r/olkb

Working on a new split keyboard design called Pando - same layout as my Pando58 but with the MCU integrated on the PCB. Still iterating but making good progress.

In the first picture, you can see the footprint of the Pando left half compared to the footprint of the Pando58 right half with RP2040 Zero dev board and RJ45 interconnect.

What's different:

• STM32F072CBT6 MCU direct on PCB (no more RP2040 Zero boards)
• USB-C interconnect carrying I2C between halves
• PCA9555 IO expander on the slave side - no MCU needed on the right half
• ESD protection on all ports
• Designed with Ergogen + KiCad
• Assembled at home with stencil + hot plate

3.5 PCB revisions on the master side so far. Slave worked first try. More details in the full write-up:

https://julianyap.com/posts/2026-06-30/

Work louder XYZ Workboard r2 with blind keys

This has started happening more and more as I get faster with this new layout+keyboard.

I've read the qmk docs many a time but can't seem to "fix" this issue.

Help?

Thanks!

Solved

• unchecked Hold On Other Keypress, https://www.reddit.com/r/olkb/comments/1um4vyl/comment/ov9o2u3/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

Have been driving this split keyboard for a week, and I have to say that the quality is great.

The aggressive staggered columns are a bit hard to get used to coming from Corne, but the more that I use it, the more that I like it! Right now I am using the choc pro red switches, but also looking for other options that might be a bit more tactile.

One caveat is that with a full aluminium build, the keyboard is quite heavy so it’s a bit of a chore to put in the work bag. Right now it earns its place permanently on my desk, coupled with a dongle.

Lovely work from the folks at Ergomech.store. Very responsive. They are definitely proud of their products and it shows.

ZMK OLED Brightness (No additional hardware required!)
Runtime brightness/contrast behaviors for ZMK display devices
[zmk-oled-brightness](https://github.com/mctechnology17/zmk-oled-brightness)
Extend your battery life
compatible with stock/custom display
No additional hardware required

Hi! I’m the creator of HoldTap, a project that has been more than a year in the making.

I’m a mechanical keyboard enthusiast—I’ve even built my own split keyboard and moved down to a 36-key layout. The problem started when I switched back to my laptop; I really missed my custom layers and shortcuts. I looked at existing options like Karabiner, but I realized they are often too complicated for the average user.

I designed HoldTap to let you reconfigure your keyboard entirely through a clean UI. It’s Mac-only for now. You get all the power you need, starting with "tap vs. hold" behaviors and full support for layers.

It also includes all the features you’d expect: key remapping, home-row mods, script triggering, app launching, and even a window manager. I hope you have as much fun using it as I do!

-> https://holdtap.com

Awekeys Air, limited low-profile metal keycaps are now available in both MX and Choc V1 versions, designed to work well with split, column-staggered, ortho, and other custom ergonomic builds.

Highlights:

• Titanium, Silver, Copper, Gold, Pink, Black, and White

• Available in MX and Choc V1 stems

• Blank or engraved options

• Uniform profile across all rows

• Great fit for split, ortho, and ergonomic layouts

Compared to traditional plastic keycaps, full metal construction delivers a distinctly different typing experience, with a more substantial feel, a deeper sound signature, and a clean minimalist aesthetic.

MX Stem:

https://awekeys.com/products/awekeys-air-low-profile-metal-keycaps

Choc V1 Stem:

https://awekeys.com/products/awekeys-air-low-profile-metal-keycaps-choc-switches

Limited inventory in stock and ready to ship. Available on a first-come, first-served basis. Once a variant sells out, it may be some time before it's available again.

Okay so to elaborate on the title, what I mean is, if I were to write my own code for a keyboard matrix using CircuitPython or something, would that be functionally equivalent to using QMK? Or does QMK do something super advanced that would be difficult or very time consuming to replicate on your own?

I'm basically asking because I had trouble getting a display to work with quantum painter, but could get it working via CircuitPython, so I'm considering if I would regret it if I just wrote my own keyboard firmware without QMK, as I need the display to work for the keyboard I have in mind.

Edit: found out about KMK which seems to work perfectly for my usecase. Also thanks for the answers everyone

This is my newest and thinnest keyboard yet, the Scotto48 (PCB Edition)!

If you're interested in reading more about it, you can check out my blog post.

You can also purchase the components to build one yourself over on my shop.

inspired by the lck retro mahjong keycap set.

here's the link to the set: https://yuzukeycaps.com/c/cc22f632-8e11-4adc-9653-22bd6527c1c6