It's a working title.
Making a modular platform for a keyboard + PC related devices
It's not much more than a bunch of plastic
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The main idea of the thing is a modular platform that primarily holds a keyboard and accepts modular components.
These are anything that makes sense to attach to a keyboard. Or, loosely make sense, even.
So far I have about half a dozen different modules.
custom.sensorpanelJust a basic, no-resources config file for AIDA64's sensor panel function. Obviously it will need tweaking based on the specs of the computer it is running on, and the resolution of the LCD. Set the background to whatever you want, but it was designed with a calculator LCD asthetic in mind. Red 126 Green 140 Blue 115sensorpanel - 14.13 kB - 04/12/2024 at 03:25 |
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So, there's a whole host of issues with the frame - aka the core of the whole project - that were becoming a hinderance to further upgrades and new modules.
I've gotten a more compact USB hub, which is actually taken out of its original casing to reduce unnecessary size. The underside compartments will be a lot slimmer than the previous ones.
I went ahead and placed an order for a HDMI magnetic connector. When that arrives, I'll decide on a position on the back of the frame to affix it.
Well, I done gone did it.
Enclosure is probably temporary, can definitely reduce the overall bulk of it.
When I can be bothered I'll give it rail slots and tabs, and slim it down.
Like the power switch, it hooks up to the mainboard, but this time it's just two wires with dupont connectors on the ends.
Makes for a neater cable and connection. I'll update the wiring for the PW switch at some point to be the same way.
The PW LED header on motherboards is 3v.
LED filaments require 3v.
Wait a minute...
I redesigned the way the LCD module and its companion module interface together. Entirely.
The LCD can still technically be used by itself, but the companion module is now attached to the LCD enclosure with screws when in use.
The reason for doing this is that taking it off and putting it on is a precarious and risky maneuver that puts a lot of strain on the USB and HDMI ports on the driver board.
The new setup means that it (all 6 pieces) can be put together off of the frame with a totally-sane 22 screws and slotted on in one collective piece.
before, even the LCD module on its own had just a few thin PLA pins to stop it bending in the middle at the join, potentially cracking the LCD.
Now the LCD module halves bolt together, and as mentioned before the companion module assembly bolts onto that.
Also, the changes to the companion module mean it can have the shroud removed from the faceplate, rather than the shroud being a whole separate, alternative faceplate. I've even removed a lot of the material from the base of the companion module, allowing for (hopefully) future faceplates with extended / different functionality to just drop into place.
When the pogo pins finally arrive (thanks customs), some of this will need to change.
It'll just be a pogo pin connector at the back of the companion module for the USB, and another specialized one for the HDMI, rather than the hole it currently has which isn't a huge change and (I think) will only need a modify and reprint of the back cover of the whole assembly.
The only piece of the puzzle remaining to get the LCD fully going with pogo pin connectors is the HDMI pogo pin connector, which I still need to order. Still, worst case scenario the frame-side pogo pins can be developed independently to the LCD assembly.
Connecting each device via a USB cable creates a mess of wires out the back of the frame.
The unga bunga way around that is some kind of bulky shroud that conceals them.
Instead I'm going to see if I can incorporate pogo pin connectors to the rail ends and modules.
I ordered these 4-pin pairs on AliExpress, which have PH2.0 plugs on the wire ends.
At the frame side, a short USB male to PH2.0 female adapter should be fine, and makes replacing them easy if I need to later on.
For the module end, I'll do the same but in reverse: PH2.0 female to USB A female, then very short (probably custom) relevant USB cables as required for whatever devices.
The modules that only need 2.0 USB so far are:
This module serves two purposes.
The first is a pair of cable channels to route the LCD power and HDMI cables into.
The second is a Cherry MX switch power button for a desktop PC.
With the detachable faceplate, it can be configured to be used for either both or only the cable organizer. Threaded inserts are used to facilitate easy changing of faceplates.
This is a version of the faceplate that has no shroud. Here the threaded inserts for the switch in the faceplate are shown.
Currently, I've got the power switch wired up with a 4-pin fan connector since it was what I had on hand and gets the job done. Later on, I'll work out a more suitable connector and resolder it. On the module side, the wires are simply soldered onto a cherry MX switch. I have used a Kailh Box Jade for the loud click and tactile bump.
A recent module I was working on; a cable organizer and PC power switch, needed to be printed in a few parts.
Naturally, this meant I needed to attach the pieces together. Normally I'd just do this with small self-tapping screws directly into the PLA, but I had none left and couldn't find any for sale in stores or online that would arrive any time soon.
At that point, I figured it might be time to finally give heat-set threaded inserts a chance. I picked up these from amazon, along with this set of bolts.
They arrived the next day and I gave them a try. Turns out, they are remarkably strong and easy to insert.
So long as you aren't putting the strain of opening and closing a laptop hinge a thousand times on them, they are perfectly reliable.
The first would-be module and limited desk space are what gave me the idea for the whole thing.
I had a VFD that I bought off of AliExpress (which talks to AIDA64 and can show the usual PC info), but no way to properly keep it on my desk (it connects via a micro USB cable, simple enough, but it had no enclosure of any sort).
I thought to design and print a simple enclosure for it, but it would be yet another device floating about on my desk. Instead, I (somehow) had the idea to attach it to my keyboard.
I designed and printed a case that my keyboard drops into, and a basic rail system with indents that the VFD enclosure snaps onto via thin tabs with hemispheres on them.
The module itself is not much more than a rectangular tube with a few holes that the VFD mounts to with standoffs, but that is all it needed to be (that module is still the same as the first prototype. Something something "it just works").
The keyboard being used (and still is) here is a Tab 90M by Vortex.
This board was already my daily driver, and the fact that the case has no bezel (low profile bezel? low profile case?) means it just drops into the frame without needing to remove its case. In the future I may remove it from the case anyway to reduce the thickness of the front and sides, but for now it's staying as is.
Unfortunately, they don't seem to sell them anymore. That said, most other keyboards of a similar size with a thin/no bezel case should work with simple adjustments to the model.
From there, I was inspired by those notebooks with an LCD attached to the top of the palm rest.
I found a panel LCD on Amazon, and came up with a way to attach it to the frame. It went through several iterations, but this is where it is currently (aside from a few slight changes).
Beneath the cable channel is the LCD flex cable. The purpose of making the driver board separate to the LCD enclosure itself is, 1. ease of printing, and 2. the ability to modify one without also reprinting the other.
Unfortunately, the LCD is wide enough that the VFD module can't be used at the same time, so these two modules can't be in the same setup.
That said, there aren't going to be many that can be used with it. Currently I only have two others, one of which is a 'companion' module.
I later decided to implement a USB hub into the frame. This meant adding a pair of compartments (one for each half) to the underside of the frame.
It could be wired in one of two configurations:
The first was a fully wireless setup, using a battery in the other half, a HDMI transceiver, and a Bluetooth module. In this mode, the hub was only for power supply to the devices (the Bluetooth module, the LCD and the HDMI transceiver).
This was abandoned due to horrible battery efficiency, and the cheap HDMI transceiver not properly scaling for the long, short LCD.
I'll include the STLs anyway since it did """technically""" work for a few hours per charge.
The second (and current) setup simply uses the integrated hub and does away with the battery entirely.
A chain of internal USB adapters (which will be replaced with the hub cable soldered to the female UCB C later on) gives it a USB C connector that links to the hub internally. This means that only one USB C cable goes to the PC like a normal keyboard.
That is pretty much all of the major steps along the way so far. There has certainly been a lot more, but nothing worth making a note of.
Recently I made the companion module for the LCD I mentioned earlier; a cable run for the power and HDMI cords as well as a power switch that connects to my PC's motherboard, which I will document in a new post as it is very recent.
Rather than pestering people with all my random ideas and updates that I have as this boondoggle of a project progresses, I'll take a crack at using this platform instead to log it all.
Doing this also has the added benefit of keeping it all in one place, and gives me a place to store STLs, instructions and steps, should it ever reach a point where I want to share it with anyone interested.
Ideally, that will mean all the files, parts, materials and tools will be documented here, making it possible for anyone interested to replicate the whole thing, and even add onto it.
Per the second part of the title, I may also make a post soon that just shows a few of the major keynotes that led up to where the project is now for posterity's sake.
Thanks!
An eink display is a great idea, but unfortunately, they do seem very costly.
Even still, I'll likely look into the feasibility of it at some point.
Nick
Brieuc du Maugouër
knar
David
impressive work! I would love to do this but using an eink display but seems quite expensive