diff options
Diffstat (limited to 'keyboards/handwired/dqz11n1g/readme.md')
| -rw-r--r-- | keyboards/handwired/dqz11n1g/readme.md | 80 |
1 files changed, 80 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/keyboards/handwired/dqz11n1g/readme.md b/keyboards/handwired/dqz11n1g/readme.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..0e3a57873d --- /dev/null +++ b/keyboards/handwired/dqz11n1g/readme.md @@ -0,0 +1,80 @@ +# DQz11N1G + + + +Firmware for a DIY controller replacement for one of the ortholinear contoured +keyboards manufactured by [PCD Maltron Ltd](https://www.maltron.com) + +This work here in no way officially associated with PCD Maltron Ltd and comes +with NO WARRANTY. Modifying your Maltron keyboard as described below will +certainly void your warranty and may cause damage to your keyboard. Proceed +at your own risk! + +* maintainer: [David Kuehling](https://github.com/dvdkhlng/qmk_firmware_dqz11n1g) +* Hardware Supported: Maltron DQz11N1G with a replacement controller board + assembled as described below. The work here is based on a german version + of the keyboard: DQz11N1G-DE. I assume, but don't know for sure, that + minor or no changes at all are required to make this work on different + language versions of the keyboard. +* Hardware Availability: + * [PCD Maltron Ltd](https://www.maltron.com), for the original keyboard + * 1x [Arduino Pro Micro](https://www.sparkfun.com/products/12640) + * 3x [SN74HC165](https://www.ti.com/product/SN74HC165) + * 1x DIL connector 2 rows a 17 pins. + * 19x pull-down resistors (10k Ohm), + * 4 LED current limiting resistors (not sure about the correct resistance, + using 470 Ohm here) + +Make example for this keyboard (after setting up your build environment): + + make handwired/dqz11n1g:default + +## In Detail + +[PCD Maltron Ltd](https://www.maltron.com) manufacturs ergonomic keyboards +that appear to be hand-wired internally. For the Maltron DQz11N1G-DE +keyboard that I happen to own, the keyboard matrix is wired to a 34-pin DIL +connector. This makes it rather easy to replace the proprietary +controller-board with a self-made board based on the QMK firmware. + +I don't really like the default layout of my Maltron DQz11N1G-DE keyboard, +and modding it to work with QMK allows me to adapt it to my needs. It +especially allows for the two space keys to assume different roles, thereby +creating an additional easily reachable thumb-key. + +### Internal Details of Keyboard Matrix and DIL Connector + + + + + +### Replacement Keyboard Controller Board + +Due to supply chain problems, I decided to base this on an +Arduino-compatible [Pro Micro](https://www.sparkfun.com/products/12640) +board which is still easy to source. + +Unfortunately pin-count of the DQz11N1G-DE's keyboard matrix is way beyond +the Pro Micro's available I/O pin count. I'm using three 8-bit +shift-registers ([SN74HC165](https://www.ti.com/product/SN74HC165) ) to +connect the 19 colums of the keyboard matrix for readout. Due to diode +direction in DQz11N1G-DE we also need 19 pull-down resistors one for each of +the utilized shift-register inputs. + +This is a design sketch of the replacement board this is based on. Note how +we need a custom matrix.c source file to deal with the shift register based +keyboard readout. + + + +This is how the assembled controller board looks like, on the right side you +see the original PIC-based controller the keyboard ships with. + + + +Inside of the keyboard after installing the new controller board: + + + +(Not visible in the photo: I drilled hole into the keyboard above the USB +connector for a reset switch to simplify flashing controller firmware) |