{"id":4725,"date":"2023-08-11T09:30:54","date_gmt":"2023-08-11T09:30:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/picockpit.com\/raspberry-pi\/?p=4725"},"modified":"2023-08-22T10:46:59","modified_gmt":"2023-08-22T10:46:59","slug":"paragon-project-raspberry-pi-pico-keyboard","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/picockpit.com\/raspberry-pi\/paragon-project-raspberry-pi-pico-keyboard\/","title":{"rendered":"Paragon Project: Raspberry Pi Pico Keyboard"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Pico<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

One of the most useful things you can do with a Pico is upgrade your peripherals – and there’s no better place to start than with your keyboard. And there’s no keyboard maker like Joe Scotto, who built the Scotto34 (PCB Edition) keyboard with a Raspberry Pi Pico, Choc switches, and a PCB kit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Furthermore, Joe has been kind enough to share many of the details on how to build one over one his website, scottokeebs.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Scotto34
Credit: Joe Scotto<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Hardware<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The hardware components you’ll need for this are a Raspberry Pi Pico (of course), the Scotto34 PCB kit, a 1-pin socket header set, 34 Choc switches, and 34 1u keycaps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make this keyboard, Joe first solders the diodes on, then he solders the sockets on, and finally he mounts the Raspberry Pi Pico.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With a little flux and a little solder, this project requires more patience than anything else! It’s a fairly straightforward build, but soldering on that many diodes and sockets is a little time-consuming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once you’ve got that done though, it’s just a matter of hooking up the switches and keycaps and then mounting the Pico.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You will need to flash the necessary firmware, but once you’ve done that, you’re pretty much ready to go!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Software<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As usual, Joe’s been kind enough to pre-compile all the firmware so that you can flash it directly. Moreover, there are three options – the default QMK map in QWERTY, the default QMK map in QWERY with Vial, and Joe’s personal QMK map in Colemak.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As someone who’s considering making the switch from QWERTY to Colemak, I find this a very enticing option.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One more thing that I forgot to mention above is that Joe includes an optional 3D-printed case (which he sells here<\/a>) as a way of completing the board’s look. However, I personally like the low-profile keyboard setup directly on the PCB board alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Joe’s made a really great video on the keyboard if you want to see how it looks and sounds:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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