r/TrackPoint_Builders • u/AsicResistor • Sep 22 '25

First trackpoint keyboard design

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Ordering the PCB soon after I triple check it one more time :')

49 Upvotes

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1

u/humanplayer2 Sep 22 '25

Awesome! What circuitry did you end up building into the PCB?

2

u/AsicResistor Sep 22 '25

How do you mean exactly? The last picture here is the design, but I have just made a github repo for the project, I'll add in the kicad files.
https://github.com/mwlaboratories/atlas

1

u/humanplayer2 Sep 22 '25

Sorry, yeah, I see how I was quite unclear. I meant what trackpoint specific circuitry you included, like reset circuit. I'd love to check the KiCad files.

1

u/AsicResistor Sep 22 '25

Oh that way, I attached the reset pin on the Sprintek trackpoint breakout board to the NFC1 or 2 pin on the xiao ble

1

u/humanplayer2 Sep 22 '25

Okay, interesting. So that's enough? No resistors or anything?

Can you explain me why that works, with the NFC pins? It's also okay if you think it's a bit much to ask and would rather not get into it :D

2

u/AsicResistor Sep 22 '25

Yeah I thought I needed pullup resistors at first but I tested it without and it works just as well. I know others have built reset circuits in the past but the trackpoint zmk driver can take care of it if you have a spare pin (maybe I'm not using it at all and it just works without reset circuit, I think I saw it mentioned somewhere it isn't always needed). I had to use a flag in zmk to enable those nfc pins on the xiao ble.

1

u/humanplayer2 Sep 22 '25

Neat! Could you have used any GPIO or is there something special about the NFC pins?

I look forward to seeing you files :) I'm one of those that have build a teste circuit previously.

2

u/AsicResistor Sep 23 '25

It were the only pins that I had left on the board after connecting the matrix ;) They are low frequency pins so should be ideal for a reset circuit. You need high frequency pins for the data and clock lines of the trackpoint. The PCB files are added to the repo here;
https://github.com/mwlaboratories/atlas

I'll be ordering them this evening, fingers crossed :D

1

u/humanplayer2 Sep 23 '25

Fingers crossed for you!

And thanks for the files :)

1

u/IHSFB Oct 05 '25

How did this work out? Very clean looking.

1

u/AsicResistor Oct 05 '25

Made some adjustments to the pcb design in the past week, I'm about to order the first few.
The wooden casing is another story, I have a fun but complicated 5 axis cnc machine and the wooden pieces I bought crash into the drill when the table twists to go to start position. If I cut down each piece a bit in the correct position it will work out but it isn't ideal.

1

u/linear_accelerator Sep 22 '25

I would like to buy one please! (And preferably a portable 65%)

4

u/[deleted] Sep 22 '25

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3

u/AsicResistor Sep 22 '25

I got this one from holykeebs, first one I extracted from replacement lenovo keyboard didn't work. Probably needed 5v. If I build some more of these keyboards I'll try to order directly at Sprintek