\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 Machine screws and nuts (8 each, 16mm M3 size)
\item Key caps (40 normal, 2 long)
\begin{itemize}
\item Soldering iron and solder
\item Wire cutters
+\item Tape (masking tape works well)
\item Brush for applying finishing wax (a toothbrush will do)
\item Optional: ``helping hands'' stand
\end{itemize}
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 have an earlier hand-wired kit, see
+the older assembly
guide.\footnote{http://atreus.technomancy.us/assembly-hand-wired.pdf}
+The photos in this guide depict Cherry MX switches, but some kits ship
+with Matias switches instead, which have a clear housing. The assembly
+steps are the same in either case.
-\section{Sanding Case}
+\section{Sanding}
-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.
-
-\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]{%
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.
-
-\section{Oiling Case}
-
-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.
+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}
+
+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 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.
+
+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.
\vspace{1em}
\noindent\makebox[\textwidth]{%
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
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, bend the legs of the diodes outwards to
+hold them in place, then flip the board over and solder them in place.
\vspace{1em}
\noindent\makebox[\textwidth]{%
\includegraphics[width=\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
\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.
+Take four trimmed diode legs and bend them into an L shape. Hold the
+controller upside down and insert the diode legs into the holes at the
+corners, fixing them in place with tape. Try to get them to point straight.
\vspace{1em}
\noindent\makebox[\textwidth]{%
- \includegraphics[width=\linewidth]{controller-legs.jpg}}
+ \includegraphics[width=\linewidth]{taped-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.
+Insert the legs into the circuit board. The port for the USB cable
+should fit into the circuit board's notch in the middle. Solder the
+diode legs into the circuit board and trim them. Then flip the whole
+thing over, remove the tape, and solder them into the controller on
+the other side, trying to ensure the controller is as close to the
+board as possible.
\vspace{1em}
\noindent\makebox[\textwidth]{%
- \includegraphics[width=0.5\linewidth]{insert-pin.jpg}}
+ \includegraphics[width=\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.
+Now that the controller is secured in place, bend some more diode legs
+and put them in the other holes in the circuit board. You can do this
+one side at a time. Use the same method of taping the bent ends in
+place, flipping, and soldering the other side in place before going
+back to solder the bent side. Trim as you go. Be sure to fill all the
+``A-STAR'' holes in the circuit board.
\vspace{1em}
-\noindent\makebox[\textwidth]{%
- \includegraphics[width=\linewidth]{seated.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
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.
+controller and its connections.
\section{Switches}
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.
+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 fit into the holes in the circuit board. Put the
+switch plate face-down on the table with the pins sticking
+up. Carefully fit the circuit board over the protruding pins, trying
+to get the pins to push as far through the circuit board as you can.
+Solder those corners 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.
\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. Fill in the
-rest of the bottom row with your primary switch type, and then fill in
-the leftmost column as well.
+If your kit has five linear switches (non-tactile, usually red), you
+can choose to use these for the modifiers or to leave the modifiers as
+normal tactile 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.
+
+\vspace{1em}
+
+If you decide to use the linear switches, place them 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. Fill in the rest of the bottom
+row with your primary switch type, and then fill in the leftmost
+column as well. Note that the center two switches are oriented
+sideways. The pins on them may need to be bent outwards a bit to get
+them to fit into the circuit board.
\vspace{1em}
\noindent\makebox[\textwidth]{%
\section{Firmware}
-You now have enough switches installed to test every pin on the
+With a full row and a full column installed you now have enough
+switches installed to test every pin on the
microcontroller. Installing the firmware will allow you to spot
mistakes before the board is fully completed. Once all the switches
are in place it's a lot of work to go back and fix connections on 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.
+firmware readme\footnote{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-built
+ firmware with the default layout}. 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 left-hand side of the controller when the keyboard
+is facing down.) Touch them together twice in under a second and the
+LED will begin pulsing in a different pattern from the original
+blinking. This indicates it has entered the bootloader for 8 seconds.
\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
+While in the bootloader, type \texttt{make upload USB=/path/to/usb}
+from the firmware directory. The firmware should be
+uploaded\footnote{See the firmware readme for instructions about
+ determining the USB argument and 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.
+pins together.) Now would be a good time to test each switch that's
+been placed so far.
\section{Wrapping Up}
+If all the switches are registering key presses on your computer,
+finish soldering the rest of the switches in.
+
+\vspace{1em}
+
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
first; if that doesn't fix it, it may be 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 controller pin's solder
-for the affected row or column is usually enough to get it
-working. First try the exposed solder on the big circuit board; if that
-doesn't fix it you may need to desolder some switches to get to the
-pins on the controller itself.
+the four rows, top to bottom.
\vspace{1em}
-If all the switches are registering key presses on your computer,
-finish soldering the rest of the switches in.
+Re-melting the controller pin's solder for the affected row or column
+is usually enough to get it working. First try the melting exposed
+solder on the big circuit board; if that doesn't fix it you may need
+to desolder some switches to get to the pins on the controller
+itself. It's possible to remove switches using only your soldering
+iron, but getting a desoldering pump is much more effective.
\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.
+After the switches are all in and tested, 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}
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.
-
-\vspace{1em}
-
-Happy typing!
+to customize the layout to make it truly your own. Happy typing!
%% \noindent\makebox[\textwidth]{%
%% \includegraphics[width=\linewidth]{finished.jpg}}
projects / atreides.git / commitdiff
