Heck, let’s take it one step further: separate the system controller + oled and the keyboard controller onto their own board and provide a matrix scan bus connector. With that lot’s of experimental keyboards could be built without any controller, just plug them in and reconfigure the scan codes in the existing firmware.
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Perfect. I can’t get it done, but I can fund it. Any takers for the bounty?
@rega We (Keyboardio) would potentially be interested
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Great, I sent you a dm
Just wanted to add that I too would love an Atreus for the Reform. My main driver is a Keyboardio Atreus with whites and a Colemak layout.
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I too started with colemak but by now it evolved to something unrecognizable 
But it fits well the Atreus and my needs.
Based on what I now know after GitHub - milestogo/ergo_reform: ergonomic keyboard for MNT Reform laptop. I’d start with 2 CPUs on the keyboard board. One 3v3 powered one for oled & I2C, then a second USB powered one for the keyboard. The added $10 in parts will be saved in every user’s time. Trying to balance updates between complex keyboard firmware & LPC firmware is going to get frustrating. Of course that doubles the problem of getting enough chips.
Riffing on the separate LPC board / keyboard, my first thought was to have the BYO keyboard use the 6 mounting screws, with a carved out section under the OLED & where the serial link is now. The keyboard can connect to the USB JST. Then use .1 header or USB connectors to structurally suspend the LPC /serial board, and connect a few pins for the power, arrow & enter keys to talk to the LPC firmware.
My second thought is to build a new OLED board that can also talk to the LPC. Put the JST connectors on the bottom (vertical entry?), and a USB connector for the keyboard. Keeping it small enough to fit under the bezel would require a source of VQFN atmegas. If we allow the OLED board to bulge out over the center, there would be room for a set of micro tactile switches in front of the current bezel, above the new keyboard. In theory that LPC control board with a USB connector would be certifiable.
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Purely as a size comparison, a full size atreus would fit very well into the space allotted. Of course slim switches would have to be used. I would be very happy with a keyboard like this.
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I worry that an approach like this would trade away the existing KB/LPC complexity, for increased complexity around this. Sharing pins like this sounds very sophisticated - eg. how do you prevent the keyboard MCU from interpreting keystrokes that the LPC is trying to “intercept”? If the keyboard is running at 5v, and the LPC at 3v3, do you now need level shifters in between on these shared pins?
On Twitter Lukas said that the input devices and LPC are going to be converted from AVR to RP2040.
I really favour this approach. I use a traditional keyboard and have no interest in an ortho/column staggered design, however, I do expect to want to tweak the stock keyboard layout for my tastes. Trouble is, I’m not quite sure which exact layout would be best, and the chip shortage means I’m stymied in terms of trying to prototype it.
I’m thinking the USB and SYSCTL headers could go to a small “keyboard controller” PCB, probably in the area near the SD card reader. This would then be connected to the “dumb” keyboard matrix PCB via FFC or wired tiny-pitch connector (eg. similar to the eDP display one). The LED chains could also go via this connector, or maybe another one (or for prototypes, just ignore them).
With this approach it should be much easier to test out designs, because once you’ve made one of the small controller boards, each of the “dumb” matrix PCBs just needs a bunch of Kailh choc sockets, diodes, and an FFC connector. Unfortunately this is now well outside “just tweak the existing switch positions a little” territory…
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I was thinking of running 2 matrixes from the LPC facing board to the keyboard- a 2x2 for the LPC, and the rest of the pins for keyboard. That solves the voltage problem, and allows a keyboard builder to move things around.
Another idea I wish I had earlier - what if the trackball board becomes the LPC facing board? There are enough buttons on the trackball to navigate the OLED screen. You’d need new Oled ribbon & serial cables, but the keyboard could be a standard 5 volt device.
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Yes, but of course that would render the touchpad option useless. I think combining the system controls with either the keyboard or the trackpad is equally bad and will create pain down the road.
I think a self contained control unit with screen and three buttons (up, down, enter) is the way to go.
Either that or the control unit uses the standard keyboard for input (up, down, enter), whatever keyboard it is.
I think the former is cleaner.
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have you looked into this anymore as I would love to have an atreus style keyboard in my reform
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I was wondering if anything ever came if this. I have a keyboardio atreus and would love to have the same in my reform
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Seconded. I am not a Reform owner yet. When the Framework laptop came out I tried to generate interest in the idea of an Atreus there but nothing came of it. Unfortunately despite all the warm words of engaging the “maker community” it is clear that is only a fig leaf to Framework’s real mission of creating a Macbook clone complete with a captive market of proprietary “modules”.
I am still carrying an old 12" MacBook - whose butterfly keyboard might be useless but adds negligible weight and bulk - with separate (wired) Keyboardio Atreus. It works for me but the Macbook won’t last forever. So I pin my hopes of truly unorthodox keyboard formats on the Reform now. 
Wow! What an outlook. What you wanted required someone else to do it. Framework made everything available that was necessary to do that. It is not trivial making a keyboard to fit the dimensions necessary. This is why you are not seeing anything.
I would argue that while the Reform is MUCH easier to mod that even here we haven’t seen replacement alternates sold either.
The Reform is great and it being truly open is great, but just as with Framework but to a lesser degree, doesn’t just mean that complex components are fabricated simply because one person desires them.
I stand by this “outlook” and anyone interested is invited to visit the Framework forums and view them ad-nauseum. I won’t allow you to draw me on that debate here.
I’m pleased you have chosen to reopen this thread so that can be discussed by those who joined us since last time. The Reform is reaching critical mass where such options become feasible, and I am quietly confident will reach that point after the Next hits the market.
The beauty of so-called mechanical keyboard - and why I evangelise same for laptop and support Reform’s mission - is it is made of discrete switches. The “complex components” you refer to - switches - can be arranged according to the taste of the builder. Laptop specific ones such as the Cherry ULP selected for the Next trackpad do not even have a significant depth penalty compared to decent membrane keyboard.
I don’t want to debate with you. Arguing is pointless and doesn’t help anyone.
I am merely saying that what you are asking for is difficult for MANY reasons. The Reform has seen some custom keyboards by individuals. That is true. But the reason these will probably never be sold is that the industry is difficult and it is really hard in small volume to make a decent profit.
This is why the ortho keyboard from Jack never went into production (I’m guessing).
That said the advent of 3d printing and very useful PCB manufacturers really opened the world of technology significantly. Anything is possible and I 100% agree with this. What is practical is still bounded by many things.
I know this topic gets revived now and then with a few of us hoping that an ortholinear keyboard for the Reform will pop up. There was already a well working prototype by @jackhumbert. My guess is that @2disbetter is right that the volume would be too small for it to be sufficiently profitable, so it never went in production. But given that the reform classic has probably seen some additional sales in the last few years and that there is the Reform Next coming, this should increase the customer base (at least) twofold since the survey a few years ago. Any chance you might reconsider putting your prototype in production, @jackhumbert ? It would be delightful.
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I would buy one if it was an option.
Might prefer an atreus but an ortho would be a great option as well.
To avoid people responding individually, how about whoever is interested in buying an ortholinear keyboard, click on this button. This way we can have an estimate about the count (at least among forum visitors).
- I would like to buy an ortholinear keyboard.
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