7thboss

[7thboss]

QMK Projects

Hello QMK Community,

I've been an amateur mechanical keyboard user for years and an even more amateur electrician for even longer. I had learned about the existence of a Dactyl Manuform keyboard and had to make one for myself. With a few trials and helpful guides I eventually made two pairs, one for work and one for home. I named them Enki and Namma after the Sumerian creation gods. They were made with Gatreon Green and Kaith White switches respectively.

Pictured: Wiring process top, Enki left, Namma right

I even went so far to make my own keyboard layout combining the "Workman" layout and the "M-system" layout to make a keyboard optimized for English and Japanese typing.

Pictured: Workman / M-system Hybrid Layout

All of these projects above would not be possible without QMK (Quantum Mechanical Keyboard) an open source firmware used in hobbyist mechanical keyboards. Despite all of that, QMK currently has no support for my next ambitions. There are two primary features I am looking for: -Analog Hall Effect Switches -PS/2 Support

The first feature I would like to implement is analog hall effect switch support. Hall effect switches are switches that utilize the "Hall effect". Basically, they are a sensor that can detect when a magnet is moving over them. In keyboards, this means you can create a switch that is literally just a magnet on a spring. This simplicity makes the switch very durable. These switches can even be analog meaning they can detect the intensity of a key press and be adjusted in software. The one downside for most consumers is that they are only offered as linear switches, in other words, switches with little or no click. Personally, this is not a downside because I'm looking to move to linear switches anyway.

Pictured: Hall effect sensor left, Hall effect process right

Hall effect switches already have support to a certain extent. Hall effect sensors can be digital instead of analog, meaning the switch can be used as a normal switch plugged in the normal way. I see this as wasted potential and will not be using these for my project. Only one analog Hall effect QMK keyboard exists to my knowledge, the Keychron Q1 HE. I do not intend to buy this keyboard but may reach out to Keychron to see how they pulled this off.

Pictured: Keychron Q1 HE

The second feature I want to implement is PS/2 support. I imagine very few of you know what I'm talking about, some of you think I'm trying to make a keyboard compatible with a 25 year old games console, and the ones who do know what I'm talking about probably think I'm crazy.

Pictured: PS/2 Port

Above is a PS/2 port, a standard introduced by IBM in 1987. Now I suspect the entire audience is on the same page of thinking I am nuts. Hear me out, there is a reason you can still find computer's made with this port today. When using this port with a keyboard or mouse, the device interfaces directly with the hardware of the machine. USB devices have a polling rate, they effectively send their data by waiting for the bus. With a PS/2 port, there is no waiting so the speed of data is dramatically increased. There are several other features exclusive to PS/2 but the latency decrease is my primary objective

Pictured: Passive PS/2 Adapter

Some of you may find a device like the one pictured above and think there is no need for this direct support, you can just plug the keyboard into this adapter and it will just work. You are wrong. Only certain keyboards play well with these adapters. There is a protocol built into a normal keyboard's firmware that can detect if it's plugged into an adapter like this. This protocol does not currently exist in QMK to my knowledge. My intention is to introduce this protocol into QMK's firmware for use with these passive adapters. This way, I don't need to introduce a new port to my existing keyboards or get PS/2 wires and plugs.

I'm intending to make another two keyboards with both of these new features named Gilgamesh and Enkidu because what good is a theme if you don't stick to it? I'll post updates as I continue along this journey and hope you are interested in how this project develops. If you have any insights or knowledge please feel free to reach out.

[7thboss]

I think I'm realizing with One Piece that every member of the straw hats would be a side character in any other story. Pretty much all of them are weak and or morons who barely scrape through every encounter they adventure on. It's like if Forest Gump was an anime.

[7thboss]

A Thought on the Super Powered Evil Side

I honestly want to see a story where the evil side just fully takes over, no redemption, no coming back with friendship. The bad guy is defeated, long live the bad guy. There are several angles your could do with this:

-The evil side is part of the former hero's bloodline so if any of the cast are related to the hero that makes instant drama within the group

-The former hero's group is splinted and probably without a leader. The party might just fade away or get picked up by a new generation of heroes later. Some members might stick with the hero on principle, others might try to stop the new hero group from making the same mistake they did, others still might look like an ally of the former hero but are actually planning on betraying the hero when the time is right

-Obviously this is a statement on the inherent corruption of power. A reflection on how just killing the bad guy will not solve the worlds problems

Some characters that come to mind are Hal from Megamind or Griffith from Berserk. These characters were really just evil the whole time and their new powers gave them the excuse to let it out. This is not what I'm talking about. If you know of any characters like this (outside of JJK) please let me know

[7thboss]

This is probably one of my crazier fixes to this date. I noticed some electrical noise from my digital interface to my computer and figured it was probably the router right next to the usb cable. I made a small shield with a pizza lid and roll of aluminum foil. I’m not sure how effective it is but I’m optimistic it’s reduced my noise floor

[7thboss]

Voice acting

I was skeptical that a professional voice acting setup would be better than a USB microphone. I was incredibly wrong. If you want to know more about the craft please check out SBN3 on YouTube or anywhere else you can find him. His intro to voice acting was incredibly enlightening and I can't recommend it enough

[7thboss]

My family had made fun of me for years for liking Lapsang Souchong tea. It’s a black tea which is smoked over a pine fire. It’s one of the most flavorful blends I have ever had. My father in particular links the scent to when he was a kid and his father left wood out in his wood burning grill. When it rained the smoky aroma would irradiate the area. He hates the smell because of that trauma

[7thboss]

Hello

I'm 7th Boss. I'm starting a blog where I'll talk about whatever is on my mind. If you find that sort of thing interesting feel free to stick around. I'm incredibly honest and open so feel free to ask me anything. I'm always ready for a challenge so don't be afraid to throw a curveball.