Universal Model M Controller

Muirium · 26 Mar 2015, 23:03

phosphorglow wrote: ↑Thanks! ^_^

First one assembled and I'm using it in my SSK right now! Picture! Exclamation point!

Superb work, Phosphor! And perfect timing. I've got an SSK needing one of these, stat!

i$ has a good question: what software are you running on this? TMK?

phosphorglow · 26 Mar 2015, 23:34

Thanks!

That's the beautiful part about the 1286 and the only reason something like this is possible: Awesome people writing awesome firmware. This one is loaded with Soarer's Controller, but once it gets bluetoothy or needs some more advanced features TMK will get loaded.

phosphorglow · 26 Mar 2015, 23:38

Also, I don't know why I was tripping about setting fuses. I don't have to touch anything. I hadn't realized that the CPU prescaler can be set in the firmware. And I guess my first problem with not being able to re-flash my original prototype was something to do with FLIP since dfu-programmer erases and flashes repeatedly just dandy.

Mal-2 · 27 Mar 2015, 00:53

phosphorglow wrote: ↑Should have gone slightly thicker than 1mm, but whatever - it's perfectly fine and I know for the next time.

I wouldn't bother, it would only make it cost more and weigh more. It wouldn't actually make it do more, and it's beautiful (and quite adequately sturdy) just as it is. Maybe bits of Teflon like you'd use on a mouse are in order anywhere you want to thicken it up to fit the plastic clips.

0100010 · 27 Mar 2015, 01:29

Small piece of paper folded around the edge of the board under the clips would work also - not that it is needed.

That looks damn good!

phosphorglow · 27 Mar 2015, 04:28

It's definitely a pretty little thing! You're right Mal-2, the thickness is just fine. It's a bit more flexible than what I had anticipated, but it's not exactly under any stress in this application.

The only thing that's bugging me right now is the slight up and down movement with the connector. I knew this was going to be an issue to be solved, but haven't figured out the most elegantly simple solution yet. Simplest thing would be to toss a 2mm o-ring around the mounting posts as a wedge. Slightly less elegant but still simple is to place a rubber foot on top of the connector, but that only seems suitable for the big USB-B. Most elegant yet more complex is a custom molded or 3D printed equivalent of what IBM did with the attached cable versions. Least elegant is a piece of double sided tape, but I hate that idea even though IBM did it with some of the 122 key models. Meh.

Orrrrrr... since I'm cutting out little mylar covers, I can include little flaps as wedges to take up the ~.2mm-ish slack. Bingo. I think I've got it. Maybe.

On a somewhat related note, I soldered a Micro-B connector to the little sub-board and it's awesome.

Mal-2 · 27 Mar 2015, 05:20

phosphorglow wrote: ↑The only thing that's bugging me right now is the slight up and down movement with the connector. I knew this was going to be an issue to be solved, but haven't figured out the most elegantly simple solution yet.

Find nuts that fits over the posts and let them create their own threads as you ratchet them down? There's probably not enough clearance on one of them to do that, but there probably is on the other. If it's a non-metallic nut, you don't have to worry about it shorting anything out, either.

Another really simple solution could be a dab of hot glue on each post. You'll have to clean it off and do it over any time the board is removed, but it's not like the stuff is expensive.

vsev · 27 Mar 2015, 13:27

Wonderful work here !
Also up for gettin' 2-3 of those beasts when available

vivalarevolución · 27 Mar 2015, 14:33

phosphorglow wrote: ↑Thanks!

That's the beautiful part about the 1286 and the only reason something like this is possible: Awesome people writing awesome firmware. This one is loaded with Soarer's Controller, but once it gets bluetoothy or needs some more advanced features TMK will get loaded.

So it works with existing firmware? Awesome.

phosphorglow · 27 Mar 2015, 16:06

Heee!

Morning Math: Cup of coffee + staring off into space = small diameter rubber tubing to slip over the posts.

(IBM cleverly used them as dust seals in the earlier days, so that's fun!)

phosphorglow · 28 Mar 2015, 00:30

Perusing the hardware store I found some nylon spacers that fit perfectly (...after a little convincing with a drill bit...). When I found them I kept saying, "what what...!"

They're snug enough to keep the board from moving vertically, even after "accidentally" (on purpose...) bumping the cable connector on random objects on my desk repeatedly in a fashion which would perhaps happen after a few pints. Pulls off with a pair of needle nose pliers.

Rubber hose almost worked, but didn't pass the repeated part of the above test. If I can find some hose smaller than the 2.8mm ID I snagged from the parts store I'll test that too, but for now the winner is nylon spacer. What-what...!

scottc · 28 Mar 2015, 00:31

Nooooo, now it's stuck in my head again!

phosphorglow · 28 Mar 2015, 00:35

Mhuuuuaa-hahah! You're welcome.

vivalarevolución · 30 Mar 2015, 19:59

You think this might work with a Wheelwriter keyboard?

Halvar · 30 Mar 2015, 21:52

If the membrane connectors fit the slots, it should work. Do you have a photo of those?

(Now I'll have nightmares after googling and watching this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llLdTsIQIHo The guy probably knows what he's doing but still...)

chzel · 30 Mar 2015, 21:57

For the love of Cthulhu...that man is a barbarian...Just watch his other two videos...

Halvar · 30 Mar 2015, 22:35

OK, so no sleep tonight ... thanks ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHXYq7KR5FM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrc0LpiyxeM

scottc · 30 Mar 2015, 22:42

I'm going to be sick.

idollar · 31 Mar 2015, 17:16

In average this guy and I should be fine.
I remove each key, one by one. Clean them twice with two different products and dry them, one by one again.

As said, the problem is the standard deviation

vsev · 31 Mar 2015, 20:18

Cleaned about 20 (crappy) boards last month I have to admit I'd like to keep away from this for a while..

phosphorglow · 03 Apr 2015, 20:37

Oh golly... that poor Wheelwriter board... For as painful as that is to watch considering the care and precision most of us put into bolt modding a board, he seems like the kind of guy you'd want to have on your zombie apocalypse team. Doesn't mess around and gets things done.

As for using a Wheelwriter with this controller, I'd be inclined to say yes, though the bridged contacts would need to be insulated with a piece of mylar, or cut, or removing the edge of the FPC connector, or cutting the traces on the controller. Lots of options there.

phosphorglow · 03 Apr 2015, 21:03

Alright, Micro USB is annoying me.

I love this controller as a direct USB replacement using USB-B, but when it comes to Micro USB and bluetoothy stuff, I had a LOT of design oversights. Yes, it will work, but it's way more hacky than I care for. From an engineering standpoint, it's terrible. But it looks pretty!

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So, the headers make it about 3mm higher than I had anticipated, which means only thin Micro USB cables will fit (here's my Samsung cable). On top of that, my desire to have the sub-board be modular and removable using the headers creates a small wobble. The smart thing would have been to include provisions for a mounting riser between the two boards that can be screwed into, and the other smart thing would have been to use the bottom mount USB connector as it was intended - as a bottom mount.

So, what I intend on doing (probably) is to have a batch of Micro USB sub-boards re-made with an updated layout.

In summary, Version 1.0 is great for regular USB conversions, and "meh" for bluetooth as long as you don't mind getting a little creative.

(Other thoughts for updating the design in Version 2.0 will be to center the USB-B connector and moving the optional reset button behind it, because it's a bit redundant. Both TMK and Soarer's Controller have optional key-combos to jump to the bootloader. Also, since the Lipo charger is based around a single chip, including the little guy on the layout would be pretty simple.)

phosphorglow · 03 Apr 2015, 21:05

(Additional "also", continued repeated tests of picking my SSK up by the USB cable and bouncing it around have satisfied my concern for reliability and stability.)

phosphorglow · 03 Apr 2015, 23:16

USB-B Cover

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phosphorglow · 04 Apr 2015, 00:10

Aaaaaand fail. Micro USB sub-board definitely needs a redesign. Didn't take into consideration the plastic retainer dealy on the top case that's supposed to clamp down on the SDL connector. What little clearance I did have has moved past the borderline comfortable zone to the annoyingly inconvenient zone. Bah.

The dirty hack to this in the mean time is to cut the traces on the sub-board and flip it over and do the rest with point to point wiring. Dirty, but functional.

phosphorglow · 04 Apr 2015, 00:28

Furthermore, to continue with my burst of ramblings, I've decided on:

- $38 assembled (including mylar cover + nylon riser for mounting)

- $6 for Bare PCB (including the ground tab, since they only come in cut rolls of 100, and mylar cover + nylon riser for mounting).

The BOM from Mouser averages out to around $17 (+shipping).

Or if you have a bunch of spare Teensy's or other similar Atmel breakout board, you can get creative and go that route.

RoastPotatoes · 04 Apr 2015, 01:20

This is very exciting stuff. Thanks for doing what your doing

Muirium · 04 Apr 2015, 01:36

These look so good!

phosphorglow wrote: ↑In summary, Version 1.0 is great for regular USB conversions, and "meh" for bluetooth as long as you don't mind getting a little creative.

I, for one, will gladly use big old USB B with this, as you've done an excellent job with your original plan. Besides for me, was there anyone else bothered about Micro USB?

What's up with the Bluetooth, by the way?

scottc · 04 Apr 2015, 01:40

Mini USB would be my preference since I've got a few other boards that use it, but that's just a very minor nitpicky thing for me.

I'd be interested in the state of Bluetooth too!

Muirium · 04 Apr 2015, 01:51

Mini USB? Quit being awkward! (Actually, I was the same way when I found the NovaTouch was Micro, but once I got a nice cable I wasn't bothered. Mini's supposed to be dead, superseded when Micro was released; but its zombie is doing a good job terrorising the land of the living after all these years.

The Bluetooth support is an optional extra that Halvar's working on, and Phosphor's enabled by building in an extensible project board area to his USB native design. Excellent idea! I just wonder what he meant by the bit I quoted above, as Micro USB port support and Bluetooth are different things.