Merge pull request #25 from BubblesToTheLimit/master

Let's have a guide

guide/README.md

@@ -1,62 +0,0 @@
-# Dactyl Flexible PCB Rough Guide
-
-![](workbench.jpg)
-
-For now, take a look at the images and try to figure things out, I know that's not great (it's better than nothing!)
-
-## Making the PCB
-
-Get two sheets of 6in square Pyralux™.  Use the Toner Transfer
-method to etch the Pyralux sheets as you would a usual PCB
-
-> NOTE: If you only have an Inkjet make photocopies of the print out, voilà Toner based copies!
-
-[Here's a handy toner transfer guide ... ](http://www.instructables.com/id/Toner-transfer-no-soak-high-quality-double-sided/)
-
-Print these PCB designs out...
-
-Left hand:
-
-![](left-hand-pcb-pyralux.png)
-
-Right hand:
-
-![](right-hand-pcb-pyralux.png)
-
-When you're done etching, you'll need to carefully cut the pcb into
-pieces... See the images below.
-
-## This is Madness...
-
-The thumb cluster pcb for the left hand:
-
-![](madness.jpg)
-
-Solder the MCP like so:
-
-![](left-hand-mcp-1.jpg)
-
-![](left-hand-mcp-2.jpg)
-
-Solder the Teensy 2.0 like so:
-
-![](teensy-1.jpg)
-
-Some interesting pull up 10k resistor business here... (TODO add a small diagram and notes)
-
-![](teensy-2-fuxor-reziztorrs.jpg)
-
-Each hand of the keyboard will wire up like so:
-
-![](right-hand-pcb-1.jpg)
-
-Teensy goes here... note the rows soldered to the teensy via the Pyralux:
-
-![](right-hand-pcb-with-teensy.jpg)
-
-
-Here the left hand:
-
-![](hotglue-left-hand.jpg)
-
-That's all for now, this guide will improve over time! (TODO!)

guide/README.org

@@ -0,0 +1,242 @@
+* Preparation and Cost
+  Get all the parts / raw material:
+  - For the 3D printing there are two options:
+    1. Filament, which is the basis for 3D printing. Luckily I could print at my work-place
+       which reduced the cost from 210€ to 70€. The kind of filament you need depends on the 3D
+       printer you have available.
+    2. Buy the printout of adareth's model at shapeways for 210€ over here
+       http://www.shapeways.com/designer/adereth/creations
+  - Decide on the switches
+    - If you are going to invest a whole lot of time and money for a custom keyboard instead of
+      buying one for 10€ I'd recommend to use your favorite switch-type. To make a
+      well-informed decision I bought a switch-tester for this from massdrop and decided on
+      Cherry MX Whites. https://www.massdrop.com/buy/varmilo-switch-tester-with-anodized-case
+    - I ordered 70 Cherry MX Whites from here:
+      https://mechanicalkeyboards.com/shop/index.php?l=product_detail&p=847
+  - Decide on the key caps
+    - On the glamour-Shot you can see the 1976 keycap set, it used to be sold over here:
+      http://pimpmykeyboard.com/sa-1976-keycap-set/ but the link is dead right now. You could
+      try this link: https://www.massdrop.com/buy/nineteenseventysix-sa-keycap-set but it is a
+      massdrop which is way different from usual online-stores. If you find a site that sells
+      these make sure you get the right amount and type of keys according to the layout
+    - I got the "TKL Base Set + TKL Modifier" from over here:
+      http://pimpmykeyboard.com/dsa-pbt-abs-blank-keycap-sets/ but I'm still two long keys
+      short, I will have to order those specifically and I have a bunch of keys I don't use
+      left-over.
+  - The USB-Cable that connects the keyboard to your computer
+    - It's an USB 2.0 to USB Mini-B cable, make sure you get one that is 2 meters long, it
+      really makes handling the keyboard so much more comfortable
+    - https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B00NH11N5A/
+  - The main controller (right half)
+    - A Teensy 2.0, I got that one from here: https://www.pjrc.com/store/teensy.html
+  - The chip, connectors and cable to give life to the left half
+    - TTRS cable and jacks
+      - Got my TTRS cable from here: http://www.digikey.de/product-search/de?keywords=839-1257-ND
+      - Got my TTRS jacks from here: http://www.digikey.de/product-search/de?keywords=CP-43514-ND
+    - MCP23018 16 bit IO Expander
+      - Got mine from here: http://www.digikey.de/product-search/de?keywords=MCP23018-E%2FSP-ND
+
+  What I spend on my keyboard (should give you a rough estimate for your build):
+  | item                              | cost |
+  |-----------------------------------+------|
+  | filament                          |   70 |
+  | switch-tester                     |   30 |
+  | key-caps                          |   70 |
+  | teensy 2.0                        |   30 |
+  | switches                          |   60 |
+  | usb cable                         |   10 |
+  | IO Expander, TTRS jacks and cable |   30 |
+  |-----------------------------------+------|
+  | overall cost                      |  300 |
+  #+TBLFM: @9$2=vsum(@2$2..@8$2)
+
+  My choices / advantages:
+  - Using the soldering iron at the uni-workshop for free
+  - 76 Diodes for free
+  - Soldering wire and copper for free
+  - All the resistors used for free (5 resistors are used)
+  - Several files for working out the rough edges of the 3D-printout
+
+  Depending on what you have available you might spend more or less money than me, 300€ however
+  is a good rough estimate.
+
+  After all the parts have arrived it is safe to move on to the next section.
+
+* Wiring
+  It is assumed that you have printed the casing successfully.
+
+  1) Plug the switches into the Casing, no glue is needed, the casing provides the perfect fit.
+  2) Put the keycaps on the switches
+     - Note that in the pictures here some of the long keys on the thumb-part are too short,
+       that's why it doesnt look symmetrical
+
+  [[file:application-of-switches-and-caps.jpg]]
+
+  Now going further on in the guide there are two options
+  1. The first option is to print flexible PCBs. The advantage is that you save alot of wiring
+     business, everything looks rather clean and you dont have to worry about your cables being too
+     thick such that the casing doesnt close. However if you don't have the means to print out such
+     PCBs there is the second option, wiring everything by hand.
+     - The guide for this PCB-option is very rough indeed and it doesnt include the firmware
+       used. Wiring and firmware play extremely close together, wiring before knowing your
+       firmware is like buying a shoe without measuring your feet before. For this option
+       information about the exact firmware is not published, this in addition to the fact that
+       the pictures in this rough guide are incomplete makes this option extremely
+       beginner-unfriendly. Going in blind-sided like this may lead to one of these things:
+       1. reprogramming huge parts of the firmware to match your wiring which comes with a ton of
+          debugging
+       2. rewiring to adapt to what the firmware expects, which may easily double your work here
+     - [[Route 1: Dactyl Flexible PCB Rough Guide]]
+  2. The second option is to hand-wire everything. For people like me who had never soldered before
+     this was great pain and pleasure.
+     - Here too firmware and wiring go hand in hand, you pretty much have to have a detailed look
+       at the firmware you are using before wiring anything. I provide my modification of the
+       "ergodox-firmware" over here: https://github.com/BubblesToTheLimit/ergodox-firmware
+       - TODO: Make a successfull pull-request, such that it is available in the official
+         ergodox-firmware
+     - Some of the steps of this guide may not be described in much detail, but in contrast to
+       option one there is a whole lot more of information.
+     - [[Route 2: Dactyl Hand-Wiring Guide]]
+
+** Route 1: Dactyl Flexible PCB Rough Guide
+   [[workbench.jpg]]
+
+   For now, take a look at the images and try to figure things out, I know that's not great (it's
+   better than nothing!)
+
+*** Making the PCB
+    Get two sheets of 6in square Pyralux™. Use the Toner Transfer method to etch the Pyralux sheets as
+    you would a usual PCB
+
+    #+BEGIN_QUOTE
+    NOTE: If you only have an Inkjet make photocopies of the print out,
+    voilà Toner based copies!
+    #+END_QUOTE
+
+    [[http://www.instructables.com/id/Toner-transfer-no-soak-high-quality-double-sided/][Here'sa handy toner transfer guide ...]]
+
+    Print these PCB designs out...
+
+    Left hand:
+
+    [[left-hand-pcb-pyralux.png]]
+
+    Right hand:
+
+    [[right-hand-pcb-pyralux.png]]
+
+    When you're done etching, you'll need to carefully cut the pcb into pieces... See the images
+    below.
+
+*** Applying the PCB to the electronical parts
+    The thumb cluster pcb for the left hand:
+
+    [[madness.jpg]]
+
+    Solder the MCP like so:
+
+    [[left-hand-mcp-1.jpg]]
+    [[left-hand-mcp-2.jpg]]
+
+    Solder the Teensy 2.0 like so:
+
+    [[teensy-1.jpg]]
+
+    Some interesting pull up 10k resistor business here... (TODO add a small diagram and notes)
+
+    [[teensy-2-fuxor-reziztorrs.jpg]]
+
+    Each hand of the keyboard will wire up like so:
+
+    [[right-hand-pcb-1.jpg]]
+
+    Teensy goes here... note the rows soldered to the teensy via the Pyralux:
+
+    [[right-hand-pcb-with-teensy.jpg]]
+
+    Here the left hand:
+
+    [[hotglue-left-hand.jpg]]
+
+    That's all for now, this guide will improve over time! (TODO!)
+** Route 2: Dactyl Hand-Wiring Guide
+*** Step 1: Creating the rows
+    Using the copper wire you solder each row together, notice how the thumb-part gets its own
+    row. If you take a close look you can see how I did do a messy job soldering, I had to redo
+    some of the parts because they weren't soldered properly. Do this for both sides. Which ones
+    of the two available pins of each switch you chose for the row doesnt matter, but for it to
+    look clean you should decide for either one of them.
+
+    [[file:wiring_create_rows.jpg]]
+
+    [[file:wiring-create-rows-both-sides.jpg]]
+
+    You might want to go ahead and test each one of the 70 switches with a multimeter.
+
+    [[file:wiring-create-rows-testing.jpg]]
+
+*** Step 2: Create the columns
+    The next step is to create the columns by soldering the diodes. There are two options for
+    soldering the diodes, all heading towards the switch or all heading away from the
+    switch. These two ways are called "row-driven" or "column-driven" and here again it is
+    cruciual for the firmware and the actual wiring to be on the same page.
+
+    [[file:diode-diagram-drive-columns.png]]
+
+    [[file:diode-diagram-drive-rows.png]]
+
+    If you want to try and use the "tmk_keyboard" firmware which seems to be also interesting you
+    want to wire the diodes in the according way (check whether the tmk_keyboard firmware expects
+    a row-driven or a column-driven setup).
+
+    As you can see in these following pictures I went for the "row-driven" setup (visible by the
+    direction of the diodes, the black line being towards the key-switches). This first picture
+    doesnt show how the 6 thumb-keys are actually individually connected to the 6 main columns,
+    but note the small black line on each diode.
+
+    [[file:wiring-create-columns-left.jpg]]
+
+    This second picture shows how the 6 thumb-keys are actually connected to the 6 main columns.
+
+    [[file:wiring-create-columns-right.jpg]]
+
+    How Thumb-keys are wired again depends on the firmware, the following picture shows the wiring
+    of the thumb keys more clearly and also the part in the code that reflects this wiring
+    (ergodox-firmware/src/keyboard/dactyl/matrix.h).
+
+    [[file:thumb-key-wiring.jpg]]
+
+*** Step 3: Put the Teensy and the MCP in place
+    This next step is to wire the Teensy 2.0 and the MCP 23018 in place.
+    Everything necessary for that really is the following circuit diagram
+
+    [[file:circuit-diagram.png]]
+
+    Things to note here:
+    - The columns for the MCP go from 0 to 6, the columns for the Teensy go from 7 to D (counting
+      in hexadecimal) which makes great sence, since the MCP is left to the Teensy and we read from
+      left to right.
+    - When debugging this and using the ergodox-firmware, both sides have to be wired completely
+      and actually with the TTRS connected, dont expect the keyboard to work before that. The reason being is how
+      the ergodox-firmware stops completely if either the Teensy or the MCP weren't initiated
+      properly.
+    - In the circuit-diagram the columns on the left side (MCP side) actually go from GPA5 to INTA
+      (TODO: Update the circuit diagram and get rid of this point)
+    - The LEDs are handy for debugging, definately go ahead and connect those. When the keyboard
+      starts successfully two of the LEDs light up shortly.
+    - From the Teensy over to the MCP go exactly 4 connections. The blue, the red and the two green
+      ones. This is done using the TTRS jacks and cable.
+    - Yes, the connection from B4 to VCC doesnt seem to make any sense, but the B4 port actually
+      gets used directly in the ergodox-firmware, so just connect those connections that make no
+      sense on first sight and either dont question it or find out why this is necessary by going
+      through the firmware in great detail.
+
+    This is how the trrs jacks are wired:
+
+    [[file:trrs-jack.jpg]]
+
+    After you are done you might have the following result:
+
+    [[file:rows-and-columns-connected-to-chips.jpg]]
+
+    Good luck!