From 5e527bb7b9d3d871f7db54fa73be7e6c7b7c4066 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: William Rickert Date: Thu, 27 Aug 2026 15:09:21 -0500 Subject: [PATCH] Shift the right half's top two rows: 6 and F6 lead the right hand Resolves the ragged outer edge on both halves at once. Left drops to 34 keys in six columns each five deep, with no orphans. Right goes to 41: six full columns, then F12/=/]/Enter, then Bksp and backslash sharing the outer pinky column instead of backslash sitting alone two columns out. Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5 --- README.md | 36 ++++++------- docs/bom.csv | 8 +-- docs/half-left-staggered.svg | 89 +++++++++++++++---------------- docs/half-right-staggered.svg | 99 ++++++++++++++++++----------------- 4 files changed, 114 insertions(+), 118 deletions(-) diff --git a/README.md b/README.md index e471253..cef95c4 100644 --- a/README.md +++ b/README.md @@ -11,8 +11,8 @@ Status: **design**. No boards ordered, no firmware written. | Board | Qty | Keys | Carries | |---|---|---|---| -| `hardware/half-left` | 1 | **36** | MCU, matrix, USB-C, SBU split link | -| `hardware/half-right` | 1 | **39** | MCU, matrix, USB-C, SBU split link | +| `hardware/half-left` | 1 | **34** | MCU, matrix, USB-C, SBU split link | +| `hardware/half-right` | 1 | **41** | MCU, matrix, USB-C, SBU split link | | `hardware/numpad` | 1 | 25 (16 numpad + 9 nav) | MCU, matrix, 1 encoder, **CH334R hub**, 3 downstream ports | **Numpad layout is settled** — see `docs/numpad-layout.svg`, and @@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ for footprints — don't draw them. ### The halves are two different boards -Splitting a full 104 at the 6/T/G/B boundary gives **36 keys left, 39 right** — +Splitting a full 104 gives **34 keys left, 41 right** (after moving `6`/`F6` right) — the right side inherits Backspace, Enter, both brackets, the backslash and an extra bottom-row key. They are therefore *not* mirrors, and the earlier plan of one layout flipped for both halves does not survive. @@ -199,27 +199,25 @@ board is used less. `docs/half-right-staggered.svg`. -### The ragged outer edge — an open decision +### The outer edge — resolved -Splitting a row-staggered 104 leaves keys that have no column to belong to, -because the number row and the alpha rows are cut half a unit apart. +Splitting a row-staggered 104 leaves keys with no column to belong to: the +number row and the alpha rows are cut half a unit apart, so `6` sits between `T` +and `Y` with no alpha beneath it. -- **Left half:** `6` and `F6` end up alone in a 2-key column. `6` sits at x=6.0, - `T` at x=5.5, `Y` at x=6.5 — so `6` is *between* T and Y, and falls left of - the cut with no alpha beneath it. -- **Right half:** worse. Six clean columns, then an outer pinky column holding - Bksp / `]` / Enter, and **`\` alone in an eighth column**. +**Resolved by shifting the right half's top two rows over one column**, so `6` +leads the number row and `F6` leads the function row, both sitting above `Y`. -Three ways to resolve it, undecided: +- **Left: 34 keys, six columns, every one five deep.** No orphans at all. +- **Right: 41 keys.** Six full columns, then `F12`/`=`/`]`/`Enter`, then `Bksp` + and `\` sharing the outer pinky column. -1. **Keep it.** Authentic to touch-typing — `6` really is a left-index stretch. -2. **Move `6`/`F6` right**, aligned above `Y`. Left becomes a clean 6 columns at - 34 keys, right goes to 41. -3. **Duplicate `6` on both halves.** What the ErgoDox does. Costs one key, ends - the argument. +`\` no longer sits alone two columns out — it pairs with Backspace, and both +are genuine outer-pinky reaches. `docs/half-left-staggered.svg`, +`docs/half-right-staggered.svg`. -`\` has no equivalent escape — it either gets its own outer column, moves onto -a layer, or takes a thumb slot. +Still open: the right thumb is carrying **five** keys (Space / Alt / Win / Menu +/ Ctrl) and one thumb will not cover five. Menu is the obvious deletion. ### Tenting diff --git a/docs/bom.csv b/docs/bom.csv index d9f6427..8001f2c 100644 --- a/docs/bom.csv +++ b/docs/bom.csv @@ -16,8 +16,8 @@ ALL,MCU,R1-R2,2,22R 0402,FRC0402F22R0TS,C2929994,0402,Extended,0.0007,"USB D+/D- ALL,MCU,R3-R4,2,5.1k 0402,JLC basic library,-,0402,Basic,0.002,"USB-C CC1/CC2 pull-DOWN (Rd - device side)" ALL,MCU,R5,1,1.5k 0402,JLC basic library,-,0402,Basic,0.002,"*** SWAP-DEPENDENT *** D+ pull-up. POPULATE for STM32F103. DNF for CH32L103 (internal 1.5k via RB_UC_DEV_PU_EN)" ALL,MCU,R6-R7,2,10k 0402,FRC0402F1002TS,C25744,0402,Basic,0.003,"BOOT0 pulldown, BOOT1/PB2 pulldown" -HALF-L,Matrix,D1-D36,36,1N4148W,1N4148W,C81598,SOD-123,Basic,0.011,"Left half: 36 keys" -HALF-R,Matrix,D1-D39,39,1N4148W,1N4148W,C81598,SOD-123,Basic,0.011,"Right half: 39 keys" +HALF-L,Matrix,D1-D34,34,1N4148W,1N4148W,C81598,SOD-123,Basic,0.011,"Left half: 34 keys, six clean columns" +HALF-R,Matrix,D1-D41,41,1N4148W,1N4148W,C81598,SOD-123,Basic,0.011,"Right half: 41 keys" HALF-L/R,Split,R14,1,100R 0402,JLC basic library,-,0402,Basic,0.002,"Series on the SBU net between connector and MCU USART pin" HALF-L/R,Split,D-ESD,1,ESD 5V bidirectional,PESD5V0S1BA,C2827694,SOD-323,Extended,0.036,"On the SBU net - user-exposed signal going to a GPIO" HALF-L/R,Split,J3,1,3-pin header DNF,JST SH,-,-,Consigned,0.02,"*** DNF INSURANCE *** VCC/GND/DATA fallback if SBU proves flaky (bad cables). 3 pads cost nothing" @@ -36,8 +36,8 @@ NUMPAD,Hub,U8-U10,3,Ideal diode / OCP,CH213K,C5456874,SOT-23-3,Extended,0.073,"V NUMPAD,Hub,R8-R13,6,56k 0402,FRC0402F5602TS,C2906875,0402,Extended,0.0018,"Rp pull-UPS on CC1/CC2 of each downstream port - host side. NOT 5.1k" NUMPAD,SBU,-,-,SBU PASS-THROUGH,-,-,-,-,0.00,"*** Passive trace *** Tie SBU1+SBU2 on J5 (left half) and on J6 (right half), then connect the two nets together. Carries QMK split_common UART between the halves. Numpad MCU does NOT touch this net" NUMPAD,SBU,D-ESD2,2,ESD 5V bidirectional,PESD5V0S1BA,C2827694,SOD-323,Extended,0.036,"One per half-port SBU net" -HALF-L,Switches,SW-,36,MX hotswap socket,CPG151101S11,C41430893,SMD 14.5x5.9mm,Extended,0.037,"BOTTOM SIDE. Alt: C49352235" -HALF-R,Switches,SW-,39,MX hotswap socket,CPG151101S11,C41430893,SMD 14.5x5.9mm,Extended,0.037,"BOTTOM SIDE. Alt: C49352235" +HALF-L,Switches,SW-,34,MX hotswap socket,CPG151101S11,C41430893,SMD 14.5x5.9mm,Extended,0.037,"BOTTOM SIDE. Alt: C49352235" +HALF-R,Switches,SW-,41,MX hotswap socket,CPG151101S11,C41430893,SMD 14.5x5.9mm,Extended,0.037,"BOTTOM SIDE. Alt: C49352235" NUMPAD,Switches,SW-,25,MX hotswap socket,CPG151101S11,C41430893,SMD 14.5x5.9mm,Extended,0.037,"One per key. BOTTOM SIDE" NOTE,Assembly,-,-,SINGLE-SIDED,-,-,-,-,-,"Put ALL SMD on the BOTTOM: sockets, MCU, passives, diodes, and any reverse-mount SK6812MINI-E. Top face bare except switch holes. Keeps JLC to one assembly pass" NOTE,Mechanical,-,-,PLATE REQUIRED,-,-,-,-,-,"Hotswap needs a switch plate or socket pads tear off during switch insertion. FR4 plate = just another JLC board" diff --git a/docs/half-left-staggered.svg b/docs/half-left-staggered.svg index 673cc18..74af586 100644 --- a/docs/half-left-staggered.svg +++ b/docs/half-left-staggered.svg @@ -1,47 +1,44 @@ - -Left half, column-staggered with a thumb cluster -The same thirty-six keys as the straight 104 split, but each column offset vertically to match finger length, and the spacebar broken into a four-key thumb cluster stepped below the inner columns. -Left half — column stagger + thumb cluster -Same 36 keys. Columns offset for finger length; the spacebar row becomes a thumb cluster. -Esc -` -Tab -Caps -Shift -F1 -1 -Q -A -Z -F2 -2 -W -S -X -F3 -3 -E -D -C -F4 -4 -R -F -V -F5 -5 -T -G -B -F6 -6 -Ctrl -Win -Alt -Space - -Alphas · 32, column-staggered - -Thumb cluster · 4 -Middle-finger column sits highest, pinky and inner-reach columns drop ~0.4u. Thumb keys step down and inward. + +Left half — 34 keys, six clean columns6 and F6 moved to the right half. Every column is now five keys deep. +Left half — 34 keys, six clean columns +6 and F6 moved to the right half. Every column is now five keys deep. +Esc +` +Tab +Caps +Shift +F1 +1 +Q +A +Z +F2 +2 +W +S +X +F3 +3 +E +D +C +F4 +4 +R +F +V +F5 +5 +T +G +B +Ctrl +Win +Alt +Space + +Alphas · 30 + +Thumb cluster · 4 +Six columns, no orphans. ~6u wide, about 114 mm. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/docs/half-right-staggered.svg b/docs/half-right-staggered.svg index 83f6110..863da5a 100644 --- a/docs/half-right-staggered.svg +++ b/docs/half-right-staggered.svg @@ -1,50 +1,51 @@ - -Right half, column-staggered with a thumb cluster -Thirty-nine keys in eight columns. Six clean finger columns, then a ragged outer pinky edge holding Backspace, right bracket and Enter, plus a single backslash beyond it. -Right half — column stagger + thumb cluster -Same 39 keys. Six clean columns, then the outer pinky edge goes ragged. -F7 -7 -Y -H -N -F8 -8 -U -J -M -F9 -9 -I -K -, -F10 -0 -O -L -. -F11 -- -P -; -/ -F12 -= -[ -' -Shift -Bksp -] -Enter -\ -Space -Alt -Win -Menu -Ctrl - -Alphas · 34 - -Thumb cluster · 5 -Backslash ends up alone in an eighth column — the same artifact as the left half’s lonely 6, but further out. + +Right half — 41 keysTop two rows shifted over: 6 and F6 now lead the right hand, above Y. +Right half — 41 keys +Top two rows shifted over: 6 and F6 now lead the right hand, above Y. +F6 +6 +Y +H +N +F7 +7 +U +J +M +F8 +8 +I +K +, +F9 +9 +O +L +. +F10 +0 +P +; +/ +F11 +- +[ +' +Shift +F12 += +] +Enter +Bksp +\ +Space +Alt +Win +Menu +Ctrl + +Alphas · 36 + +Thumb cluster · 5 +Six full columns, then F12/=/]/Enter, then Bksp and backslash sharing the outer column. \ No newline at end of file