r/ErgoMechKeyboards

I've finally created the github repo for my custom designed pling! keyboard that I showed off in a previous post. While I've yet to write a proper build guide and make some other changes, everything's there. Take a look and let me know if you have any feedback!

https://github.com/b-init/pling

Hey everyone, just wanted to share a weird little project I'm currently working on!

I call it the "Peaky 8-bit".

My goal is to be able to type my thoughts anywhere, even while walking around away from my desk.

How it works:

- 4 keys per hand = 8 keys total.

- It uses chording (8-bit), giving me 255 different input combinations.

- Fully wireless using Seeed Studio XIAO BLE.

Believe it or not, this is actually my very first custom keyboard build.
It’s still heavily a Work In Progress. I just got the wireless connection working, and I'm still learning how to type fast on it.

I'm really excited about how it's turning out.
...By the way, does this even count as a keyboard?

Finally received it after waiting half a year since it was a Kickstarter project! It's the Nocfree & ANSI layout with low‑profile switches.

I was really nervous because this is my first split keyboard, and the wait felt endless, but it was worth it!

The silent switches sound so nice, and the keycaps feel great, there’s this subtle matte texture. I love the blue color, it's a bit darker than the Sky Blue on my Mac, and the aluminum body gives it a really premium feel. It supports Bluetooth, wired, and 2.4G three modes. I can connect up to three devices (I only have a Mac and an iPad, so haven’t tried the third yet). Everything is super smooth. Overall, I'm really satisfied!

This is my 42 key split keyboard with direct pin wiring. Direct03xD is a PCB sandwich board intended to be easy to solder.
I added a pattern on my backplate for some additional personality.

• ZMK
• Wireless Split
• Reversible PCB design
• PCB sandwich
• 601020 battery incapsulated in the sandwich
• 6 columns were needed for stenography
• All files are freely available
• Hot swap sockets
• No diodes (Direct pin instead of matrix)
• MMD Princess Silent Pink switches
• DSA blank keycaps

Been using it for about 2 weeks now. Great keyboard! PCB sandwich is very clean and feels more professional than 3D printed cases. Still made some mistakes of course ;p

I came up with this odd design while chatting on Discord.

It's fully functional yet looks rather unconventional.

Hi everyone, I'm Rain2.

Pretty happy with the bigger size and added multi touch functionality. :-)

I'm not OP. apparently the cable is a one-off prototype

Wouldn't you know, this ugly thing used to be my daily driver. It was a behemoth, so big that it could fit a GTA4 sticker. Here's the story, back in 2007/08 I don't know how I stumbled upon this split keyboard. As I'm writing this, I opened up a tab to see if the site still exists, it doesn't, and I think it's a good thing, we've moved on from clunky ugly looking keyboards that aren't even ortholinear. The whole premise was that this doctor designed a split keyboard for unlucky patients that got carpel tunnel syndrome. I wanted to avoid it while saving a few bucks, at the time the kinesis advantage existed, but it wasn't exactly a split keyboard, although it's probably a better keyboard than this thing. But what really made me purchase this thing was the fact that it was a refurbished model and those are cheaper. The story continues, I don't really live the US even though I was born there, but I used to visit this apartment in South Padre Island, a time share that my grandma acquired for the extended family. Included in my purchase of the keyboard was a doctor's visit from the man himself (I really don't remember his name). But since it's a time share, the moment the unit arrived I wasn't there, but my bitch ass aunt. I can call her that, nobody really likes her in my family. And she's not the smartest mexican, barely speaks english (we all do). The doctor was just doing his job, and ended up recommending a psychologist, a hilarious turn of events I would say. She's just hateful to be honest. Either way, if you could ask for me in said apartment bulding, it's a running joke now, SeaVista Condominiums #404 (even the number is a bit of a meme, because I'm not found).

I went on a bit of a tangent there, but no biggie, I'm writing all this on an ergodox, I can go on for days and not feel a thing. I'm thinking of what to do with this old thing, trash it, give it away to charity. It's horrible now, I can't imagine anyone using it and enjoying it. Any suggestions?

Retro keeb adapted to ergo-mech. Custom lubed tactile switches, not quite thocky - more like a grainy crunch: VERY tactile. Custom paint scheme - grunge theme.

Looking to improve! What should I do with this build next?

🤔

Howdy! First Totem build here, and I've hit a wall with the right-half RP2040 that I can't troubleshoot my way out of. Hoping someone's seen this.

Setup

• Totem split, XIAO RP2040 on each half, wired (TRS between halves)
• Firmware: Pre-Compiled VIAL
• XIAO mounted pad-to-pad, castellated vias filled
• Left/master half works perfectly. Issue is isolated to the right half

The problem The right XIAO won't enter bootloader anymore. Holding B + tapping R, shorting RST, nothing gets RPI-RP2 to mount, and the computer doesn't recognize the board at all. I flashed this exact chip fine before soldering it on, so something broke or shorted during/after mounting.

It briefly connected once out of nowhere on a reset, but now it won't, and it doesn't register keys over the TRS cable so the firmware may also be in a bad state (or it never got a clean flash in the first place).

What I've checked (multimeter + testing)

1. No pads shorted to each other. RST not shorted to GND and it reads ~3.3V while powered, so it's not being held in reset.
2. Flux cleaned with IPA (twice).
3. All joints look well soldered. no visible cold joints or bridges.
4. Not battery powered. No heat, no buzzing, no sign of a short.
5. Cable is good as the same cable enumerates the working left half fine.
6. Red power LED stays solid, so power is reaching the board. It's the data/connection side that's failing.
7. Wiggling the USB-C cable may be changing the behavior as certain angles seem briefly connect or hold longer which makes me suspect the connector but there is no angle that "solves" it.

LED behavior (video attached)

• Originally: USER LED flashed white to green sporadically, seemed to track USB-C wiggle.
• After a second IPA + toothbrush clean: now it's a sporadic white to off flash (video). Current state.

My guesses (newbie, grain of salt)

1. The USB-C data pins are cracked/damaged. not sure how to verify this directly.
2. The USB-C anchor tabs may be cracked, letting the connector wobble. no visible proof.
3. RST is shorted in some way I can't catch with the meter, causing constant resets.
4. The chip is just broken from some unforeseen issue.

Constraints / what I'm hoping for

• No hot air station, so I can't easily reflow/replace the connector or remove the chip.
• This is the right/slave half, so it only needs USB for flashing. it should run off the TRS cable in normal use. So if I can land even one successful flash, it should work.
• I looked at SWD, but the debug pads are on the underside facing the PCB (how it's mounted), so they're buried/inaccessible without desoldering.
• Worst case I cut it off with flush cutters, wick the pads, and start over but that's a 2-3 week wait for a new chip, which I'd love to avoid if this is fixable.

Any way to verify the data pins, or revive the connection without hot air? Thanks!