Guide to the new Equals PCB

Guide to the new Equals PCB

Written By: Boardsource

Category: guides - easy

Tags: building, programming, learning

Introduction

The equals PCB was designed to be our new ortho layout PCB. We tried to make a PCB that will last the test of time and be a great core to your ortho keyboard for years to come. We have done so by bringing every feature we could think of to this well know and loved layout.

So whats 60 and 48?

So the Equals PCB is a 5x12 ortho PCB that in that config is the equals 60 you can snap off the bottom row to have a equals 48. I know explaining the joke makes sure its not funny. But the story behind the name is kinda a math play on words. 5x12=60 4x12=48, so.... =60 -> equals 60 (meaning 60 keys).

Case compatibility

The equals PCB is designed to be compatible with the following cases:

Features

Lets get all the basic features out of the way that were there on the old Technik PCB

  • UBB-C
  • perkey rgb lighting
  • underglow rgb lighting

Now whats new

  • RP2040 MCU
  • 16mb of rom
  • Peg support
  • 2u spacebar support
  • piezo buzzer
  • OLED both 32x128 && 64x128
  • 1.8 Inch Full Color 128x160 SPI TFT
  • exposed pins for you to hack on

Pin out

PCB image

image keypin namepython namefunctionalt function
1RSTNAreset boardNA
2BOOTNAUF2 boot modeNA
3BOOTNAUF2 boot modeNA
4RSTNAreset boardNA
5gpio22SDAI2c SDAdigital input output
6gpio23SCLI2c SCLdigital input output
7VCCNA3.3vNA
8GNDNAGNDNA
9VCCNA3.3vNA
10gpio25GP25SPI CSdigital input output
11gpio20GP20SPI dcdigital input output
12gpio28GP28SPI rxADC
13gpio27GP27SPI txADC
14gpio26GP26SPI sckADC
15VCCNA3.3vNA
16GNDNAGNDNA

Not listed in the image

pin namepython namefunction
gpio0TXcol 0
gpio1RXcol 1
gpio2GP02col 2
gpio3GP03col 3
gpio4GP04col 4
gpio5GP05col 5
gpio6GP06col 6
gpio7GP07col 7
gpio8GP08col 8
gpio9GP09col 9
gpio10GP10col 10
gpio11GP11col 11
gpio12GP12row 0
gpio13GP13row 1
gpio16GP16row 2
gpio17GP17row 3
gpio18GP18row 4
gpio21GP21rgb led pin
gpio24GP24status led
gpio29GP29buzzer pin

Screens

So you can see there are 2 pin headers exposed on the PCB. These are exposed for you to have access to a funky split ortho style keyboard. You can remove the center 2 columns of switches and install an OLED or a TFT screen. While full color TFT screens are not supported in peg yet, they are supported in Circuitpython and in QMK. Much like OLEDS before they are not super helpful per say but they are cool to look at and with the 16mb of rom storage you should be able to load up quite a lot of animation frames or whatever you like to do the same things you would on an OLED.

  • display current layer
  • display wpm
  • display keyboard state eg: win ctrl swap.
  • just show off cool art (Now in full color!)

Doing so now moves this keyboard into a pseudo split 30% keyboard, with a very large screen.

Beyond installing a screen these pins were chosen to be used because you now have access to I2c and 3 ADC lines to hack on how you see fit.

Notes

When breaking off the bottom row slight trimming may be required to fit into Technik cases. Old Technik plates will not work with the new PCB.

image key (1,2,3,4):If you want to swap the function of the two reset switches on the back of the PCB, you need to cut between the pads 2 and 4 and jump the pads 1 and 3. Of course the standard firmware tricks for resetting your board make reset switches mostly unneeded.