Command Classic/Build 1 - Revision history

Maia: /* Friday: Connecting the Controller */

2023-02-26T03:09:28Z

Friday: Connecting the Controller

← Older revision		Revision as of 03:09, 26 February 2023
Line 90:		Line 90:
	Using a box cutter, I separated the ribbon cable into bundles of five wires each, threading them under the matrix wires and selecting a staggered set of locations to terminate them on switch posts for the row and column connections. It was slow going, and I occasionally went astray and sliced into the insulation, but it worked out. Wrapping and soldering the exposed stranded wire got messy at times, though, and I am not especially proud of the solder joints that resulted. One of them, to the column containing 0 P ; / →, ended up periodically failing, requiring me to repair it several times in the coming years before eventually redoing it from scratch. I left the wires for the unused pins in a single loose bundle, in case any of the connected wires developed problems and needed to be replaced.		Using a box cutter, I separated the ribbon cable into bundles of five wires each, threading them under the matrix wires and selecting a staggered set of locations to terminate them on switch posts for the row and column connections. It was slow going, and I occasionally went astray and sliced into the insulation, but it worked out. Wrapping and soldering the exposed stranded wire got messy at times, though, and I am not especially proud of the solder joints that resulted. One of them, to the column containing 0 P ; / →, ended up periodically failing, requiring me to repair it several times in the coming years before eventually redoing it from scratch. I left the wires for the unused pins in a single loose bundle, in case any of the connected wires developed problems and needed to be replaced.

	Extra care required with the fragile insulation and wire strands resulted in the controller wiring taking much of the day. After everything was soldered, I discovered a few ~~bed~~ or intermittent connections and began tracking down and repairing them, until deciding to sleep on the remaining few intractable problems.		Extra care required with the fragile insulation and wire strands resulted in the controller wiring taking much of the day. After everything was soldered, I discovered a few bad or intermittent connections and began tracking down and repairing them, until deciding to sleep on the remaining few intractable problems.

	====Saturday: Programming and Debugging====		====Saturday: Programming and Debugging====

Maia at 19:46, 20 February 2023

2023-02-20T19:46:45Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:46, 20 February 2023
Line 98:		Line 98:
	After addressing the remaining physical issues, I set about learning how to work with qmk to program and flash the controller firmware. This took a few tries to get right and eliminate bugs from the matrix definition, but by nighttime I had the firmware running properly, the switch plate flipped back over, and the keycaps installed. The controller on its transition plug hung loose in between the plates, and I ran a USB cable into the open frame to connect it to umaru. It looked very much unfinished, but it was functionally complete, and I could already tell it was going to be a joy to use.		After addressing the remaining physical issues, I set about learning how to work with qmk to program and flash the controller firmware. This took a few tries to get right and eliminate bugs from the matrix definition, but by nighttime I had the firmware running properly, the switch plate flipped back over, and the keycaps installed. The controller on its transition plug hung loose in between the plates, and I ran a USB cable into the open frame to connect it to umaru. It looked very much unfinished, but it was functionally complete, and I could already tell it was going to be a joy to use.

	===~~Case~~: ~~8-16~~ August ~~2020=~~==		==Case Parts==

			I immediately switched over to the open-frame keyboard and revisited my plans for the rest of the enclosure with newfound confidence. In the interest of expediency, and deciding that I wanted that black glitter acrylic after all, I ate the high shipping costs and placed an order with Ponoko a few days after finishing the controller programming. The order was for four acrylic layers in total - a 4.5mm sheet in the middle, with a gap for the USB breakout board to sit in side of, two 3mm sheets surrounding it with screw holes for mounting the breakout board, and the 3mm black glitter top bezel piece.

			At this point, I also decided on a screw and nut setup for the final assembly. My initial reluctance to do a sandwich case was out of distaste for the raw look that many DIY builders embrace, so I was especially concerned about screwing things together in a way that would be at least somewhat inconspicuous. My solution was to buy flat head hex screws in black, and a countersinking bit to make the screw heads flush with the bezel.

			==Second Build Phase: 11 August==

Maia: /* Saturday: Programming and Debugging */

2023-02-20T19:34:27Z

Saturday: Programming and Debugging

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:34, 20 February 2023
Line 96:		Line 96:
	[[File:CC_1_2020-07-25_Usable.jpeg\|thumb\|Wired, programmed, and usable.]]		[[File:CC_1_2020-07-25_Usable.jpeg\|thumb\|Wired, programmed, and usable.]]

	After addressing the remaining physical issues, I set about learning how to work with qmk to program and flash the controller firmware. This took a few tries to get right and eliminate bugs from the matrix definition, but by nighttime I had the firmware running properly and keycaps installed. The controller on its transition plug hung loose in between the plates, and I ran a USB cable into the open frame to connect it to umaru. It looked very much unfinished, but it was functionally complete, and I could already tell it was going to be a joy to use.		After addressing the remaining physical issues, I set about learning how to work with qmk to program and flash the controller firmware. This took a few tries to get right and eliminate bugs from the matrix definition, but by nighttime I had the firmware running properly, the switch plate flipped back over, and the keycaps installed. The controller on its transition plug hung loose in between the plates, and I ran a USB cable into the open frame to connect it to umaru. It looked very much unfinished, but it was functionally complete, and I could already tell it was going to be a joy to use.

	===Case: 8-16 August 2020===		===Case: 8-16 August 2020===

Maia: /* Friday: Connecting the Controller */

2023-02-20T19:33:15Z

Friday: Connecting the Controller

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:33, 20 February 2023
Line 86:		Line 86:
	[[File:CC_1_2020-07-24-Controller.jpeg\|thumb\|Attaching the controller to the matrix.]]		[[File:CC_1_2020-07-24-Controller.jpeg\|thumb\|Attaching the controller to the matrix.]]

	Intrigued by masterzen's tidy wiring, I decided that I, too, wanted to connect the matrix to the controller with a ribbon cable. This involved some tradeoffs. First, the wiring in ribbon cables is stranded, which is tedious to strip and solder by hand. These cables are not designed with hobby applications in mind, and they do best when crimped into purpose-built components. I was able to at least take advantage of one of these, by mounting the controller board onto a transition plug. The plastic housing of the plug dramatically increased the clearance required for the controller, though, and I was unsure whether the tall plug assembly, with a ribbon cable tidily extending out one side, would be easier to accommodate than loose wiring, but I decided to attempt it.		Intrigued by masterzen's [https://www.masterzen.fr/2018/12/22/handwired-keyboard-build-log-part-2/ tidy wiring], I decided that I, too, wanted to connect the matrix to the controller with a ribbon cable. This involved some tradeoffs. First, the wiring in ribbon cables is stranded, which is tedious to strip and solder by hand. These cables are not designed with hobby applications in mind, and they do best when crimped into purpose-built components. I was able to at least take advantage of one of these, by mounting the controller board onto a transition plug. The plastic housing of the plug dramatically increased the clearance required for the controller, though, and I was unsure whether the tall plug assembly, with a ribbon cable tidily extending out one side, would be easier to accommodate than loose wiring, but I decided to attempt it.

	Using a box cutter, I separated the ribbon cable into bundles of five wires each, threading them under the matrix wires and selecting a staggered set of locations to terminate them on switch posts for the row and column connections. It was slow going, and I occasionally went astray and sliced into the insulation, but it worked out. Wrapping and soldering the exposed stranded wire got messy at times, though, and I am not especially proud of the solder joints that resulted. One of them, to the column containing 0 P ; / →, ended up periodically failing, requiring me to repair it several times in the coming years before eventually redoing it from scratch. I left the wires for the unused pins in a single loose bundle, in case any of the connected wires developed problems and needed to be replaced.		Using a box cutter, I separated the ribbon cable into bundles of five wires each, threading them under the matrix wires and selecting a staggered set of locations to terminate them on switch posts for the row and column connections. It was slow going, and I occasionally went astray and sliced into the insulation, but it worked out. Wrapping and soldering the exposed stranded wire got messy at times, though, and I am not especially proud of the solder joints that resulted. One of them, to the column containing 0 P ; / →, ended up periodically failing, requiring me to repair it several times in the coming years before eventually redoing it from scratch. I left the wires for the unused pins in a single loose bundle, in case any of the connected wires developed problems and needed to be replaced.

Maia: /* Saturday: Programming and Debugging */

2023-02-20T19:28:14Z

Saturday: Programming and Debugging

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:28, 20 February 2023
Line 94:		Line 94:
	====Saturday: Programming and Debugging====		====Saturday: Programming and Debugging====

	[[File:CC_1_2020-07-25_Usable.jpeg\|thumb\|Wired, programmed, and usable ~~on Saturday night~~.]]		[[File:CC_1_2020-07-25_Usable.jpeg\|thumb\|Wired, programmed, and usable.]]

	After addressing the remaining physical issues, I set about learning how to work with qmk to program and flash the controller firmware. This took a few tries to get right and eliminate bugs from the matrix definition, but by nighttime I had the firmware running properly and keycaps installed. The controller on its transition plug hung loose in between the plates, and I ran a USB cable into the open frame to connect it to umaru. It looked very much unfinished, but it was functionally complete, and I could already tell it was going to be a joy to use.		After addressing the remaining physical issues, I set about learning how to work with qmk to program and flash the controller firmware. This took a few tries to get right and eliminate bugs from the matrix definition, but by nighttime I had the firmware running properly and keycaps installed. The controller on its transition plug hung loose in between the plates, and I ran a USB cable into the open frame to connect it to umaru. It looked very much unfinished, but it was functionally complete, and I could already tell it was going to be a joy to use.

	===Case: 8-16 August 2020===		===Case: 8-16 August 2020===

Maia: /* Saturday: Programming and Debugging */

2023-02-20T19:27:54Z

Saturday: Programming and Debugging

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:27, 20 February 2023
Line 94:		Line 94:
	====Saturday: Programming and Debugging====		====Saturday: Programming and Debugging====

	[[File:CC_1_2020-07-25_Usable.jpeg\|thumb\|~~The keyboard~~ on Saturday night~~, finally ready to use~~.]]		[[File:CC_1_2020-07-25_Usable.jpeg\|thumb\|Wired, programmed, and usable on Saturday night.]]

	After addressing the remaining physical issues, I set about learning how to work with qmk to program and flash the controller firmware. This took a few tries to get right and eliminate bugs from the matrix definition, but by nighttime I had the firmware running properly and keycaps installed. The controller on its transition plug hung loose in between the plates, and I ran a USB cable into the open frame to connect it to umaru. It looked very much unfinished, but it was functionally complete, and I could already tell it was going to be a joy to use.		After addressing the remaining physical issues, I set about learning how to work with qmk to program and flash the controller firmware. This took a few tries to get right and eliminate bugs from the matrix definition, but by nighttime I had the firmware running properly and keycaps installed. The controller on its transition plug hung loose in between the plates, and I ran a USB cable into the open frame to connect it to umaru. It looked very much unfinished, but it was functionally complete, and I could already tell it was going to be a joy to use.

	===Case: 8-16 August 2020===		===Case: 8-16 August 2020===

Maia: /* First Build Phase: 21-25 July */

2023-02-20T19:27:05Z

First Build Phase: 21-25 July

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:27, 20 February 2023
Line 90:		Line 90:
	Using a box cutter, I separated the ribbon cable into bundles of five wires each, threading them under the matrix wires and selecting a staggered set of locations to terminate them on switch posts for the row and column connections. It was slow going, and I occasionally went astray and sliced into the insulation, but it worked out. Wrapping and soldering the exposed stranded wire got messy at times, though, and I am not especially proud of the solder joints that resulted. One of them, to the column containing 0 P ; / →, ended up periodically failing, requiring me to repair it several times in the coming years before eventually redoing it from scratch. I left the wires for the unused pins in a single loose bundle, in case any of the connected wires developed problems and needed to be replaced.		Using a box cutter, I separated the ribbon cable into bundles of five wires each, threading them under the matrix wires and selecting a staggered set of locations to terminate them on switch posts for the row and column connections. It was slow going, and I occasionally went astray and sliced into the insulation, but it worked out. Wrapping and soldering the exposed stranded wire got messy at times, though, and I am not especially proud of the solder joints that resulted. One of them, to the column containing 0 P ; / →, ended up periodically failing, requiring me to repair it several times in the coming years before eventually redoing it from scratch. I left the wires for the unused pins in a single loose bundle, in case any of the connected wires developed problems and needed to be replaced.

	Extra care required with the fragile insulation and wire strands resulted in the controller wiring taking ~~most~~ of the day.		Extra care required with the fragile insulation and wire strands resulted in the controller wiring taking much of the day. After everything was soldered, I discovered a few bed or intermittent connections and began tracking down and repairing them, until deciding to sleep on the remaining few intractable problems.

			====Saturday: Programming and Debugging====

			[[File:CC_1_2020-07-25_Usable.jpeg\|thumb\|The keyboard on Saturday night, finally ready to use.]]

			After addressing the remaining physical issues, I set about learning how to work with qmk to program and flash the controller firmware. This took a few tries to get right and eliminate bugs from the matrix definition, but by nighttime I had the firmware running properly and keycaps installed. The controller on its transition plug hung loose in between the plates, and I ran a USB cable into the open frame to connect it to umaru. It looked very much unfinished, but it was functionally complete, and I could already tell it was going to be a joy to use.

	===Case: 8-16 August 2020===		===Case: 8-16 August 2020===

Maia: /* Friday: Connecting the Controller */

2023-02-20T19:10:11Z

Friday: Connecting the Controller

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:10, 20 February 2023
Line 88:		Line 88:
	Intrigued by masterzen's tidy wiring, I decided that I, too, wanted to connect the matrix to the controller with a ribbon cable. This involved some tradeoffs. First, the wiring in ribbon cables is stranded, which is tedious to strip and solder by hand. These cables are not designed with hobby applications in mind, and they do best when crimped into purpose-built components. I was able to at least take advantage of one of these, by mounting the controller board onto a transition plug. The plastic housing of the plug dramatically increased the clearance required for the controller, though, and I was unsure whether the tall plug assembly, with a ribbon cable tidily extending out one side, would be easier to accommodate than loose wiring, but I decided to attempt it.		Intrigued by masterzen's tidy wiring, I decided that I, too, wanted to connect the matrix to the controller with a ribbon cable. This involved some tradeoffs. First, the wiring in ribbon cables is stranded, which is tedious to strip and solder by hand. These cables are not designed with hobby applications in mind, and they do best when crimped into purpose-built components. I was able to at least take advantage of one of these, by mounting the controller board onto a transition plug. The plastic housing of the plug dramatically increased the clearance required for the controller, though, and I was unsure whether the tall plug assembly, with a ribbon cable tidily extending out one side, would be easier to accommodate than loose wiring, but I decided to attempt it.

	Using a box cutter, I separated the ribbon cable into bundles of five wires each, threading them under the matrix wires and selecting a staggered set of locations to terminate them on switch posts for the row and column connections. It was slow going, and I occasionally went astray and sliced into the insulation, but it worked out. Wrapping and soldering the exposed stranded wire got messy at times, though, and I am not especially proud of the solder joints that resulted. One of them, to the column containing 0 P ; / →, ended up periodically failing, requiring me to repair it several times in the coming years before eventually redoing it from scratch.		Using a box cutter, I separated the ribbon cable into bundles of five wires each, threading them under the matrix wires and selecting a staggered set of locations to terminate them on switch posts for the row and column connections. It was slow going, and I occasionally went astray and sliced into the insulation, but it worked out. Wrapping and soldering the exposed stranded wire got messy at times, though, and I am not especially proud of the solder joints that resulted. One of them, to the column containing 0 P ; / →, ended up periodically failing, requiring me to repair it several times in the coming years before eventually redoing it from scratch. I left the wires for the unused pins in a single loose bundle, in case any of the connected wires developed problems and needed to be replaced.

	Extra care required with the fragile insulation and wire strands resulted in the controller wiring taking most of the day.		Extra care required with the fragile insulation and wire strands resulted in the controller wiring taking most of the day.

	===Case: 8-16 August 2020===		===Case: 8-16 August 2020===

Maia: /* Friday: Connecting the Controller */

2023-02-20T18:58:11Z

Friday: Connecting the Controller

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:58, 20 February 2023
Line 86:		Line 86:
	[[File:CC_1_2020-07-24-Controller.jpeg\|thumb\|Attaching the controller to the matrix.]]		[[File:CC_1_2020-07-24-Controller.jpeg\|thumb\|Attaching the controller to the matrix.]]

	Intrigued by masterzen's tidy wiring, I decided that I, too, wanted to connect the matrix ~~and~~ the controller with a ribbon cable. This involved some tradeoffs. First, the wiring in ribbon cables is stranded, which is tedious to strip and solder by hand. These cables are not designed with hobby applications in mind, and they do best when crimped into purpose-built components. I was able to at least take advantage of one of these, by mounting the controller board onto a transition plug. The plastic housing of the plug dramatically increased the clearance required for the controller, though, and I was unsure whether the tall plug assembly, with a ribbon cable tidily extending out one side, would be easier to accommodate than loose wiring, but I decided to attempt it.		Intrigued by masterzen's tidy wiring, I decided that I, too, wanted to connect the matrix to the controller with a ribbon cable. This involved some tradeoffs. First, the wiring in ribbon cables is stranded, which is tedious to strip and solder by hand. These cables are not designed with hobby applications in mind, and they do best when crimped into purpose-built components. I was able to at least take advantage of one of these, by mounting the controller board onto a transition plug. The plastic housing of the plug dramatically increased the clearance required for the controller, though, and I was unsure whether the tall plug assembly, with a ribbon cable tidily extending out one side, would be easier to accommodate than loose wiring, but I decided to attempt it.

	Using a box cutter, I separated the ribbon cable into bundles of five wires each, threading them under the matrix wires and selecting a staggered set of locations to terminate them on switch posts for the row and column connections. It was slow going, and I occasionally went astray and sliced into the insulation, but it worked out. Wrapping and soldering the exposed stranded wire got messy at times, though, and I am not especially proud of the solder joints that resulted. One of them, to the column containing 0 P ; / →, ended up periodically failing, requiring me to repair it several times in the coming years before eventually redoing it from scratch.		Using a box cutter, I separated the ribbon cable into bundles of five wires each, threading them under the matrix wires and selecting a staggered set of locations to terminate them on switch posts for the row and column connections. It was slow going, and I occasionally went astray and sliced into the insulation, but it worked out. Wrapping and soldering the exposed stranded wire got messy at times, though, and I am not especially proud of the solder joints that resulted. One of them, to the column containing 0 P ; / →, ended up periodically failing, requiring me to repair it several times in the coming years before eventually redoing it from scratch.

Maia: /* Friday: Connecting the Controller */

2023-02-20T18:57:49Z

Friday: Connecting the Controller

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:57, 20 February 2023
Line 85:		Line 85:

	[[File:CC_1_2020-07-24-Controller.jpeg\|thumb\|Attaching the controller to the matrix.]]		[[File:CC_1_2020-07-24-Controller.jpeg\|thumb\|Attaching the controller to the matrix.]]

			Intrigued by masterzen's tidy wiring, I decided that I, too, wanted to connect the matrix and the controller with a ribbon cable. This involved some tradeoffs. First, the wiring in ribbon cables is stranded, which is tedious to strip and solder by hand. These cables are not designed with hobby applications in mind, and they do best when crimped into purpose-built components. I was able to at least take advantage of one of these, by mounting the controller board onto a transition plug. The plastic housing of the plug dramatically increased the clearance required for the controller, though, and I was unsure whether the tall plug assembly, with a ribbon cable tidily extending out one side, would be easier to accommodate than loose wiring, but I decided to attempt it.

			Using a box cutter, I separated the ribbon cable into bundles of five wires each, threading them under the matrix wires and selecting a staggered set of locations to terminate them on switch posts for the row and column connections. It was slow going, and I occasionally went astray and sliced into the insulation, but it worked out. Wrapping and soldering the exposed stranded wire got messy at times, though, and I am not especially proud of the solder joints that resulted. One of them, to the column containing 0 P ; / →, ended up periodically failing, requiring me to repair it several times in the coming years before eventually redoing it from scratch.

			Extra care required with the fragile insulation and wire strands resulted in the controller wiring taking most of the day.

	===Case: 8-16 August 2020===		===Case: 8-16 August 2020===