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I've been using an electro-capacitive (Topre-like) keyboard with ultra-light 35g keys called Niz. They're actually lighter than the latest gen macbook keyboards

I've been using an electro-capacitive (Topre-like) keyboard with ultra-light 35g keys called Niz. They're actually lighter than the latest gen macbook keyboards and let me type as fast as I did on the butterfly keyboards, and they are completely silent. Now all I'm looking for is a split compact version of these Topre-like keyboards. Pretty much 99% of the custom keyboard scene is just various housing and PCBs for cherry style switches. For whatever reason with electro-capactive keyboards there are limited options. If anyone knows of a split topre keyboard please let me know!

msackmann 5y ago
I have the same issue with a keyboard that I love. I simply bought two of them and use one for the left and one for the right hand. Certainly not the sleekest solution, but it works.
- chrischen 5y ago
  Definitely not ideal, as two Niz keyboards would run about $400 at least, and neither be compact, portable, or slick while at it.
andreareina 5y ago
Are Topre(-like) switches even available on the open market in single-keyboard quantities? I imagine that the schematic should be the same and the pcb would "just" have to be edited for the different mounting.
- toastal 5y ago
  NiZ sells their switches: $55 USD per 100
gigaflop 5y ago
Topre and other electro-capacitive boards are way harder to make 'special'. Their switches are not discrete, replaceable units like MX-and-friends. So, a custom board would need to have a custom-designed PCB, and would need custom-designed dome sheets, etc. See: https://rmi-kb.com/niz-ec60/ https://rmi-kb.com/niz-ec60/ Something that uses MX-compatible (or alps) switches is going to have an easier time being designed and built, because all you need to do is have an up-to-date footprint to copy/paste in your PCB designer program. Behold, my one-and-only foray into making my own PCB design. I just followed guides online, and it still took me about $300~$500 to get this from 0 to a working and typing prototype: https://imgur.com/gallery/lZglox7 https://imgur.com/gallery/lZglox7
- chrischen 5y ago
  Well, EC keyboards exist, including non-Topre ones. I'm just surprised almost no one has taken a stab at selling a split one given how popular they are with enthusiasts.
  - gigaflop 5y ago
    Came across this while combing through my comments and thought I'd already answered, so pardon the delay. People have certainly tried [1][2], but the big issue in the design is that the switches don't operate as a standard on/off (trivial to detect), but are instead capacitive, in that the current passing through the electrocapacitive pad on the PCB is somewhere between 1 and 0 (exclusive bounds, iirc, and simplified) at all times, dependent on how far the 'switch' above it is being pressed. This old repo seems to explain it well: https://github.com/tomsmalley/custom-topre-guide https://github.com/tomsmalley/custom-topre-guide Price and marketability are also issues. Split keebs are niche, ortho keebs are niche, EC keebs are niche, and you're talking about fusing those three together. People would 100% buy in, but it would probably be a microscopic market, to the point where the project would be financially lossy, even if you were selling them for $400 apiece. The closest you/one might get for now is by buying two of these[3], unless you're dedicated enough to DIY. [1]: https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=97975.0 https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=97975.0 [2]: https://aficionerds.com/en/blog/20210205_crkbd_ec/ https://aficionerds.com/en/blog/20210205_crkbd_ec/ [3]: https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=106685.0 https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=106685.0 (Groupbuy is ended, so you'd have to rely on aftermarket, which would probably be tiny and marked up)

msackmann 5y ago

I have the same issue with a keyboard that I love. I simply bought two of them and use one for the left and one for the right hand. Certainly not the sleekest solution, but it works.

chrischen 5y ago
Definitely not ideal, as two Niz keyboards would run about $400 at least, and neither be compact, portable, or slick while at it.

andreareina 5y ago

Are Topre(-like) switches even available on the open market in single-keyboard quantities? I imagine that the schematic should be the same and the pcb would "just" have to be edited for the different mounting.

toastal 5y ago
NiZ sells their switches: $55 USD per 100

gigaflop 5y ago

Topre and other electro-capacitive boards are way harder to make 'special'. Their switches are not discrete, replaceable units like MX-and-friends. So, a custom board would need to have a custom-designed PCB, and would need custom-designed dome sheets, etc. See: https://rmi-kb.com/niz-ec60/ https://rmi-kb.com/niz-ec60/ Something that uses MX-compatible (or alps) switches is going to have an easier time being designed and built, because all you need to do is have an up-to-date footprint to copy/paste in your PCB designer program. Behold, my one-and-only foray into making my own PCB design. I just followed guides online, and it still took me about $300~$500 to get this from 0 to a working and typing prototype: https://imgur.com/gallery/lZglox7 https://imgur.com/gallery/lZglox7

chrischen 5y ago
Well, EC keyboards exist, including non-Topre ones. I'm just surprised almost no one has taken a stab at selling a split one given how popular they are with enthusiasts.
- gigaflop 5y ago
  Came across this while combing through my comments and thought I'd already answered, so pardon the delay. People have certainly tried [1][2], but the big issue in the design is that the switches don't operate as a standard on/off (trivial to detect), but are instead capacitive, in that the current passing through the electrocapacitive pad on the PCB is somewhere between 1 and 0 (exclusive bounds, iirc, and simplified) at all times, dependent on how far the 'switch' above it is being pressed. This old repo seems to explain it well: https://github.com/tomsmalley/custom-topre-guide https://github.com/tomsmalley/custom-topre-guide Price and marketability are also issues. Split keebs are niche, ortho keebs are niche, EC keebs are niche, and you're talking about fusing those three together. People would 100% buy in, but it would probably be a microscopic market, to the point where the project would be financially lossy, even if you were selling them for $400 apiece. The closest you/one might get for now is by buying two of these[3], unless you're dedicated enough to DIY. [1]: https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=97975.0 https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=97975.0 [2]: https://aficionerds.com/en/blog/20210205_crkbd_ec/ https://aficionerds.com/en/blog/20210205_crkbd_ec/ [3]: https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=106685.0 https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=106685.0 (Groupbuy is ended, so you'd have to rely on aftermarket, which would probably be tiny and marked up)