Highway to Undercity

title: Cool Keyboard author: Sidak Singh description: A keyboard which is actually good; hopefully at least ;) created_at: 2024-05-24

Tue Jun 24 2025 (First day) 4 hours going to start planning what I am doing what the idea is and how it is roughly going to work now that expericed so we will see how it goes;

Idea: modular low hiegh lcd screen which plays game based on you typing speed and acuary (slightly tiled from the top) rgb everywhere machincal hot swappable some dials on the top sexy build

Modules: Audio mixer (Left) Num pad righ (right)

Reaserch (insperatio) this kind of led bar https://github.com/masaleiro/HacKeyboard 80% size

board ESP32-S3-DevKitC-1 with WROOM-2 32 MB Flash + 8 MB Octal PSRAM https://www.amazon.com/SANXIXING-Development-Module-Internet-ESP32-S3-WROOM-1/dp/B0DB1WK3CW/ref=sxin_17_pa_sp_search_thematic_sspa?content-id=amzn1.sym.2da95b6c-f59a-4699-bc43-d0ff036c6388%3Aamzn1.sym.2da95b6c-f59a-4699-bc43-d0ff036c6388&cv_ct_cx=esp32&keywords=esp32&pd_rd_i=B0DB1WK3CW&pd_rd_r=f0f021fb-fc42-42db-a982-2a0d24d234dd&pd_rd_w=LAz4G&pd_rd_wg=zPjgt&pf_rd_p=2da95b6c-f59a-4699-bc43-d0ff036c6388&pf_rd_r=K3V46M70WGZQSM9RFQJN&qid=1750802869&sbo=RZvfv%2F%2FHxDF%2BO5021pAnSA%3D%3D&sr=1-1-6024b2a3-78e4-4fed-8fed-e1613be3bcce-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9zZWFyY2hfdGhlbWF0aWM&psc=1 somehow buying 3 is cheaper than one

going to learn easy eda lol ;) watching this 16min vid https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utBQqcuOt9U yea video was usless will learn as i goes

learn how a keyboard works https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LyziNdFlew

direct wiring: a single pin per pin

matrix diode use diode for n key rol over ghosting diods only for rows coloums dont have diodes

ye I give up on esey eda nothign works

I am switching to ki cad we will see if my laptop can run or not notes:

Thu Jun 26 Started following a tutrotial on ki kad

stuck idk any commands; cant even get copy paste to work Alt text

some more chat gpt resaarch

✅ 5-Pin MX Switches Pads: 2 for electrical contacts 2 for plastic stability legs 1 center hole (optional mechanical post)

Kailh Socket MX Hotswap

02 Jun 2025 (2H) got a basic idea on how the keyboard is going to look

use uart prototcol between module for data transfer
can remapp any pins to work for rx and tx
set rows as output
set colloums to input
connect with with magnet pogo pin connection
probs need ribbion cabels
need to check how to make the 90deg connections
basic excali draw layout with eveything I need
just need to finnalise the exact pins

03 Jun 2025 (6h) - Swtiched over to linuix could not get ki cad to work for 2h - display module: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005008937314193.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.main.37.689cl1WLl1WLYf&utparam-url=scene%3Asearch%7Cquery_from%3Apc_back_same_best&algo_pvid=04323b26-192f-4ec3-9295-e29557edd303&algo_exp_id=04323b26-192f-4ec3-9295-e29557edd303&pdp_ext_f=%7B%22order%22%3A%22261%22%7D&pdp_npi=4%40dis%21CAD%2112.70%211.38%21%21%2165.41%217.11%21%402103247917515698026168028e09d7%2112000047274995308%21sea%21CA%210%21ABX#nav-specification - made pin layout txt