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First full test fit!

A project log for Dactyl Lynx

The Dactyl Lynx is a parameterized, split-hand, concave, columnar, ergonomic keyboard - a fork/rewrite of the original Dactyl keyboard.

david-h-bronkeDavid H. Bronke 01/29/2024 at 13:040 Comments

I'm suddenly much closer to having a finished keyboard!

I finally got my thumb cluster printed and went through an iteration of adjustment to make sure that it's comfortable to type on. That ended up with a structure solid enough that I didn't even need the two feet I originally planned to add to the thumb cluster.

I'm pretty happy with this overall, and it gives me a point to attach accessories...

I then figured it was time to print the other side, but I've always wanted to add a small LCD to the left side to display the current layer's layout as a quick reference. (otherwise I always forget half of my more interesting mappings)

Once I finally got around to modeling that and printing the results, I was very happy with the parts, and I immediately got to work cleaning the prints and assembling the left side of the keyboard as a test fit... and then I noticed that I ran out of both keyswitches and hotswap sockets. Here's what I was able to actually finish:

Other than the missing keys, I'm really happy with it! The LCD is in a good position overall (though I'll probably reprint the part at a steeper angle so it's out of the way of the USB-C cable) and everything fits together pretty well. Here's another shot of the whole keyboard in its current state (still just a test fit, because I have yet to take the time to solder the left half and the thumb clusters):


Once I finish wiring the rest of the keyboard and get the software updated to drive the LCD, the next feature will be an integrated pointing device. I'm really excited to work on this - it's a combination I haven't seen anyone else do yet!

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