Want a Split Keyboard? Just Cut Yours in Half—Literally
Want to hop on the split keyboard bandwagon? No need to buy an expensive keyboard, just cut any old keyboard in half.
Split keyboards are really hot right now and they purport to offer ergonomic bliss. But do you really want to go out and buy yet another keyboard? Probably not. Luckily, you don’t have to. It turns out that you can literally just cut your keyboard in half to make a split keyboard, as demonstrated by Nomolk.
The split keyboard bandwagon is rapidly gaining traction because it allows for a more ergonomic experience while also making use of standardized components, such as Cherry MX mechanical key switches and all of the compatible key caps. Traditional ergonomic keyboards, like Microsoft’s classic Natural models, require a lot of custom injection molding and that becomes prohibitively expensive unless you’re manufacturing in huge quantities. Split keyboards can be ergonomic, but also relatively affordable when manufactured in small quantities or even for one-off DIY builds.
In this silly video, Nomolk shows that even that is unnecessary, because you can just cut any old keyboard in half to get a split keyboard.
To understand why that works, you need to know how keyboard circuits operate. Instead of a running a pair of wires to each key switch, keyboard manufacturers use a matrix circuit. That has a set of columns and a set of rows. Each key switch sits at the intersection of one row and one column. By applying voltage to one row and then checking each column for that voltage, you can find the pressed key. Do that really quickly many times per second and you can scan the entire keyboard using just a few pins on a microcontroller or keyboard-specific IC.
To split a keyboard in half, Nomolk just had to reform the broken connections for that matrix. That is still a lot of connections, but it was manageable with a lot of patience. Nomolk would simply find a trace on the PCB, expose the copper, solder a wire, and then identify the same trace on the other half of the keyboard to do the same on that side.
We don’t recommend you do this unless you have way more time than money or you just really want to chop something in half, but it is still fun to see.
