The interesting part will come in later post that Ill write in which I will show some of the problems that Ive faced and solutions that Ive applied. Mark the surface with masking tape to make it easy to keep track of the back and front of each board. I have also cleaned flux residue from the back side using some isopropyl alcohol, cotton buds and paper towels. Make sure they are flush with PCB and match the orientation shown on the silkscreen. Insert switches into the plate. I was not able to get 7mm, but 6mm worked well for me with MX switches. by SplitKb. It is a modified version of the Lily58 Pro pcb from kata0510 and has the the following additional features. document.write(new Date().getFullYear()) Repeat all the steps above on the another half. A build guide Lily58 Pro suggests 4mm for Choc and 7mm for MX. Serial is the default behaviour. If serial is used, you dont need TRRS cable (4 contacts, used for headphones with a microphone) but just TRS (stereo audio jack). Make sure you know which side you are working on, and dont make two left hand sides by mistake. After switching, switching to Japanese input becomes the switching key for the US keyboard, and it differs from the JIS keyboard, so please be careful (it can be customized with the key map etc.). Oh, and as a side note, maybe starting off with blank keycaps was not the brightest of ideas, but hey, doesn't it look cool?! We will mount parts on each side. Lily58 Pro Build Guide [WIP] Required parts Introduction The Pro version has color variations, and the photos in this build guide are are of the black version, but the white verison is functionally identical. Depending on the color and release date, some parts may differ, but there is no difference in operation. Check everything before soldering. Lily58 Pro - 58 keys split keyboard 64 columnar stagger and 4 thumb cluster, compatible with Kailh MX and Choc hotswap sockets. But if you really need underglow it is be possible to connect an RGB LED strip since there are 3 pads (VCC, GND and data) on the board. After mounting the plate, push the switches again to make sure that installation is complete. by wermy. This was the primary guide I followed for putting together the keyboard. As I mentioned, this was going to be my first real foray into a hardware project, and that too making a keyboard where I needed to solder! I watched several YouTube videos on soldering and some keyboard build videos, and read a handful of build logs and build guides before ordering parts. The above picture is from the crkbd guide shows pin 4 on the table (the table is viewed from the top of the LED). In this world, there are tons of options Oh, and my build doesn't have any OLED screens to install so I skipped that bit. 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. Lily58 KB License. Was this long process worth it? Custom USB Cables and Ergonomical Keyboards, Lily58 Pro 58 keys split keyboard 64 columnar stagger and 4 thumb cluster, compatible with Kailh MX and Choc hotswap sockets. Make sure the OLED is enabled in rules.mk file in QMK as suggested in step 4. It's easy to insert a screw from the back of the board and attach the spacer from the top. throughhole diodes are not recommended due to a footprint error, Choc: 4 mm, MX: 7 mm. Keep in mind that this is a prototype of a DIY keyboard. The end with the thin line is Cathode (-) and it should go in the direction of the arrow symbol on the PCB. I have built or modified around 50 mechanical keyboards over the past few years or so including MX, Alps, and Topre. When customizing a keymap, start by making a copy of the qmk_firmware/keyboards/lily58/keymaps/default folder and modifying that directory's internal keymap.c file. TRS should work 1 if you stick with Serial. 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. Version 2: theres only one option so it is straightforward. I suggest to put an insulating tape on the Pro Micro to prevent any shorts with the OLED Display. 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. If you chose to not use OLED for both halves you should disable support for oled (set OLED_DRIVER_ENABLE to no in keymaps/defualt/rules.mk). A tag already exists with the provided branch name. Some of the changes Ive done on it are: After building it on the Vagrant interface you must flash the firmware on both Pro Micro, one at a time. It may short out. Ive been using some keeb or another for more than 8 years, and I continuously I recently finished a build of a Lily58 Pro kit purchased from boardsource. Lily58 Pro/Pro RE keyboard is a64+4keys column-staggered split keyboard. Collin's Lab: Soldering by Adafruit Industries. 10 are going to hold the bottom and the top together. Intro Lily58 Pro Parts List Warnings 1 Flash the Pro Micro Controller with QMK firmware 2 SOLDER THE DIODES 3 SOLDER HOTSWAP SWITCH SOCKETS 4 BRIDGE THE FOUR JUMPERS 5 CONTROLLER'S HOTSWAP SOCKETS 6 SOLDER THE CONTROLLER 7 PCB TEST I normally flash the default Lily58 Pro layout. Thats it. I normally flash the default Lily58 Pro layout. The default keymap is laid out on the assumption that it will be used in the MacOS/US keyboard environment. Then use tweezers to solder one side of the diode, using the pre-soldering to secure the diode. First, I spend long hours in front of my computer and I aggregate that information here to help serve as a reference for others planning to give it a shot! Connect one half to USB, flash the firmware (always follow the actuall instructions in the QMK documentation! A couple of good tips showcased here around the soldering iron temperatures to use as a beginner and the technique for soldering diodes where you first place solder on one of the pads before pushing the diode into space with a bit of heat. Then solder the remaining side. 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). Finally, in the last year or so Ive been suffering from wrist pain , mix that with a little voice in my head moving me to try a split keyboard or even an ergonomic one and you will You can use a multimeter on the front side of the board to ensure that the solder connections are good and that the orientation of the diodes is correct. Disabling it in the firmware will fix this behavior. Flash the controller (pro micro, Elite C, nice!nano, etc) with the firmware. Luckily if you are interested in a custom keyboard but youre a little afraid of doing it there is a second-hand market in Reddit that has a lot of options on fully built keebs. Thanks to jmo808 for finding it, and apologies once again. Mount with the wider side (labeled "" here) outwards. good, and in the community of DIY custom keyboards, you try to apply a higher Soldering & Build difficulty: . From this part on things will get easier: You are done! Be gentle with micro USB ports on your microcontrollers. I wouldn't mind adding some LED backlighting to this Each half of the keyboard must be programmed separately using this approach. Solder the 2x 12 Pin Headers provided with your controller on the top side of the PCB in the marked rectangle section. Be careful so you dont bend their contacts. The following is needed to build the keyboard. Refer to Soldering diodes if you need further guidance. 13D) Insert the keycaps and connect the TRRS into both halves and after that USB cable to the left half. The Lily58 Pro/Pro RE keyboard is a64+4keys column-staggered split keyboard. ), How to customize using QMK Configurator (deprecated), 2 solid panels, 2 with holes for switches, MX switch and choc switches use separate connectors, Cable for 3.5 mmaudio, also called AUX cable (4-pole cable recommended), Magnetic connector recommended due to the low durability of the ProMicro socket. 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. Custom USB Cables and Ergonomical Keyboards. Once I did that, both halves worked well. The QMK Toolbox can be used to write non-customized keymaps via a GUI, avoiding the need to configure a local QMK environment. If you know what you want, use a solder bridge to enable the leds required. and here is the final product . Make sure you have orientation right - they are all oriented to the same side. In mainstream switches the quality of this lube is not With the QMK Toolbox route, the setup was as simple as: The microcontrollers should both be good to go! There are no RGB LEDs on the board. This is the strong root of the passion Ive cultivated for mechanical keyboards, as writing on them is not comparable to anything else. Use a piece of tape to fix them and apply solder from the bottom side. If you get an error, please double-check the board, connection and command. I haven't ventured into wireless field yet and been thinking about making a corne or another lily58 witless with at least 500mah battery Reply LordDukeMaster Additional comment actions. As mentioned before keyboard parts are usually sold out as they are not manufactured in large chunks. A tag already exists with the provided branch name. 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). Connect all your keyswitches on every hotswap sockets using one of the plates and standoffs. Thankfully it appears that the pad pattern underneath is consistent, so use it. Execute the following in the qmk_firmware directory to write the default Lily58 keymap. Make sure Switch Legs are not bended and are aligned with socket holes. Hit. While this is not a Lily58 build video, the steps are more or less the same and a great short video to get a grasp of the overall build procedure. FREE Shipping Worldwide on all custom cables. For kits purchased at YushaKobo, a spring pin header is included, so use that. 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! Latest commit f5ac034 on Aug 6, 2022 History. If you use QMK Configurator, you can create an original keymap on the browser without editing the keymap.c file. Suggested approach is to build the firmware yourself. Darkb0ws3r 1 yr. ago. Its not a polished product. This commit does not belong to any branch on this repository, and may belong to a fork outside of the repository. Always disconnect the USB cable first. A. Ive built my very own custom lily58 keymap, forked from the main QMK GitHub repository. It can be found on QMK repo. Install the 4 spacers into the holes just below the pro micro, screw from the bottom. For 3mm Acrylic Base and 3mm Acrylic Switch plates screw in the 5x 6mm standoffs into the the base plate. The side with chips and other electronics should be at the bottom facing the main PCB. Note: Choc switches do not work with acrylic case. In the case of bad key switch insertion: Build Guide This is the build guide for Corne Cherry v3. Solder the controllers hotswap sockets on the top side of the PCB, in the marked rectangle section. Please set Lily 58 as a US keyboard in the OS keyboard settings. If you're using DFU bootloader (in case of the elite c), replace the 'avrdude' with 'dfu'. Are you sure you want to create this branch? One of the revealing parts for me was lubing. Reviews. Lily 58 pro Mechanical Keyboard | 1.5 Year Update I've been using my Lily 58 Pro for about a year and a half and it looks a bit different these days so I thought I would give an updated video on. A symbol different from the symbol input by "@" or "[" etc. Sold the OLED panel on top of each Arduino using long rigid copper cable soldering to the PCB headers. Load the downloaded JSON file into the QMK Toolbox and write it to the boards. Customize my keymap, lily58 pro supports 4 different keymaps reachable through the LOWER and RAISE physical buttons. The board requires a keymap in order to function. In the image above you can see the matrix on the PCB where diodes and switch sockets are already soldered. This article is Part 3 in a 6-Part Series.. Part 1 -In search of the best custom keyboard layout Part 2 -Let me introduce you SofleKeyboard - a split keyboard based on Lily58 and Crkbd Part 3 -SofleKeyboard build log/guide; Part 4 -Sofle Keyboard evolution: slow and not really steady Part 5 -Another year of Sofle keyboard Part 6 -Sta AKA Sofle Unsplit - a monoblock split keyboard In the end, you are their client. This substrate (PCB) is reversible. In the case of badly attached diode: Dont connect or disconnect the TRRS cable when the keyboard is powered. The other end can either be attached to the trace (after removing some mask), or the footprint/led itself. Note that the case of the black version has a scratch-resistant paint (solder resist) that can arrive with scratches from shipping and transportation. Insert the controller into the PCB (if it is hotswap) and the OLED screen into their respective sockets. In the case of badly attached socket: Base Plate: No Plates, Black 1.5mm FR4, White 3mm Acrylic, Black Matte 3mm Acrylic, Clear 3mm Acrylic, Frosted 3mm Acrylic, Smoked 3mm Acrylic, Aluminum . For doing that just follow the QMK Vagrant page. And if you find any problem there are incredible communities to look for information like Reddit (r/MechanicalKeyboards, r/ErgoMechKeyboards) and geekhack.org forums. Moving into full time work five years ago, I quickly realized the discomfort of using traditional keyboards and found the work-provided Microsoft Sculpt Ergonomic Keyboard did a great job to relieve me of that. Cherry MX Switch Comparison by KeyMouse. 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). 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