IrisEvo

thingiverse

I've been using a Keeb.io Iris v2 for a year or so and loved every minute of it. Then I got my hands on a BD9, which lived between the two halves of the Iris (used this mostly for Tmux macros). I eventually created a 3D printed tent setup that was incredibly comfortable. This setup was very usable, but I got tired of the two split halves moving relative to each other and also wanted a single USB cable. Also my tenting angle was close to what I wanted, but not quite perfect for me. This IrisEvo is a hand wired Iris + BD9 in concept, all on one Proton C. I also modeled and 3D printed the case, using the Iris and BD9 for layout. Switches are Gateron Browns that perform flawlessly. - I designed this in Fusion 360, starting with the Iris plate outlines to get the switch layout just right. Then I tented and sorta tried to make it into a usable shape. I just added the middle section, which I tried to make look consistent with the sides. The middle layout is a little unconventional, but it works well enough for me and I love the look. It's definitely not meant for touch typing, but that's okay. All tented based on my previous tinkering with screws and such on my old Iris. I learned a lot from those experiments and applied them to this project. - Electronics - It's just a Proton C handwire job that required some serious expertise. I modified the Wulkan project in the QMK repo to change the layout, add macros. I found this page had lots of valuable information on the electronics side of things. I made a proper mounting tab for the Proton C and tried to wire it so I could unscrew the Proton C and access the keys under it, if ever needed. - Handwiring was a ton of work, but not rocket science by any means. I did waste many hours troubleshooting only to find out that the Proton C has the pinout from the backside, where I was thinking it was from the front side. It says it clearly on the pinout, but I just wasn't seeing it at first. Honestly, that one problem was more than 50% of my wiring and general electronics time spent. I used 30 ga wire wrap wire because I had it laying around. I used drops of super glue to keep the bundles of wires neat and organized. Lots of good inspiration for handwiring can be found here. - 3D printing was a process that required patience and attention to detail. I probably made 5 versions of this until I was happy with the exact details. The last unused version I used for practice sanding. I wet sanded 120 - 1200 to get a nice silky feel. I didn't get absolutely every nook and cranny perfect, but it's good enough. - Cable management is key when working on a project like this. It's a netdot gen10 magnetic cable from Amazon that makes it easy to yank your cable out without damage and passes data well enough for a keyboard. - Key labeling can be a challenge, especially when you're used to touch typing like I am. I've been using my macro layout so long on my old setup, I don't bother to try to label the keys correctly anymore - all touch typing at this point. I do think that if I ever took 6 mos off of this keyboard, I could never remember all the macros. - Desk stability is crucial when working with a keyboard like this one. I left some cavities to super glue orings to give it some grip on the desk. It's not sticky, but doesn't really move around during normal use.