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FG-11 An asymmetric, (very) column staggered split keyboard
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r/ErgoMechKeyboards

I've assembled a number of keyboards and kits, but this is my very first one I've designed myself. It's inspired in part by the Ferris (single controller, asymmetric PCBs) and the Corne keyboard. Some unusual features:

  • Heavy column stagger. I have long fingers, and when my hands sit on the keys at a 45 degree angle the index and ring finger line up about one key higher than the pinky and index fingers. My thumb positions are chosen for thumbs with long reach.

  • Single controller. Like the Ferris, this keyboard has a single controller.

  • Unlike the Ferris or two controller boards, the two halves aren't connected by a TRRS cable. The left side connects to the right by a 10 pin IDC ribbon cable, and all signals are direct. As far as the firmware is concerned it's just one board.

  • Designed for a miryoku layout (I chickened out and went with the qwerty variant).

  • Choc switches. I hadn't tried them out yet and I wanted a lowish profile build.

  • The name Steins;Gate reference.

I'm very happy with the result!

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r/CustomKeyboards
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FG-11 - a split keyboard with a single controller I designed for my hands and typing style

qubytecodes
commented

There'll probably be one more revision of the design to add backlighting and a reset button (this revision uses an elite-c which has one on the board, but the LED is annoying me so I'll flip it over).

Parts:

  • PCB developed in Kicad 5. Gerbers etc. on the repo for it.

  • Steel back and front plates.

  • MoErgo MCC-Profile POM 1U Keycaps

  • Choc brown switches in these photos, but recently swapped them out for sunsets.

  • Single controller (elite-c here). This is a single key matrix over a ribbon cable.

  • Using Miryoku for the key map.

Image
r/ErgoMechKeyboards
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FG-11 An asymmetric, (very) column staggered split keyboard

qubytecodes
replied to ghostfaceschiller

Silly reasons!

I found the idea of a second controller or an IO expander kind of overkill just to avoid a few extra wires (particularly on keyboards with a smaller switch matrix like this one). I'm also of an age where ribbon cables induce nostalgia, so the two things added up to using a ribbon here.

On the switch matrix... The right hand side has its own columns (pins from the controller go directly to the IDC connector for those), but the rows are continued over the ribbon from the left side (so it's a single matrix rather than two to lower the number of IO pins used).