diff --git a/content/blog/04_keyboad_en.md b/content/blog/04_keyboad_en.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..8c164f8 --- /dev/null +++ b/content/blog/04_keyboad_en.md @@ -0,0 +1,80 @@ +title: keyboard with track point +date: 2018-09-20 +author: Philipp Schönberger +tags: keyboard, track point, TMK, teensy2.0 +category: projects + +I am a software programmer so the main part of the workday I am typing on my keyboard. +At work unfortunately the only provide the cheapest HP keyboard you could image. +It is a nightmare. After 3 months typing on these I bought me an keyboard myself. + +Since I am used to a track point from my x230 notebook I searched for a keyboard which +had also a track point for the desktop. + +[lightgallery + /images/keyboard/thinkpad_usb.jpg, ThinkPad USB keyboard with the old leptop stle (pre x230); +lightgalleryend] + +Sadly these kind of keyboards are rare. Since I where a student at this time I ordered me an +IBM keyboard. The feeling was nice and I like the track point feature of it. +However after 1 year of using this keyboard I broke it at multiple keys. +These keys stopped working and the overall feeling was not the same like a new keyboard. +This is a cause of the membrane keyboard type. +They age quite fast if used extensively. Also the pressure point of the activation changes. + +Therefore I searched for an alternative with mechanical switches. They shall last much longer +and in case they are broken I could exchange them by soldering new one in. + +Therefore I ordered the CM Storm Rapid-I with red key switches. +The red cherry switches where linear and do not have a feedback bump. +The overall feeling of these keys where nice but after a time I disliked the missing feedback. +Also I missed a track point on these keyboard. + +Therefore I started a project to integrate a tracepoint into the keyboard, which was not available +any where else except the old IBM keyboard which only had an English key layout. + +[lightgallery + /images/keyboard/old_ibm_keyboard.jpg, Old IBM keyboard with trackpoint; +lightgalleryend] + +I disassembled the keyboard and did take a look at the PCB. On close look between the keys `g` and `h` +the PCB only had a ground plane but not real signal traces going around. +Therefore I thought of drilling through the PCB and place a long stem with a track point underneath. +I disassembled an old keyboard from an T40 and recycled the track point from it. +The tack point itself is just a small PCB with a cross shaped cutout and some glued strain gauge in the +4 directions. The secondary PCB is just a fast ADC and a 3 button input converter to a PS2 interface. + +Therefore I just had to connect some additional mechanical switches to the secondary PCB and connect it to +a pc. Unfortunately the PC's nowadays do not have a PS2 so common any more therefore I wanted a PS2 to USB converter. +After short research I found the Teensy2.0 which was capable to emulate a USB device and also is capable to run TMK software +which is capable of PS2 reading. + +The first test assembling I tried the whole system and it worked like a charm. +[lightgallery + /images/keyboard/keyboard_v0.jpg, first assembly with the teensy and a trakpoint; + /images/keyboard/keyboard_v0_1.jpg, closer look with the keycaps dremeled in order to fit the trackpoint stem; + /images/keyboard/keyboard_v0_2.jpg, view on the keyboard with the steel cheat; + /images/keyboard/keyboard_v0_3.jpg, view on the first assembly wireing +lightgalleryend] + +Now I got the best of both worlds a track point and also a full mechanical keyboard. +The last thing missing was the feedback. So I resolved my wrong order by soldering brown Gatheron which are +close to the Cherry brown. + +I took it a work and I was happy with it. Unfortunately my office partner not :D +So I tried to silence the hell out of my keyboard. I ordered zeal silencer clips and added 2 O-rings. +Also I replaced the keycaps with PBT which are much harder plastic and do not wear out or get shiny like the ABS ones. +Also I replaced the keyboard case with an aluminum CNC case. +This mad the keyboard much heavier which dampened the noise from the desk, removed any vibrations. +Also from esthetic's point of view the keyboard looked and felt much sturdier and from high quality. + +To round up the feeling I added some lube to each switch and tada the sound and feeling of the keyboard was a dream. +Since I have now 2 USB devices in on (Teensy and the original CM Strom) I replaced the USB cable with a own 8 pol cable with +two USB plugs and a textile sleeve to get a awesome optic. + +[lightgallery + /images/keyboard/keyboard_v1.jpg, Final assembly of my keyboard with trackpoint; +lightgalleryend] + + + diff --git a/content/images_org/keyboard/keyboard_v0.jpg b/content/images_org/keyboard/keyboard_v0.jpg new file mode 100644 index 0000000..40bb3cd Binary files /dev/null and b/content/images_org/keyboard/keyboard_v0.jpg differ diff --git a/content/images_org/keyboard/keyboard_v0_1.jpg b/content/images_org/keyboard/keyboard_v0_1.jpg new file mode 100644 index 0000000..8c71cda Binary files /dev/null and b/content/images_org/keyboard/keyboard_v0_1.jpg differ diff --git a/content/images_org/keyboard/keyboard_v0_2.jpg b/content/images_org/keyboard/keyboard_v0_2.jpg new file mode 100644 index 0000000..90badb3 Binary files /dev/null and b/content/images_org/keyboard/keyboard_v0_2.jpg differ diff --git a/content/images_org/keyboard/keyboard_v0_3.jpg b/content/images_org/keyboard/keyboard_v0_3.jpg new file mode 100644 index 0000000..9eb5852 Binary files /dev/null and b/content/images_org/keyboard/keyboard_v0_3.jpg differ diff --git a/content/images_org/keyboard/keyboard_v1.jpg b/content/images_org/keyboard/keyboard_v1.jpg new file mode 100644 index 0000000..dbe75a2 Binary files /dev/null and b/content/images_org/keyboard/keyboard_v1.jpg differ