Dont proceed to another half until youll fix it on this PCB, this way youll avoid repeating same mistake on the second half. Please be careful, as the connections are different for the right and left boards. Keyhive version: Pay attention, if you purchased Sofle RGB from Keyhive. Disconnect the USB cable. Keep in mind that this is a prototype of a DIY keyboard. Make sure you know which side you are working on, and dont make two left hand sides by mistake. (In the case of Choc switches, starting with two switches in the plate may be easier.). nice!nano) and shield (e.g. This ensures that the controller works completely before soldering it permanently to the board. Starting with the diodes. The RGB version has dedicated build guide. Pro Micro boards dont come with firmware preinstalled, but there is a community-driven project to make it to work called QMK. Here's what it looks like about a week in: It's only been a week and I'm still slowly getting the hang of things. The QMK Wiki is a fantastic resource, as is the QMK Discord. Mount with the wider side (labeled "" here) outwards. I think that where I can contribute the most is by sharing my failures, and that is covered in the next article. Cherry MX Switch Comparison by KeyMouse. Comes with FR4 (PCB material) plate case, hardware, and transparent acrylic OLED covers. Prebuild keyboards are quite good but the advantage of building your own is that you choose not only the layout of them, but the form factor, the tactile responsiveness, and the behavior as the chip that rules them is open source and easily hackable. Raw Blame. First of all, you need to solder SMD diodes alongside each switch socket, on my Lily58 PCB With all the hardware put together is part of the software, as mention before Ive used Pro Micro, which is a mini-board based on Arduino that has a bunch of pin headers to fetch the matrix events and an input/output MicroUSB port that interfaces the computer. Watch the markings on the silkscreen which show the correct orientation. Attach the top plate spacers for alignment. LEAD TIME in FAQ Tab. Build as usual. The Sofle RGB is a copy of the Sofle V2 with the addition of up to 36 RGB leds per side. Attach four 10mm round spacers to the holes near ProMicro. But shows the same layout and net labels on the bottom. You have one little switch for each key and on top it, you put a keycap. - ZSA Moonlander How to build your FIRST. I aggregate that information here to help serve as a reference for others planning to give it a shot! Sockets for switches belong again on the back side, the same side as diodes. After being baited by several beautiful builds online, I really had no choice but to dive into the world of mechanical keyboards with zero electronics experience under my belt. In 2 sets come 24 + 24 Pins enough for 2 controllers, Optional, but its always fun to put a bongo cat for example later on the screen, to check the wpm or show current layer etc, if the controller will be hotswap, this makes total sense to have, or Micro USB cable (depending on the chosen controller). This guide suits both version V1 and V2 of the standard (non-RGB) Sofle Keyboard. Many Git commands accept both tag and branch names, so creating this branch may cause unexpected behavior. Here's what I bought in order to completely put together the Lily58. Lily58 Pro was created by @kata0510. Be careful so you dont bend their contacts. On the right half, diode D27 was rotated 180 degrees from usual. And if you find any problem there are incredible communities to look for information like Reddit (r/MechanicalKeyboards, r/ErgoMechKeyboards) and geekhack.org forums. Both sides of the keyboard ready. Theres also a basic support in QMK Configurator but theres no default layout yet and encoders are not supported. If you get an error, please double-check the board, connection and command. 10 x 7mm Brass Standoffs (MX Normal Profile) OR 5mm Brass Standoffs (Choc Low Profile), 58 x Kailh Hotswap Sockets (MX Normal Profile) OR Choc Low Profile Sockets (Choc Low Profile), 2 x Pro Micro Controllers (Comes with Headers to Direct Attach), 2 x 40 Pin Machined Breakable Female Header (Enable Controller Hot Swap). Latest commit f5ac034 on Aug 6, 2022 History. Lily58 Pro was created by @kata0510. Lily58 KB Build Guide. keyboard for myself but one that could alleviate my wrist while, my DIY spirit Third, out there there are prebuilt keyboards or parts to build your own. Im really proud of achieving this point. Make sure Switch Legs are not bended and are aligned with socket holes. A couple of additional callouts, though: There are several community contributed keymaps within the Lily58/keymaps folder in the QMK repo, but I found that there really isn't any one opinionated set of keymaps that folks typically stick to. The communication between both halves is done via TRRS interface, which is an audio-like audio cable but with 4 channels instead of 2, connected through JACK ports installed on each half. The other end can either be attached to the trace (after removing some mask), or the footprint/led itself. A tag already exists with the provided branch name. The awesome QMK Configurator online tool let's you pick a keyboard, WYSIWYG yourself a keymap, and even get a compiled firmware download that you can then just flash onto your device! V2.0 Boards - There is a known issue on V2.0 boards with the LED circuit - a trace is missing to a via on the underside of the board (on top on the left half). PCB Color: Black, White. Make sure they are flush with PCB and match the orientation shown on the silkscreen. Keyboard Soldering and Desoldering for Beginners by Blacksimon. They are easy to break. A keyboard is formed by a matrix of switches wired to main chip which converts those row/columns activations into keystroke events (KEY_A, KEY_F2,) and sends them to the computer. One keyboard vendor - Keyhive - is selling their own fork of Sofle RGB. In the end, you are their client. This commit does not belong to any branch on this repository, and may belong to a fork outside of the repository. Dismiss, Compile ZMK Firmware + Flash Nice!Nano Controller. Hotswap Sockets: Choc low profile, MX. Note the outlined sets of holes in PCB, and insert the ProMicro into the outlined holes. Make sure the OLED is enabled in rules.mk file in QMK as suggested in step 4. This self-made keyboard use the QMK firmware, described above. If you plan to build one you can fall Many Git commands accept both tag and branch names, so creating this branch may cause unexpected behavior. Flash the controller (pro micro, Elite C, nice!nano, etc) with the firmware. Disabling it in the firmware will fix this behavior. Button and TRRS sockets belong to the top. The sensation between from a non-lubed against a lubed switch is like day and night, you will feel a smoother activation point and quieter sounds, as this process eliminates all the roughness of the plastic material. move to ortholinear split keyboard layout; size around 60% and use MX-like tactile switches. Before I dig into the how, I figured I should share a bit about the why I went ahead and put together my own keyboard. I have built or modified around 50 mechanical keyboards over the past few years or so including MX, Alps, and Topre. I have added a single LED to the top surface to act as a layer indicator, this is enabled by bridging 2-3 on J6(indicator bypass). Soldering Crash Course: Basic Techniques, Tips and Advice! When Detecting USB port, reset your controller now is displayed, press the reset button on the keyboard to start writing. Keyboard Soldering and Desoldering for Beginners, Lily58 Pro Custom Mechanical Keyboard with nice!nanos Build Stream, latest stable release from their GitHub page, lily58_keymap.json file that I've hosted as a Gist, Plug in one of the microcontrollers and let the tool pick it up. It is a modified version of the Lily58 Pro pcb from kata0510 Mark the surface with masking tape to make it easy to keep track of the back and front of each board. Download and run a small shell script that will automate most of the setup. Start with the diodes. Darkb0ws3r 1 yr. ago. Use a fairly low temperature (240c) and lots of flux. To continue you must connect the brain of your keyboard to the main PCB, the Arduino Pro Micro. Thank you for your hard work. For these it is definitely best to do them in order, and test regularly. Great intro into soldering in general. The Pro version of the Lily58 supports Kailh Choc and MX hot-swap sockets. If you dont use OLED only on one half you are need to do one of the following to fix the lag: If you fancy an inverted silkscreen theres a great guide available. Sofle keyboard uses QMK Firmware and support for the board is part of the main QMK repository. One rotary encoder support on each side (optional), Optional Pimoroni Trackball (on master side), Underglow with WS2812 (5050) RGB LED's (6 per side), Per switch RGB LED with SK6812 Mini-E led (with legs, easy to solder), Change underglow footprint to WS2812 (5050) (easier to solder), Add footprint for an optional rotary encoder. Build as indicated by the orientation shown . QMK is the software of choice for these keyboards. You should be familiar with QMK and be able to make it work on your local environment. Be careful: KailhBOX switches and Choc switches require some power for installation. After each switch is placed in and the microcontroller is hooked up, it's a good idea to make sure all the keys are working as expected--. into a rabbit hole while choosing parts, you only have to visit the Mechanical Keyboard subreddit to realize that. Please be careful when inserting the switches into the PCB. Even after many years of use, the Sculpt keyboard still functions really well and so I wouldn't say it has any faults for my day-to-day needs, but I wanted to go back to the mechanical typing experience and give other layouts a shot. If you know what you want, use a solder bridge to enable the leds required. Designed by kata0510, the Lily58 and Lily58 Pro is a split design with a 64 column staggered grid with a 4 key thumb cluster. by SplitKb. This substrate (PCB) is reversible. over the years Ive learned to shift from keyboard+mouse interaction to almost In addition, please be careful, as the case will be scratched if it hits or rubs a hard thing after assembly. Since recognition of keyboard is recognized as JIS keyboard on OS, another symbol will be input when inputting with Lily 58 (treated as US keyboard). Additionally, if there isn't enough solder, please re-solder. Check everything before soldering. Insert a few switches into the switch plate, then insert the PCB into the switch legs. You'll want a PCB kit (hotswap or through hole) and Plate Kit (FR4 plates) for a full kit The plates are made of PCB material. I relied on several online resources to learn about what goes into building a keyboard, the basic equipment needed, and the firmware pieces necessary for it all to work. Dont force it to enter, otherwise you risk to end up with a broken socket/PCB pad like on the photo below. They are easy to break. Cannot retrieve contributors at this time. Note: Choc switches do not work with acrylic case. Lily58 Pro is a 58 key split keyboard with OLEDs and supports an LED strip. Connect the left and right sides with a TRRS cable, connect the MicroUSB cable to ProMicro on the left side (in the case of the default key map), and check if the key responds. This commit does not belong to any branch on this repository, and may belong to a fork outside of the repository. The other advantage is that the Lily58 mounts the TRRS jack on the top, so it sits noticeably lower then than the Iris, which is good for ergonomics. I want to give my kudos to the documentation from keeb.io, they have incredible detailed documentation about how to solder, tools required, tips and tricks. Always disconnect the USB cable first. I've estimated it's battery life somewhere between 1-2 months. Attach the connector for the OLED, much like the TRRS jack above. It can be found on QMK repo. The wiki has information about keymaps, lighting, and encoder code. Use electrical tape to secure in place while you solder the holes on the bottom side of the PCB. And down the way make my own changes to it for my use case. Theres also a basic support in QMK Configurator but theres no encoder or led support. A tag already exists with the provided branch name. When Detecting USB port, reset your controller now is displayed, press the reset button on the keyboard to start writing. Get to know the jargon used in the community, and some hidden gotchas like how deep the mechanical keyboard rabbit hole really goes! If serial is used, you dont need TRRS cable (4 contacts, used for headphones with a microphone) but just TRS (stereo audio jack). A. On each PCB half 2x 12mm length. How do I socket a microcontroller? The OLED is not required but if you omit it, you must disable it in the firmware. I quickly discovered /r/ergomechkeyboards, saw some beautiful builds, and with not a whole lot else to do during a global pandemic, the lower cost option of building a keyboard myself while meddling with some electronics was the way to go! (The sockets can also be held in place by hand, but please take extra care not to burn yourself.) It can be found on QMK repo. Thanks to jmo808 for finding it, and apologies once again. Lily58 or Kyria) you want to create a configuration for. If you have any problems, please feel free to send a message to the "#Lily58" channel on Discord ("Self-Made Keyboards in Japan" (https://discordapp.com/invite/NM7XtDW)) or Twitter: @F_YUUCHI. You would need to add support to the firmware on your own. Once you verify that, you can set up bluetooth profiles for the keyboard. Insert a switch into a hot swap socket and test that a keycode is pressed. The microcontroller sits on the opposite side of the PCB face to the one that will have diodes and sockets soldered on, so make sure to orientate and slot the controller through the right holes on the correct side. 4x12 pin header (and optionally socket) for Pro Micros. ** Indicator + per key lighting ** The only point I deviated was to first flash the microcontroller with QMK before I got started with the build as it's a good idea to make sure the ones that get shipped boot up and connect! Are you sure you want to create this branch? Refer to Soldering the controller if you need further guidance. Completed half of the keyboard waiting for keycaps. But this build guide is the main source of important details for your build - like Pro-Micro orientation, component placement etc. my requirements: build on top of open-source hardware and software so I could modify it; I used some I had in my stock so I am not going to tell you exact length. I dont have Elite-C so this is untested, but should work. Either the male PIN headers you most likely got with the board from the supplier could be used to solder it directly to the board. 10 (+4) M2 spacers. Related to the above point, the pin holes for the microcontroller are outlined with a white square box, but there is also a set of holes that are offset for the reverse side. In this world, there are tons of options The Lily58 Pro/Pro RE keyboard is a64+4keys column-staggered split keyboard. You should be familiar with QMK and be able to make it work on your local environment. With a bit more solder than usual on the tip solder down the other side to the pad on PCB. I stuck very close to the Lily58 build guide I linked above. Each half of the keyboard must be programmed separately using this approach. Soldering Crash Course: Basic Techniques, Tips and Advice! Create a solder bridge from the led to the board, not spending too much time with the iron on the led (few seconds) otherwise it will burn out. More soldering basics and tips! Sofle keyboard uses QMK Firmware and support for the board is part of the main QMK repository. The sofle RGB uses the following table, with the silkscreen marking at pin 1 (Dout). and has the the following additional features. If you are interested in wireless keyboards, I'm designing more fully wireless keyboards besides just a pro micro replacement. Be gentle with micro USB ports on your microcontrollers. Think twice, solder once. If you're curious, you can check out my keymap by loading in my lily58_keymap.json file that I've hosted as a Gist into the tool. Snap first switches into corners of the plate. If you want that on the Lily58, you need the Elite-C or something similar, which increases the total price to $78, about the same as the Iris. You should see all the contacts in sockets. The pro micro must be installed with the components facing the pcb, and the plain back side facing out. The TRRS jack and the reset switch are mounted on the front side (the one with the sticker on the mark). Easy to understand instructions!Link to via website to download firmware and flash. If not, please follow the instructions in the documentation. there are 58 switches so a ton of work to do. A tag already exists with the provided branch name. The following is needed to build the keyboard. Connect one half to USB, flash the firmware (always follow the actuall instructions in the QMK documentation! The script will: Prompt you for which board (e.g. Lily58 Pro Custom Mechanical Keyboard with nice!nanos Build Stream Nicell 786 subscribers Subscribe 619 42K views 2 years ago A full split Lily58 Pro kit build with nice!nanos running the. Refer to Soldering Kailh hot swap sockets if you need further guidance. 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