As the most direct interface between computer as well as programmer, keyboards can be a deeply personal, in some cases practically religious thing. Some discover solace in their vintage IBM design M, or elegant leather keyboard, but maker [Carol Chen] took things into her own hands, rather literally. [Carol]’s maker Faire display has a half lots specimens of fascinating commercial tactile as well as ergonomic options…but [Chen]’s personal keyboard, where she commits to her work as a full-time coder, has been made to her own exacting specifications.
Cherry switches are offered in different colors corresponding to diverse tactile feels. These can either be scrounged from existing keyboards (as [Chen] does for the essential caps), or vendors such as Digi-Key can source the different colors if you want customized pressure for every finger (as on some industrial ergonomic models). A laser-cut acrylic backing plate holds the essential switches in place, while wiring was soldered in point-to-point fashion rather than etching a PCB. Custom-fabbing the keyboard enables [Chen] to tailor the design to her vim-heavy coding style. note the miniature area bar, as well as curious placement of modifier as well as macro secrets around the periphery. A YouTube video shows an earlier iteration of the keyboard in action: