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[Show Lemmy] I got tired of TRRS cables, so I built a 420g CNC aluminum, truly wireless split keyboard

6 months ago by edantusi to c/ergomechkeyboards

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Hey Fediverse,

I’ve been a long-time fan of split keyboards, but I always hated two things: the annoying bridge cables (TRRS) between the halves, and the bulky 3D-printed/acrylic cases if you wanted to go wireless.

I wanted a clean, zero-cable desk setup but with the premium feel of a custom CNC mechanical board. So, I spent the last few months developing this project: Elytra.

Here are the specs I managed to hit:

100% Truly Wireless: Powered by ZMK. No wires to the PC, no wires between the halves.

Ultralight CNC Aluminum: To keep it travel-friendly, we applied a biomimetic cutout design on the underside. The whole full-metal chassis weighs only 420g (0.93 lbs).

Low Profile: Designed for better posture without needing massive wrist rests.

I just got the website up and running for early pre-orders: https://elimkeys.com/

I'm currently working with my manufacturing partner to refine the hardware tolerances and tweaking the ZMK firmware. Since this community knows ergonomic boards better than anyone, I would absolutely love your raw feedback on the layout, design, or any questions about the manufacturing process.

Cheers!

halfdane 3 points 6 months ago

Wow, looks awesome! Although I'm more of a columnar stagger kind of guy (and handwiring), I can appreciate the amount of work you must've put into this!

Do you have a plastic cutout around the antenna, or how do you prevent isolation by aluminum?

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edantusi 1 point 6 months ago

Thanks! Yeah, a lot of work went into this one. Good question about the antenna — the RF module position was specifically designed from the start to account for the aluminum enclosure. We optimized the antenna placement so the aluminum body doesn't interfere with the wireless signal, so no plastic cutouts needed. The signal goes right through fine.

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gid 2 points 6 months ago

This looks really cool!

Does this mean that both halves need charging?

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edantusi 1 point 6 months ago

Thanks! Yes, both halves charge independently via USB-C. But in practice, you'll mostly just be charging the left half — it lasts about 3 weeks on a charge. The right half barely drains, maybe once every 2 months. So it's not as much of a faff as it sounds 😄

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Ergonomic, split and other weird keyboards

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