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thnikk's Osu! Keypads [Development]

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Topic Starter
Thnikk




Keypad status: Available
For more info, please check my twitter.























If you have a problem, please message me on Etsy through your order page with a detailed explanation. This is not a customer support thread.
PremiumRich
Dude that is cool, the community should have more people like u who design custom keyboards and such.

Are those custom designed buttons? Like are they brown, blue, or black switches.

PS/2 connectors are pretty old and modern machines don't have them.
I think u can double the speed of the oscillator crystal through software though.

I suggest u add some table grips so the device doesn't slide on the table when u press it.
SomeLoli

PremiumRich wrote:

PS/2 connectors are pretty old and modern machines don't have them.
what? all modern machines have them. Even Asus lastest version of its Rampage Extreme range has a ps/2 port
Topic Starter
Thnikk

PremiumRich wrote:

Dude that is cool, the community should have more people like u who design custom keyboards and such.

Are those custom designed buttons? Like are they brown, blue, or black switches.

PS/2 connectors are pretty old and modern machines don't have them.
I think u can double the speed of the oscillator crystal through software though.

I suggest u add some table grips so the device doesn't slide on the table when u press it.
Thanks :)

I'd like to offer different keyswitches later down the line if I knew people were interested enough in these, but it would have been too much of an investment for the first batch.

A lot of gaming motherboards and cheaper machines have ps/2 ports on theme specifically because it's a superior interface or for legacy purposes. I agree that it's not too practical and that 1000hz usb would be better just for broader support, but if these did work over ps/2 that would be one less thing to worry about for now. Unfortunately, my mATX gaming board doesn't have a port so I'm still trying to find one that does to test it. My tests for bumping the speed up from 8mhz to 16mhz showed no difference due to the interface.

I'm using and supplying double sided tape to keep it from moving. It's not ideal, but I don't know if any rubber pads I could get would keep it from moving.

edit:ps/2 doesn't work
ZenithPhantasm

Thnikk wrote:

edit:ps/2 doesn't work
Did you try plugging it in BEFORE turning on your computer?
Te Amo
I know it probably cost you quite a bit to make this and that you already have a video up of you testing it but in terms of marketing, I think it would be a good idea to send a "prototype" to a "high ranked player" and have them test it out and record a liveplay to further demonstrate how good these keypads are. I think this project is a great idea and I'd buy it cause I wouldn't use a full length mechanical keyboard for anything other then OSU which makes me want to buy this but I'm just not so convinced yet.
Anyways, Keep up the great work!
Gumica
I think most people here, including me, are now afraid of the latency that would cause gameplay problems
Topic Starter
Thnikk
Got my teensy today! Did a test and it is definitely fast enough to hit the polling rate cap of usb 2.0, but I still don't have a proper testing method to check the actual polling rate of the usb connection, just on the actual device. I've read up on the teensy documentation and they say the cap is 500hz which leads me to believe that most "gaming" keyboards and mice probably to something to cheese it.

I've also temporarily taken down international shipping. My boxes are too small to fit the customs form :roll:
To anyone who's made an order already, you're fine.

ZenithPhantasm wrote:

Thnikk wrote:

edit:ps/2 doesn't work
Did you try plugging it in BEFORE turning on your computer?
Yeah. I tested my keyboard and it did work. I think there's a bit more to do on the keyboard side to make ps/2 work, but I don't think the trinket is actually fast enough to get over ~200hz anyway (at 16mhz.)

KevEz wrote:

I know it probably cost you quite a bit to make this and that you already have a video up of you testing it but in terms of marketing, I think it would be a good idea to send a "prototype" to a "high ranked player" and have them test it out and record a liveplay to further demonstrate how good these keypads are. I think this project is a great idea and I'd buy it cause I wouldn't use a full length mechanical keyboard for anything other then OSU which makes me want to buy this but I'm just not so convinced yet.
Anyways, Keep up the great work!
Edit 3/19/15: This was a good idea. I now have 2 testers and the offer is closed.

Gumica wrote:

I think most people here, including me, are now afraid of the latency that would cause gameplay problems
I added a disclaimer to the product page so people are aware of this. There shouldn't be any problems with missing or double keystrokes, so if you're used to using a rubber dome keyboard it definitely won't be a downgrade, but I would like to find someone to test it.
chainpullz
Price seems a little steep but I don't have a good sense of the keyboard market right now. I personally don't think I could justify more than $20 and that's only if things like polling rate and such are the same as an actual keyboard in a practical sense.

The keyboard I'm using right now cost about $100, has a numpad, a handful of useful function keys, different lighting modes, and functions as an actual keyboard among other things. If we completely overlook all of the extra functionality and look at components, there are way more than 4x as many switches. Add to that the insurance of it coming from a highly reputable brand (ofc they do bulk so this does also help some with costs I realize).

Also, I'm pretty sure you can get a whole numpad for around $30.
Topic Starter
Thnikk
My experience with the teensy so far has been overwhelmingly positive. No waiting 8 seconds for it to get out of bootloader mode, no tricky messing around with the Arduino IDE to get it to work, it uses the Arduino keyboard libraries instead of the not-so-well-written trinket ones, uploading and debugging is incredibly easy, and there's a lot of added functionality (that will take a lot more work to take advantage of). I still don't think this is viable to replace the trinket since it costs more than twice as much, and realistically the trinket does all we need it to minus the polling rate. I'm still thinking about offering it as a premium option...

chainpullz wrote:

Price seems a little steep but I don't have a good sense of the keyboard market right now. I personally don't think I could justify more than $20 and that's only if things like polling rate and such are the same as an actual keyboard in a practical sense.

The keyboard I'm using right now cost about $100, has a numpad, a handful of useful function keys, different lighting modes, and functions as an actual keyboard among other things. If we completely overlook all of the extra functionality and look at components, there are way more than 4x as many switches. Add to that the insurance of it coming from a highly reputable brand (ofc they do bulk so this does also help some with costs I realize).

Also, I'm pretty sure you can get a whole numpad for around $30.
First off, I'd like to say that I'm not trying to run a business. I'm basing my prices on cost and labor, not on what else is on the market. These are just something I'm making for fun and my impetus for making them is based on my desire for them to be available a few months ago. I'm aware of my skill level, and if I was told about the polling rate I probably wouldn't have cared if there was nothing else available. At the very least, I've been transparent about it with you guys, and if you wanted to make something yourself, you now know you'd run into that wall with the trinket.

Secondly, my keyboard cost me ~$260 total for the keyboard itself, doubleshot dsa keycaps, and detachable cable mod. This was mainly for a nice typing experience and durability. Brown keyswitches aren't really the best for osu though, and even though I play a lot of cs:go and ffxiv, I'm more afraid of my z and x keys wearing out than my wasd or 1234 with the way I smash them :P

A mechanical numpad would have been a solid option for me if I'd thought about it or read through the threads, but I still think there's a cool novelty to having a dedicated piece of hardware for osu. You can also throw custom keycaps on it without spending a crazy amount of money on a whole set for a numpad, or having two keys look awkward and alone.

Manufacturing defects are more common than you'd think, and many companies put the minimum amount of effort into QC and testing. I've been testing each of these for about a day of playing to make sure everything's working perfectly. The only thing you really get from a big company is a well-documented warranty. If someone told me that they had a problem, I would definitely cover shipping at least one way depending on the circumstances and location and repair/replace it. I have a pretty solid track record that you can check out here.

Yes, bulk orders would help immensely with costs and thus prices as well. If I didn't have to cut the plastic housing by hand with a dremel and a craft knife, the price would definitely be lower.

As far as I know, the cheapest mechanical numpad goes for $45. If you find something as low as $30 feel free to post it in the tread for anyone interested in that instead.
PremiumRich
You can sell a do-it-yourself kit for enthusiasts along with the completely built one. You can sell the built version for a higher price since it includes your labor.
Topic Starter
Thnikk

PremiumRich wrote:

You can sell a do-it-yourself kit for enthusiasts along with the completely built one. You can sell the built version for a higher price since it includes your labor.
I like this idea too. My friend wanted to get into soldering so I gave him the parts as a Christmas gift since he wanted one.
Te Amo
Im not top 100 USA (146) but I still think I'm very decent, I could record a liveplay with this keypad and send you the video if you want to, their are still lots of higher ranking players that would be willing to do this but your choice :)
deletemyaccount
I'm kinda surprised that this hasn't gotten more attention, especially with all the questions about mech keyboards on G&R (yes, I know that some people want a full keyboard).
E m i

KevEz wrote:

I'm very decent
He bad, ecks dee. 8-)
NixXSkate
I'm not exactly sure how this kind of stuff works, but what if you overclocked the USB, like you would do for a WMO or IME mouse? Also, I'd like to try one, but are red switches the only option?

Also, the escape button looks awkward to press, why not put it on the right side to hit with your thumb? (I don't know if that's doable at this point in time though)
jesse1412
I think you'd be better off making these with 4 keys, that allows for taiko players too. Also it's always nice to have backup keys in case some break. Also if you use 4keys I suppose you could create red/black/blue/brown/etc combinations for people to buy for testing.
Topic Starter
Thnikk
Update: I'm going to add a low cost option that will be a 2 key model with the white DSA keycaps and no LEDs for ~$20. I'm sure some people want a strictly business device, so it doesn't make sense to only offer the fully decked out one. I'll try to have it up by tomorrow.

International shipping is still being sorted, but I'd like to get the polling rate issue (maybe non-issue, we'll see) out of the way first.


[ Momiji ] wrote:

KevEz wrote:

I'm very decent
He bad, ecks dee. 8-)
He's got one on the way, so let's see him put his money where his mouth is :P

NixXSkate wrote:

I'm not exactly sure how this kind of stuff works, but what if you overclocked the USB, like you would do for a WMO or IME mouse? Also, I'd like to try one, but are red switches the only option?

Also, the escape button looks awkward to press, why not put it on the right side to hit with your thumb? (I don't know if that's doable at this point in time though)
I'll look into it, but I think it's still limited on the trinket's end to ~200hz so it wouldn't help much. Red switches are the only option for now, but if you guys have requests for others, please let me know which ones and I'll get some with my next order.

I guess this depends on how you use it, sort of like a mouse. I use mine in more of a palming fashion, so having it on the right side meant I had to slide my hand up to reach it. If you're using more of a claw air-grip, you're thumb would be right next to it. I've been making these to order so I'll just add that as an option on the item page. Thanks for the input!

jesus1412 wrote:

I think you'd be better off making these with 4 keys, that allows for taiko players too. Also it's always nice to have backup keys in case some break. Also if you use 4keys I suppose you could create red/black/blue/brown/etc combinations for people to buy for testing.
I would like to, but 4 key would have to be bumped up to a teensy since the trinket only supports 3 button inputs, which would in turn bring the price up to ~$35-50. People are still probably better off getting a cmstorm switch tester for seeing what they like, but if enough people are interested in these, I could have more of a keyswitch variety. Keep in mind that this probably wouldn't happen until a couple months from now.
Deimos

Thnikk wrote:

I would like to, but 4 key would have to be bumped up to a teensy since the trinket only supports 3 button inputs, which would in turn bring the price up to ~$35-50. People are still probably better off getting a cmstorm switch tester for seeing what they like, but if enough people are interested in these, I could have more of a keyswitch variety. Keep in mind that this probably wouldn't happen until a couple months from now.
Well, there is way to use several buttons with just one input pin on a trinket, like I did with my 3-button keyboard, all 3 buttons are connected to #0.
Unfortunately I forgot how to do it, but it's possible.
Topic Starter
Thnikk

Deimos wrote:

Well, there is way to use several buttons with just one input pin on a trinket, like I did with my 3-button keyboard, all 3 buttons are connected to #0.
Unfortunately I forgot how to do it, but it's possible.
Oops, you're right. Got it working on pin 2 (analog 1).

So I guess I can make a 4 button one! I'm currently running into a problem with not being able to handle multiple button presses at the same time on the same pin. I found an article online that could help so i'll try to have that fixed before a prototype. I need more switches and a larger enclosure so I'll probably wait until I have another big order to make the prototype.

Haven't gotten the basic keypads up yet as I haven't had any time but I'm still trying to do that ASAP.
E m i
>8 keys
>all you need
>for all gamemodes
>4 types of switches

>you will become a legend in the osu community
>The Key Merchant
>everyone will buy from you
>all the money

>hi guys this is my first post on this forum lol idk i played the game for 3 hours and wtf i cant fc insaes wat do pls help thanks in advance :)
>BUY THNIKK'S KEYPAD >:(
OH AND A TABLET :|

good luck
Fatal3ty
Beautiful part. How to install the driver in Windows 7? :)
Topic Starter
Thnikk

[ Momiji ] wrote:

>8 keys
>all you need
>for all gamemodes
>4 types of switches

>you will become a legend in the osu community
>The Key Merchant
>everyone will buy from you
>all the money

>hi guys this is my first post on this forum lol idk i played the game for 3 hours and wtf i cant fc insaes wat do pls help thanks in advance :)
>BUY THNIKK'S KEYPAD >:(
OH AND A TABLET :|

good luck
I'm getting closer to the first part :D

edit:


Fatal3ty wrote:

Beautiful part. How to install the driver in Windows 7? :)
Plug and play for all of the operating systems I've tested, which has been Win 7, 8.1, OS X Mavericks, and Ubuntu 14.04. I think it's recognized as a generic keyboard so it should work on almost everything without having to install any drivers.

Unless you want to reprogram it, then the drivers are available from adafruit along with all the necessary software.
FieryLight
I don't think 4 pairs of different key switches is a very good idea.... If you want to try a switch, try a local electronic's shop. I think 8 keys of the same switch would be much more appealing to osu mania, taiko and std players (3 spare sets!).
Topic Starter
Thnikk

FieryLight wrote:

I don't think 4 pairs of different key switches is a very good idea.... If you want to try a switch, try a local electronic's shop. I think 8 keys of the same switch would be much more appealing to osu mania, taiko and std players (3 spare sets!).
I agree, my 4 key was really just a proof of concept for myself that I could get more than one button working on a pin and have them all be recognized individually. 8 key is my next project :)

I need longer project boxes though...
Te Amo
:!: NOTE: i just recieved the keypad today.

I received the keypad today and upon first impression, im going to be honest. I thought it was bad. It took a while for it to start working once i plugged it in( like literally 5 minutes) i tried from the front usb ports, the back etc. I got it connected in the front usb ports located under my disk drive and it began to work fine.

Ok so, Now its all plugged in and ready to go, i set z+x to my default keys and began playing some osu! I was beginning to get worried because... i couldnt stream for anything on them, they felt hard to press (ironically) and just uncomfortable, i felt like i could single tap and stream 2x faster with my rubber dome.
I decided to remove the o-rings because i thought they were the reasons for the problems i was having and indeed they were. It began to feel much more comfortable to actually press the keys and play with them. They do indeed make much more noise now (the o ring greatly limited the noise it made) but i believe its better then not being able to play properly with them.

I have not completely gotten used to them but once i have and when im left alone in my home (Mother would get pissed at the wonderful noise of the clicking and clacking :p) i will fully test just how better or worst this keypad makes me. Ill be uploading a comparison video between my rubberdome and this Cherry MX (RED) keypad soon.

Also the tape at the bottom of the keypad peeled the paint off of my desk LOL, it still sticks but not as much. This isnt a problem for me because the way i position the keypad to play makes it so that it doesnt move but im not sure how it will affect other players.

Edit: Also the cable it came with was too short for me but good thing i had a longer cable that worked with it.


Another Edit: After 2 hours of usage, holy ball it feels great. 2fast4me
Topic Starter
Thnikk

KevEz wrote:

:!: NOTE: i just recieved the keypad today.

I received the keypad today and upon first impression, im going to be honest. I thought it was bad. It took a while for it to start working once i plugged it in( like literally 5 minutes) i tried from the front usb ports, the back etc. I got it connected in the front usb ports located under my disk drive and it began to work fine.

Ok so, Now its all plugged in and ready to go, i set z+x to my default keys and began playing some osu! I was beginning to get worried because... i couldnt stream for anything on them, they felt hard to press (ironically) and just uncomfortable, i felt like i could single tap and stream 2x faster with my rubber dome.
I decided to remove the o-rings because i thought they were the reasons for the problems i was having and indeed they were. It began to feel much more comfortable to actually press the keys and play with them. They do indeed make much more noise now (the o ring greatly limited the noise it made) but i believe its better then not being able to play properly with them.

I have not completely gotten used to them but once i have and when im left alone in my home (Mother would get pissed at the wonderful noise of the clicking and clacking :p) i will fully test just how better or worst this keypad makes me. Ill be uploading a comparison video between my rubberdome and this Cherry MX (RED) keypad soon.

Also the tape at the bottom of the keypad peeled the paint off of my desk LOL, it still sticks but not as much. This isnt a problem for me because the way i position the keypad to play makes it so that it doesnt move but im not sure how it will affect other players.

Edit: Also the cable it came with was too short for me but good thing i had a longer cable that worked with it.
[image]

Another Edit: After 2 hours of usage, holy ball it feels great. 2fast4me

Did you wait 8 seconds after plugging it in? I haven't heard of anyone having problems getting it to work so maybe it's just your usb port but I'll try to test it out on more computers.

The o-rings are meant to reduce travel distance and make you wait less time between key presses since you don't have to push it down extra and have it come up more. Since you said you didn't like them I'll include them in a bag and people can put them on if they would like.

I'm sorry about the tape lol. I've been trying to find another good solution, but I don't think any sort of rubber feet would really cut it unless these were a lot heavier. I always stick the tape to my shirt before I stick it to the table to keep it from sticking too much, which is apparently important advice I should include :?

I'll see if I can pick up 5 feet cables with the next batch. Thanks a lot for all of the honest feedback, I really appreciate it! :)

Edit: Added a "basic" model to Etsy for $22!



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