Rift: Low Profile Portable Wireless Keyboard

Hello Folks,

Introduction

My name is Ankit Bhankharia, and I am a final-year engineering student from India. While my background is primarily in software, I have recently delved into hardware projects with great enthusiasm. Over the past year, I have embarked on a journey exploring mechanical keyboards, which has led me to develop a passion for creating innovative input devices.

Project Descript_ion

Rift is a 34-key wireless low-profile split keyboard equipped with a Nice!View/OLED display, Rotary Encoder (EC11/EC12), and optional trackpad support. It operates on the ZMK firmware and is powered by the Seeed Xiao nRF52840 board.

The inspiration for Rift stemmed from my desire to create an affordable, portable keyboard solution reminiscent of the beloved Sweep keyboard design. The Seeed Xiao board stood out as an ideal candidate due to its affordability and wireless capabilities. However, the limited I/O pins posed a challenge in implementing additional hardware features such as displays, rotary encoders, and pointing devices.

To overcome this limitation, I devised a solution involving the use of a Shift register to expand the available I/O pins.Additionally, I addressed the issue of inaccessible NFC pins by designing a supplementary PCB that interfaces with the Seeed Xiao board, allowing for hot-swappability and easy access to essential functions.

Furthermore, I meticulously designed a low-profile case for the keyboard, optimizing space utilization and integrating a 250mAh battery for extended usage. After thorough testing on a breadboard, the keyboard has proven to meet expectations, boasting a battery life of up to three weeks on a single charge.

You can explore the project files and view generated images on my GitHub repository at [Rift Github Repo](https://github.com/cupcake08/Rift).

Final Request

With all components functioning as intended, I am seeking sponsorship specifically for PCB fabrication services to bring Rift to fruition. In return for your support, I am committed to showcasing PCBWay's contribution prominently across various platforms, from my GitHub repository to blog posts on platforms like Hackster.

Your consideration of my project is greatly appreciated. Thank you for taking the time to learn about Rift and its potential impact on the open-source hardware community.

Warm regards,

Ankit Bhankharia