Project Logs

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• Lets chat!!​

  moosepr • 09/09/2025 at 08:38 • 8 comments

  So for anyone not getting my weekly rambling emails, I have been tweaking the keyboard for ever!!! but have finally got it somewhere that I think is good by going back to the way things were for v0.2, and each key has features round its base to give it flex. So I spent months chasing something I had already pretty much nailed in the past!!

  

  I turned my attention to the add-on cards, and things naturally ended up leaning towards a LoRa card and looking to get in on the MeshTastic train. 

  

  While I was waiting for PCB's and parts to arrive, I remembered that a few people had mentioned ESP-NOW and I decided to have a look at that.

  Turns out it is super easy to get rolling, just register the mac address you want to send stuff to, register functions to run on data sent and data received, and your away!!

  Here is a quick and dirty video showing what I came up with

  to be continued.....

• Looking Fine!!

  moosepr • 08/12/2025 at 12:27 • 0 comments

  I have a bit of an affinity for tiny things, and making things as small and compact as possible (see TinyPi), so I tend to get a little carried away in a super zoomed CAD screen and not really realize how printable things might end up

  I was hoping that the magical SLS prints would solve all my super zoom problems. Well I got a call from the good people from Midlands 3d printing to say that they have tried 3 times to get my print to come out and the keys just keep popping off!

  

  Looking back over the cross section of the button and there is as super weak spot right there!! so that gave me something to work on. The problem was not helped by the fact that I had sent them a file that was the body and the keyboard in one, partly to make it a bit cheaper (pay for the overall volume of the print) and party to make it easier to upload and order. This also meant that the 2 parts became fused together, and made it much harder to clean the un-fused powder from the print

  

  There was one print that came out ok, and the matte finish of the SLS prints make it look so pro!!

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  The backlight is a little leaky round the buttons, but its still pretty sweet!!

  

  And I knocked up a quick and dirty video to show you how it all fits together :)

• Ooooh point three!!

  moosepr • 07/24/2025 at 21:25 • 4 comments

  I had been working away on v0.3 of my project. It wasnt a massive change, fixed some issues with the past board, and added a few new tweaks to make the whole project better. After many hours starting at the schematic and pcb design, i finallly plucked up the courage to order the boards for assembly. I could save some pennies and just buy boards from one place and components from another, but the time I have to spend tinkering is limited, and they would end up sat waiting for me to get round to it.

  My PCBA company of choice is Makerfabs. I have worked with them in the past on my TinyPi project, and their work is always fantastic. They have helped me find parts that are not normally accessible through the conventional channels, and even spotted issues with my BoM!! I can highly recommend them :)

  The boards really are beautiful!! (and I really should get the good camera out!!)

  

  

  The biggest change the eagle eyeed amongst you will see is the re-shuffle of the keyboard. In testing the last version, it became apparent that the navigation buttons would be much better suites on their own, which resulted in a moving of the add-on slot. There is a new addition of a li-po fuel gauge IC to make battery monitoring much simpler, and to free up an extra pin to allow for another of the big changes. The keyboard now has a string of WS2812 LED's within it, to allow for some RGB fun if that floats your boat!! The flash/reset buttons have been tucked away on the back of the board (I have never needed them, but i wouldn't be confident removing them completely), and there is a slide switch to cut the power to those fancy LED's if they suck more power than you like. There is also a spring connector on the back to allow connectivity to a back plate PCB. This passes power and gnd, and also passes i2c, and 2 additional connections for antenna usage. That would allow an add-on card to connect to an antenna built in to the back of the device, rather than having a dedicated external antenna. This would never be as good, but should be great for testing.

  The front PCB idea has had a little bit of polish too!! The silkscreen cutouts have been given the kibuzzard treatment, and the legends have been made as large as possible to maximize visibility

  

  

  The back of the PCB has been stripped of all copper and solder mask so it is bare fiberglass. This would allow the LEDs packed into the keyboard to shine into the fiberglass and shine though the legends on the face. This gives a mighty fine effect if I do say so myself!!!

  

  Stay tuned for more updates :)

• Soft Where??

  moosepr • 06/28/2025 at 21:26 • 3 comments

  These updates are like busses!! you get none for ages, then 2 come along all at once!!

  I had a little play with how I wanted the software to work. The main idea for the project was to be a mobile development platform, with the add-on system giving you extra things to play with in the code.

  To do this, the main thing you need is a code editor, and some way to select and load in your files.

  I very quickly realized that my coding skills are much better suited to higher level stuff, and making a code editor is a fun challenge

  Here is a quick look at what I came up with..

  Im not the loudest speaker, so you might need to pop the volume up, but it shows some of the things i have been thinking.

  I popped the code up on the gits if anyone wants a look. Its very sloppy, just one big old file with all the code in, please be gentle

  have a look here...

  now the new boards are on their way, I will have more time to give it some more polish..
  

• Its been a while....

  moosepr • 06/25/2025 at 21:50 • 0 comments

  With the day job and general life getting in the way of play time, there is only a limited window to work on the project and to update you guys on how things are going. Anyone following along in other places (mailing list/discord/socials) might be a bit more up to date, so lets bring you all up to speed.

  if your in a rush, the TL:DR is that im still working on it, and v0.3 of the pcb has just been ordered!!

  So last time on the CL-32 show, we were talking about case options, but I was mulling over the retro pocket computers and their printed sheet metal faces, and wondered how I could reproduce that. Im sure that with a little bit of hunting, I could find someone to create those for me, but that seems like a complicated way round it!!

  There was a lightbulb moment when i realized that I have access to some precision manufacturing that would allow nice crisp edges and even some artistic elements too!! Enter the humble PCB!!!

  I did a test design and got it ordered in 0.8mm PCB. The idea was to create a recess for the PCB to sit into, so we get the best of both worlds!! A nice printed case, and then a slick looking face to top it all off

  

  The test was mostly a success, The legends were cut into the copper layer as well as the solder mask, so that they could be illuminated by a backlight if the mood struck me!! There was supposed to be a nice silkscreen border round the legends, but that wasnt great. Also it never looks as big in real life as it does on the screen!!

  

  I think i might have also neglected to tell you that the buttons were getting a bit of a jiggle too!!

  The point at which all this fell down was actually trying to get the front of the case to house the PCB. With the plastic cut away for the PCB, it became so thin and flimsy that it was almost impossible to print, and then removing the support material just left broken bits!!

  So the thinking cap came on again. I had a nice PCB face, a main PCB for the guts of the device, and I could whip up a simple PCB plate for the back too, but how to secure it all??

  I have seen some projects solder lots of PCB plates together to form a case, but i wanted softer corners and the ability to disassemble for battery changes and even repair. There is also the option of using threaded posts and screws, but that would still leave the corners of the PCB exposed

  After a bit of thinking there was another lightbullb moment, why not make a snug band that grips all 3 boards at the same time...

  

  that same profile all the way round could make it quite sturdy, assuming the material was firm enough, but would still allow you to pop it apart if needed. So I printed up some simulated PCB blanks so that i could drop them into a TPU print to save wasting lots of material on supports. The PLA blanks have a lower melting point than the TPU, so they stuck together pretty well. It came apart in the end

  

  

  It makes it look a bit more chunky, but its only 2mm thicker. There is more scope for softening the edges and makeing it look a little more rounded, but it proves the concept and I can play with that while im waiting for PCB fab

  so back to KiCad we go, and the faceplate gets a good dose of the awesome KiBuzzard label tool to make the legends pop

  

  The main PCB gains an i2c battery fuel gauge to get round some silly analog read issues i was having, and that free's up a pin for some 'neopixel' backlight led's for the keyboard. These are a little power hungry, so I have made them switchable. There have been a few other tweaks, the keyboard has had a shuffle, the m.2 socket has moved to allow some navigation buttons to be available up at the top right for easy access

  

  

  I even added some threaded posts which would allow the mounting of external hardware if an add-on card were to need an external antenna or something ;)

  Speaking of which, i had the idea of trying to make the back PCB a bit more useful and bake in some small PCB antenna's. 

  I...

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• FDMaybe

  moosepr • 02/12/2025 at 16:46 • 0 comments

  So I have a bit of an obsession with making things as small as possible (google TinyPi Pro) and its all too easy to get down a rabbit hole of zooming in like crazy on the CAD and before you know it you have details that are 0.5mm and beyond the capabilities of 'normal' 3d printers.

  I had assumed that was the case here too, my early test prints came out as rough as a badgers bottom!!! The MJF prints that i have been getting are beautiful quality but can mount up the cost if your trying to tweak a design.

  I have just splashed out on a new 3d printer, so I thought lets test this puppy, and cranked the quality all the way up to 11 (actually 0.08mm) and tried to print a case....

  

  not the best start!!! some of the finer details on the case back and all those cutouts on the front mean there isnt really that much plastic actually touching the bed from that first layer. so it started to come away, and the front of the case actually pinged off, all a disaster!!

  So after a regroup, I tried on normal quality settings, and added a brim to increase the contact point, and bingo bango we have a winner!!

  

  the quality is actually fine. I have tried to design things so that they would be easy to transition to injection molding if a big crowdfunding campaign were to happen, so the way the case splits down the middle and the openings for the ports are all nicely on a top edge of each case half, so FDM manages that fine!

  The result is an eye popping case which actually doesnt quite feel as premium as the MJF printed case, but is very very usable

  

  Now, i wonder if i can FDM print that keyboard...🤔

• The Case of the missing catch...

  moosepr • 01/28/2025 at 22:00 • 0 comments

  Its been a while, I have been playing with the case design and tweaking it all to match the V0.2 boards. Mostly its the screen adjustments for the higher resolution screens, and the changes for the add-on cards using the M.2 socket.

  So i want the add on boards to be able to be swapped without tools. The normal method of securing M.2 cards is with a screw, but that is easy to loose, and needs a small screwdriver which can be fiddly.

  My original plan was to have some little clips which would hold the board in place. The clips would be removable and replaceable in case of damage.

  

  

  

  The clips were included with in the last print, and they sure were small!! I wanted to get the mounting system sorted before spending too much time on the add on boards themselves, so i printed a dummy board for testing (please excuse the fuzzy photos)

  

  

  While the clips do work, they are super hard and tricky to unclip.

  So with some thinking happening, I have come up with another plan

  https://cl-32.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Screen-Recording-2025-01-23-220257.mp4

  The add on board would of course need to be tweaked to move the cutout to suit, but i think it might be a better solution

  

  Might need some more thought/polish, but its already looking like a better solution...
  

  So after posting about my plan on the ol socials, someone over on Twitter (im not calling it X) said that it would be fun to make it work like a GameBoy power switch. For anyone unfamiliar the sliding action of the switch locks the cartridge in place.

  I had a bit of a play with the CAD to see how that would work, and it might be possible. The latch would be on the thin side though, so I thought I would check the datasheet for the M.2 socket and see how it works

  

  Unlike the normal M.2 sockets I have come across in the past, once the card is slid fully into the socket, it no longer wants to jump upwards, and so that changes the way of thinking for the latching method.

  Im actually thinking that for small and light boards (like LED's or sensors, etc) would be fine with just the grip of the M.2 socket. Anything like a LoRa board with an antenna or such might need something to stop it coming out (in the direction of 5)

  I think its time to get some of these add-on boards routed and ordered and see how it pans out.

• New Boards Please

  moosepr • 12/13/2024 at 11:10 • 2 comments

  Whats the best day for a hacker?? Its new board day!!!

  Because of time constraints, I sprung the extra to get them assembled, so its even more fun straight away!!

  Those following along at home will know whats new, but here is a rundown for everyone else. The battery is replaced with a smaller and more common one, the RTC has been upgraded, The screen connector has been upgraded to allow more screen options, the charger/power path has been redone, some grove connectors have been added to allow compatibility with other devices, the add-on borard connection has been changed from header pins to a m2 socket, the usb port was connected directly to the esp rather than through a usb to serial converter, and everything has been moved about to make things a bit easier to route.

  

  

  

  

  So with all the exciting new changes ready to test, I first double checked the battery connector polarity one last time, and tested the charger. then I popped the USB in and tried to upload a basic test sketch........ and nothing!! No serial port appeared :(

  Back to the schematic, and I compared it to the official dev board and could see no issue!! out comes the multimeter to see if things are connected as they should be, and boom there is a missing link between the esp and the usb!! that narrowed down the hunt, and low, I made a silly!!

  

  So i whipped out the microscope and bingo bango we have a winner!!!

  

  So a steady hand, and some solder action and it we have a fix
  

  

  its actually a pretty neat fix in the end

  

  and now I can get back to the testing :)

• SLS TPU FTW

  moosepr • 12/03/2024 at 09:55 • 4 comments

  I popped over to Midlands3d to collect the fancy new TPU test prints they kindly did for me, and I have to say, im super impressed
  

  

  The quality is amazing, and the hinge design within the button all printed really well. The legends could be clearer, but thats mostly because I didnt make it deep enough. The TPU is super soft and flexible (mostly because everything is so tiny) 

  A quick test on some snap domes and it really works well!! I have some different strength domes incoming for testing, so I will see which give the best balance of tactile response and ease of use

  To be continued.....

• Build a Better Better keyboard!

  moosepr • 11/26/2024 at 22:22 • 1 comment

  So in the absence of fancy moulded silicone keyboard membranes, Im still on the hunt for a good keyboard experience

  The hunt has slowed a little, the re-desgn of the pcb has been taking up my hacking time but I managed to make some amendments.

  Your mission, should you choose to accept it..

  The task is a fun one, The printer can do features down to 0.5mm, which gives plenty of scope for playing., but if you dont leave big enough gaps, they will fill with the printing powder and at best be hard to remove, and at worst clog up all together.

  The buttons are 5.4mm square, and i decided that the central shaft that activates the snap dome is 2mm in diameter. That already limits things somewhat!!

  The next limitation is the space below the button. With just 2.4mm between the bottom of the button and the pcb, which will reduce by 0.25mm when the button activates.

  Anyone following along at home will have seen my last attempt, which failed because of too much reliance on the 0.5mm minimum feature size (too fragile) and not leaving enough clearance (blocked up the gaps)

  After many different attempts I think this might work

  Im hoping that there is enough material to stop the buttons falling off, but enough flex to actually work as buttons

  New Materials...

  I had an email from my local printer guy (Shout to Paul @ Midlands 3d) and he has a new toy!! The last prints were done in nylon using magical HP MJF printers. The new printer opens up SLS printing in TPU, resulting in flexible prints with similar accuracy. The prints have been ordered, and its just a case of waiting to see how they turn out.

  To be continued.....

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