Step 1: HardwareArduinoI want to use a small Arduino board to keep this version as compact as possible. I have some pro trinkets, but they can't be used well for keyboard and mouse simulation because USB is not fully implemented on trinkets. For this project, I used adafruit's 5V 16mhz itsy Bitsy, which can use the standard hid library as a USB keyboard and mouse.


LeverThis is the type of joystick used in the game controller. They are two shafts and have a temporary switch when the lever is pushed in. They are easy to find online. If you only want to buy one, they can be between $4 and $10, but you can buy them in bulk on Amazon for about $11.Note that similar joysticks of adafruit and sparkfun have different pins from all the other pins you find on the Internet. Pay attention to it when you connect it.
On Arduino, this project uses A0 as the switch, A1 as the X axis and A2 as the Y axis. This leaves 19 other input pins for you to be creative.The joystick 5V comes from the 5V USB power supply (marked as this on itsy Bitsy). It has a ground - connected to the Arduino ground.Step 2: Software
The Arduino code is very simple. I've programmed some of the Lightroom keyboard shortcuts I use to rate pictures. Push the switch to switch between the magnifying glass ("e") and grid ("g") views. Moving the joystick left or right will go to the previous (left arrow) or next (right arrow) picture. The push rod adds a star ("[") upward and pushes down to remove the sign ("U"). (trust me, this makes sense for the way I rate images.) you can change the code to do anything.The main cycle first reads the switch status. If it changes from high to low, it switches and types' e 'or' g 'to switch between the loupe and grid views.
Next, the program maps the analog values of the joystick (0 to 1024) to different ranges (- 5 to 5). The code recognizes the / - value 5 as an operation to send characters, so you must move the joystick near the end of its range to send keyboard shortcuts. Then they must pass 0 to send another keystroke. The code to do this is very short, and I think it is very elegant. The real effect is that you have to consciously manipulate your action, and it won't accidentally emit the same keystroke flow (that's what my first version of code did).


You can use the analog values in the mouse library and joystick to control the cursor, scroll wheel, volume control or any other analog (ISH) function.Step 3: case, Part 1 - Design and cuttingThe bread board living on my desk just doesn't look cool and ergonomics are not ideal. It's time to design the case.
This will be an ideal project for 3D printing cases. I don't have a 3D printer, but I do have a laser cutting machine, so it looks like a laser cutting project now. This design took a night to design in Adobe Illustrator, including the use of many different concepts, such as simple rods, more organic shapes of hinges cut by laser, and square shapes.I began to put the bread board at different heights and angles, and decided that a 30 angle at a height of about 80 to 100 mm from the table was comfortable. The final design looks a bit like a small flight joystick, which feels very comfortable to hold.The original Adobe Illustrator files and DXF and PDF versions are listed below. (DXF and PDF have not been tested on the laser cutter.) the file also includes top and side views of the joystick for you to use when arranging your own project.
Two thicknesses of materials are used in this design. Everything except the top is 0.187 "practical" plywood from large local stores. A 2 'x 4' sheet is only about $8. The design uses 5mm as the thickness of. 187 "wood in the design, which is perfectly assembled. The top is 3mm plywood, which can provide additional clearance for the thumb grip on the joystick. This project also uses transparent acrylic resin.
Some notes on the benefits of prototyping: I first used cardboard for test cutting and assembly, which helped to find a design error. When I first cut the woodblock, I also found that the top plate was very fragile, so I redesigned the label to increase additional strength. I also found that the joystick touched the side of the case, so I made two modifications: I will It's better to move the bracket to the center position. I used 3mm wood instead of 5mm on the top. All these changes are included in the uploaded design file - just make sure the top is cut from the thinner wood.
Step 4: case, Part 2 - drawing and assemblyWith all the pieces cut, I made a final dry assembly and temporarily installed the joystick. Everything was fine, so I stuck all the pieces except the top. It was impossible to install the joystick after installing the top for later installation.The bottom right corner of the top will poke the bottom of my thumb, so I round it with the bottom four corners and polish it quickly.
If you like the laser cut look, or if you're made of acrylic, you're done! I want to use my desktop better. I painted it with a layer of black paint, and then painted it with a few layers of rust oleum forged hammered burned amber. I used this product on the decoration of the table, so it connects the various parts. I also like the metallic quality of this pigment I cover up the inside of the finger joint, the top fits, so the paint won't damage the fit.The lever and Arduino are connected with black wire and shrink tube to make it look clean, and the wire is cut to the correct length when installed.The lever is tightened on the center pillar. My screws are a little long, so I screw them through unused wood to shorten them and polish the tips with a bench sander. Arduino has no mounting holes, so it is hot glued in place.
After installing everything, I folded the top in place without bonding. It was tight enough to hold itself and was not structurally important.Step 5: completeThe completed project looks great on my desktop.

From membrane keyboards to mechanical keyboards, I believe that many people have used more than one keyboard. For players who pursue individuality, various mechanical keyboards seem to be the first choice, especially the super cool RGB mechanical keyboards. Keyboards are even more popular. Of course, players in today's mechanical keyboard market are no longer satisfied with directly choosing products, but like various customized mechanical keyboards, from hardware to software to meet their needs.



Recently, Xiaomi Youpin crowdfunding launched a Miwu customized mechanical keyboard BlackIO 98, the crowdfunding price is 799 yuan. In the current customized market, there are many mechanical keyboard products that cost thousands of yuan. Players who like customization are discouraged, and at the same time, the popularity of this type of mechanical keyboard is restricted to a certain extent, and this time Miwu's customized mechanical keyboard BlackIO 98 is indeed full of sincerity!


The appearance of this customized mechanical keyboard attracted me at first sight. The dark style design is different from the traditional mechanical keyboard products. People can't help but feel like tapping more.


Crystal clear, dreamy technology, I love this look


Miwu's customized mechanical keyboard BlackIO 98 adopts a 98-key design. Compared with the mainstream 104-key keyboard, the layout is a little more compact. There are no functional areas, editing areas, and number areas. The daily use feeling is also close to 104 keys. 1-bit keyboard, it is completely stress-free to use as a productivity keyboard.



The overall color scheme of BlackIO 98 should be dark purple to be precise, and the keycaps are transparent, so the low-key effect is still very comfortable to the individual, highlighting the high-end mysterious and full of black technology, which is properly cool.



And have you found that when the power is turned on, such a sense of transparency is even more mysterious, the sense of technology in the future is full, and the design of the keycaps is even better, crystal clear, and the characters on the keycaps are set off by the transparent keycaps. A sense of suspension, high-end, technology, and mysterious dream come together. At the same time, it reminds me of the kind of QQ candy that our children always like to eat. The whole keyboard design is round, transparent and comfortable to the touch, and the sense of recognition is very strong.




In terms of details, the left front of the front positioning board is the key position, QMK, VIA and other information, and the right side is the Miwu LOGO and other information.



Visually, the support frame of Miwu’s customized mechanical keyboard BlackIO 98 has two gear adjustments. This may be the first time I have used such a height-adjustable mechanical keyboard product. The height can be adjusted according to actual use, so that the wrist is in the The best action state, reducing the fatigue of the wrist typing for a long time.


From the appearance, does this Miwu customized mechanical keyboard BlackIO 98 impress you? I think there is no doubt about it; in addition to the high appearance value, many players also pay great attention to the feel of the mechanical keyboard. This new product is also very good in design and performance.


Gasket structure + full silicone sealing design, excellent hand feeling experience


Miwu’s customized mechanical keyboard BlackIO 98 adopts the Gasket structure, which is very popular at present. The advantage is that the overall structure has almost no screws, and the actual feel and key feedback are uniform and more comfortable. Compared with traditional mechanical keyboards, The sound is also purer. However, the Gasket structure has high requirements on the materials and processing technology of the positioning plate and the shell abrasive tool, and the cost is relatively high. This is also the reason why it is not popular enough at present, but for customized mechanical keyboards Said, isn't what we are after such an extremely personalized and high-end experience? With the full silicone sealing design of Miwu's customized mechanical keyboard BlackIO 98, it is bright and beautiful!




The switch body is MX jellyfish switch, which is permeable to tap and light. With the multi-mode RGB lighting effect, the light pollution is full and the effect is amazing. For players who like the cool feeling of light pollution, I love it!



The previous dynamic simply shows the cool RGB effect.



For a customized mechanical hard disk, we not only need to personalize the hardware, but also to personalize the software. The Miwu customized mechanical keyboard BlackIO 98 supports the development of QMK open source firmware, and also supports Support the configuration of VIA driver software, players can achieve their own satisfactory mechanical keyboard experience from lighting to feel according to their own needs.



Miwu’s customized mechanical keyboard BlackIO 98 is a three-mode mechanical keyboard that supports wired connection, 2.4G connection and Bluetooth connection. It has a built-in 4000mAh large-capacity battery. The official theory supports 200 hours of battery life. It supports charging while experiencing, and supports hot plugging. Pull out, it has everything that a mechanical keyboard should have. Generally speaking, after a few days of use, I have used the Miwu customized mechanical keyboard BlackIO 98 as the main mechanical keyboard. Indeed, it is very suitable for word workers and coders. Wait for the player to use it.


The author declares that there is interest in this article, please respect the author and the content shared, communicate friendly, and make rational decisions~

Most men, regardless of whether they are married or have children, should have games they like to play. Therefore, if you are considering buying a gift for your boyfriend or husband on Valentine's Day, a mechanical keyboard is really a good choice.


Today, I will share with you a few mechanical keyboards with good quality and low price that are worth choosing.


This Dareu EK815 green axis mechanical keyboard, as an entry-level mechanical keyboard, is really a very good choice.


First of all, the appearance of this keyboard is very good, with double-colored keycaps and 29 kinds of backlight effects, which are very cool when used. Then this keyboard has a 108-key conflict-free design, which can be operated as much as you want without worrying about conflicts. Finally, this keyboard has a crisp sound and a strong mechanical feel. It is a good choice for daily typing or playing games.



This Logitech K845 mechanical keyboard is also a mechanical keyboard with good quality and low price. It is also a mechanical keyboard that I am currently using.


The appearance of this mechanical keyboard is quite satisfactory, but there are 5 backlight modes to choose from. The keyboard also has three switch structures of red switch, green switch and brown switch for you to choose, just choose according to your own preferences. The price is only a little over 200, a big brand, trustworthy, really competitive at this price.



This entry-level cherry mechanical keyboard, with a price of more than 200 yuan, is really a very good red-axis mechanical keyboard.


This mechanical keyboard first uses the German original CHEey MX switch body, and various specifications can be matched and selected by yourself. Then this keyboard has a full keyboard with no punching design, so you can input with confidence. Then this keyboard also has a multi-function combination shortcut key setting function, which is very convenient for daily use.



You have more mechanical keyboards that are more cost-effective, so be sure to share them!

The Corsair K55 RGB PRO XT is a very good entry-level gaming keyboard. It's an updated version of the Corsair K55 RGB, with excellent build quality, extremely low latency, and great ergonomics, including a detachable wrist rest and a tilt setting. It features dedicated media and macro keys and companion software compatible with Windows and macOS. Unfortunately, the membrane keyboard feels average to type on, as all the keys vibrate significantly and feel rather heavy to press. It features RGB backlighting with individually lit keys, allowing you to customize the lighting on a per-key basis. It's very similar to the Corsair K55 RGB PRO, but it lacks individually lit keys, as it only has five customizable lighting zones, and doesn't support dynamic in-game lighting in some games via Corsair's iCUE software.


The Corsair K55 RGB PRO XT is an excellent gaming keyboard. However, its build quality is only adequate, and the membrane is fairly heavy to press and has a long pre-travel distance. It features extremely low latency, dedicated macro keys and companion software for customization. It also features RGB backlighting and individually customizable, individually lit keys.


The Corsair K55 RGB PRO XT is a purely wired keyboard, not intended for use with tablets or mobile devices.


The Corsair K55 RGB PRO XT is ready for office use. It has very quiet membrane keys and good ergonomics, with a removable wrist rest and a tilt setting. But typing quality is average, as all the keys visibly wobble, the pre-travel is fairly high, and they feel heavy to actuate.


Corsair K55 RGB PRO XT is suitable for programming. The membrane keyboard feels average. Has a good ergonomic design with a detachable wrist rest and a tilt setting. It has RGB backlighting and individually lit keys that you can customize on a per-key basis. There are also six dedicated macro keys, all of which are macro-programmable, and the companion software is compatible with Windows and macOS.


The Corsair K55 RGB PRO XT is not intended for home theater PC use. It's a wired keyboard with no wireless connectivity option, and there's no trackpad, so you'll likely need to use a mouse to navigate menus. On the other hand, it has dedicated media keys and RGB backlighting with individually lit keys.