Module schematic and BOM finalized

Hi there, and welcome to the monthly UHK status update!

TL;DR: The schematics and BOMs of the module PCBs and FPCs (Flexible Printed Circuits) have been finalized. Every part has been ordered for the modules.

Our contractor keeps making progress with the key cluster mold. This is how it looks:

As for the right-side modules, András has been refining their mechanical design, and I’ve been tweaking their PCBs accordingly. These are some of the boards I’ve redesigned recently:

I consider the schematics and BOMs of each PCB and FPC to be fully finalized. András and I will meet over the next week and check how well the new 3D printed module cases fit with the new PCBs. Chances are high that everything will fit well, at which point the machining of the right-side module molds will begin.

I recently visited our EMC tester, TÜV, and we put the modules into the test chamber. The modules did not affect the measurements, which is exactly what I expected based on their small power consumption and small size. Given these results, the modules should pass the EMC tests with flying colors.

We’ve ordered every part of the modules from our suppliers. No parts shortages or delays are expected.

These days are unusually eventful due to the modules, hence this fabulously late monthly update. I’ll do my best to keep you up to date in a timely manner going forward, but I’ll keep prioritizing module development and production over the monthly updates for everyone’s sake.

Your tweets

You guys keep sending your awesome tweets, and we're always eager to read and feature them! If you got your UHK, please share your love!

We’ll be keeping you updated on all things UHK, and are looking forward to talking to you on 2020-06-16.

The comments are closed, but our forum is available for public discussion.

20 Comments

  1. Andriy Savin 2020-05-23 at 17:25

    Great to see the progress you make! But what about the keyboard itself? Is it going to evolve in the nearest future? A new model with more keys? Wireless/bluetooth support?

    • László Monda 2020-05-23 at 17:36

      Glad you're excited! The answer is yes to every one of your questions, but no ETA yet. Let's stay in touch!

  2. Luke 2020-05-23 at 21:51

    I was checking the blog almost daily for t last two weeks :D great progress! Any chance for an alternative switches (Kailh box) or hotswappable board?

    • László Monda 2020-05-23 at 23:06

      Thanks! :) Yes, we'll announce an updated UHK version when the time comes. It'll contain what you're asking and much more.

  3. John 2020-05-25 at 01:45

    Still on track for July shipping for modules? Can't wait!

    • László Monda 2020-05-25 at 10:45

      If there will be any delay, we will announce it.

  4. Stephen 2020-05-27 at 07:42

    Amazed of the progress despite everything going on including covid19. Wish you and the team the best

    • László Monda 2020-05-27 at 18:44

      Thanks for the nice words! We're doing our best.

  5. Daewoo Maurya 2020-06-02 at 14:11

    How to pick the right side module between touchpad, trackpoint and track ball?

    What are the pros and cons of each one of those?

  6. D 2020-06-06 at 19:07

    I just got my UHK and I love it. The mouse feature is a game changer. Is there a way I can make it wireless?
    Any mini USB bluetooth adaptor out there?

    It would be the perfect keyboard it I can make it wireless.

  7. d 2020-06-10 at 12:29

    Would it be possible to create a Bluetooth module for UHK? Using the case or the handrest as battery?

    What is Stopping UHK to be the best selling keyboard on the market? Its definitely not the quality, features. ease of use or any other metric that improves a customers life.

    Since the whole point of the board is being open source, it would be nice to get a small tutorial video and a diy kit to make our own modules.

    Where can I find the source code for the UHK agent app for Mac?

    • László Monda 2020-06-10 at 13:59

      It's possible to implement Bluetooth the way you're suggesting, but it's still a huge work to do it well and make it work seamlessly with Agent. We plan to make Bluetooth happen, but it's not our priority right now.

      Regarding your other questions, please see https://ultimatehackingkeyboard.com/knowledgebase?q=kit+source

      • Andriy Savin 2020-06-11 at 06:55

        @László Monda It would be nice if you published the roadmap of planned work with rough dated, which would be very open-source-style. You could put a disclaimer that you don't guarantee the dates and the priority order. But that at least could give your customers some understanding of what to expect an when, and to wait for that feature or buy current version (or from other manufacturer). For instance, if I want bluetooth support, I want to know (even very roughly) when to expect it and which other features are in the priority list. I'd also like to know, are going to make this an add-in (like other modules) - so I can buy the keyboard now and just wait for the bluetooth module - OR will it be a different keyboard model. You got the idea.

        • D 2020-06-11 at 16:43

          https://ultimatehackingkeyboard.com/knowledgebase?q=bluetooth

          I bluetoothed my UHK using this link. USB2BT+ is 100$ in US on amazon. Make sure you get the plus model because it lets you pair 3 devices at a time. The mouse feature also works flawlessly with this hack. There are 2 downsides with this approach,
          1. You can't use the agent app while the keyboard is connected via bluetooth. Which is not a big deal, because you can set your profile and save them on the keyboard and then connect wirelessly forever.

          2. This is a big one. There are no English documentation for usb2bt+, every resource is in Japanese. Most YouTube videos included. It is working fine for me, except for an issue when you disconnect a usb device while the bluetooth connection is active. It was a pain to fix that, with a lot of trial and error, but it works.

          USB2BT+ is great. Connections are instantaneous is the devices are already paired.

          Besides that, I highly recommend getting this keyboard and support these guys. I have been lurking on this website for a few months, before buying this recently and it is the best keyboard in the market no cap. This was the best accessory I have ever got for my computer and it is worth every penny. I plan on using it for the rest of my life and you can see that it is built according to that. Although I have feature requests, but looks the developer is busy with getting the modules out. Honestly with the mouse button on the keyboard, the right side modules (trackball, tracepoint and touchpad) are redundant, and with the "Mod" button, the left side module is slightly redundant.

          • László Monda 2020-06-11 at 17:53

            @D Thank you for sharing your experience with USB2BT+! I'm glad it works, and it seems to be the best solution for the time being when it comes to Bluetoothing the UHK.

            Also thank you so much for the nice words! We'll be doing our best to be worthy of such praises in the future, too.

          • Andriy Savin 2020-06-11 at 18:31

            @D thanks for sharing the details, I saw that tweet, it's a great workaround! But the drawback, besides ones you mentioned and making the keyboard bulky, is the price. The end price of KB+palm rest+BT+battery+delivery+possible taxes will easily reach $500, which is hard to justify. And that's without the need to buy good key caps.

        • László Monda 2020-06-11 at 17:41

          @Andriy I'm sorry, but we won't be sharing the ETAs of future products for two main reasons. First, it's really hard to estimate, and the never-ending flow of "when will it be ready" questions is counterproductive. Second, some of our competitors copied core features of the UHK very closely, and we don't want to give them a headstart anymore. I hope you understand our situation, and we understand if we loose some sales because of this policy.

          • Andriy Savin 2020-06-11 at 18:20

            @László yes, I totally understand you.

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