246 lines
9.5 KiB
Markdown
246 lines
9.5 KiB
Markdown
# The EZ Way to QMK
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Do you love your Kinesis Advantage, but also love your Ergodox-EZ? Now you can
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have the best of both worlds with your very own QMK running Dactyl! Feels like a
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Kinesis, works like an Ergodox-EZ.
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I found this [Massdrop guide](massdrop-ergodox-build-guide.pdf) that shipped with their original
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Ergodox to be very helpful.
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## Shopping List
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### Things you'll have to find yourself:
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* Case
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* 70x Cherry MX compatible Switches
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* 6x Cherry ML switches (optional)
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### Things you can order from Digikey
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#### An aside on LEDs
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Before you place this order, you'll need to figure out what color you want your
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LEDs to be, or if you even want LEDs at all.
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I had a terrible time figuring out how to figure out which resistor to use with
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each LED. All I can attest to is that
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[These Orange LEDs](http://www.maxkeyboard.com/max-keyboard-orange-3mm-flangeless-replacement-led-for-backlit-mechanical-keyboard-10-pcs.html)
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work with
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[These 220Ω resistors](http://www.digikey.com/scripts/DkSearch/dksus.dll?Detail&itemSeq=229354283&uq=636318134508631803)
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or at least have yet to fail in my Dactyl.
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I was hoping that I could find these LEDs on Digikey for you, but they don't
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have ones with the exact specs and I don't know if that breaks the compatibility
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with the resistors I found.
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Here's
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[the evil mad scientist's guide](http://www.evilmadscientist.com/2012/resistors-for-leds/)
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to choosing resistors for LEDs, but every time I did the math, it didn't work
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out.
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Seriously, find someone who knows more about this if you're making decisions
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here. You're probably already more qualified than me, so open a PR and fix this
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session.
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* 70x [1N4148 Diodes](http://www.digikey.com/scripts/DkSearch/dksus.dll?Detail&itemSeq=229354375&uq=636318149504319926)
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* 2x [2.2kΩ Pull up Resistors](https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/CFR-25JB-52-2K2/2.2KQBK-ND/666)
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* 2x [TRRS Jacks](http://www.digikey.com/scripts/DkSearch/dksus.dll?Detail&itemSeq=229354247&uq=636318148338283334)
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* 1 [Teensy 2.0](https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/adafruit-industries-llc/199/1528-1993-ND/6827126)
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* 1 [MCP23018 I/O Expander](https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/microchip-technology/MCP23018-E-SP/MCP23018-E-SP-ND/1999505)
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* [28 Pin IC Socket](http://www.digikey.com/scripts/DkSearch/dksus.dll?Detail&itemSeq=229356912&uq=636318143621851738)
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If you want everything in this list from [Digikey](https://www.digikey.com), you
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can upload [this cart](digikey-shopping-cart.csv).
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### Things From Amazon
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* 1x [MiniUSB Extender Cable](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00B5HSA3Q)
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* Solder/Electrical Tape/Twosided tape
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* [30AWG wrapping wire](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GWFECWO)
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* TRRS Cable [this one](https://www.amazon.com/Coiled-3-5mm-Jack-Audio-Cable/dp/B019TRW4HQ)
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worked for me, but it's a matter of taste and how much distance you need.
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## Wiring up the Matrix
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The firmware you choose will determine the wiring of the keyboard. Since the
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Ergodox-EZ isn't going anywhere **AND** has first class support in QMK by its
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creator, it makes pretty good sense to wire it up the same way.
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Here's what the matrix code for the Ergodox-EZ in QMK looks like:
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```c
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// matrix positions
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{ // MCP23018
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{ k00, k10, k20, k30, k40, KC_NO }, \
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{ k01, k11, k21, k31, k41, k51 }, \
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{ k02, k12, k22, k32, k42, k52 }, \
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{ k03, k13, k23, k33, k43, k53 }, \
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{ k04, k14, k24, k34, k44, k54 }, \
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{ k05, k15, k25, k35, KC_NO, k55 }, \
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{ k06, k16, KC_NO, k36, KC_NO, k56 }, \
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// Teensy
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{ k07, k17, KC_NO, k37, KC_NO, k57 }, \
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{ k08, k18, k28, k38, KC_NO, k58 }, \
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{ k09, k19, k29, k39, k49, k59 }, \
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{ k0A, k1A, k2A, k3A, k4A, k5A }, \
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{ k0B, k1B, k2B, k3B, k4B, k5B }, \
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{ k0C, k1C, k2C, k3C, k4C, k5C }, \
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{ k0D, k1D, k2D, k3D, k4D, KC_NO } \
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}
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```
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This is a software mapping of 14 rows, even though the physical layout will wind
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up with 14 columns. Physically, it looks like this:
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Look at those colors, they'll be consistent throughout this documentation,
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including the physical wire we wire it up with.
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### Rows
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You don't have to decide how to connect the rows to the Teensy or MCP yet. Just
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worry about getting the matrix right.
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Wiring rows 0-4 is easy. With the 30AWG wire, I had to cut individual wire
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segments from switch to switch. The thumb clusters are Row 5 on each side, so
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the same approach will work, it just doesn't look like a row.
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Row 5 is the thumb cluster, so just wire them together and imagine they're in a
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row instead of it being more like a circle.
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The rows are just wire. Individual segments connecting two switches. I used a
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pair of pointy tweezers to put little hooks on the end of each segment. The idea
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is to let the Solder do most of the work. If a day ever comes where you have to
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desolder one of these, you'll be glad you didn't aggressively wrap it.
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### Columns
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The columns need to be wired with diodes. You can probably wire the entire
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column with the diode stems, but I chose to add some wire segments so it would
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look clearer for this guide.
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The diodes need the black bar facing away from the key. The other guides
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disagree, but they don't use QMK.
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To use wire segments here, I soldered the end of the diode with the black bar to
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the wire first, then placed the other stem on the switch, positioned the diode
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where I wanted it and then bet the diode stem into a hook around the switch
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terminal.
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I also made a habit of keeping the trimmed diode stems to use as bridges if
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needed later.
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**Note:** Column 6 only has one key at this point.
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### Ergodox Compatibility Inner Columns
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**This is an optional step, and can be done as a mod after you're done** so
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there's no pressure to make this decision now.
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Ergodoxes have an additional three keys in columns 6 & 7. Do you want them on
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your Dactyl?
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I own an Ergodox-EZ as well, and want to use the same keymap for both. So I
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added the extra switches below the thumb clusters as Cherry ML switches. If you
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don't care about a consistent experience between a Dactyl and Ergodox, or even
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if you do, it's a matter of personal preference.
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Wherever you put them, they're wired into rows 0,1 and 3. Either way, you need
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to wire columns 6 and 7 to the top inner most key in the thumb cluster, so
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columns 6 & 7 are going to be live.
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If you go with MLs, you can put them wherever you want, but be careful measuring
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where the holes go, you only get one shot.
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**TODO:** CherryML switch hole specs.
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## The Matrix Has You
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Actually, you have it! Congratulations on having gotten this far.
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## Wiring The Right Half
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### Wiring the Teensy
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We have to start off with the obligatory wiring diagram
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Notice the row numbers are different from the other guides to match the QMK
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key codes we're using.
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I started off by breadboarding this whole project, but I also burnt out the
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teensy's bootloader.
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[My misadventures wiring a Dactyl](http://joedevivo.com/2017/05/20/building-a-qmk-dactyl.html)
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are a fun read if you feel like this is too hard. I've been there.
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Here's the pinout mappings for the rows and columns:
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| Row | Wire Color | Teensy Pin |
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|---------|------------|------------|
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| 0 | Yellow | PF0 |
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| 1 | Orange | PF1 |
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| 2 | Green | PF4 |
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| 3 | Brown | PF5 |
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| 4 | Blue | PF6 |
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| 5 | Purple | PF7 |
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| Column | Wire Color | Teensy Pin |
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|--------|------------|------------|
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| 7 | Red | PB0 |
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| 8 | Yellow | PB1 |
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| 9 | Orange | PB2 |
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| A | Green | PB3 |
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| B | Brown | PD2 |
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| C | Blue | PD3 |
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| D | Purple | PC6 |
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Wiring the teensy involves looping the 30AWG wire through the Teensy's pinouts,
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I went through twice, and then dabbed a little solder. If you are ok with
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possibly wasting a little wire, you can use longer wire to solder up the Teensy
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and then breadboard with those wires. There's no room for pins in the case, so
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this is the best way to test it out.
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Here's my breadboarded version, almost done. (missing the reset wire to the MCP
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in this photo)
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Yours will look similar, but with the Teensy coming from off board with a bunch
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of wires. You don't have to breadboard the columns and rows for the teensy, you
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can test them by clipping them to the right spot on the matrix you built.
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Columns and rows run by the MCP (Greetings, program!) will be accessible via the
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breadboard.
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Here's what that looks like wired in.
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Fortunately, QMK *will* let you just run the right half, so you can check in at
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this point and see how that all works,
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### The TRRS Jack
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In an effort to move some of the bulk away from the Teensy, I put the pull up
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resistors as close to the jack as I could.
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I wired the two 2.2k resistors to the bottom two terminals on the TRRS jack,
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then wired the SCL(PD0) and SDA(PD1) to the resistor leg going into the jack.
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Then soldered the outside legs together and ran a wire from Vcc to those outside
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legs, and from them to a third terminal on the TRRS jack. Now all you need is to
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run GND to the fourth terminal.
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## Wiring The Left Half
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### Wiring the I/O Expander
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