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I made a split 34-key keyboard, mostly for fun and not for daily use.
Split keyboards offer a number of ergonomic benefits compared to a traditional keyboard. At home and at work I use a split 75% keyboard, which is basically a normal keyboard that's split in half. If you fall deeper into the rabbit hole, you start coming across keyboards with fewer keys and either ortholinear or column-staggered layouts - all in the name of ergonomics.
For daily use, I type on a Keychron Q11 which has a 75% layout and thus a more normal number of keys. Photo by Keychron.
The left half of a commercially available Aurora Sweep. This is a column-staggered split 34-key keyboard. Photo by splitkb.com
I started this project because I really liked the look of impractically small keyboards but I didn't want to relearn how to type if I bought a column-staggered kit like the Aurora Sweep. So I decided to build my own row-staggered 34 key split keyboard and used it as an opportunity to learn how to design custom PCBs.
Learning to solder SMD components onto my custom PCB.
With the backing plate removed, you can see the populated PCB with switches installed.
Over the course of this project, I learned a lot about keyboards, PCBs, and the firmware that drives these keyboards. The custom parts I designed include the PCB, the resin-printed case, and the stainless steel backplates. The commercially available parts required to finish out the build included low-profile mechanical key switches, keycaps, microcontrollers, and cables.
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