tutorial_1_breadboard_keyboard.md 3.8KB
Tutorial 1 - breadboard keyboard
When you finish this tutorial you will have a working keyboard and understand how a key matrix works.
Why a breadboard keyboard is useful
A breadboard is the easiest way to learn keyboard electronics. Electronics are fickle, you won’t get everything right the first time, there is a learning curve. Breadboards make the learning electronics faster and fun.
Breadboard keyboards have row-column matrices and diodes just like the big keyboards. Compared to full size keyboards on PCBs, breadboard keyboards are easier to learn on because:
- Parts can be reused in many different configurations
- A small keyboard is easier to trouble shoot
- Mistakes are easily corrected because no desoldering
Breadboard keyboards are useful for:
- learning keyboard electronics - diodes, micro controllers, I/O expanders
- learning the firmware development workflow
- prototyping circuits before making a PCB
- testing firmware concepts before building the keyboard hardware
How a breadboard works
To understand the breadboard keyboard you will need to know the internal parts of a breadboard:
- terminal strip
- power rail
These are explained in How to Use a Breadboard
Breadboard keyboard starter kit
The parts needed to build all the Breadboard Keyboards in the keybrd tutorials are listed in breadboard_keyboard_supplies.ods.
Wire cutters (or nail clippers) is the only required tool. A multi-meter is useful for trouble shooting.
Building a basic breadboard keyboard
The basic breadboard has 4 switches and a microcontroller.
The key matrix has two rows and two columns. Breadboard power rails are repurposed as matrix rows. Short bare wires connect terminal strips into matrix columns. Switch-diode pairs connect rows to columns.
The green rectangle on the right is the Teensy 2.0 microcontroller. The matrix rows and columns connect to the microcontroller via jumper wires.
Breadboard keyboard assembly instructions:
- Cut leads to length.
- tactile-switch-lead length 6 to 8 mm
- diodes 22 to 24 mm total end-to-end length, and save the cut offs for steps 2 and 3
- Insert parts into the breadboard as shown in the picture.
- diode cut offs connect terminal strips into columns
- diodes are orient with cathode (banded end) towards the row (power strip)
- switches connect diode to columns
- Insert jumper wires connecting Teensy2 to the matrix rows and columns.
- follow pin connections table (below) and consult pinout diagram in Teensy2_pinout.txt
Teensy 2.0 pin connections table
| Pin number | Row Column |
|---|---|
| 21 | row_0 |
| 20 | row_1 |
| 0 | col_0 |
| 1 | col_1 |
Compiling and loading the keyboard firmware
Follow the keybrd Library User’s Guide to set up the Arduino environment and to compile and load keybrd firmware onto the keyboard’s controller.
How a keyboard matrix works
Now that you have built your first breadboard keyboard, you can dig in and learn how it actually works. This excellent article explains how the microcontroller, matrix, switches and diodes work together: How a Key Matrix Work
Bigger breadboard keyboards
Sometimes its useful to prototype a full keyboard matrix before designing the PCB. Several breadboards can be tied together into one.
