware matrix size and pin definitions.

Checked for shorts between adjacent columns/rows.

I got gifted a bulk set of Azoteq TPS43's from Digikey. What overlays do you suggest to use with them? I read online that most laptops have a frosted glass or a mylar finish. Which one do you prefer? How do I go about sourcing these?

DISCLAIMER: This is not an ad, everything is open-source. All links go to GitHub.

Hi everyone,

A few months ago, I made an engine to find a (near-)optimal one-handed Lily58 keyboard layout, linked below. From that, I selected what I believe to be the best of the best and called it my prototype.
The Engine: https://github.com/aaa308-aub/lily58-anneal
The Prototype: https://github.com/aaa308-aub/Lily29

The prototype has 4 layers: one main layer, two layers for symbols, and one backup layer for QWERTY -- mainly for people who game. The home position (e.g., what used to be WASD on regular keyboards) is now HTNE here.

This project might be for you for a lot of different reasons, in order of importance:

• To stop moving your right hand between your mouse and your regular (two-handed) keyboard. I noticed that we do this all the time and it distracts us in the moment, and that people who have certain disabilities or challenges may find that really annoying.
• To deprecate most functional keys: F1 to F12, Print Screen, Home/End, Page Up/Page Down, Insert, Alt, Tab, Shift, etc. Yes, there's a real disadvantage here where you have to rebind all your favorite shortcuts like Alt+Tab, but the idea behind this is to personalize your shortcuts using only one "Super" key to do all things functional. For best compatibility, that Super key should be Ctrl.
• To reclaim space on your desk. You don't have to move your keyboard away just to place an A4 paper in front of you.

This may not be for you for also a lot of reasons:

• Your main preference is typing speed over flow, where a two-handed keyboard (split or not) is obviously better. Or, you program without a mouse in Vim-mode and find that superior. Sidenote: This is why I chose a software remapper (called Kanata -- also open-source) instead of flashing all the layers in firmware; for people who already own a Lily58 split and want to use this without abandoning their old layouts.
• The learning curve is obviously pretty high, and you may not like that. I tried to keep it to a minimum by not introducing fancy functionality, like chording, and only apply basic toggles/holds we're all familiar with.
• Not all of us own a mouse with two side-buttons, which is a functional requirement of this prototype. All the PRO's and CON's and other requirements are listed on its GitHub page.

Please feel free to comment whether it's for a critique or a question, or whether it's about my engine -- I haven't discussed the details on that to keep the post short.

Dropped down from Sofle to 36key Totem. At first touch I felt like I’m paralyzed and couldn’t made a suitable mapping. Someone on the community recommended Selenium and it saved me! Now I’ve finished last upgrade with KLP Lame and it’s even better. Only thing is that keyboard is plastic and without lighting. Plan is to switch to the CNC one but it’s hardly available in Europe unfortunately. Any recommendations in reasonable price? 🤠

My keyboard can use Choc v1 and v2 switches. I had the Ambient Twilight and loved them, till I got the Deep Sea Whale, which IMO are vastly superior -- both from the typing feel as well as lower noise.

I am only interested in silent switches. In general I seem to like tactile switches most, but I am also open to linear ones. I prefer the Deep Sea Whale over Island/Islet for the alpha keys. On the layer keys I use the lighter linear switches (Island or Nocturnal). But I was also typing happily with the Twilight and would not rule out linears.

Although I am pretty happy with the Whale I would likely prefer a little lighter switch. For those who have the Kiwi, how do they compare to the Whale? The Sunrise will likely become available finally as well and might be another option.

Another route I might test is to use the super low travel Purple Swallowtail (or also known as Purple Glede or Purple Iris -- depending on the seller). Anyone experience with those?

For keycaps I use KLP Lame, which made a huge difference in typing comfort -- together with the switch (pun intended) to the Whale.

A good friend of mine had a major medical event earlier this year which has left him unable to use his left hand. We’re looking for good options for single-hand typing, and ideally some gaming if possible.

I have multiple 3d printers and soldering irons, and have built my own Sofle Choc v2, so I’m very comfortable with the DIY route.

Anyone have any suggestions for good designs to try?

Additionally, he has raised the idea of using one of his feet for meta keys, so that’s also something we’re keen on investigating (he can only move one foot as well).

Thanks in advance!

Hi, due to rsi sympts I've always used Mx linear white where I changed their springs to 15-20g ones. I would like to continue doing that but on a keyboard that has a different shape than these normal straight ones. Does such a ergo keyboard exist or is it mainly custom-made/3d printed?

TY

Hello! Decided to share here my first ergomech build!

Got a kit from PandaKB, first time soldering and somehow managed to not destroy the entire thing lol

3D printed the keycaps and body with some glitter PLA (I can find the brand if anyone needs it, it's been a while) and the wrist rest in TPU. Very happy that I got the LEDs to shine through the keycaps quite well!

Switches are kailh choc red pros.

I still need to solder the battery, been using it wired for a while now and I'm super happy. Currently using workman as layout, but I may consider switching to colemak someday.

I'm looking for a new keyboard and would appreciate some advice.

I'm currently using a Lily58L, and I'd like to try a low-profile keyboard with Choc switches. My ideal keyboard would have these features:

• Wireless (ZMK would be great)
• Split layout
• Kailh Choc switches
• 58 or more keys – I don't want to go much smaller than my Lily58L.
• Rotary encoder – this is a must! I really like the look of vertical encoders.
• TrackPoint or a small trackball – would be a nice bonus, if possible.

A screen is not necessary. My Lily58L has one, but honestly, I can't remember the last time I looked at it! 😅 However, it would be nice to see the remaining battery level somehow.

I'm happy to build the keyboard myself, including soldering and a 3D-printed case. I'd prefer an open-source design that I can modify if needed.

I've looked at the Sofle Choc Wireless, but I'm not sure if there are other designs that would be a better fit, especially if I want to add a TrackPoint or trackball later.

What would you recommend? Are there any existing designs that fit these requirements with build docs that I can follow, BOM etc.. ?

Thanks for your help!

Does anyone know where I can buy a glass overlay for a Azoteq TPS65? The datasheet talks about it, and Keycapsss.com sells one, but Keycapsss has stopped shipping to the US where I live. I am not really equipped or knowledgeable enough to fabricate one on my own.

Hi everyone!

I'm a mechanical engineer working on my first custom mechanical keyboard.

I currently use an HHKB Professional JP. Sometimes I find it extremely comfortable, but at other times its layout feels inconvenient, especially when switching between CAD software, spreadsheets, Windows, and Linux.

I'm also still a beginner with Emacs, so I'd really appreciate feedback from more experienced users.

My main design goals are:

• Make Ctrl and Meta easier to operate with my thumbs.
• Improve navigation and shortcut accessibility.
• Keep the keyboard practical for CAD and everyday productivity.
• Allow customizable key mappings.
• Potentially integrate a trackball beneath the spacebar in a future version.

This is still an early-stage design, and I'm not claiming it's better than existing layouts.

I'd especially appreciate your opinions on the Ctrl/Meta placement, ergonomics, and any important keys I may have overlooked.

Thanks for any suggestions!

Hello fellow keyboard enthusiasts!

I ordered (from eBay, so let's see what/when I get...) Corne v4, since it seems to be the cheapest way to try out a split ortholinear. I am not very concerned about layers in English, but I also do some writing in Russian, which has 7 extra letters. I could not find any layout ideas. Maybe there is someone who faced the same problem and has a solution?

Many thanks in advance!

Unsure where to post this question.

Many mobile keyboards support a "double-space for period" feature, where pressing the spacebar twice inserts . and may automatically capitalize the following word.

I tried via tap dance and a lot of times 'space' do not register on fast keyrolls

Does QMK, Vial, or ZMK support this functionality out of the box, or is a custom implementation required?

Hi! I'm designing my dream keyboard and might end up selling it if there's interest. It's a thin unibody board shaped like Thor's hammer, Mjölnir, inspired by the Corne and the Toucan.

Specs so far:

- 42 keys
- Low-profile switches with hot-swap sockets
- Black anodized aluminum chassis
- T300 carbon fiber top plate
- Custom high-end touchpad with a glass overlay, based on the Azoteq IQS9150
- Wireless, running ZMK (or custom firmware if ZMK's touchpad support is bad)
- AMOLED display

Feedback:

1. Choc V2 or KS-33? I've designed around KS-33 so far. What do you prefer and why?

2. The display: thoughts on its size and position? Is the spot below the touchpad useful, or would you put it somewhere else? I like how the display looks in that position but I expect that some people would think that the space could be used for keys/peripherals instead.

Hello! New here so I apologize if this was already asked and I just didn't see it.

I have been using my Cloud Nine FSK for years and while it's not perfect it has the vast majority of features I need. I've finally decided to change up my switches because I think a lower actuation force would help with my hand fatigue. When I try to remove the switches from the keyboard, it seems impossible. I tried with my spare non-ergo mechanical keyboard and was able to remove the switches without much difficulty. I'm even using a fancy pair of tweezers, not just the default tweezers that come with some switches that don't give you enough leverage.

Has anyone been able to remove the switches on their Cloud Nine keyboards? I was looking for their support page and they have closed down their website, so that's a good sign lol. I did find this blog post on the wayback machine that seems to indicate that the switches should be removable. https://web.archive.org/web/20250316194908/https://cloudnineergo.com/blogs/news/keyboard-switches
And from another post in this sub I now know the model of keyboard that Cloud Nine slapped their label on, but I still can't figure out how to remove the keys. I think it may just be that the lower snap is too tough for me to press in far enough, and maybe if I bring it somewhere someone with wrists and hands that work better may be able to remove them? But I don't want to make the trip if it's just impossible.

I am not a big tech person, just a transcriptionist who needs good tools, so I'd ideally avoid anything involving soldering or anything like that. If this keyboard just doesn't have removable switches, I'd love recs for other keyboards that fit the bill. I like the split design, and that it uses standard key caps and switches for customization. I may upgrade to one of those curved keyboards one day, but I'm not there yet.

Thanks in advance for any help!

Hey,

I have been using Sofle for the last 3 years, always in the same position, and nothing has changed lately.

But a few weeks ago, suddenly, I started feeling pain in the base of my thumb, and after consulting with a doctor, it's probably De Quervain tenosynovitis.

I attached my keyboard setup, my current layout is that the "control" keycap is actually the spacebar, and the key that is underneath my thumb is the layer keycap.

I am trying to think whether it's the reason for the pain: the fact that i need to stretch my thumb to reach the spacebar, which is frequently used.

What surprises me is that I was working with exactly this keyboard for 3 years and had 0 pain, and now, for some reason, I have the De Quervain problem.

anyone had a similar situation with sofle/corne? Is there any other keyboard recommended to try?

This is driving me crazy, as I really like the split, but now the split is painful while the regular keyboard is fine.

Browser editor for ZMK keymaps. A keycap shows the firmware binding and the characters that binding produces on Linux and Windows, including AltGr. This is a fork of nickcoutsos/keymap-editor.

Open a sample board in Demo, paste a .keymap (a layout file is optional; without one the board is a flat grid), or load a zmk-config from GitHub. Copy sends the spliced ​​.keymap back to the clipboard. Commit writes it to the repo and keeps your existing preamble, defines, and includes. The same commit stores the host layout snapshot plus generated xkb and .klc files.

Click a key to edit that layer’s ZMK binding: behaviors, layers, mods, and hold-taps, including homerow-mod and autoshift presets. The board can show one layer, a stack of layers, or the full matrix with row and column numbers. Combos are drawn on the keys, with timeout, layers, and the chord binding. Conditional layers (Lower + Raise → Adjust) sit on the layer strip. If the keymap has encoders, each layer’s clockwise and counter-clockwise turns are editable too.

Hover a legend to see the ZMK code and the Windows and Linux characters. Alt+click edits the host character for that key. Up to two languages ​​are drawn on a key. Built-in layouts include English, Russian, Ukrainian, German, French, Polish, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Brazilian Portuguese, Czech, Danish, Swedish, Hungarian, Turkish, Romanian, Finnish, Norwegian, Greek, and Bulgarian. You can import an xkb section or a .klc file. The Host lane copies or downloads the Linux xkb section and a Windows .klc for MSKLC.

Firmware still builds and flashes in your normal ZMK flow.
Suggestions are welcome.

I've been experimenting with something that I thought this community might find interesting: how much does the physical shape of a keyboard actually change the way our fingers and wrists move?

It started as a visual simulator comparing alternative keyboard layouts (QWERTY, Colemak-DH, Workman, Graphite, Gallium, etc.), but I quickly realized that comparing letter positions alone misses a pretty important part of the equation: **keyboard geometry and the anatomy of the person typing on it.**

So I've expanded the project into three connected experiments:

**1. Keyboard geometry - 15 different physical arrangements**

From traditional ANSI/ISO to Alice, Arisu, ortholinear, split column-staggered, Dactyl Manuform, concave keywells, splayed columns, and other ergonomic designs.

Each geometry has its own key positions, spacing, and finger assignments.

https://thetypingcat.com/lab/keyboard-geometry

**2. Hand anatomy - a configurable biomechanical model**

This was probably the most interesting (and challenging) part.

You can adjust hand size, individual finger bone lengths, joint movement ranges, finger spread, wrist rotation limits, and even how much effort different fingers should contribute to the calculation.

The simulator estimates which keys can be reached by finger movement alone, which require wrist rotation, and which require moving the whole hand.

https://thetypingcat.com/lab/hand-anatomy

**3. Layout comparison - animated typing simulation**

The original experiment compares alternative letter layouts, animates finger and wrist movements, and calculates estimated travel, same-finger transitions, hand alternation, and other metrics.

It now works together with the keyboard geometry and hand anatomy settings.

https://thetypingcat.com/lab/compare-layouts

One thing I've learned is that even relatively small changes to the assumptions about finger reach can significantly change the estimated wrist movement.

Of course, **this is still a geometric simulation, not a validated ergonomics study.** Some of the more unusual keyboard geometries are approximations, and physical travel alone doesn't tell us everything about comfort, strain, or typing performance.

I'm particularly curious about three things:

- Does the model's finger reach and wrist movement look realistic compared with your experience on split or column-staggered keyboards?

- What important anatomical or ergonomic factors am I still missing?

- Which keyboard geometry would you most like to see modeled more accurately?

I'm building this as part of The Typing Cat, and I'd genuinely appreciate criticism from people who have spent much more time experimenting with ergonomic keyboards than I have.

Especially those of you designing your own boards - **what would make a simulation like this actually useful to you?**