Official hardware repository of the PolyKybd Split72 keyboard. The instructions here are still in a very early stage. There is also a build video available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5RpbYzx7gw
You can find the matching QMK firmware here: https://github.com/thpoll83/qmk_firmware/tree/PolyKeyboard
The KiCad7 projects for the PCB are the following:
poly_kybd/poly_kb_wave_right2.kicad_pro poly_kybd/poly_kb_wave_left2.kicad_pro
(wave
was the the prototype name, please just ignore the other projects)
The keyboard plates are also KiCad7 projects (I used 1.2mm aluminum PCBs):
poly_kybd/poly_kb_wave_right2_plate.kicad_pro poly_kybd/poly_kb_wave_left2_plate.kicad_pro
I recommend waiting for the kit that contains all parts and the assembled PCBs. Here a little preview, how that looks like:
The kits are not yet ready, but you can sign up here and get notified as soon as these are available: https://www.crowdsupply.com/polykybd/polykybd
At the moment, please consider these instructions as experimental. If you want to go ahead with the full experience and build everything from scratch right now: Give it a try and let me know how it worked out!
Independent of your choice, here are the parts you need before putting everything together:
Case (left/right) - You can either 3D print or get them CNCed (but then you should add some threads to the screw holes):
case/case_polysplit72_left2_r4.stl
case/case_polysplit72_right2_r4.stl
In case the resin print has some deformations, it is best to use the a hairdryer to slightly heat the case up and then put something heavy on the bottom to make it flat - it really works.
Spacer to keep the right distance between plate and PCB (again, can be 3D printed):
case/spacer.stl
Assembled 4 layers PCB 1.6mm (left/right) The latest gerber files with BOM and pick/place file can be found in poly_kybd/Gerber I made some final adjusts on the latest version, which I did not yet order (I will let you know as soon as I did). poly_kybd/Gerber/PCB/left-side-v3.1/gerber-left-side-v3.1-08.01.2024.zip poly_kybd/Gerber/PCB/right-side-v3.1/gerber-right-side-v3.1-08.01.2024.zip
My recommendation is to let assemble the PCBs as there are a lot of parts with tiny footprints like the RP2040, the 72 FPC sockets and some more... If your PCB fab has an option to verify the parts orientation, please make use of it. I did that as well and never bothered correcting them (since the 'upright' orientation of the part from KiCad and your PCB fab might differ).
In case you make modifications to the PCB in KiCad and export everything you might need to change the hot swap sockets side to the back. The hot swap socket in KiCad is part of the key switch and for some reason I couldn't yet convince KiCad that the manufacturing side is the back...
Aluminum plates (left/right =) - Can be ordered from PCB manufactures as a 1.2mm aluminum PCB poly_kybd/Gerber/Plate/gerber-left-side-v3-17.11.2023.zip poly_kybd/Gerber/Plate/gerber-right-side-v3-17.11.2023.zip
Displays
72 pieces 0.42 inch displays
Either you take the 0.42 inch displays from the kit which has the matching length and pin number (maybe I can make them available as single parts as well - see picture above, on the left).
Or you extend FPT042W000Z01 or P34107 with a 30mm FPC cable ( * I got contacted that these Alibaba links are stale and it turned out, that the moment, these do not work as the displays got removed. Let me keep them in case they come back online. Maybe you can use these as alternative, the pins are compatible: ZJY042-7240TSWPG10 The flex cable is about 1cm shorter, so your extension needs to be 40mm instead of 30mm. I have not tried these, so you might wanna do a test first!). The FPC extension should be 14 or 16 pins - blank contacts on the same side, like the two right side displays on the picture above. Only 14 pins are needed, however, you might want to get a 16 pin FPC and cut away 2 pins to fit the FPC into the 14 pin socket. It is easier to solder 16 pins of the display together with the 16 pins of the FPC (so the cable aligns), see here:
To achieve this, I applied low temperature solder (138 degree C) on both, the display FPC pins and the extension FPC pins with the solder iron:
Then applied some flux on just one side and orientated them straight - don't overlap the pins 100%, leave some space at the end so that excess solder can have some space to escape:
Next, I used the heat gun with maybe 160 C and heated both sides for a few seconds (you can see the solder becoming liquid again):
Finally use some tweezers to push the pins together. You will see some solder coming out at the non-overlapping part of the pins I mentioned to leave out. This is also a good way to see that all pins have sufficient solder and will connect properly:
Not every display survived this surgery, so better get more from the beginning.
(Optional) 2 pieces 0.96 inch status displays (FPW096W001Z0) or pin compatible (see below), the flex cable length should be about 40mm or you extend it on your own. You can contact this supplier: FET, they have these displays even they are not listed in their online catalogue.
PIN | SIGNAL | PIN | SIGNAL |
---|---|---|---|
1,30 | N/C (GND) | 14 | RES# |
2,3 | C2P,C2N | 15 | D/C# |
4,5 | C1P,C1N | 16 | R/W# |
6 | VDDB/VBAT | 17 | E/RD# |
7 | N/C | 18~25 | D0~D7 |
8 | VSS | 26 | IREF |
9 | VDD | 27 | VCOMH |
10~12 | BS0~BS2 | 28 | VCC |
13 | CS# | 29 | VLSS |
If you don't need the status displays, you can close the display cut-out with the dummy holder: Dummy Display Holder
MX Compatible key switches (3 or 5 pins) - 72 pieces. From my blog post ( https://ko-fi.com/post/More-Key-Switch-Testing-While-Waiting-For-The-Asse-B0B8HX1HW ), you can find out, that there are 2 categories of compatible key switches. The ones that work out of the box and the ones that need a little modification. Basically all switches that have an LED slit that is at least 7.5mm wide work. I tested quite some switches and here is the list of tested switches that will work for sure without modification:
SWITCH | TYPE | MISC |
---|---|---|
Aflion Tropical Waters | Linear | 68g |
Ashkeebs Alexandrite | Linear | 58g |
Blue Dusk Panda | Linear | 62g |
CK x Haimu Pastel Lemon | Linear | 63.5g |
Ck x Haimu Pastel Thistle | Tactile | 63.5g |
Gateron KS-9 (Pro) Blue | Clicky | 60g |
Gateron KS-9 (Pro) Brown | Tactile | 55g |
Gateron KS-9 (Pro) Green | Clicky | 80g |
Gateron KS-9 (Pro) Red | Linear | 45g |
Gateron KS-9 (Pro) Yellow | Linear | 50g |
Geon Black | Tactile | 60g |
Geon Clear | Linear | 60g |
Geon Yellow | Linear | 63.5g |
Glorious Panda | Tactile | 67g |
GOJU Works x Tecsee Safety Switch | Linear | 65g |
Kailh Novel Keys Cream Switch | Linear | 55g |
Kailh Purple Potato | Tactile | 63.5g |
Kailh x Domikey Knight Saber | Tactile | 42g |
LCET Grace | Linear | 50g |
LCET Joker | Tactile | 58g |
LCET Pink Queen | Tactile | 58g |
LCET Sprout | Linear | 50g |
Outemu (Dustproof) Black | Linear | 65g |
Outemu (Dustproof) Blue | Clicky | 65g |
Outemu (Dustproof) Brown | Tactile | 50g |
Outemu (Dustproof) Red | Linear | 46g |
Outemu Crystal Clear | Linear | 45g |
Outemu Dust-proof Silver | Linear | 45g |
Outemu Lemon | Silent Tactile | 35g |
Outemu Panda | Tactile | 50g |
Outemu Peach | Linear | 40g |
Outemu Purple | Tactile | 45g |
Outemu Ocean | Linear | 35g |
Outemu Teal | Clicky | 70g |
Owlab Neon | Linear | 62g |
Tecsee Medium (low profile) | Linear & Tactile | 50g |
Be aware that there are different batches of Gateron KS-9 (with and without 'Pro') switches. Despite the exact same name, they might need the following surgery (better ask before buy). So, some switches have an LED slit, but with a little plastic bar in the middle:
You can simply cut it away with a knife:
It is not a big deal, just consider it. Here is a list of switches that I successfully tested after this little modification:
SWITCH | TYPE | MISC |
---|---|---|
Gateron KS-9 (Pro 2.0) Red | Linear | 45g |
Gateron KS-9 (Pro 2.0) White | Linear | 35g |
Geon HG [Haimu x Geon] Black | Linear | 65g |
Geon HG [Haimu x Geon] White | Tactile | 65g |
Geon HG [Haimu x Geon] Red | Silent Linear | 65g |
Geon HG [Haimu x Geon] Yellow | Silent Tactile | 65g |
Kailh BOX V2 Red Switch | Linear | 40g |
Kailh Box Cream | Linear | 45g |
Kailh Pro Purple | Tactile | 50g |
Kailh Pro Burgundy | Linear | 50g |
Kailh Pro Light Green | Clicky | 50g |
Kailh Pro Plum | Tactile | 70g |
Kailh Speed Gold | Clicky | 50g |
Kailh Speed Silver | Linear | 50g |
Kailh Speed Bronze | Clicky | 50g |
Kailh Speed Copper | Tactile | 40g |
Kailh Speed Burnt Orange | Linear/Tactile | 70g |
Kailh Speed Pro Heavy Army Green | Clicky | 70g |
Kailh Speed Pro Heavy Yellow | Linear | 70g |
Kailh Black | Linear | 60g |
Kailh RGB Red | Linear | 45g |
Kailh RGB Black | Linear | 60g |
Kailh RGB Blue | Clicky | 50g |
Kailh RGB Brown | Tactile | 50g |
There are many more switches that will work as long as they have a 7.5mm wide LED slit. Let me know in case you successfully tried another switch, then I can update the list.
Key Stems - 72 pieces, can be 3D printed (I highly recommend using an SLA printer). There are 3 different profiles available here. You can also modify the source file an make your own profile. If you take the STLs, make sure to always grab the latest version.
Status display holder (or cover/dummy in case no status display is used), can be 3D printed. parts/display_holder_r1.stl / parts/display_holder_dummy_r1.stl
Transparent keycap covers - 72 pieces (from relegendable keycaps like these), 58x 1U and 14x 1.25U. Various sources sell them on Alibaba, AliExpress, Amazon & Co.
Optional rotary encoder (EVQWGD001 or Alps EC11 Encoder), pimoroni trackball or 23mm cirque trackpad (and a 12 pin FPC cable with pins on the same side, about 50mm to 70mm). For the trackpad you will need another 3D printed holder, either a high one or a low one:
parts/cirque23_slim_insert_r8.stl
parts/cirque23_insert_high_r1.stl
If you are not happy with the existing STLs, you can also modify the source file parts/cirque23_insert.stl or parts/cirque23_insert_slim.scad. There is also an experimental version for the 35mm cirque track pad: parts/cirque35_insert.scad.
Short USB-C to USB-C cable to connect the two sides (maybe around 50cm).
USB-C to USB-A/USB-C to connect to your computer. Note: I had a USB-C to USB-A cable and was sitting in front of a laptop with only USB-C ports. Without a USB-C to USB-C cable at hand, I used an USB-A to USB-C adapter. It turned out this USB-C to USB-A cable + USB-A to USB-C adapter construction was only working then the adapter was connected to the laptop. - better use a USB-C to USB-C right away.
8 M3x10 hex screws with rounded heads and for the new version of the case (r4), you also need 8 M3 hex nuts.
Here is my recommended order:
The fun just starts now! You will recognize that there are a lot of ways to play around with this keyboard.
U+FFFF
(basically excluding any emoji, additionally you might have to run reg add "HKCU\Control Panel\Input Method" -v EnableHexNumpad -t REG_SZ -d 1
to enable that feature on Windows)This project has been an incredible amount of work, please consider supporting me if you like it:
https://ko-fi.com/polykb