After finishing my swiping app I ventured into hardware design. Tinkering with an old Arduino set, which included a lot of sensors, at home, I decided to let JLCPCB manufacture my first hardware device. My plan was to design a USB dongle which would act as an intermediary between my keyboard and PC. I’m using the Dvorak layout for typing. Tired of constantly changing the default settings in Windows and other operating systems, I decided it was time for a hardware solution. It proved to be quite simple to design a PCB in easyEDA including two USB jacks and a microcontroller flashed with custom firmware, which enables me to translate keystrokes in realtime. The HID standard makes it possible, plus the microcontroller also has basically unlimited macro capabilities, which I will look into in the future. Maybe I will also design my own custom keyboard some day. I looked into 3D printing and product design because my chip would also need a nice case. This lead to me studying FreeCad and KiCad. It is truly amazing what a single person with a little knowledge in electrical engineering and computer science can produce in a couple of weeks, with just internet access, a little money and simple tools.

Last modified on 2023-06-12