I was initially excited about my Keychron V6 keyboard, I was looking forward to a thockier keyboard and wanted the customizability with qmk. The V6 seemed like a good match. But after unboxing it, I realized that the south-facing LEDs weren't ideal. I had just purchased Razer PBT keycaps, which I loved, but they didn't work at all with the LEDs and the escaping light underneath just blinded me.
I tried to make the setup work with custom keycaps from fkcaps (https://fkcaps.com/custom/5ELZPQ). While they were cool, they weren't the same as double-shot PBT keys. The setup wasn't ideal but I just stuck with it.
When I saw a YouTube video about building a keyboard with KiCad, I was inspired to try it myself. I used an ATmega32U, because I thought it would be easier to integrate, but it did have it's challenges: limited I/O meant I had to sacrifice the layout switch, and my matrix is best described as "tortuous". Despite a few errors on my PCB (a group of LEDs were not connected and I completely missed the holes for a stabilizer), the final PCB works amazingly well.
I've added a few photos below showcasing my setup before PCB assembly. You can see the light issues under the keys and how the laser etching from fkcaps isn't very durable.
EDIT: I've published the files to github in case anyone wants to have a look: V6 conversion
19 Comments
sic_semper_tyrannis@lemmy.today · 4 pts · 1y
Super cool! Great job. That's the one thing that bothers me about their boards. Maybe I'll give this a shot too
Reven@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 1y
It was a fun process, much recommended. I've got an extra 4 pcbs that require a few bodge wires if you've got a V6. :D
billwashere@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 1y
Any chance you’d release these files? I might wanna try this too. I miss my shine through keys.
Reven@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 1y
Yes, I want to, just haven’t gotten around to put it all together yet. But it’s on my to do list.
billwashere@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 1y
Awesome thanks!!! I’ve really wanted to do this and this would help me learn this way more than on my own.
Reven@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 1y
I've put everything up on github: V6 conversion. Have fun. If you are going to get into this adventure, this might come in handy (it helped me): How to Build a Custom Keyboard From Scratch
silmarine@discuss.tchncs.de · 3 pts · 1y
Wait, how did you have the physical PCB? 3d Printed?
FiskFisk33@startrek.website · 3 pts · 1y
There are services like https://jlcpcb.com/ that fab one-off PCB's surprisingly cheaply.
BradleyUffner@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 1y
There are a number of relatively inexpensive PCB fabrication services available online, that is if all the YouTube sponsorship ads forced in to every channel I watch are to be believed.
Reven@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 1y
Yes, I got it made at jlcpcb. It’s a big board, so it wasn’t as cheap as a small prototype board. But not unreasonable. A good price per board, but a bit of a waste because I now have 4 more that I will never use.
wjrii@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 1y
Sounds to me like it's time to get two more MCUs, some standoffs, and some rubber feet, and make a pair of barebones boards, LOL. JLCPCB is pretty nice. I did an extremely simple custom design that was literally just traces and vias, and got 5 PCBs for under USD30.
Reven@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 1y
That's a nice board!
wjrii@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 1y
Thanks! I've tweaked the layout a tiny bit since those pics, but I've been using it a lot and it's worked really well. Current project is to retrofit a little baby solenoid onto one of my fully hand-wired boards with tactile switches. Not exactly true IBM "KERCHUNK-THUNK!" but should add a pointless and fun audio feedback to a board I just don't use that much otherwise.
But seriously... if there is a switch type you've been meaning to try, or some weird QMK ideas, add a plate from Keychron and (maybe?) the hotswap sockets, and you've got a perfectly legitimate build style.
Kowowow@lemmy.ca · 2 pts · 1y
I got a V5 and feel like I got tricked by the "backlit" thing not meaning shinethrough
wjrii@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 1y
South facing fits "Cherry profile" keycaps better, as well as old-school caps with shine-through lock indicators. Would be a bummer if you were expecting full shinethrough though.
Kowowow@lemmy.ca · 1 pts · 1y
It's my first mechanical and I was just hoping to be able to read the keys in the dark
Zachariah@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 1y
Yeah, the LEDs on my Q6 are the only thing I don’t like about it. I don’t use it in the dark much, but I’ve gotten used to the shine through letters on laptops, so I wish it was the same.
fl42v@lemmy.ml · 1 pts · 1y
What about the matrix, "Japanese" duplex or something?
Reven@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 1y
No, lol! I wish I had known of this or would've been clever enough to come up with something similar. I basically just yolo'd it the best I could. It was a torture.