PCB design / fabrication service - Atmega 32u4 based USB keyboard

[Riba]

Hey all - after ages of being "out of the loop" recent events got me to get active in my old hobbies. I like to do things myself and as usual I bit more than I can chew and had to admit to myself it is time to get help if I want to get this done in foreseeable future. After checking various freelancer sites I was turned off by some very sketchy stuff going on there I finally remembered EEVblog community is probably the right place to turn to.

Enough rambling though. I am looking for someone who can design a USB keyboard PCB based on Atmega 32u4 using QMK firmware (https://qmk.fm). I have a 71 key layout ready along with the drawing of the physical constraints of the PCB. There are reference designs available that can be used as a starting point but I will leave all the details to you.

As I haven't dealt in PCB production in well over a decade, testing and assistance with low volume fabrication would be welcome.

Please let me know if I missed any important info.

No set budget or deadlines at the moment.

Thanks!

[Ian.M]

Unless you've got a four figure (USD) design budget, why don't you have a stab at it yourself?  There are the Eagle PCB design and schematic files for the Arduino Leonardo here: https://www.arduino.cc/en/Main/Arduino_BoardLeonardo
which would be a good starting point - delete the ext DC in circuit, and replace the headers with your keyboard membrane connector.  If you don't want to buy an Eagle licence, with a bit of googling you can find KICAD files for various Leonardo clones.

The JLPCB assembly service offers board assembly with most common SMD parts, including the ATmega32U4, so you'd only have to deal with fitting any cables and through hole parts.

When you run into problems, ask for help here.

[Riba]

Thanks Ian,

Actually I did make a good progress myself, but with too many distractions around I came to realise that at this pace I will be done sometime in 2028. Famous 90%/10% rule at play.

Fact is that at the moment time seems to by way more valuable commodity than funds (most paople probably wouldn't see this as a problem, but I do value the learning experience one gets from doing things on their own ), and after a lot of thought I figured out that if I am to finish this I need to find someone with up to date skills to do it or just postpone/scrap the whole thing which would be a shame as I already have all the supporting bits done.

Tom

[Ian.M]

So, unless you are going commercial, post what you've done so far to a open source repository e.g. on Github, then ask for help completing it.

[Riba]

Certainly one fo the options to consider depending on how things develop. Thanks again!

[Ian.M]

Have you considered simply using an Arduino Micro or clone (also search: Arduino Pro Micro), so you only have to design a board to carry it and route to your keyboard connector and status LEDs?

You should be able to knock the design out in an afternoon and assemble the result with no special tools other than a temperature regulated soldering iron.

[Riba]

Actually I did a handwired prototype to test the layout with Pro Micro, but without PCB is is difficult to add backlit LEDs and it lacks stability for some switches. It works, but is far from ideal. There are other reasons too, I had some people asking for the same setup, having a ready PCB to share would be the way to go. I was also planning to open source the design if the author agrees.

[tszaboo]

I might be interested. I have a 60% KB with STM32F103 designed and almost ready to be ordered. It is not that difficult to change that to a larger KB or a different controller. I have a library ready for the keys, and I will have time  (because of  quarantine) after this weekend for a longer time. Send me a PM on Monday.

[Riba]

Thanks NANDBlog, I will reach out to you on Monday to discuss the details. To clarify, even though I mentioned Atmega, I am completely agnostic towards the chosen controller type as long as it is doing what it is supposed to.