9/27/2023 0 Comments Old dial padAnd even though we’ve seen that parametric keycap generator before, it is pretty cool to see it in action. While this was all for fun, there are a couple of cool tips here, like chucking a bit of printer filament in a Dremel tool to stir-weld parts together. We also like forcing the issue by replacing the entire row of number keys with a single massive prank key. A 3D printed enclosure allows the rotary dial to nestle into the place where the regular numpad would be, and it looks pretty good. There was also a little hackery needed to stuff a USB hub into the keyboard, as well as literal hacking of the keyboard’s PCB. It turns out that there’s a lot of contact bounce in those old dials, leading to some software hacks to keep the Arduino happy. Starting with an old telephone dial from what must be an exceptionally well-stocked parts bin, first worked out the electrical aspects of interfacing the dial with a cheapo mechanical keyboard. In fact, it’s actually an April Fool’s prank played on a retro-phone-obsessed coworker, and it worked out pretty well. What we are sure about, though, is that rapid numeric keying is not what this rotary dial numpad keyboard is all about. We’re not sure about the rest of you, but to us, a keyboard without a number pad all the way over to the right just seems kind of - naked? We might not be accountants, but there’s something comforting about having the keypad right there, ready for those few occasions when you need to enter numbers more rapidly than would be possible with the row of number keys along the top of the keyboard.
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