MxLEDBitPCB VS qmk_firmware

I've tried the MXLEDBitPCB personally for a dactyl and it worked great. (I used the "Container" variant). My dactyl case holes were a tiny bit too big, but once i got the hotswap sockets in, it held the keys well enough to stop the wiggle. My only complaint is that the 5x5 PCB layout made it a pain to break them apart, and it left little fiberglass nubs i had to sand down. The labeling was a bit easier to understand than the Amoebas, but it also not as fancy. The big advantage these have, is they support through-hole diodes, as opposed to tiny smd diodes.

dometyl can generate keywells with hotswap socket slots, you can hot-glue/crazy-glue them in place or just yolo them in place. I prefer to use 1u pcb's, since soldering wire to them is much easier. The MxLEDBitPCB atlanta support hotswap sockets and you can have many manufactured very cheaply by jlcpcb.com.

These PCBs: https://github.com/swanmatch/MxLEDBitPCB/tree/master/container

MxLEDBitPCBs have a Choc variant, too: https://kbd.news/MXLEDBitPCB-1060.html

Also worth noting that Amoeba Royale has very small LED solder pads compared to mxledbit's "container" ( https://github.com/swanmatch/MxLEDBitPCB/tree/master/container ) board.

. The trouble? I got the Altana board made which only supports sk6812 mini LEDs (for an underglow I suppose) and do NOT support the sk6812 mini *-e* LEDs which tend to be the first result that come up if you just search sk6812 mini. See this wonderful github thread of another fellow keyboard enthusiast making the same mistake. In fairness the support rubric is pretty clear so I was just being stupid/hasty/whatever.

I much preferred the idea of SK6812MINI-E LEDs, but couldn't source a PCB that worked with chocs and also the MINI-Es. I decided to try handwiring one, then found the MxLEDBitPCB: the choc version supports MINI-Es, and it looked as if it might make handwiring a little more straightforward for a relative newbie.

It's per-switch using PCBs from this repo: https://github.com/swanmatch/MxLEDBitPCB

Hey all! I'm trying to put together a handwired dactyl build with hotswap and RGBs in each switch using the MxLEDBitPCB Amoeba.

MxLEDBitPCB altana from jlcpcb $6 with shipping - you may want to choose the container version if you want backlighting but the wiring if more involved so I did not go this route

I only use keyboards running QMK or ZMK, so:

My Caps Lock key is a Control/Escape key (when tapped it behave like a Escape, when hold it's Control), and my left Control is a one shot layer switch key [1], which means I tap LCtrl once, and then press Caps Lock + 5 to get Ctrl+F5. Doable with single hand and more ergonomic as I have an unusually small hand.

[1] https://github.com/qmk/qmk_firmware/blob/master/docs/one_sho...

I agree that reduced finger movement is a crucial step in achieving typing efficiency. This is nicely solved by mod tap modifiers in QMK/ZMK[1] where key acts as a char when tapped and as a layer while pressed.

[1]: https://github.com/qmk/qmk_firmware/blob/master/docs/mod_tap...

Separate wireless controller, see the glue code at [0]

[0]: https://github.com/qmk/qmk_firmware/compare/master...nuphy-s...

If you have a keyboard that runs QMK firmware[0] with the VIA[1] feature enabled[2], then there is a convenient testing app available from the same place you customize your keys [3].

[0] https://qmk.fm/

I made a layout that I'm happy with. Spanish is my native language, so it has characters like the accents and 'ñ', but it's meant to be used for programming as well. Visual Studio uses a lot of Ctrl and Ctrl + Shift shortcuts, so I left them in the same place as the default Corne layout so I can press them both with my pinkie finger. Perhaps some of the ideas are useful to you.

Also, it would be possible to do this for the RP2040. However, it needs some work to get working. but for example: https://github.com/qmk/qmk_firmware/pull/20999

Ok, it's an ST7735, not too different from the ST7789. You should be able to get running by looking at their files in the QMK repo and going from there. You should also check their resources page.