System76, a company specializing in the production of laptops, PCs and servers supplied with Linux, announced the start of accepting pre-orders for a keyboard developed as part of the open project Launch. The keyboard can be fully customized by the user, who can change key assignments, replace keys using a special key remover, and create their own keyboard layouts. The pre-order price for the device is $285.
The mechanical and electrical circuits, as well as the firmware and software used for control, are completely open. Design documentation and models for FreeCAD CAD are distributed under the CC BY-SA-4.0 license. Schematics and PCB layouts are available in pcb format for KiCad and are licensed under GPLv3.
The software includes a configurator and firmware based on the QMK (Quantum Mechanical Keyboard) code, which are distributed under the GPLv3 and GPLv2 licenses. fwupd (LGPLv2.1) is used to update the firmware. The configurator, which allows you to change the assignment and layout of keys during operation, is written in Rust and is available for Linux, macOS and Windows platforms. Aluminum is used as the material for production. To increase the angle of inclination by 15 degrees, a removable bar attached with magnets is provided.
The keyboard has a built-in docking station that includes two USB-C ports and two USB-A ports that comply with the USB 3.2 Gen 2 specification, with a throughput of up to 10 Gbps. To connect the device to a computer, a USB-C port is offered (you can use USB-C -> USB-C or USB-C -> USB-A cables). There is an independent LED backlight for each key, controlled by the firmware (each key has its own color LED, which can be controlled separately). Device size 30,9 x 13,6 x 3,3 cm. Weight - 948 g.
Source: opennet.ru