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

All the tutorial example sketches run on breadboard keyboards that have 2 to 8 keys. Breadboard keyboards have row-column matrices and diodes just like the big keyboards.

A breadboard is the easiest way to learn keyboard electronics. Electronics are fickle, and you won’t get everything right the first time. There is a learning curve. Compared to PCBs, breadboard keyboards are easier to learn on because:

• Mistakes are easily corrected; no soldering and desoldering
• Parts can be reused in many different configurations
• A small keyboard is easier to trouble shoot

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

Breadboard keyboard starter kit

The parts needed to build all the tutorial Breadboard Keyboards are listed in breadboard_keyboard_supplies.ods.

Wire cutters (or nail clipper) is the only required tool. A multi-meter is useful for trouble shooting.

How a breadboard works

To understand the breadboard keyboard you will need to know the internal parts of a breadboard:

• power rail
• terminal strip

These are explained in How to Use a Breadboard

How a keyboard matrix works

This excellent article explains how the microcontroller, matrix, switches and diodes work together: How a Key Matrix Work

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:

1. 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
2. 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
3. Insert jumper wires connecting Teensy2 to the matrix rows and columns.
   • follow pin connections table (below) and consult pinout diagram in Teensy2_pinout.txt

todo add a schematic

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.

Bigger breadboard keyboards

Sometimes its useful to prototype a full keyboard matrix before designing the PCB. Several breadboards can be tied together into one.

keybrd tutorial by Wolfram Volpi is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at https://github.com/wolfv6/keybrd/issues/new.