dactyl-keyboard VS qmk_firmware

I love having a split keyboard. It feels far more ergonomic than a single piece keyboard. Just relax your arms and put each half where your hands are. No having to bring your hands together and angle your wrists to get your hands in position.

The other piece of the puzzle for me is curvature. On a flat keyboard there is more stretching or physically moving but adding in a bit of curvature helps cut down on that.

For a few years now I have been using a Dactyl-ManuForm [1] and it has been great. At least for writing / programming. I go back to a regular keyboard for gaming purposes.

[1] https://github.com/tshort/dactyl-keyboard

Carbonfet's version of the dactyl manuform with custom thumb cluster and 1.5u outer keys.

These [two](https://i.imgur.com/idkihT7.jpeg) [pics](https://i.imgur.com/HmtXNor.jpeg) of some of my old builds should help show how they're wired. The wiring diagrams on the bottom of Tshort's original fork for the dactyl manuform [here](https://github.com/tshort/dactyl-keyboard) also illustrate how they should be wired.

Thanks! I modeled some cases using both the original Clojure project (https://github.com/tshort/dactyl-keyboard) and the Python port (https://github.com/joshreve/dactyl-keyboard), but ultimately decided to use a vetted model from Jesse at DIY Keyboards (https://www.diykeyboards.com/). Jesse is absolutely wonderful and helped me a lot in the beginning. Support his shop if you can! I used his fork of the python generator to get the .stl files for printing (https://github.com/diykeyboards/dactyl-keyboard) as well as some tips from him on slicer settings.

There a few other things like this but this is what I was planning to use... DM wiring guide

Here's the guide: https://github.com/tshort/dactyl-keyboard

Thanks a lot for those images! that explains a lot! :D Also I was using this as reference for wiring https://github.com/tshort/dactyl-keyboard/raw/master/resources/dactyl_manuform_left_wire_diagram.png I believe they are using the Serial one? Also will the TRRS jack have indications which pin is for which?

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.