A few years ago Solder Party started selling tiny USB keyboards made by combining an actual BlackBerry keyboard (ripped from an old device) with a custom PCB and USB-C connector. But since BlackBerry is out of business, eventually it’s going to get harder to find devices to cannibalize for their keyboards.
So Solder Party has now introduced two brand new products. The KeebDeck Keyboard is a tiny thumb keyboard with 69 silicone keys arranged in an orthogonal layout, while the **KeebDeck Basic **is the first fully functional input device built around that keyboard. They’re […
A few years ago Solder Party started selling tiny USB keyboards made by combining an actual BlackBerry keyboard (ripped from an old device) with a custom PCB and USB-C connector. But since BlackBerry is out of business, eventually it’s going to get harder to find devices to cannibalize for their keyboards.
So Solder Party has now introduced two brand new products. The KeebDeck Keyboard is a tiny thumb keyboard with 69 silicone keys arranged in an orthogonal layout, while the **KeebDeck Basic **is the first fully functional input device built around that keyboard. They’re available for purchase for around $4 and $8, respectively. But you can also find everything you need to make your own at Solder Party’s GitHub page.
The KeebDeck Keyboard itself is literally just a set of silicone keys – there’s no circuit board, microcontroller or USB port. So it’s only really useful as a standalone product if you plan to build your own hardware.
For most folks, the KeebDeck Basic is going to be more useful since it’s a fully functional keyboard that has two PCBs, an STM32F042 microcontroller, USB Type-C interface, and an unpopulated Qwiic connector as well as an I2C interface. It ships with QMK firmware pre-installed, but you can use the I2C interface to flash alternate firmware.
The board also supports an optional boot button and LED backlighting circuitry, but those features are currently unpopulated so you’ll need to solder those components to the board yourself if you want those features.
Solder Party says its $8 board should be compatible with just about any device that supports USB HID input devices including Windows, Mac, and Linux computers, or smartphones and tablets that run Android and iOS.
The keyboard itself measures just 85 x 48mm (3.35″ x 1.89″) and features standard alphanumeric keys as well as most common symbols and function keys including Ctrl, Alt, Tab, delete, and enter as well as some additional keys that can be used for gaming, media controls, or other functions.
While the KeebDeck Basic is pretty much just a set of PCBs squeezed together with silicone keys exposed on top, Solder Party has also released a design for a 3D printable frame that “gives the board a more rounded shape,” which may make it feel sturdier and more comfortable to hold.
KeebDeck Basic with 3D-printed frame
KeebDeck Keyboard
KeebDeck Keyboard
KeebDeck Keyboard
KeebDeck Basic
KeebDeck Basic
KeebDeck Basic
*via Hackster.io and @SolderParty.solder.party *
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