\title{Atreus Keyboard Assembly}
\date{ }
\usepackage{graphicx}
+\usepackage{geometry}
+\usepackage{wrapfig}
+\newgeometry{margin=3cm}
\begin{document}
\setlength{\parindent}{0cm}
\maketitle
\begin{itemize}
\item Case (top plate, switch plate, spacer, bottom plate)
\item Sandpaper
-\item Finishing wax
+\item Finishing wax (mixture of beeswax and mineral oil)
\item Diodes (42)
-\item Cherry MX switches (37 blue/clear, 5 red)
+\item Key switches (37 tactile or clicky, 5 red)
\item A-Star Micro controller
+\item Printed circuit board (PCB)
\item Machine screws and nuts (8 each, 16mm M3 size)
\item Key caps (40 normal, 2 long)
\item USB micro cable
You'll also need to have these on hand:
\begin{itemize}
-\item Soldering iron and solder
-\item Wire cutters
\item Brush for applying finishing wax (a toothbrush will do)
-\item Optional: ``helping hands'' stand
+\item Soldering iron and solder (thin solder and an iron with a sharp tip)
+\item Wire cutters
+\item Rags or paper towels to lay the parts down on during construction
\end{itemize}
\vspace{1em}
The latest version of this document can always be found
online.\footnote{http://atreus.technomancy.us/assembly.pdf} If you're
reading a black-and-white printed copy, you may find some of the
-photos clearer in color onscreen. This copy describes
-the circuit-board-based kit. If you have an earlier hand-wired kit,
-see the older assembly
+photos clearer in color onscreen. This copy describes the
+circuit-board-based kit. If you are hand-wiring a board, see the older
+assembly
guide.\footnote{http://atreus.technomancy.us/assembly-hand-wired.pdf}
+The photos in this guide depict Matias switches, (with rectangular
+switch stems) but you can use Cherry MX switches (with stems shaped
+like a +) as well. The assembly steps are the same in either case.
-\section{Sanding Case}
-
-The wood finishing process involves sanding down the wood to remove
-scorch marks and produce a smooth surface, applying an oil/wax mixture
-to further smooth it and protect it from fluids, and allowing it to
-dry. The whole process takes about 45 minutes of work, but since each
-side has to dry individually plan on allowing for a couple 30-minute
-breaks to let it dry. You'll need a place to lay the pieces aside to
-dry; a paper towel would help keep the oil from getting all over your
-table or desk.
+\section{Sanding}
-\vspace{1em}
-
-Start by sanding down both sides of each piece. You may want to hold
-two pieces together while sanding for strength or placing it on a flat
-surface you don't mind scruffing up; too much pressure on a single
-plate could damage it.
+Start by sanding down both sides of each piece. You may want to
+hold two pieces together while sanding for strength or placing it on a
+flat surface you don't mind scruffing up; too much pressure on a
+single plate could damage it.
\vspace{1em}
\noindent\makebox[\textwidth]{%
-\includegraphics[width=\linewidth]{sanding.jpg}}
+\includegraphics[width=0.7\linewidth]{sanding.jpg}}
\vspace{1em}
Keep in mind that the top side of the top plate and the bottom side of
once the keyboard is fully assembled, so these will need the most
attention when sanding. You can sand the other surfaces as well just
to get the scorch marks off, but you don't need to worry about how
-smooth the inner surfaces feel to the touch.
+smooth the inner surfaces feel to the touch. Be sure to get all the
+wood dust off the pieces before you go on. A clean tack cloth or other
+fine cloth works well.
+
+\section{Finishing}
-\section{Oiling Case}
+%% TODO: mention polyurethane
+
+You have two options when it comes to finishing. The easiest way is to
+proceed with the wax/oil mixture included in the kit. The other option
+is to apply several layers of lacquer and wet sand it down in
+between coats. This requires buying more supplies and takes significantly
+longer, but it results in a sturdier, shinier
+finish.\footnote{http://atreus.technomancy.us/lacquer.gif} The steps
+for the lacquered finish are described in a separate
+document,\footnote{http://atreus.technomancy.us/lacquer.pdf} and the
+rest of this section describes the quicker finishing method.
+
+\vspace{1em}
+
+Some people don't like the look of the exposed edges charred from the
+laser cutter. You can choose to sand off the charring, or alternately
+cover it all with black ink from a sharpie for a more consistent look.
+
+\vspace{1em}
-Be sure to get all the wood dust off the pieces before you go on. Open
-up the wax/oil mixture. Apply some to the brush and start spreading it over
-one side of each case piece. The color of the wood will darken as it
-absorbs the oil. Try to ensure it's spread evenly. Be more generous
-with the oil on the outer exposed surfaces.
+Open up the wax/oil mixture. Apply some to the brush and start
+spreading it over one side of each case piece. The color of the wood
+will darken as it absorbs the oil. Try to ensure it's spread
+evenly. Be more generous with the oil on the outer exposed
+surfaces. Once you've spread it with the brush, you can use your
+fingers to work the wax into the wood more deeply. If you need to
+reapply the finishing in the future, butcher block conditioner is
+readily available in stores and will do the job nicely.
\vspace{1em}
\noindent\makebox[\textwidth]{%
-\includegraphics[width=\linewidth]{oiled.jpg}}
+\includegraphics[width=0.7\linewidth]{oiled.jpg}}
\vspace{1em}
As your brush goes over the edges of the laser-cut wood, it will get
side of each piece, it's best to wash out the brush. Be sure it's
fully dry before going on.
-\section{Drying Case}
+\section{Drying}
Once one side of each piece is finished, you'll need to lay them out
-for a half hour or so to let them dry. Once one side is dry, repeat
-the process on the other side. After you've finished the construction
-you can come back and add another few coats to the outermost surfaces
-for a smoother texture. Once it's dried for a while, wipe the excess
-off. While you're waiting, you can start soldering the diodes and
-controller onto the circuit board, but don't solder any switches in
-before the switch plate is ready or you'll just need to remove them
-later.
+for a half hour or so to let them dry. (Longer if using lacquer.) Once
+one side is dry, repeat the process on the other side. After you've
+finished the construction you can come back and add another few coats
+to the outermost surfaces for a smoother texture. Once it's dried for
+a while, wipe the excess off. While you're waiting, you can start
+soldering the diodes and controller onto the circuit board, but don't
+solder any switches in before the switch plate is ready or you'll just
+need to remove them later.
\section{Diodes}
\vspace{1em}
Take five diodes at a time and bend them into a U shape. Place them
-into the diode holes next to each switch slot on the reverse side of
+into the diode holes next to each switch slot on the unlabeled side of
the board. Each diode has a black band on it; the band should be
-pointing to the bottom of the circuit board, toward each diode's arrow
-on the printed side of the board. Once all five are in, bend the legs
-of the diodes outwards to hold them in place, then flip the board over
-and solder them in place.
+pointing in the direction of the arrow on the printed side of the
+board. Once all five are in, pinch the legs of the diodes together to
+keep them from falling out, then flip the board over and solder them
+in place. Make sure they don't protrude off the board more than necessary.
\vspace{1em}
\noindent\makebox[\textwidth]{%
- \includegraphics[width=\linewidth]{diodes.jpg}}
+ \includegraphics[width=0.7\linewidth]{diodes.jpg}}
\vspace{1em}
-Once they're soldered, trim the diode legs with wire cutters. Hold
-onto the diode leg as you trim it to keep it from flying across
-the room. Keep the diode legs; they will be needed in the next
-step. Repeat until each diode position is filled.
+In the photo the diodes are inserted from the back of the circuit
+board, but it will work just as well to insert them from the front as
+long as the black band is oriented correctly. Once they're soldered,
+trim the diode legs with wire cutters. Grip the diode leg as you
+trim it to keep it from flying across the room. Keep the diode legs;
+they will be needed in the next step. Repeat until each diode position
+is filled.
\section{Controller}
-Once the diodes are in place, you can begin attaching the
-controller. This is the trickiest part of the assembly process, so
-once you knock this out it's all down hill. First pre-fill all the
-holes we're going to use on the controller with solder. (This is all
-the left side ones, plus all the right side ones except 3V3, 5V, and
-VIN.) If you have a ``helping hands'' stand, this is where it comes in
-useful.
-
-\vspace{1em}
-
+Once the diodes are in place, you can begin attaching the controller.
If the controller came in a pink bag with its own header pins, you may
be tempted to use them to connect the controller to the circuit
board. Don't do this--they are too big and will prevent the case from
-closing when you're done.
+closing when you're done. We will be using the diode legs we just
+trimmed instead.
\vspace{1em}
-Take six trimmed diode legs and stick them into the top six pins on
-the right-hand side of the controller by melting the pre-filled
-solder. Solder one into the pin labeled ``GND'' as well. Put one in
-the top and bottom pins on the other side, labeled ``0'' and
-``9''. We'll leave out the rest on the left for now to make
-it easier to insert the controller into the circuit board, but we'll
-make another pass to get those in next.
+First take the PCB with the labeled side down and fill the four corner
+holes in the center ``A-STAR'' section with solder. Insert diode legs
+into these holes while melting the solder. Then repeat the process for
+the other holes on the left, keeping them pointing as straight as possible.
\vspace{1em}
\noindent\makebox[\textwidth]{%
- \includegraphics[width=\linewidth]{controller-legs.jpg}}
+ \includegraphics[width=0.8\linewidth]{many-pins.jpg}}
\vspace{1em}
-Straighten the attached legs as much as possible and carefully insert
-them through the circuit board. Once they are in, you'll want to
-populate the remaining left-side pins. Hold the board vertical either
-using a set of helping hands or pinned between your knees as shown
-below. Insert a diode leg through the circuit board hole so it touches
-the already-solder-filled hole on the controller. Melt the solder
-while pushing the diode leg barely through. You can blow on the solder
-joint to cool it more quickly so it firms up.
+Fit the controller over the pins you've attached so far. Solder the
+four corner pins already connected to the PCB into the corners of the
+controller. (The bottom left corner is unused; the pin above is used
+instead.) Try to ensure the controller is as close to the PCB as
+possible and not at an angle. Then solder the other left-side diode
+legs into the controller as well. Trim them all with your wire
+cutters when they are secure.
\vspace{1em}
-\noindent\makebox[\textwidth]{%
- \includegraphics[width=0.5\linewidth]{insert-pin.jpg}}
-\vspace{1em}
-Once the pins are all in place on the controller side, it's time to
-attach them to the circuit board. Bend them outwards and solder each
-one, then trim all the legs.
+Eight right-side holes remain. For these, bend four diode legs at a
+time into an L shape, and insert them into four of the remaining
+holes. Flip the board over and solder the protruding diode legs to the
+PCB, then trim them down and flip the board back over. Straighten the
+diode legs, then solder and trim them. Repeat for the remaining
+unpopulated holes. From the PCB side, all the holes will be used, but
+from the controller side, there will be some unused.
\vspace{1em}
\noindent\makebox[\textwidth]{%
- \includegraphics[width=\linewidth]{seated.jpg}}
+ \includegraphics[width=0.8\linewidth]{bent-legs.jpg}}
\vspace{1em}
Before you go on, take the time to double-check the solder joints on
the controller. The solder should fill the hole completely without
spilling over to adjacent holes, and the legs should be secure. Also
check that all the diodes are facing the correct direction with the
-black band pointing to the bottom of the board. Once the switches are
-in place, the controller will be pinned between the switch plate and
-the circuit board, making it difficult to make further changes to the
-controller.
+black band pointing to the bottom of the board.
-\section{Switches}
+\section{Firmware}
-\noindent\makebox[\textwidth]{%
- \includegraphics[width=\linewidth]{switch-corners.jpg}}
+Installing the firmware now isn't strictly necessary, but it will
+allow you to spot mistakes before the board is finished.
\vspace{1em}
-Next take four switches and place each switch in a corner of the
-switch plate. Put the switch plate face-down on the table with the
-pins sticking up. Carefully fit the circuit board over the protruding
-pins and posts and solder those to hold the circuit board and the
-switch plate together. The labeled side of the board should be
-face-up. Take care that the switch pins are straight; pushing in a
-switch with a pin that's a bit bent will bend it flat and prevent it
-from poking through the circuit board.
+\begin{wrapfigure}{r}{0.25\linewidth}
+ \includegraphics[width=0.8\linewidth]{reset.jpg}
+\end{wrapfigure}
+
+Plug in the USB micro cable into the controller, and plug the other
+side into your computer. Get a copy of the
+firmware \footnote{Available at https://atreus.technomancy.us/tmk} and
+its dependencies, \texttt{avrdude} and \texttt{gcc-avr}, linked in the
+firmware readme. The first time you upload the firmware, you will have
+to use the hardware reset to enter the bootloader: take a diode leg or
+wire and touch one end to the reset pin and one end to the ground
+pin. (These are circled in the photo.) Touch them together twice in
+under a second and the LED underneath will begin pulsing in a
+different pattern from the original blinking. This indicates it has
+entered the bootloader for 8 seconds.
\vspace{1em}
-If your kit has five linear switches (non-tactile, usually red) place
-those in the modifier positions next and solder them in. These all go
-on the bottom row: SW3:3, SW5:0, SW6:0, SW8:3, and SW9:3.
+While in the bootloader, type \texttt{make upload KEYMAP=qwerty
+ USB=[...]} from the firmware directory\footnote{See the firmware
+ readme for instructions about determining the USB argument and
+ customizing the layout.}. The firmware should be uploaded, and it
+will start functioning as a keyboard once switches are connected. Next
+time you upload, you can use the reset key instead of touching the
+pins together.
\vspace{1em}
-Once you have a switch in each column and a switch in each row, you
-can skip ahead to the next step where you install the firmware in
-order to ensure all the connections to the controller are solid. If
-you place all the switches now, it will be difficult to fix problems
-with the controller since reaching the controller involves removing
-all the switches. Testing with only a few switches attached will let
-you spot problems early when they're still easier to fix.
+If you only want to use the default layout and don't want to bother
+with installing everything, the firmware readme also describes simpler
+steps for installing a pre-compiled firmware.
+
+\section{Switches}
+
+Next take four switches and place each switch in a corner of the
+switch plate. (The case layer with all the holes in it.) The switches
+should be oriented so that the side with pins is to the ``north'' of
+the board so they will fit into the holes in the circuit board. Put
+the switch plate face-down on the table with the pins sticking
+up.
+
+\vspace{1em}
+
+Carefully fit the circuit board over the protruding pins with the
+labeled side down. Solder those corners to hold the circuit board and
+the switch plate together. The switches should be flush with the
+PCB. Take care that the switch pins are straight when you insert them;
+pushing in a switch with a pin that's a bit bent will bend it flat and
+prevent it from poking through the circuit board.
\vspace{1em}
\noindent\makebox[\textwidth]{%
- \includegraphics[width=\linewidth]{switches.jpg}}
+ \includegraphics[width=0.7\linewidth]{some-switches.jpg}}
\vspace{1em}
-\section{Wrapping up}
-
-Plug in the USB micro cable into the controller, and plug the other
-side into your computer. Get a copy of the
-firmware \footnote{Available at
- https://github.com/technomancy/atreus-firmware} and its
-dependencies, \texttt{avrdude} and \texttt{gcc-avr}, linked in the
-firmware readme. The first time you upload the firmware, you will have
-to use the backup reset to enter the bootloader: take a diode leg or
-wire and touch one end to the reset pin and one end to the ground
-pin. (These are the bottom-most two exposed pins on the right-hand
-side of the controller.) Touch them together twice in under a second
-and the LED will begin pulsing. This indicates it has entered the
-bootloader for 8 seconds.
+Next fill in the rest of the bottom row (SW1:3 through SW10:3) and the
+leftmost column (SW0:1 and SW0:2). If your kit has red linear switches
+which do not have any tactile bump, you can choose to use these for
+the modifier keys (shift, ctrl, alt, etc) or to leave the modifiers as
+normal tactile or clicky keys. Since modifier keys are held down, they
+do not benefit from tactility like normal keys do, so some people find
+they prefer linear keys there, but this is a matter of personal
+taste. The modifiers on the bottom row are SW2:3, SW3:3, and SW8:3.
+Place normal switches (usually grey or white) here if you want the
+modifiers to feel like the other keys, and red ones if not.
\vspace{1em}
-While in the bootloader, type \texttt{make upload} from the firmware
-directory. The firmware should be uploaded\footnote{See the firmware
- readme for instructions about customizing the layout.}, and it
-should start acting as a keyboard. (At this point if you need to
-upload it again, you can use the reset key instead of touching the
-pins together.) Now would be a good time to test each switch by typing
-``The quick, brown fox jumped over the lazy dog.'' and hitting the
-other few keys which aren't hit by that phrase.
+Solder the left and right pins of each of the switches you've placed so
+far, and then plug it in to test them to ensure that each row and column is
+connected back up to the controller correctly. Once you've confirmed
+this, solder the rest of the switches, but leave the middle two
+sideways ones for last.
\vspace{1em}
+\noindent\makebox[\textwidth]{%
+ \includegraphics[width=0.8\linewidth]{center-switches.jpg}}
+\vspace{1em}
+
+\vspace{1em}
+
+%% The main (non-rotated) switches on Matias kits have their pins
+%% positioned a bit lower on the switch than Cherry pins; this shifts
+%% the whole PCB a bit further down from where it would be on Cherry kits.
+
+%% The holes for the rotated switches are oriented according to their
+%% position on Cherry boards because Cherry switches cannot have their
+%% pins twisted; they have a plastic post that helps mount it on the
+%% PCB, but moving the middle holes down into the Matias-friendly
+%% position would make it completely incompatible with Cherry, while
+%% leaving it in the Cherry-friendly position simply makes it slightly
+%% inconvenient for Matias kits.
+
+Connecting the center two rotated thumb keys (SW5:0 and SW6:0) in kits
+with Matias switches requires a little bit of tweaking. (Cherry
+switches do not need this step.) The holes for the pins are not
+aligned quite under where the pins protrude. A little twisting will
+allow them to go in nicely. Note that the two switches must be twisted
+in opposite directions since they are oriented facing away from each
+other. You can use pliers or even just your wire cutters to twist
+them.
+
+\section{Wrapping Up}
If there's a misbehaving switch, it's often caused by a cold
-joint. Reflow the solder on both contacts of the switch and the
-diode. If an entire row or column is out, it's probably the connection
-to the controller. You can follow the traces for the columns back
-to the middle, but the rows on the back of the board are obscured when
-the keyboard is assembled. The bottom four pins on the left correspond
-to the four rows, top to bottom. Reflowing the pin's solder for the
-affected row or column is usually enough to get it working.
+joint. Reflow the solder on both contacts of the switch and the diode
+first; if that doesn't fix it, it may be the connection to the
+controller. You can follow the traces for the rows back to the middle,
+but the columns on the back of the board are obscured when the
+keyboard is assembled; you can see them in this PCB
+diagram\footnote{https://atreus.technomancy.us/pcb}.
+Re-melting the controller's solder joint for the affected row or
+column is usually enough to get it working, but in some cases you may
+need to reach under to get the joint that connects it to the PCB.
\vspace{1em}
-Before you place the rubber feet on the bottom plate near the corners,
-consider giving the outer case another coat or two of wax and allowing
-it to dry. Then close the case by placing the switch plate on top of
-the spacer and bottom plate, placing the top plate on it, and screwing
-it together with the nuts on top. If the controller was not attached
-close enough to the circuit board, it may be necessary to sand down
-the USB connector in order to close the case. If the rubber feet don't
-stay on with the provided adhesive, white glue may be needed to secure
-them.
+If there is room between the head of the USB cable and the place where
+the cable leaves the case, consider adding strain relief by wrapping
+the cable with electrical tape at the point just below where it leaves
+the case. This will make it so pulling on the cable does not dislodge
+it from the controller.
\vspace{1em}
-All that's left is to place the keycaps. The larger keycaps go on the
-middle thumb keys.
+After the switches are all in and tested, place the keycaps. They can
+take a fair bit of pressure to go on, so support the underside of the
+board while pushing them on. The larger keycaps go on the middle thumb
+keys.
\vspace{1em}
-Congratulations. Enjoy your new keyboard. It will take a considerable
-adjustment period to get used to it, but it should result in much more
-comfortable and effective typing. Also remember that you're encouraged
-to customize the layout to make it truly your own.
+All that's left is to do is close the case by placing the switch plate
+on top of the spacer and bottom plate, placing the top plate on it,
+and screwing it together with the nuts facing up. If the controller
+was not attached close enough to the circuit board, it may be
+necessary to sand down the USB connector in order to close the
+case. Before you place the rubber feet on the bottom plate near the
+corners, consider giving the outer case another coat or two of wax and
+allowing it to dry. If the rubber feet don't stay on with the provided
+adhesive, white glue may be needed to secure them.
\vspace{1em}
-Happy typing!
+Congratulations. Enjoy your new keyboard. It will take a
+considerable adjustment period to get used to it, but it should result
+in much more comfortable and effective typing. Also remember that
+you're encouraged to customize the layout to make it truly your
+own. Happy typing!
%% \noindent\makebox[\textwidth]{%
%% \includegraphics[width=\linewidth]{finished.jpg}}
projects / atreides.git / blobdiff