A Custom Split Keyboard

A Custom Split Keyboard

A friend introduced me to the (expensive) world of custom mechanical keyboards in 2020. Even though most projects in this world were expensive and seemed to appeal to those with disposable income, there was a small corner that was dedicated to open-source hardware and software. In this corner is where I found my dream keyboard.

This keyboard is an amalgamation of several open-source projects.

  1. The PCB is an open-source design called the Lily58 Pro https://github.com/kata0510/Lily58
  2. The case is an open-source design made for laser cut acrylic sheets https://github.com/BoardSodie/Lily58-Acrylic-Case
  3. The controller is an open-source design using nRF chips for keyboards https://github.com/joric/nrfmicro
  4. The firmware is an open-source project called https://github.com/zmkfirmware/zmk, porting another open-source wireless communication protocol called Zephyr to keyboards.
  5. And finally, my contribution is a 3D printed case for the keyboard, which is available for free on Printables.com. I designed for this so I could pack my keyboard and bring it to the US with me.