If you code or write a lot, you live or die with your keyboard. The Venabili web site calls Venabili “the delightful keyboard” which begs the question: what makes a keyboard delightful. The site continues:
“Venabili is a 40% mechanical, programmable, ergonomic and hackable computer keyboard.
Being a fully programmable keyboard, it gives you the ability to create layers of functionality, declare multifunction keys that can operate as both modifiers and normal keys, control the mouse, define macros, and more.”
Sounds at least 40% delightful, right? Where do you buy one? You don’t. The keyboard is a set of plans and like a Jedi lightsaber, you have to build your own.
The heart of the keyboard is the STM32F103 “BluePill” Maple Mini clone which we’ve looked at many times before. The mechanics are 48 Cherry MX switches and a keyboard enclosure you can laser cut or otherwise fabricate using the provided PDF files. You can also modify the SVG source file if you prefer to change the physical layout. In addition to the Bluepill and the switches, you’ll need a mess of diodes.
Configuring the keyboard with layers and macros is easy for hackers, but not exactly user-friendly. You modify a C file and recompile and flash the firmware in the keyboard. You can get all the details regarding construction and configuration in the build guide.
We’ve seen 3D printers used to modify mechanical switches. If you want to read more about the BluePill, we’ve done that, too.