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readme.md

ergodox-firmware: Firmware for the ErgoDox keyboard

Also see the [geekhack] (http://geekhack.org/showthread.php?22780-Interest-Check-Custom-split-ergo-keyboard) and [deskthority] (http://deskthority.net/workshop-f7/split-ergonomic-keyboard-project-t1753.html) discussion threads.

About this File

If you're viewing this on github, please note that directory links will only work if you're viewing this from the directory, and file links will only work if you're viewing this as a file. This is true for all the '.md' files here. The limitation is due to the way github addresses directories and files, and the fact that Markdown doesn't have any way (that I know of) to rewrite the URLs as would be required.

Features (on the ErgoDox)

  • 6KRO
  • Teensy 2.0, MCP23018 I/O expander
  • ~167 Hz scan rate (last time I measured it) (most of which is spent communicating via I²C)
  • firmware level layers

About this Project

This project is still definitely a work in progress, but it's getting towards something I'll be happy with when the keyboard finally goes into group buy. The 'master' branch should always contain the most recent "stable" release of the code. The 'dev' branch may have new things, but it may also have expiremental or not yet fixed things. Code on the 'master' branch should also tend to be more thoroughly tested. Please see the source (and especially the accompanying '.md' files) for documentation. And [references.md] (references.md) contains lots of good links, along with descriptions.

If you're just trying to compile, jump to the bottom of the file and read the [Dependencies] (#dependencies-for-building-from-source) section. Once that's taken care of, navigate to the [src] (src) directory (not the toplevel directory), compile using Make, and fire up your teensy loader to transfer the '.hex' file. Just to be safe, you should also check the '.eep' file. If it's larger than 0 bytes, you need to load it too.

Open issues, feature requests, and such are tracked [on github] (/benblazak/ergodox-firmware/issues).

About this Project (more technical)

If you're looking to hack on the source, or just feel like reading it:

  • The [makefile] (./makefile) and [build-scripts] (./build-scripts) folder in the toplevel directory are for building the collection of files that are posted on the [downloads] (https://github.com/benblazak/ergodox-firmware/downloads) page. They are not guaranteed to work on non-Unix systems, and may be more hackish than the stuff in [src] (./src). They help me out though.
  • [src/lib] (src/lib) is for generally useful stuff relating to the firmware. [src/lib-other] (src/lib-other) is for generally useful stuff that I didn't write myself. The TWI and USB libraries are in there, along with the files containing key press and release functions.
  • [src/keyboard] (src/keyboard) is for keyboard specific stuff. All the chip initialization code is there, along with the layout files, the software matrix to hardware matrix mapping, and hardware specific documentation.
  • [src/main.c] (src/main.c) ties it all together, and provides a few higher level functions that are useful in the key press and release functions.

A few concepts that might be different:

  • The layer stack

    When activated, layers are pushed onto the top of a stack. When deactivated, layers are popped out from wherever they are in the stack. Layers may be active in the stack more than once. When a keypress occures, the top layer is used to determine what actions to take.

  • Keypresses are functions

    Each time a key is pressed, the "press" function assigned to that key on the current layer is called. When the key is released, the "release" function (from the same layer the key was on when it was pressed) is called. These functions may do pretty much anything - from sending multiple different keypresses to the host, to changing the firmware state in some way, to activating a new layer. They may also be "transparent", i.e. execute the function assigned to the key on the layer one down from the top layer (allowing for layers that are effectively "masks" over whatever layer was active before them).

HowTo

These instructions (or notes, rather) are meant for people who's googling skills and patience are directly proportional to the amount of C programming they don't already know :) . I've done my best to organize and comment things though, so I hope that just about anyone who manages to find their way all the way here will be able to figure out a good deal from context.

Change the Direction of the Diodes

That is, how to change whether the rows or the columns are being driven. This can be done for each side of the keyboard separately.

  • See [src/keyboard/ergodox/options.h] (src/keyboard/ergodox/options.h)

Create a New Keymap

  • Files to reference:

    • Keycode macros: see the file [src/lib/usb/usage-page/keyboard--short-names.h] (src/lib/usb/usage-page/keyboard--short-names.h).
      • See [keyboard.h] (src/lib/usb/usage-page/keyboard.h) for the actual values, with references to the specification.
    • Keyboard functions: see all files in the folder [src/lib/key-functions/public] (src/lib/key-functions/public).
    • Template layout files: see the QWERTY keymap source files in the folder [src/keyboard/ergodox/layout] (src/keyboard/ergodox/layout)
      • Currently [qwerty-kinesis-mod.c] (src/keyboard/ergodox/layout/qwerty-kinesis-mod.c) and [qwerty-kinesis-mod.h] (src/keyboard/ergodox/layout/qwerty-kinesis-mod.h)).
      • You'll probably want to make a copy of each to use as a template.
  • You will need to set the LAYOUT variable in [src/makefile-options] (src/makefile-options) to the base name of your new layout files before you recompile. ('.h' files may be called what you wish, but '.c' files must all have the same prefix (i.e. "base name") or they won't be compiled).

  • Among other things, the '.h' layout file defines the macros that control the meaning of each of the LEDs on the keyboard (capslock, etc.). They may be changed freely (or removed, to disable that LED).

  • The '.c' layout file defines the values (keycode|value, press function, release function) assigned to each key, for each layer.

    • If a "press" function is set to NULL for a given layer, nothing will be called when the key is pressed on that layer. Likewise for "release" functions. If both are set to NULL, nothing will happen when the key is pressed in either event, so it doesn't matter what the keycode|value is for that layer - but you should probably pick something like 0 and stick to it, just for clarity.
    • The default number of layers is 10 (defined in [default--matrix-control.h] (src/keyboard/ergodox/layout/default--matrix-control.h) - you can override it in the layout's '.h' file, if you like). You don't have to define all of them in the '.c' layout file, just the ones you want (C sets the uninitialized portions of the matrices to 0).
    • Make sure that in layer-0 nothing is transparent (see [About this Project (more technical)] (#about-this-project-more-technical). Behavior is undefined if this occurs (off the top of my head, it'll probably cause an infinite loop - and you'll have to reset your keyboard (unplug it and plug it in again)).
    • Be careful how you assign things. Pay close attention to the possible combinations of keypresses that could occur. It's perfectly possible, for example, to make a layout that can shift to layer 2 (or some layer that doesn't even exist) and can't shift back, or that fails to tell the host when keys are released. It's fairly unlikely that anything bad will happen if you mess up (though you could theoretically generate a sequence of keypresses that accidentally do very bad things on your machine), but it's important to have the possibility in mind. Please consider yourself warned :) .

Add Code for a Different Type of Keyboard

  • All the function prototypes and macro definitions required by the rest of the code should be in the following files (using the ergodox code as an example):

    • [controller.h] (src/keyboard/ergodox/controller.h)
    • [layout.h] (src/keyboard/ergodox/layout.h) (which in the ergodox code only exists to include [layout/default--led-control.h] (src/keyboard/ergodox/layout/default--led-control.h) and [layout/default--matrix-control.h] (src/keyboard/ergodox/layout/default--matrix-control.h))
    • [matrix.h] (src/keyboard/ergodox/matrix.h)
  • (In broad terms, you'll need to define functions that initialize and update the matrix, LED control macros, macros defining matrix dimensions, and keycode | key-lookup macros (or functions).)

  • You will need to set the KEYBOARD variable in [src/makefile-options] (src/makefile-options) to the name of your new keyboard folder before you recompile. You may also wish to change some of the other options in that file.

  • The '.h' files listed above must exist, with those names, in the toplevel of your keyboard's directory (e.g. in src/keyboard/new-keyboard-name). They may include other '.h' files if you wish to put various definitions or prototypes in other places. They will be included (with the help of some handy macros) in the corresponding files in [src/keyboard] (src/keyboard), which are in turn the files included by "main" and the keyboard functions.

  • If you change the way things are included, be careful for circular includes. "main", the keyboard functions, and the keyboard code all need various parts of each other.

  • Make sure to keep your eye on the SRC variable in [src/makefile] (src/makefile), to make sure all your '.c' files are getting compiled.

Dependencies (for building from source)

  • See the PJRC [Getting Started] (http://pjrc.com/teensy/first_use.html) page for instructions on how to set up an AVR programming environment (be sure to click through all the subsections (in the navigation bar on the left), as there is essential information in each one). This project uses C (not Arduino), and Make. I'm compiling with GNU tools under OS X, but other environments (especially Linux, appropriately set up, or [WinAVR] (http://winavr.sourceforge.net/) under Windows) should work too.

  • I also assume that you are using [git] (http://git-scm.com/) (for make clean).


Copyright © 2012 Ben Blazak benblazak.dev@gmail.com
Released under The MIT License (MIT) (see "license.md")
Project located at https://github.com/benblazak/ergodox-firmware