v2 of the btrfld, a foldable, low profile, tenting keyboard.. Now with PCBs
Posted Feb 22, 2023, 3:43 AM UTC
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I'm seeing these sell like hot cakes in the near future. Fantastic work.
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how would this be for a very first build? this is the closest i've come to seeing a unicorn keeb... wireless, ergo, portable...
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I've assembled a wide array of ergo keyboards, both handwired and with PCBs. Infact, many of those boatds inspired this the btrfld :) This is more difficult because of the folding mechanism.
Getting the steel rods cut, ensuring the ribbon cables are the right length, and soldering the flipped smd diodes are some unique challenges that assembling something like a corne or dactyl variant doesn't have.
Not to say you won't be able to do it, but it might take a while.
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Thanks! I think I'll start out more basic, don't want to be destroying parts for no reason!
Thanks for putting your design out there for everyone!
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Not to deter you, but it isint going to be as comfortable as something like a dactyl, as it doesn't have column stagger (neither up/down or forward/back) which I personally find pretty important (although you can see from what's popular that most people don't mind) that being said I AM considering one of these for myself as a travel board.
This would likely be fairly standard as far as assembly goes, as far as I can see. Although there would be limited sources for help around, it's basically just a regular ergo board with the thumb cluster on a separate pcb so it would be fairly straightforward to build imo.
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Oh good point! I currently use the Keyboardio Model 100 and their version of the atreus, which both have the staggered columns... I really wish the atreus had a BT option, but the best I could do is a workaround with the handheld scientific adapter
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It's beautiful, but doesn't the thumb collide with the thumb cluster buttons accidentally hitting unintended buttons??
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I'm not sure I understand the problem you are describing so please let me know if you were asking a different question, but there isn't a issue with the users thumb pressing unintended buttons.
The cluster is angled and positioned like a dactyl manuform mini thumb cluster. You rest your thumb on the center column of the thumb cluster, and can then rock your thumb to press either the upper or lower key on the thumb cluster column.
The additional pictures in the repo might make this more clear.
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Such a nice and clever design. Quite different from the other designs out there. Amazing work, well done!
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Hey man, I saw your plans for the possible future upgrades to put a pointing device on it, somewhere - to me, a magnet-attachable trackball in the middle, snapping into some pogo-pins contact pads, would be the epitomy. Thinking about it, could be even a stand-alone wireless periphery altogether, just clicking into place magnetically (for ease of taking it apart, for portability).
Anyways, just my $0.02 to perhaps consider for the future - it is absolutely FABULOUS design as of today, well done!!!
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Beautifully done!!
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Very Schnazzy
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That looks beautiful!
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Excellent upgrade!
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I'm seeing these sell like hot cakes in the near future. Fantastic work.
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Any plans to sell pre soldered versions?
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Maybe, but they would be hundreds of dollars due to the assembly time. The PCBs greatly speed up assembly, but a lot of work is still required.
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Amazing! Awesome work!
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Get a license on that github! Really admire these self tenting mechanisms!
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Thanks! done! Let me know if you start building/selling these :)
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Going to make one before I even try considering that, I just hate seeing unlicensed work getting taken without the creator's intent. You didn't have to MIT license it but its super appreciated! If I do end up selling any of these I'm sending you coffee money or something!
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Maybe you can add a foldable wrist rest either, similar to moonlander.
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this is great, my dream would be this, but A. Dux key arrangement and fully split. maybe i'll try to adapt it
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The btrfld keyboard: https://github.com/SolidHal/btrfld
Pronounced "butter-fold"
A foldable, portable sibling of the btrfly keyboard https://github.com/SolidHal/btrfly-keyboard
Now with PCBs! No more awful hours of handwiring!
Features:
5 key dactyl-manuform-mini thumb cluster
flat, tented qwerty keys
6 extra mappable keys
bluetooth (optional)
folds flat for portability
Animation of the pcb version https://github.com/SolidHal/btrfld/raw/master/demos/pcb_folding.gif
All 3 btr siblings: https://github.com/SolidHal/btrfld/raw/master/FinishedPictures/btrfld_with_btrfly/pcb_handwired_btrfly_front.jpg
More Images available in the git repo
This is an updated version of my previous post: https://old.reddit.com/r/ErgoMechKeyboards/comments/uctedi/new_keyboard_the_btrfld_a_foldable_low_profile/
Really awesome, any plan to make it in topre version?
No, sorry. That would double it's folded thickness!
Yeah I know but I dream from so long about a topre split :p
have you seen this? https://github.com/Cipulot/CorneECRevival