Creating a one handed keyboard, inspired by FrogPad #QMK
Kian Ryan was looking for a keyboard to allow one handed use while anticipating recovery from shoulder surgery. Various options in the marketplace were explored with the FrogPad keyboard being chosen as an example of might work best.
The FrogPad, released in 2002, relies on key frequency organised in a number of layers. The Buxton collection is a great resource on user interface devices, and contains an excellent entry on the FrogPad, including a link to the quick start guide and the manuals.
The FrogPad organises the most frequent alpha characters in the top layer, with the remaining alpha characters in a secondary layer.
FrogPad work on the basis that 83% of the most frequent characters are in the top layer. “HELLO, WORLD” places us at 66%, which for a very small sample size is not unreasonable.
The Lily58 uses QMK firmware, so I customising a new layout that follows along the same lines as the FrogPad – a primary layer, a secondary character layer (green), a symbol layer (pink), a function layer (orange) and a “secondary” function layer (green + pink).
I’ve named the layout “Frogger”.
See more about the build and use in the blog post here.
Adafruit publishes a wide range of writing and video content, including interviews and reporting on the maker market and the wider technology world. Our standards page is intended as a guide to best practices that Adafruit uses, as well as an outline of the ethical standards Adafruit aspires to. While Adafruit is not an independent journalistic institution, Adafruit strives to be a fair, informative, and positive voice within the community – check it out here: adafruit.com/editorialstandards
Stop breadboarding and soldering – start making immediately! Adafruit’s Circuit Playground is jam-packed with LEDs, sensors, buttons, alligator clip pads and more. Build projects with Circuit Playground in a few minutes with the drag-and-drop MakeCode programming site, learn computer science using the CS Discoveries class on code.org, jump into CircuitPython to learn Python and hardware together, TinyGO, or even use the Arduino IDE. Circuit Playground Express is the newest and best Circuit Playground board, with support for CircuitPython, MakeCode, and Arduino. It has a powerful processor, 10 NeoPixels, mini speaker, InfraRed receive and transmit, two buttons, a switch, 14 alligator clip pads, and lots of sensors: capacitive touch, IR proximity, temperature, light, motion and sound. A whole wide world of electronics and coding is waiting for you, and it fits in the palm of your hand.
Have an amazing project to share? The Electronics Show and Tell is every Wednesday at 7:30pm ET! To join, head over to YouTube and check out the show’s live chat and our Discord!
Python for Microcontrollers – Adafruit Daily — Python on Microcontrollers Newsletter: New Python Releases, an ESP32+MicroPython IDE and Much More! #CircuitPython #Python #micropython @ThePSF @Raspberry_Pi
EYE on NPI – Adafruit Daily — EYE on NPI Maxim’s Himalaya uSLIC Step-Down Power Module #EyeOnNPI @maximintegrated @digikey