65% Keyboard PCB
Budget: $250 – $750 USD
I’m putting together a custom 65% mechanical keyboard and need a complete PCB schematic that brings a premium feature-set together in one tight design.
Core requirements
• Dual-mode connection: wired over USB-C plus Bluetooth 5.1 for low-latency wireless use.
• LED Lighting.
• Integrated battery-charging and power-management section so users can swap seamlessly between wired and wireless.
• A small on-board OLED display (think the status screen on the Apex Pro TKL 2023) that can show layer, battery, and custom messages.
• One rotary-encoder knob that can drive three separate actions:
– Volume control
– Lighting effects
– Macro commands (via firmware layer changes)
Layout & electronics
The schematic must follow a standard 65% staggered matrix, include ESD protection on the USB-C port, use a mainstream MCU compatible with QMK/VIA, and break out the pins needed for the OLED (I²C/SPI) and encoder cleanly. I’d also like clear labeling for RGB under-glow and per-key lighting headers so I can decide later whether to populate them.
Deliverables
• Editable schematic in KiCad or Altium (your choice)
• Accompanying BOM with manufacturer part numbers and footprints
• Netlist/annotations ready for quick PCB layout import
• Brief design notes highlighting any critical layout constraints (antenna keep-out, high-speed signals, battery routing, etc.)
Acceptance criteria
The schematic should compile without errors in the chosen EDA tool, reference parts that are currently available from major suppliers, and provide the pin mapping table needed to spin up QMK firmware quickly.
If you’ve designed compact keyboards or Bluetooth HID devices before, you’ll know exactly what pitfalls to avoid. Let me know the tool you prefer and any questions you have, and we can kick this off right away.
The case dimensions that will house the PCB is 362 mm (W) × 138 mm (D) × 19 mm front height / 34 mm rear height, ~30 mm internal depth for acoustics.
Core requirements
• Dual-mode connection: wired over USB-C plus Bluetooth 5.1 for low-latency wireless use.
• LED Lighting.
• Integrated battery-charging and power-management section so users can swap seamlessly between wired and wireless.
• A small on-board OLED display (think the status screen on the Apex Pro TKL 2023) that can show layer, battery, and custom messages.
• One rotary-encoder knob that can drive three separate actions:
– Volume control
– Lighting effects
– Macro commands (via firmware layer changes)
Layout & electronics
The schematic must follow a standard 65% staggered matrix, include ESD protection on the USB-C port, use a mainstream MCU compatible with QMK/VIA, and break out the pins needed for the OLED (I²C/SPI) and encoder cleanly. I’d also like clear labeling for RGB under-glow and per-key lighting headers so I can decide later whether to populate them.
Deliverables
• Editable schematic in KiCad or Altium (your choice)
• Accompanying BOM with manufacturer part numbers and footprints
• Netlist/annotations ready for quick PCB layout import
• Brief design notes highlighting any critical layout constraints (antenna keep-out, high-speed signals, battery routing, etc.)
Acceptance criteria
The schematic should compile without errors in the chosen EDA tool, reference parts that are currently available from major suppliers, and provide the pin mapping table needed to spin up QMK firmware quickly.
If you’ve designed compact keyboards or Bluetooth HID devices before, you’ll know exactly what pitfalls to avoid. Let me know the tool you prefer and any questions you have, and we can kick this off right away.
The case dimensions that will house the PCB is 362 mm (W) × 138 mm (D) × 19 mm front height / 34 mm rear height, ~30 mm internal depth for acoustics.