Next hardware projects coming up

[Mrinterface]

The switch sample bags have finally reached a lot of buyers and I am pleased with the interest(!)

Now it's time to start some other (hardware) projects :

1. A switch sample numpad you can purchase. It will be fully programmable and consists of the cherry MX switches of your preference. Gonna start designing this thing real soon. The caps will have the same color as the switches they are on. Caps will be purchased via QWERkeys. Case is going to be transparent polyacrylate or alu.

2. A WASDSPACE cluster with the MX switch of your choosing. This is based on the wasd gaming try switches by ceesa. The design will have 5 switches mounted into a configuration you can use for gaming next to your main keyboard. The space switch will be adjustable. Working on the CAD designs a.t.m. Case is going to be polyacrylate or aluminium.

3. A real computerkeyboard ( the keybocomp ) . The idea is to merge a proper mechanical keyboard with a functional computer. Case will be polyacrylate or alu. It will look like the memotech computer from the age you still had those things. I'm currently hunting for an old iMac mini so I can start prototyping it.

Any comments on these hardware projects are welcome!

[nathanscribe]

Sounds interesting. The old Memotech was quite slinky - black and red is a great combo. Have you considered the Raspberry Pi for your computer instead of the Mini? Not as powerful, but nice and small. I was going to try to fit one in an old Cherry case, but I decided in the end I'd just design my own and use the guts of the Poker in it. I'm in no rush to proceed as I'm all out of cash right now, but the idea was to make something compact and all-in. Great minds think alike!

[Mrinterface]

Yes, the Pi will be possible too. What is really great about it is that it runs MAME.

[dirge]

These sound awesome!

[RC-1140]

I still plan to insert a Raspberry Pi inside a Model M Terminal Keyboard, but I still don't know, whether to connect it to the GPIO pins, or use Soarer's Teensy converter. GPIO would be much more work.

But all your Items sound fantastic MrInterface!

[Djuzuh]

The switch sample bags have finally reached a lot of buyers and I am pleased with the interest(!)

Now it's time to start some other (hardware) projects :

1. A switch sample numpad you can purchase. It will be fully programmable and consists of the cherry MX switches of your preference. Gonna start designing this thing real soon. The caps will have the same color as the switches they are on. Caps will be purchased via QWERkeys. Case is going to be transparent polyacrylate or alu.

2. A WASDSPACE cluster with the MX switch of your choosing. This is based on the wasd gaming try switches by ceesa. The design will have 5 switches mounted into a configuration you can use for gaming next to your main keyboard. The space switch will be adjustable. Working on the CAD designs a.t.m. Case is going to be polyacrylate or aluminium.

3. A real computerkeyboard. The idea is to merge a proper mechanical keyboard with a functional computer. Case will be polyacrylate or alu. It will look like the memotech computer from the age you still had those things. I'm currently hunting for an old iMac mini so I can start prototyping it.

Any comments on these hardware projects are welcome!

Will it be possible to buyl the numpad without switch and keycaps?

Also, agreed on the raspberry pi. We need to make the ultimate hackerkeyboard !

[Mrinterface]

Will it be possible to buyl the numpad without switch and keycaps?

Also, agreed on the raspberry pi. We need to make the ultimate hackerkeyboard !

Ah, yes, I did not think of that. This way the hobbyist can make their own numpad. I deliver the pad/switches/keycaps, you assemble it yourself

If there is a lot of interest in the Pi keyboardcomputer , I might start with a Pi first

EDIT : just ordered two Pi's ..

[Djuzuh]

Will it be possible to buyl the numpad without switch and keycaps?

Also, agreed on the raspberry pi. We need to make the ultimate hackerkeyboard !

Ah, yes, I did not think of that. This way the hobbyist can make their own numpad. I deliver the pad/switches/keycaps, you assemble it yourself

If there is a lot of interest in the Pi keyboardcomputer , I might start with a Pi first

Well, it's got everything needed to make a nice computer, and it's hella cheap.

But if you have some better alternatives, I'm all ears !

[Ascaii]

I like the idea of a compact all in one box I can carry around for presentations..iill try to keep an eye on this thread.

edit: I realize this sounds a lot like a laptop...thats not what I mean.

[Mrinterface]

I like the idea of a compact all in one box I can carry around for presentations..iill try to keep an eye on this thread.

edit: I realize this sounds a lot like a laptop...thats not what I mean.

Might put some rechargeable batteries inside... Just like a laptop..

[nathanscribe]

Well I've already got my Pi, so if there's anything I can do to help I'd be interested.

As for case design, I started to put together a simple idea made of layered alu/perspex using the panel design software provided by Schaeffer. It would work out very expensive using their services for it, but I just wanted to see what it would look like. To accommodate the Pi, you'd need about 20mm depth; I envisaged the Poker w/out its case just screwed in, which would make adding the keyboard easy. Anyway, the footprint of my concept is about 310x200mm.

Yesterday I started thinking of ways to add a display - turns out you can get small TFTs for a few pounds, and on the Raspi forum someone's already used on with a Pi so I know it works. It could even be touch-screen.

[Mrinterface]

Well I've already got my Pi, so if there's anything I can do to help I'd be interested.

As for case design, I started to put together a simple idea made of layered alu/perspex using the panel design software provided by Schaeffer. It would work out very expensive using their services for it, but I just wanted to see what it would look like. To accommodate the Pi, you'd need about 20mm depth; I envisaged the Poker w/out its case just screwed in, which would make adding the keyboard easy. Anyway, the footprint of my concept is about 310x200mm.

Yesterday I started thinking of ways to add a display - turns out you can get small TFTs for a few pounds, and on the Raspi forum someone's already used on with a Pi so I know it works. It could even be touch-screen.

Thanx for that tip on the panel design software. I'm currently looking into designCad3DMax for doing the case design.

I'm basically prototyping all this stuff, so any ideas are welcome at this stage.

A touchscreen could be easily incorporated and would be a nice extra addition to the keybocomp. I'd like to add to that : why not add a touchscreen on the bottom side of the keyboard which you can configure as to have 6 extra virtual buttons( with graphics you can choose yourself ) you can touch/click or you can use it to detect swipes or other gestures with your thumb?

Hmmzzz... getting more interesting , I think I'm going to do the keybocomp first.

[nathanscribe]

Schaeffer's software is fine for panels - I've had several from them and they're good quality, and the software is easy to use for a non-CAD chap like myself. What makes it useful in that respect is that it's tailored for sending the data straight to them and calculating price. I don't know anything about proper CAD packages, but for ordering an occasional panel that's been fine. I only used it to trial a Pi-puter idea because it's all I have...

Anyway, regarding the display, the Pi has GPIO pins, HDMI and RCA - I've seen various LCDs run via the GPIO but that needs configuring. The onboard graphics do not have open source drivers as it's proprietary stuff, but I read that the Pi Foundation are working on a small screen. No details beyond that. Any screens (that is, full screens rather than simple displays) have been connected via the RCA jack. There are various screens that will run on 12V @ around 1.25A, the Pi needs 5V @ 700mA-1A, depending what's plugged into USB etc - I've also read that people have managed to blow onboard diodes by hooking up stuff over HDMI that converts to VGA but that sources its power over HDMI. I don't know much about that personally.

It'd be easy-peasy to bring all the Pi's connections out to a rear panel, and the only thing you'd want to easy access to on the Pi itself would be the SD card, which is OS and working memory. I just shoved a 4GB in mine with debian on it, and though it's s-l-o-w running windowed apps and awful browsing the web, I have read that's partly down to the naff browser they included (Midori?). Apparently the more recent Raspbian install is better.

EDIT: Wonder if 3D Printing is feasible for a case?

[Djuzuh]

Schaeffer's software is fine for panels - I've had several from them and they're good quality, and the software is easy to use for a non-CAD chap like myself. What makes it useful in that respect is that it's tailored for sending the data straight to them and calculating price. I don't know anything about proper CAD packages, but for ordering an occasional panel that's been fine. I only used it to trial a Pi-puter idea because it's all I have...

Anyway, regarding the display, the Pi has GPIO pins, HDMI and RCA - I've seen various LCDs run via the GPIO but that needs configuring. The onboard graphics do not have open source drivers as it's proprietary stuff, but I read that the Pi Foundation are working on a small screen. No details beyond that. Any screens (that is, full screens rather than simple displays) have been connected via the RCA jack. There are various screens that will run on 12V @ around 1.25A, the Pi needs 5V @ 700mA-1A, depending what's plugged into USB etc - I've also read that people have managed to blow onboard diodes by hooking up stuff over HDMI that converts to VGA but that sources its power over HDMI. I don't know much about that personally.

It'd be easy-peasy to bring all the Pi's connections out to a rear panel, and the only thing you'd want to easy access to on the Pi itself would be the SD card, which is OS and working memory. I just shoved a 4GB in mine with debian on it, and though it's s-l-o-w running windowed apps and awful browsing the web, I have read that's partly down to the naff browser they included (Midori?). Apparently the more recent Raspbian install is better.

EDIT: Wonder if 3D Printing is feasible for a case?

3d printing is expensive.

Look at ergodox's case, it costed 300$

[andrewjoy]

2. A WASDSPACE cluster with the MX switch of your choosing. This is based on the wasd gaming try switches by ceesa. The design will have 5 switches mounted into a configuration you can use for gaming next to your main keyboard. The space switch will be adjustable. Working on the CAD designs a.t.m. Case is going to be polyacrylate or aluminium.

I was going to do this, but now i will just buy one of you.

I am so lazy

[nathanscribe]

Just spotted this while browsing: a Pi inside a G80-3000...

[Mrinterface]

Very nice

[andrewjoy]

I am tempted to do that with one of my dells i was going to do it with my northgate ultra t but that would be a waste of what is a quite expensive keyboard then again i would get way more use out of it, then again i could also put it in a model F terminal ( again quite rare and would not want to gut it) i could directly wire the left function keys to GPIO hmm interesting

[Mrinterface]

Update :

It looks like I will make some changes to the original ideas.

1. The numpad and gaming pad will be merged. It will be fully programmable and reside between the keyboard and your computer so you can also reprogram your keyboard since USB communication will pass through the device( I for one would love a hardware Vi mode ) . Currently looking into how much it would cost to have a touchscreen next to actual switches. A small raster between the keycap pictures would be made so you could feel your way around and could get tactile feedback as to where your fingers are. Customizing the numpad's keys with custom pictures opens up a world of possibilities : Scientists could have their favorite symbols pre-programmed like Pi and e. Gamers could have their favorite attack key visually present on any position of the pad they want.
A dedicated programmable box like this opens up new vistas regarding sound simulation and auditory feedback. One could just download the IBM model M click/clack profile and type away as if typing on one of those beasts.
Furthermore : the box could act as a converter for PS/2, AT and XT.

2. The keybocomp : first prototypes will be using the Pi and Mame pre-installed

Thoughts?