So, I'm designing a system to produce 1:4 scale keyboards that are as close as possible to the look, feel, and sound of the full scale originals. The first version will be used in miniature VT100 terminals and I hope to reuse much of the work for other designs and scales.
This is the head of a threadlog about my process, goals, mistakes, and progress. #miniature#keebs#retrocomputing#vt100
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My process usually starts with months of daydreaming about the end result, identifying aspects that are essential, and futzing around with tools, materials, and processes that might be involved. For this keyboard project I spent time with a variety of retro keyboards to feel out what motion, tactility, and production tricks I could use. I work alone in a small workshop so there are many constraints to consider.
I completed this stage last week.
I'm currently in the stage where I sketch on paper, make lists of parts and open questions (AKA stuff I don't know how to do) and run small experiments like hand building a single key assembly to check tolerances, resin and adhesive curing times, as well as potentially part-scraping steps. I expect to be here for at least a few weeks. The goal is to have the information I need for the next step: making a look and feel prototype with a production plan and schedule.
One nice aspect of starting with the VT100 is the large number of people who have shared information about it. Check out this amazing teardown! https://www.oldcomputr.com/digital-vt100-1978/
If I do end up making this in 1:4 scale then this green block shows the relative size of a Raspberry Pi 4. In other words, you'd be able to fit a variety of SBCs inside.
A bit of progress on the #VT100. Now that I've held a test print in my hand I'm even more pumped about the project. That said, I expect the main case to be easy compared to the work of making the keyboard function. On that front, for the first prototype my current plan is to use an Adafruit Kee Boar (https://www.adafruit.com/product/5302) with a PCB I design to hold the switches. If it works as expected then the connection to the main case can be a short coiled USB-C cable. #retrocomputing
4.75mm key spacing is spicy! My index finger is 20mm wide so hunt and peck typing won't work unless I implement some of the touch UI tricks like waiting for a cluster of switch events and then filtering out all but the most centrally positioned switch. So, my big finger would mash fghvt but the keyboard would only send g since it's the center switch. #vt100#keebs
I like to leave test prints around the house so that I catch them out of the corner of my eye which lets me see them with a less familiar vision. Making a thing in CAD tends to distort what I can see of it. #vt100
@trevorflowers In CAD, 1000 feet may as well be 0.01mm. It’s easy to lose a sense of scale when modeling sometimes. For a lot of my work, I insert a 6ft tall human model into my layouts to see how crazy (or not) something is.
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