Support for Alternative Layouts
This is a summary of how alternative layouts have been supported by kits such as Colevrak and Homing. It is not a discussion of alt layout performance and development, but if that interests you I highly recommend starting with Pascal Getreuer’s A guide to alt keyboard layouts (why, how, which one?). It’s a concise and comprehensive overview with links to some great sites that go deeper. He also has a separate Links about keyboards page. The Keyboard layouts doc he recommends explains layout goals and metrics in detail, summarizing the alt layouts discussed here as well as more than one hundred others. Sculpted-profile The majority of custom keycap sets are sculpted-profile (Cherry, SA, MT3, KAT, etc. - more on profiles generally here) so let’s start there. Because each row has a unique keycap shape, alt layouts require a unique keycap for each legend that moves off its QWERTY row. At first there were two The Dvorak layout was patented in 1936 by August Dvorak & William L....
Apr 23, 2024
Manufacturer's site: http://www.brightekeurope.com/productcart/pc/viewCategories.asp?idCategory=2039
PDF Spec Sheet: http://www.brightekeurope.com/productcart/pc/catalog/N0M25S71.pdf
These are 3228 PLCC4 package SMD emitters. Manufacturer calls them "top view" -- I was told to look for "reverse" but this seems to fit the bill IF it's the correct pin orientation. It's hard to say without having the PCB in my hands. I'll keep looking.
Props to Xi Kuang @ Massdrop for the lead, and Yanbo for passing it on. <3
Web site: http://www.sunledusa.com/SearchResult.asp?Series=XZxxxxxx45S-9&SubCategoryDescription=Multi-Color%20SMD%20LEDs
Spec Sheet: http://www.sunledusa.com/products/spec/XZMDKCBDDG45S-9.pdf
These might be a little easier to get. I can't find a source for the Brightek.
https://www.digikey.com/products/en?keywords=1497-1257-1-ND
Edit: Don't buy anything yet. I suspect this one doesn't have the correct pinout. 2nd Edit: Scratch that. These are the right part.
Buy at your own risk, though. None of this has been validated on a production PCB. It's possible that people who participated in an earlier drop (not me) could get some of these LEDs and try them on their boards. That would be the best confirmation we can get. Short of that, I'm hoping someone from Vortex can tell us if we've got the right part.
Can anyone measure the diameter of the hole in the PCB that was cut/drilled for LEDs? I need a reference.
Full album here: http://imgur.com/a/AnZ1c
If anyone is interested in the full process let me know and I'll make a post in the Talk section.
*EDIT - nevermind, there is a brightness adjustment =D
I'm curious why it is necessary to source one's own LEDs, as the kit optionally includes 30 RGB LEDs. Is something wrong with the LEDs available from Massdrop?