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diff --git a/guide/README.org b/guide/README.org new file mode 100644 index 0000000..ebe7eed --- /dev/null +++ b/guide/README.org @@ -0,0 +1,242 @@ +* Preparation and Cost + Get all the parts / raw material: + - For the 3D printing there are two options: + 1. Filament, which is the basis for 3D printing. Luckily I could print at my work-place + which reduced the cost from 210€ to 70€. The kind of filament you need depends on the 3D + printer you have available. + 2. Buy the printout of adareth's model at shapeways for 210€ over here + http://www.shapeways.com/designer/adereth/creations + - Decide on the switches + - If you are going to invest a whole lot of time and money for a custom keyboard instead of + buying one for 10€ I'd recommend to use your favorite switch-type. To make a + well-informed decision I bought a switch-tester for this from massdrop and decided on + Cherry MX Whites. https://www.massdrop.com/buy/varmilo-switch-tester-with-anodized-case + - I ordered 70 Cherry MX Whites from here: + https://mechanicalkeyboards.com/shop/index.php?l=product_detail&p=847 + - Decide on the key caps + - On the glamour-Shot you can see the 1976 keycap set, it used to be sold over here: + http://pimpmykeyboard.com/sa-1976-keycap-set/ but the link is dead right now. You could + try this link: https://www.massdrop.com/buy/nineteenseventysix-sa-keycap-set but it is a + massdrop which is way different from usual online-stores. If you find a site that sells + these make sure you get the right amount and type of keys according to the layout + - I got the "TKL Base Set + TKL Modifier" from over here: + http://pimpmykeyboard.com/dsa-pbt-abs-blank-keycap-sets/ but I'm still two long keys + short, I will have to order those specifically and I have a bunch of keys I don't use + left-over. + - The USB-Cable that connects the keyboard to your computer + - It's an USB 2.0 to USB Mini-B cable, make sure you get one that is 2 meters long, it + really makes handling the keyboard so much more comfortable + - https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B00NH11N5A/ + - The main controller (right half) + - A Teensy 2.0, I got that one from here: https://www.pjrc.com/store/teensy.html + - The chip, connectors and cable to give life to the left half + - TTRS cable and jacks + - Got my TTRS cable from here: http://www.digikey.de/product-search/de?keywords=839-1257-ND + - Got my TTRS jacks from here: http://www.digikey.de/product-search/de?keywords=CP-43514-ND + - MCP23018 16 bit IO Expander + - Got mine from here: http://www.digikey.de/product-search/de?keywords=MCP23018-E%2FSP-ND + + What I spend on my keyboard (should give you a rough estimate for your build): + | item | cost | + |-----------------------------------+------| + | filament | 70 | + | switch-tester | 30 | + | key-caps | 70 | + | teensy 2.0 | 30 | + | switches | 60 | + | usb cable | 10 | + | IO Expander, TTRS jacks and cable | 30 | + |-----------------------------------+------| + | overall cost | 300 | + #+TBLFM: @9$2=vsum(@2$2..@8$2) + + My choices / advantages: + - Using the soldering iron at the uni-workshop for free + - 76 Diodes for free + - Soldering wire and copper for free + - All the resistors used for free (5 resistors are used) + - Several files for working out the rough edges of the 3D-printout + + Depending on what you have available you might spend more or less money than me, 300€ however + is a good rough estimate. + + After all the parts have arrived it is safe to move on to the next section. + +* Wiring + It is assumed that you have printed the casing successfully. + + 1) Plug the switches into the Casing, no glue is needed, the casing provides the perfect fit. + 2) Put the keycaps on the switches + - Note that in the pictures here some of the long keys on the thumb-part are too short, + that's why it doesnt look symmetrical + + [[file:application-of-switches-and-caps.jpg]] + + Now going further on in the guide there are two options + 1. The first option is to print flexible PCBs. The advantage is that you save alot of wiring + business, everything looks rather clean and you dont have to worry about your cables being too + thick such that the casing doesnt close. However if you don't have the means to print out such + PCBs there is the second option, wiring everything by hand. + - The guide for this PCB-option is very rough indeed and it doesnt include the firmware + used. Wiring and firmware play extremely close together, wiring before knowing your + firmware is like buying a shoe without measuring your feet before. For this option + information about the exact firmware is not published, this in addition to the fact that + the pictures in this rough guide are incomplete makes this option extremely + beginner-unfriendly. Going in blind-sided like this may lead to one of these things: + 1. reprogramming huge parts of the firmware to match your wiring which comes with a ton of + debugging + 2. rewiring to adapt to what the firmware expects, which may easily double your work here + - [[Route 1: Dactyl Flexible PCB Rough Guide]] + 2. The second option is to hand-wire everything. For people like me who had never soldered before + this was great pain and pleasure. + - Here too firmware and wiring go hand in hand, you pretty much have to have a detailed look + at the firmware you are using before wiring anything. I provide my modification of the + "ergodox-firmware" over here: https://github.com/BubblesToTheLimit/ergodox-firmware + - TODO: Make a successfull pull-request, such that it is available in the official + ergodox-firmware + - Some of the steps of this guide may not be described in much detail, but in contrast to + option one there is a whole lot more of information. + - [[Route 2: Dactyl Hand-Wiring Guide]] + +** Route 1: Dactyl Flexible PCB Rough Guide + [[workbench.jpg]] + + For now, take a look at the images and try to figure things out, I know that's not great (it's + better than nothing!) + +*** Making the PCB + Get two sheets of 6in square Pyralux™. Use the Toner Transfer method to etch the Pyralux sheets as + you would a usual PCB + + #+BEGIN_QUOTE + NOTE: If you only have an Inkjet make photocopies of the print out, + voilà Toner based copies! + #+END_QUOTE + + [[http://www.instructables.com/id/Toner-transfer-no-soak-high-quality-double-sided/][Here'sa handy toner transfer guide ...]] + + Print these PCB designs out... + + Left hand: + + [[left-hand-pcb-pyralux.png]] + + Right hand: + + [[right-hand-pcb-pyralux.png]] + + When you're done etching, you'll need to carefully cut the pcb into pieces... See the images + below. + +*** Applying the PCB to the electronical parts + The thumb cluster pcb for the left hand: + + [[madness.jpg]] + + Solder the MCP like so: + + [[left-hand-mcp-1.jpg]] + [[left-hand-mcp-2.jpg]] + + Solder the Teensy 2.0 like so: + + [[teensy-1.jpg]] + + Some interesting pull up 10k resistor business here... (TODO add a small diagram and notes) + + [[teensy-2-fuxor-reziztorrs.jpg]] + + Each hand of the keyboard will wire up like so: + + [[right-hand-pcb-1.jpg]] + + Teensy goes here... note the rows soldered to the teensy via the Pyralux: + + [[right-hand-pcb-with-teensy.jpg]] + + Here the left hand: + + [[hotglue-left-hand.jpg]] + + That's all for now, this guide will improve over time! (TODO!) +** Route 2: Dactyl Hand-Wiring Guide +*** Step 1: Creating the rows + Using the copper wire you solder each row together, notice how the thumb-part gets its own + row. If you take a close look you can see how I did do a messy job soldering, I had to redo + some of the parts because they weren't soldered properly. Do this for both sides. Which ones + of the two available pins of each switch you chose for the row doesnt matter, but for it to + look clean you should decide for either one of them. + + [[file:wiring_create_rows.jpg]] + + [[file:wiring-create-rows-both-sides.jpg]] + + You might want to go ahead and test each one of the 70 switches with a multimeter. + + [[file:wiring-create-rows-testing.jpg]] + +*** Step 2: Create the columns + The next step is to create the columns by soldering the diodes. There are two options for + soldering the diodes, all heading towards the switch or all heading away from the + switch. These two ways are called "row-driven" or "column-driven" and here again it is + cruciual for the firmware and the actual wiring to be on the same page. + + [[file:diode-diagram-drive-columns.png]] + + [[file:diode-diagram-drive-rows.png]] + + If you want to try and use the "tmk_keyboard" firmware which seems to be also interesting you + want to wire the diodes in the according way (check whether the tmk_keyboard firmware expects + a row-driven or a column-driven setup). + + As you can see in these following pictures I went for the "row-driven" setup (visible by the + direction of the diodes, the black line being towards the key-switches). This first picture + doesnt show how the 6 thumb-keys are actually individually connected to the 6 main columns, + but note the small black line on each diode. + + [[file:wiring-create-columns-left.jpg]] + + This second picture shows how the 6 thumb-keys are actually connected to the 6 main columns. + + [[file:wiring-create-columns-right.jpg]] + + How Thumb-keys are wired again depends on the firmware, the following picture shows the wiring + of the thumb keys more clearly and also the part in the code that reflects this wiring + (ergodox-firmware/src/keyboard/dactyl/matrix.h). + + [[file:thumb-key-wiring.jpg]] + +*** Step 3: Put the Teensy and the MCP in place + This next step is to wire the Teensy 2.0 and the MCP 23018 in place. + Everything necessary for that really is the following circuit diagram + + [[file:circuit-diagram.png]] + + Things to note here: + - The columns for the MCP go from 0 to 6, the columns for the Teensy go from 7 to D (counting + in hexadecimal) which makes great sence, since the MCP is left to the Teensy and we read from + left to right. + - When debugging this and using the ergodox-firmware, both sides have to be wired completely + and actually with the TTRS connected, dont expect the keyboard to work before that. The reason being is how + the ergodox-firmware stops completely if either the Teensy or the MCP weren't initiated + properly. + - In the circuit-diagram the columns on the left side (MCP side) actually go from GPA5 to INTA + (TODO: Update the circuit diagram and get rid of this point) + - The LEDs are handy for debugging, definately go ahead and connect those. When the keyboard + starts successfully two of the LEDs light up shortly. + - From the Teensy over to the MCP go exactly 4 connections. The blue, the red and the two green + ones. This is done using the TTRS jacks and cable. + - Yes, the connection from B4 to VCC doesnt seem to make any sense, but the B4 port actually + gets used directly in the ergodox-firmware, so just connect those connections that make no + sense on first sight and either dont question it or find out why this is necessary by going + through the firmware in great detail. + + This is how the trrs jacks are wired: + + [[file:trrs-jack.jpg]] + + After you are done you might have the following result: + + [[file:rows-and-columns-connected-to-chips.jpg]] + + Good luck! |