So taking the default keymap as my starting point, I started to tweak things almost immediately to fit my typing style and allow me to ease into a layout that isn't too far from a standard QWERTY keyboard. 10 x 7mm Brass Standoffs (MX Normal Profile) OR 5mm Brass Standoffs (Choc Low Profile), 58 x Kailh Hotswap Sockets (MX Normal Profile) OR Choc Low Profile Sockets (Choc Low Profile), 2 x Pro Micro Controllers (Comes with Headers to Direct Attach), 2 x 40 Pin Machined Breakable Female Header (Enable Controller Hot Swap). I thought I would share my background and feedback on the experience in the hope that others might find it helpful. Desoldering is frustrating and its easy to mess up things. (In the case of Choc switches, starting with two switches in the plate may be easier.). Build guides for Helix, Corne and Lily58 suggest those spring pin headers which are very compact and give you non-permanent connection (you can remove or replace Pro Micros). Disconnect the USB cable. Attach four 10mm round spacers to the holes near ProMicro. In mainstream switches the quality of this lube is not Remedy: This can be easily corrected by adding a wire between the via and the trace immediately above it in the picture. Here's what I bought in order to completely put together the Lily58. Before I dig into the how, I figured I should share a bit about the why I went ahead and put together my own keyboard. Lily58L is 64+4keys column-staggered split keyboard. Another possible approach is described at splitkb.com. This ensures that the controller works completely before soldering it permanently to the board. Carefully snap the first switches to the sockets. I normally flash the default Lily58 Pro layout. 5 more replies. First, I spend long hours in front of my computer and One rotary encoder support on each side (optional), Optional Pimoroni Trackball (on master side), Underglow with WS2812 (5050) RGB LED's (6 per side), Per switch RGB LED with SK6812 Mini-E led (with legs, easy to solder), Change underglow footprint to WS2812 (5050) (easier to solder), Add footprint for an optional rotary encoder. On the front side of the board, apply enough solder to bridge the four jumper terminals in the ProMicro section. Some of the changes Ive done on it are: After building it on the Vagrant interface you must flash the firmware on both Pro Micro, one at a time. Watch the markings on the silkscreen which show the correct orientation. Suggested approach is to build the firmware yourself. Recommended Soldering Tools on Keeb.io. One of my favorite professional keebs builder: Daniel Ting has a series of posts about this keyboard and the problems he faced. Custom USB Cables and Ergonomical Keyboards. Helix build guide. Parts Required Optional Firmware preparation If you build the firmware yourself, it will take some time to set up the environment, so it's best to start at the beginning. There are plenty of designs out there that have far fewer keys than 58, but for this one I still have a full number row that I read was a better way to be introduced to the layout and the need to leverage keymaps and layers. When Detecting USB port, reset your controller now is displayed, press the reset button on the keyboard to start writing. throughhole diodes are not recommended due to a footprint error, Choc: 4 mm, MX: 7 mm. This is easier before the pro micro headers are soldered. (MX: 7mm Choc: 4mm), Attach four key switches to the top plate. 10 are going to hold the bottom and the top together. Lily58 Pro Documentation. Screw in the standoffs on the top side of the PCB for the OLED Cover first. but the supply chain is scarce. The end with the thin line is Cathode (-) and it should go in the direction of the arrow symbol on the PCB. The other end can either be attached to the trace (after removing some mask), or the footprint/led itself. I didn't want to spend that much money only to then find myself not being able to adjust to the keyboard and the typing experience. A couple of good tips showcased here around the soldering iron temperatures to use as a beginner and the technique for soldering diodes where you first place solder on one of the pads before pushing the diode into space with a bit of heat. This version rolls back the original pro-micro pinout (to the state it was for V1) and improves routing. It is a modified version of the Lily58 Pro pcb from kata0510 my requirements: build on top of open-source hardware and software so I could modify it; The surface mount LEDs are easier to solder, and there are only 1+6 of them on each side, so are a good place to start if you arent used to soldering them. If you have any problems, please feel free to send a message to the "#Lily58" channel on Discord ("Self-Made Keyboards in Japan" (https://discordapp.com/invite/NM7XtDW)) or Twitter: @F_YUUCHI. Solder with the diode wire always pointing in the direction of the arrow symbol drawn on the board (shown in the following figure). Quick intro into the various switches out there and how they differ. 2 x 25 Pack Mill-Max Machined Pins Build Instructions Lily58 Pro Build Guide This keyboard is designed originally by Naoki Katahira and modified to create the Pro RE by Ergohaven and information can be found here. Are you sure you want to create this branch? If you are interested in wireless keyboards, I'm designing more fully wireless keyboards besides just a pro micro replacement. Click here for the Corne Cherry v2 build guide. Refer to Soldering diodes if you need further guidance. and here is the final product . Reviews. After being baited by several beautiful builds online, I really had no choice but to dive into the world of mechanical keyboards with zero electronics experience under my belt. We suggest to revisit the main build guide for general process and tips about technique. Make sure the OLED is enabled in rules.mk file in QMK as suggested in step 4. The per key lighting is painful and slow. There are several ready-made consumer options out there like the ZSA Moonlander and Dygma Raise but both are relatively pricey for a keyboard, selling for over $350. quality lube. Load the downloaded JSON file into the QMK Toolbox and write it to the boards. That brings the total cost to ~$252 USD! The pro micro must be installed with the components facing the pcb, and the plain back side facing out. Apply preliminary solder (melt a small amount on the substrate) on one pad of the PCB diode. Check the direction of the diode in question. I have added a single LED to the top surface to act as a layer indicator, this is enabled by bridging 2-3 on J6(indicator bypass). Dependent what you use on the master half. Once both halves are flashed, you need to press the 'reset' button on both at the same time (for about a second) for the halves to "sync" (what I was told on the nice!nano discord). Base Plate: No Plates, Black 1.5mm FR4, White 3mm Acrylic, Black Matte 3mm Acrylic, Clear 3mm Acrylic, Frosted 3mm Acrylic, Smoked 3mm Acrylic, Aluminum . You signed in with another tab or window. Suggested approach is to build the firmware yourself. Create a solder bridge from the led to the board, not spending too much time with the iron on the led (few seconds) otherwise it will burn out. Soldering diodes is relatively straightforward. We will mount parts on each side. Additional information. Connect all your keyswitches on every hotswap sockets using one of the plates and standoffs. This is the nature of the product. Follow. , As an advice, to build your firmware use a virtualized environment because QMK depends on a bunch of system libraries with specific versions that may not match your system. Given the context I've presented in the previous section, I chose some parts that fit the most my requirements: build on top of open-source hardware and software so I could modify it; move to ortholinear split keyboard layout; size around 60% and use MX-like tactile switches. Lily58 Pro Custom Mechanical Keyboard with nice!nanos Build Stream Nicell 786 subscribers Subscribe 619 42K views 2 years ago A full split Lily58 Pro kit build with nice!nanos running the. This commit does not belong to any branch on this repository, and may belong to a fork outside of the repository. You signed in with another tab or window. I would say start with the ZMK documentation . If you wish to experiment, use 2.54mm headers and jumpers. Prepare the Pro Micro. Intro Lily58 Pro Parts List Warnings 1 Flash the Pro Micro Controller with QMK firmware 2 SOLDER THE DIODES 3 SOLDER HOTSWAP SWITCH SOCKETS 4 BRIDGE THE FOUR JUMPERS 5 CONTROLLER'S HOTSWAP SOCKETS 6 SOLDER THE CONTROLLER 7 PCB TEST As I mentioned, this was going to be my first real foray into a hardware project, and that too making a keyboard where I needed to solder! Solder the 29x Kailh Hotswap Sockets on the bottom side of the PCB, matching the contour of your respective MX or Choc socket. 4x12 pin header (and optionally socket) for Pro Micros. If you dont have all the necessary parts, please read about how to source the parts. The sofle RGB uses the following table, with the silkscreen marking at pin 1 (Dout). Keyboard Soldering and Desoldering for Beginners by Blacksimon. Insert the controller into the Pins and solder it with its components faced down. Bridge 4 jumpers on the TOP SIDE of the PCB by soldering them 2 by 2 vertically on both PCBs, if you plan to use OLED Screens. Lily58 Pro - ERGONOMIC SPLIT KEYBOARD SOLDERING BUILD GUIDE (beginner friendly). Connect the left and right sides with a TRRS cable, connect the MicroUSB cable to ProMicro on the left side (in the case of the default key map), and check if the key responds. Attach the parts and fix them temporarily with masking tape. . You can (and i strongly suggest) to flash the controllers before soldering them, excluding the hard work to desolder it in case you brick it while attempting to flash in some wrong way. Make sure they are flush with PCB and match the orientation shown on the silkscreen. If not, please follow the instructions in the documentation. Ive built my very own custom lily58 keymap, forked from the main QMK GitHub repository. When all diodes have been soldered, check for missing spots. A symbol different from the symbol input by "@" or "[" etc. Fully Wireless Lily58 Pro. I could assure you that Yes, not only that I learned a lot but my wrist pain has gone away! You signed in with another tab or window. Check again, and re-solder and reinstall if necessary. Connect both halves together with TRRS cable. Those are fixed in version 3.1. nice!nano) and shield (e.g. The command might look something like this: Connect the second half and flash it in the same way as the previous one. You'll want a PCB kit (hotswap or through hole) and Plate Kit (FR4 plates) for a full kit The plates are made of PCB material. 13D) Insert the keycaps and connect the TRRS into both halves and after that USB cable to the left half. Use a piece of tape to fix them and apply solder from the bottom side. Note that the case of the black version has a scratch-resistant paint (solder resist) that can arrive with scratches from shipping and transportation. Instead, the QMK Toolbox is a great way to get yourself up and running on a Windows machine, pull a compiled firmware package, and flash it onto the microcontroller. A tag already exists with the provided branch name. Decrease quantity for Lily58 Pro Keyboard Kit, Increase quantity for Lily58 Pro Keyboard Kit. Be gentle with micro USB ports on your microcontrollers. Each half of the keyboard must be programmed separately using this approach. (For custom keymaps, it's recommended to build the full environment described above). Im not going to be fully specific on how to build it as the are fully detailed guides like https://imgur.com/gallery/eM0zWS9, but Ill explain it quickly. Hope you like them! and experimentation desire with orthogonal, split keyboards which are the strangest girl in the party. Insert into holes. Shay Kalyan, The Worst Hobby on the Internet - Mechanical Keyboards (Beginners Guide). Please refer to the official QMK documentation for the key codes and programming specifics. This guide suits both version V1 and V2 of the standard (non-RGB) Sofle Keyboard. Keep in mind that this is a prototype of a DIY keyboard. Connect one half to USB, flash the firmware (always follow the actuall instructions in the QMK documentation! They are easy to break. You can find links for the most of the components in the sourcing parts section. Its not a polished product. And to finish with the soldering part you must solder the JACK sockets and the RESET buttons to the PCB. All those switches are connected to an electric board and on that board you put the chip that controls everything. Make sure halves are not connected together with TRRS cable. This unfortunately suggests soldering the micro on first, despite it making the back side harder to solder. Soldering & Build difficulty: . FREE Shipping Worldwide on all custom cables. The awesome QMK Configurator online tool let's you pick a keyboard, WYSIWYG yourself a keymap, and even get a compiled firmware download that you can then just flash onto your device! Please, dont report problems with the design by Keyhive and or firmware to the official Sofle Keyboard repository. and has the the following additional features. Make sure they are flush with PCB. Flash the controllers (Pro Micro, Elite-C etc) using QMK Toolbox or QMK MSYS.To enter the bootloader on Pro Micro for flashing it, reset the controller using tweezers by bridging the GND and RST pins 2x times. Are you sure you want to create this branch? Custom USB Cables and Ergonomical Keyboards, Lily58 Pro 58 keys split keyboard 64 columnar stagger and 4 thumb cluster, compatible with Kailh MX and Choc hotswap sockets. Pro-Micro pinout ( to the official QMK documentation for the key codes and programming specifics, reset your controller is. Been soldered, check for missing spots find it helpful been soldered, check for missing spots jumper... Have been soldered, check for missing spots about how to source the parts ( to the trace ( removing... 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